| Kevin Hunter, 27.09.2012 19:00 I visited the Brit at Duxford yesterday. Like many of you on here I too flew on one of these to Singapore in June 1966. I was only a young child - Dad was in the forces. However, thanks to the example in the Duxford aircraft, I distinctly remember the "air cot" hung on the luggage rack rail in which my 6 week old sister spent many hours. Wouldnt happen these days!
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| Dutch, e-mail, 21.06.2012 22:14 Do you have color pictures of the Bristol Britania aircraft when it had the Capital Airlines paint. When Capital was interested in buying them in the 1950's. I worked for Capital from 1951 until the United merger 1n 1961 and retired from United in 1991. I am trying to build plastic scale 1/144 models of Capitals planes flown and hopefully to buy.
I found a Eastern DC-3 ---located Capital decals in Texas(man has since past on). I used a PanAM DC-4 ---found Capital Decals in Canada. Used a TWA Connie ---found decals in Idaho. Vicount was no problem. But wante to go further with wishfull hoping of Capital to purchase: Electra Convair 880 Bristol . Have found decals for Capital's Electra and Convair 880. But the vender isn't able to find any pictures of Capital and the Bristol. Thanks! Dutch
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| Gary Saunders, e-mail, 12.06.2012 00:44 When in the RAF I flew in a Britannia from Heathrow to RAF Changi Singapore in June 1966, the aircraft landed at Abadan and Colombo(then Ceylon).
I made the return trip in March 1967 landing again at Colombo where we had an overnight stop due to an undercarriage problem another stop was made at Kuwait.
I found the flights quite smooth in the main but a little on the noisy side.
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| Tony Allerton, e-mail, 20.04.2012 19:43 Both Britannia types the 102 and 312 have been all time favourite aircraft for decades. My brother and I used to fly from London Airport (as was) as unaccompanied minors to Kuwait with BOAC where our parents were then living. Fond memories of what was then an enjoyable flying experience and which was to give me a 43 year career in aviation.
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| Keith Haddow, e-mail, 21.01.2012 13:34 We flew on a B.O.A.C. Britannia in 1960 on our way to join my Father who was stationed in the R.A.F. at Singapore. I was 10 years old, I recall, the aircraft stopped at Karachi ( I think to refuel). Soon after we had taken off from Karachi an fire started in one of the engines and we had to make a quick landing.....now I'm not sure if we returned to Karachi, or landed elsewhere, in any case we were put up in a hotel , while a new engine was flown out........all exiting stuff for a 10 year old.. and thats when I joined "The B.O.A.C Junior Jet Club.
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| David Heaslewood, e-mail, 26.11.2011 14:12 I was a loadmaster for african cargo airways in 1974 on 5Y ALT
our main work back then was the meat run from Khartoum to Tripoli, have some hairy stories about the whispering giant including nearly hiting the tower in Khartoum in a sandstorm !
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| mark edge, e-mail, 22.11.2011 01:18 we travelled from i think manchester to perth 1966 as imigrants via persia colombo one thing i do recall was turbulents .and landing in perth was just afield if anyone has flown this route would apreciate feedback.have since flown on jumbo an a380 .
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| Chris Vervaeke, e-mail, 27.05.2011 10:20 I was captain on the Britannia at the age of 27. I bring the last one from South Africa.It is now preserved at Kemble in RAF colours as XM496. Superb Aircraft.
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| Michael, e-mail, 28.04.2011 04:14 I was Flight Engineer on the Bristol Britannia I was very young and the aircraft was older technology. I enjoyed it it was a tough apprenticeship for a Flight Engineer most of my fellow crew were forty plus I was mid twenties and looked like a kid the F/E carried a huge amount of responsibility on this aircraft so I had to really prove my worth being the youngest crew member-often younger than the cabin crew. I now have a pilots licence and 18,500 hours as a Flight Engineer including the the 707 and the 747-300 series. Flying has been my life to date long may it continue.
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| Mick Skinner, e-mail, 18.02.2011 11:24 I first flew in a Brit on my 1966 RAF posting to Singapore in a British Eagle a/c and was posted to Staging A/C Servicing (S.A.S) flight for 2.5 years. I developed a great respect for the Queen of the Skies as I worked on it for all that time along with all other visiting A/C.On leaving the RAF I joined BOAC/BA where I obtained CAA licences on many Boeing A/C and Concorde.
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| tony almond, e-mail, 30.01.2011 22:30 My family and I flew this plane under British Eagle livery when we migrated to Australia in feb 1966.via Kuwait, Colombo,Singapore, Darwin and Melbourne. Onward flight to Adelaide with Ansett (I believe). I recall the only sleep I managed was through a raging storm between Singapore and Darwin.I remember smoking was allowed and most passengers seemed to smoke. The crew changed at each stop, and looked pleased to get off.I cant recall the food, but i know I lost about 10 lbs on the flight. I was 17 at the time and spent the whole journey consoling my 15yr old sister who didnt want to leave England.
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| PH, e-mail, 21.01.2011 13:34 I also worked on the Brit from 1960 to 68 including the oil lift. Also at Changi, Lyneham and Nicosia.
