Nostalgia at BHX

[wolfheze]

Yes that looks like it, looks like its got two antennas on the top which are no longer on the one at the Coventry museum. Had forgotten how many trees there used to be around the back of the hangars.

 

[Derwent Dale]

Hello - first post - with regards to the Airfield Identification Beacon I can confirm it was a rotating white/green light - as a child in the early sixties I first noticed it from our home, then in Kingshurst, I was fascinated with the way the sky would light up according to how low the cloudbase was - I worked at Elmdon in the seventies and it was operational then - at some point later it was changed to a flashing green - flashing morse code the letters BM. Hope that helps.
Cheers DD

 

[wolfheze]

Thanks for the information. I can't remember now if the rotating version did a 360 degree sweep of the sky or whether it turned inside the cylindrical box in the picture from the museum in which case it would only have shone in around a 180 arc if you know what I mean

 

[Kevin Farnell]

flashing morse code the letters BM. Hope that helps.
Cheers DD

Thanks, DD that makes sense. It ties in with a morse code broadcast which I used to on my airband radio (which would have been '-... --' for BM - I had to look that up, but would have known it back when I was in the Air Cadets) and I think the BHX VOR was Bravo Mike.
Oh, and welcome to the forum.

Kevin

 

[wolfheze]

I think the revolving beacon was replaced with the flashing one in the early seventies as I can remember seeing the beam in the sky when I was a child but not as a teenager.

 

[wolfheze]

Hello - first post - with regards to the Airfield Identification Beacon I can confirm it was a rotating white/green light - as a child in the early sixties I first noticed it from our home, then in Kingshurst, I was fascinated with the way the sky would light up according to how low the cloudbase was - I worked at Elmdon in the seventies and it was operational then - at some point later it was changed to a flashing green - flashing morse code the letters BM. Hope that helps.
Cheers DD

What job did you do at the airport ?

 

[Derwent Dale]

British Midland Traffic - Check-in / Loadcontrol / Cargo then Duty Officer
Cheers DD

 

[Elmdon80slad]

British Midland Traffic - Check-in / Loadcontrol / Cargo then Duty Officer
Cheers DD

MAS ?

E.

 

[Aviador]

Has nobody got any old phones they'd mind sharing with us on here? We've plenty of the old stuff in the gallery taken at Leeds but not a great deal from Birmingham. (which reminds me I still need to move some of the photos uploaded to the old site onto the Elmdon gallery here: http://www.forums4airports.com/media/categories/27/ )

 

[wolfheze]

Got plenty of old phones but not many photos
Such a shame we didn't take cameras with us. Think most of the old Birmingham photos are out there on the net. Would be better to get them all together on here though. Would really like to see some of inside the old terminal and the viewing lounge.

 

[wolfheze]

Thanks, DD that makes sense. It ties in with a morse code broadcast which I used to on my airband radio (which would have been '-... --' for BM - I had to look that up, but would have known it back when I was in the Air Cadets) and I think the BHX VOR was Bravo Mike.
Oh, and welcome to the forum.

Kevin

What is/was the Golf Mike? Used to hear it referred to a lot, am assuming it was some kind of beacon?

 

[Brummiegem]

Is the Golf Mike the localiser beacon that flights on approach to airports 'lock on to' during the initial approach phase?

Each airport has it's own designated coded beacon.I think EMA is Golf Echo,although I am not 100% on that.
Once'locked on to'the localiser the flight can then continue with an ILS approach,unless the flight requests a 'visual approach'.
This can happen for training purposes,useful for both pilot and ATC operator alike,and is just exactly what it sounds like.In this case at BHX the airline can ask for certain flights to have visual approaches,or ATC can ask the pilot when he first makes contact with the airport if he/she minds doing said approach for training purposes.I don't ever remember a request being turned down,so I imagine it is part of a pilots contract to do a certain number of these approaches every year.

 

[Brummiegem]

While we are on the subject of beacons and such like,I wonder if anyone remembers any waypoints that are no longer used.
For instance,when the Wardair flights got their flight plans in the 80's and early nineties their initial departure clearance was for a Stafford or 'Staffa'departure.
So the clearance would be something along the lines of 'Wardair xxx cleared to Toronto with a left turn at Stafford,climbing to FL60 followed by the Sqwark code'radar I'd code'.This is the 4 digit code that you see on all flights on FR24 for example.
Staffa is no longer used,it has been replaced by Whitegate,which is a point in the Liverpool or Merseyside area.
Lichfield was also used from time to time,although I am not sure if this is still current.

 

[Derwent Dale]

MAS ?

E.

Eventually until 89
DD

 

[Derwent Dale]

What is/was the Golf Mike? Used to hear it referred to a lot, am assuming it was some kind of beacon?

GM was a Non Directional (Radio) Beacon which was located about 4 miles out on the 33 approach and there was also GX on the 15 approach - they could be used for non precision approach aids and remember traffic holding at either when the weather was poor awaiting an improvement. Traffic from the north was usually directed to the GX by Preston Airways in the days before the Manchester Centre. Traffic from the south were sometimes given Daventry Golf Mike for Birmingham by London Control. I think I spent too much time listening to my airband radio back in the sixties, instead of doing my homework.

Cheers DD

 

[wolfheze]

GM was an Non Directional (Radio) Beacon which was located about 4 miles out on the 33 approach and there was also GX on the 15 approach - they could be used for non precision approach aids and remember traffic holding at either when the weather was poor awaiting an improvement. Traffic from the north was usually directed to the GX by Preston Airways in the days before the Manchester Centre. Traffic from the south were sometimes given Daventry Golf Mike for Birmingham by London Control. I think I spent too much time listening to my airband radio back in the sixties, instead of doing my homework.

Cheers DD

Cheers. You referred to the golf mike in the past tense, does that mean it no longer exists? Would 4 miles out have put it in the Honiley area?

 

[Brummiegem]

I forgot that there were different points for north or south arrivals.
Most arrivals from the south now use Honiley,whilst arrivals from the north mainly use Chase,Occassionally also Crewe.
There is another point off to the southwest for arrivals,but I can never remember what that one is called.

 

[Derwent Dale]

Cheers. You referred to the golf mike in the past tense, does that mean it no longer exists? Would 4 miles out have put it in the Honiley area?

If I recall correctly GM was just off the road that passed the Saracens Head at Balsall Common and GX near the present Jaguar plant at Castle Bromwich - am now an ex-pat Brummie and so no longer up on how things may have changed at BHX (apart from what I read on Forums such as this).
Cheers DD

 

[wolfheze]

I Know the Balsall common area well as I went to school there. It had its good points as it was located very close to the 33 approach so as long as the cloud base wasn't less than 1500 ft you had a good view. Could be really frustrating if anything interesting was spotted during the morning as you might have another 6 hours before you could hop on a bus and investigate.

 

[Elmdon80slad]

Eventually until 89
DD

I worked for MAS in 88.

E.