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Scottish Aviation
by Glen Gibb
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larger picture
Scottish
Aviation 1957. Within a couple of years after the
closure of the maintenance base servicing BEA passengers
aircraft, S.A.L. a Prestwick based company arrived with
a contract to re-equip NATO jet fighters.
Pictured is the CAIR (Calendar Annual Inspection &
Repair) production line of F86E Mk5 Sabre jets.
Flown across the North Pole these Canadian fighters were
given new engined and slatted leading edge
wings,classing them a Mk6. For the price of One dollar
they were repainted in the camouflage colours of the new
NATO ally,resplendant with the Black Iron Cross of -the
German Luftwaffe.
Faintly
visible in a blurred image,(top right-arrowed) is the
seventeen year old author of this CD-Rom!,the industrial
photographer made his intentions known-I would have
ceased my industrial pace to pose.
The
base closed in mid 1959 following a series of
ill-advised adventures by the trade unions. Strikes
became a commonplace event, at one time -weekly. The
published reason was the encroaching housing on the
Gallowhill/Arkleston boundary-a doubtful reason, the
NATO customer was simply fed up with the workers .
The
"Old" airport- adopted as the flight sheds
where the jets were made read for testing and flight. On
the tow tractor Bill Fanning (2nd left) John Craig and
on the far right Jimmy Pasley.
In
the background a recently arrived Sabre jet. The CF100
Mk4a a new addition to the work plan served in the NATO
airfields as part of the Canadian effort.
About
ten years before the start of World War 11 was the
scene at the very popular airport. G-E BLF (call sign
Baker Love Foxtrot- now, Bravo Lima Fox) on the far
right is a bi-plane Imperial Airways A W Argosy the
"City of Glasgow". The road in the upper
third section is "Newmains" and it runs all
the way to the Arkleston Cemetery. (No runways) A Lane
runs upwards to broadloan and at the top right side
can be seen the "plots" and the "hennie".
Where some men worked the soils others, went for
romance! Present day "Tesco" store occupies
that area whilst the bottom right-hand diagonal is the
M8 Motorway.
Glasgow Airport :
August 30th 1983. Three Concorde aircraft mark the
inaugeration of the "Super Shuttle"
Service to London.
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