Gatwick Panorama with World McDonnell Douglas DC-10 N103WA and Braniff Boeing 747 N601BN in the foreground

View from the roof terrace
Plenty of variety on the ramp at Gatwick in 1978.

Twenty aircraft are visible in this busy scene at London Gatwick - here's the list:
N103WA DC-10 World Airways - just over a month old
N601BN 747 Braniff
C-FDJC, C-FFUN 747s Wardair Canada
Laker DC-10
Dan Air 707 in Air Malta scheme
Dan Air 707 in cargo
British Caledonian 707s x3, one is in cargo
Tradewinds 707 in cargo
Dan Air Comets x2 + G-APMD ground cabin trainer
BIA HP Heralds x2
Capitol Airways DC-8-61
C-FCPJ CP Air DC-8-43
Behind the CP Air is what looks like a white tailed Bristol Britannia, and finally, there is a BAC 1-11 on the runway!
Eight different aircraft types.

N103WA c/n 46975 - McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30CF was delivered new to World Airways in March 1978. The aircraft was the first of many DC-10s for the airline, and flew with World until 1986. The aircraft was then sold to United Airlines as N1856U. After withdrawal in 2001, the aircraft ended up stored at Marana, Arizona where the aircraft still remained stored in 2013.

World Airways is one of USA's oldest charter airlines, originally based at Oakland California. Operations commenced in 1948, with overseas charter flights starting in 1963. Gatwick saw Boeing 707s, Boeing 747s and stretched DC-8s before the first DC-10s started arriving in 1978, gradually taking over all flights for the next decade or so.

N601BN c/n 20207 Boeing 747-127SCD was the 100th Boeing 747 to roll off the Everett production line and was delivered new to the company on December 28, 1970. The aircraft flew with the airline for 12 years, being joined in the fleet by many other 747s including some SPs. In 1983, the aircraft was sold to Tower Air, and flew with the airline for another nine years, being finally withdrawn in 1994 and broken up at New York JFK.

Braniff inaugurated the Dallas-London Gatwick service on February 28, 1978. Eventually, they were operating 11 Boeing 747s, including three SPs, which we nicknamed 'Orange Squash' ;)

The Braniff 'Big Orange' fleet
N601BN 20207 l/n 100 1971-1983 - scrapped 1994
N602BN 21682 l/n 375 1979-1983 - became N602PE PEOPLExpress, N635US Northwest - scrapped 2007

(N602BN) 20208 l/n 123 ntu - became C-FDJC
(N605BN) 21991 l/n 437 ntu - became N633US
(N607BN) 22234 l/n 465 ntu - became N634US

N603BN SP 21785 l/n 405 1979-1980 - became A40-SO Omani Royal Flight - still flying!!!
N604BN SP 21786 l/n 413 Apr 1980-Dec 1980 - became LV-OHV, 3B-NAQ, A7-ABM, 7O-YMN Yemeni Gov. - w/o 2015
N606BN SP 21992 l/n 447 1980-1983 - became N529PA, N150UA, A40-SP, N747A NASA - retired Mojave

N610BN 19746 l/n 12 ex-D-ABYA 1978-1982 - scrapped 2001
N611BN 20527 l/n 179 ex-D-ABYG 1979-1982 - became G-BJXN B. Cal - scrapped 2007

N9666 20105 l/n 77 leased 1978-1980 - became LX-LCV, N156UA - scrapped 2000
N9667 20106 l/n 79 leased 1978 - became LX-MCV, N157UA - scrapped 2000
N749WA 20653 l/n 237 leased 1979-1981 - became N470EV - scrapped 2012
N620BN 20927 l/n 244 leased 1978 - became C-FCRD, AP-BCO - scrapped Karachi 2005

One of a small number of slides taken by me in 1977-78, before I purchased my first SLR camera - a Zenith E.

Slides that were nearly lost to oblivion No.77 The original slide / transparency was rescued from a box of 'dud' slides that I could never quite bring myself to throw away - now I am glad that I kept them ;) Can't quite believe I nearly binned this image!
From an original slide, scanned and unrestored.

You can see a random selection of my aviation memories here: www.flickriver.com/photos/heathrowjunkie/random/

Taken in: UK / England / Mole Valley / Gatwick (show map)

Taken on: May 1, 1978

Tags:

LGW

London Gatwick

Braniff

747

Boeing 747

N601BN

N103WA

World Airways

Douglas DC10

DC10

London « less

Sets appears in: • Gatwick in the 1970s • Aviation Scene 1978 more » • Boeing 747 • McDonnell Douglas DC-10 • Braniff International • Wardair Canada • World Airways • Saved from Oblivion « less

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