Great aircraft though I still have the scar from falling down a trapdoor in the floor (at night). In many ways well ahead of its time.
I travelled with my family both to Cyprus and Singapore by Britannia.
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| Mike Parker, e-mail, 12.12.2010 11:39 Stationed at Lyneham from 1964 to 1966. Serviced these lovely aircraft and went wuth them to East Africa to ship barrels of oil, from Dar-es Salem and then Nairobi to Lusaka in what is now Zimbabwe. They took a beating on these trips and several were left in a sorry state from which they really recovered.
Easy aircrfat to work on so much room in the frieght bays. Worst job changing torque meter tubes from engine to cockpit.
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| Bert Haile R.E, e-mail, 08.12.2010 14:12 I flew in the aircraft from Chrismas Island to UK in 1959,don't remember a deal about the flight only that we stopped at Honalulu and Goosebay in Canada.
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| Tom Chytil, e-mail, 04.12.2010 17:58 During a demo flight in 1954, Britannia G-ALRX suffered an engine explosion and in-flight wing fire with many people on board. Pilot Bill Pegg had to do a wheels up forced landing on the Severn mud flats. There were no injuries but the aircraft was later submerged by the incomming tide.
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| johnsankey@live.co.uk, e-mail, 13.08.2010 08:55 Ex RAF Loadmaster - 5000hrs on 252 and 253 series.
Many round the world trips. A good aircraft to work with.
Unservoceable stops included!!!!! Queen of the skies.
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| Christine Keith, e-mail, 15.07.2010 01:00 I think I flew on this aircraft when I emigrated to Australia in 1966 travelling alone. June I think. Not very pleasant memories. We struggled to land in Abadan, Persia (then) due to a prop failure. Stuck there for 2 days while they flew parts out from Heathrow. Pilot then had a heart attack just before takeoff possibly due to the stress of landing the plane we were told. Eventually we resumed our journey via Colombo, Singapore, Darwin and finally Melbourne. I had an onward flight to Adelaide arriving 3 days late.
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| andy gillham, e-mail, 01.04.2010 19:37 Another Changi to Brize experience. Flew out in a "10" and back in the Brit. 34 hours and four legs of 7/7.5 hours with 90 minutes turnarounds in Gan, Muharraq, and Akrotiri. I thought I was never going to get there. Wonderful sight and sound but boy, was I ever pleased to see Oxfordshire at last
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| andy gillham, e-mail, 01.04.2010 19:37 Another Changi to Brize experience. Flew out in a "10" and back in the Brit. 34 hours and four legs of 7/7.5 hours with 90 minutes turnarounds in Gan, Muharraq, and Akrotiri. I thought I was never going to get there. Wonderful sight and sound but boy, was I ever pleased to see Oxfordshire at last
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| John Hancocks, e-mail, 07.03.2010 09:35 From a passenger's perspective I rate this as one of the least comfortable aircraft I've ever flown in. Vibration - this was incessant and pervasive, an engineering friend tells me that this must have been due to the prop. tips being allowed to over speed, if so it totally negated the benefits conferred by the turboprops. Carrier - BOAC, journey - Accra/Heathrow.
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| Wouter Hobe, e-mail, 25.09.2009 04:03 The "Whispering Giant" was so quiet, flew from Sydney via Nadi, Honlulu, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal to Amsterdam for Canadian Pacific Airlnes. The base engeneer in Montreal arranged sails over the wing to save on glycol in the winter. The plane had trouble starting, till the engeneer kicked the electrical panel and then the engines performed beautifully.
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| Ol Rappaport, e-mail, 18.08.2009 14:32 I flew in one of these as an eleven year old from Bahrain to Heathrow, I travelled alone. We stopped at Beirut (then in crisis and crawling with MIGs) and Rome (I think) It took over thirty hours.
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| John Mathews, e-mail, 16.12.2008 04:08 I well remember, as a child in north London, seeing this beautiful aircraft in BOAC colours, crossing from Brookmans Park, overflying the North Circular Road on it's way into Heathrow. We'd run into the garden just to see it! Oh, happy days! Now, large aircraft are like cars - they all look alike!
Does anyone have, please...schedules of the BOAC Britannia 102 services to Australia...enroute stops, timings etc? Thanks in advance. John Mathews
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| Augusto Daroca-Cheesman, e-mail, 14.12.2008 21:14 The first version of the Britannia had Bristol Centaurus engines. Does anybody know what happened to these piston aircrafts?
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| des, e-mail, 26.10.2008 19:06 My father was in the RAF. I know the flight to Singapore took 3 days in the mid-sixties - but can't remember where we stopped off - any ideas?
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| Chris McBurney, e-mail, 02.09.2008 00:31 I flew as a passenger in "The Whispering Giant" three times between 1963 and 1966, in her British Eagle livery, to and from R.A.F Akrotiri, Cyprus and to Paya Lebar, Singapore. She was a great passenger aircraft.
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| Marie Gemmell, e-mail, 18.07.2008 21:21 I flew on this aircraft with BOAC to Australia, in 1958 with my mother and two sisters and baby brother. We were to join my father, an RAF officer, on his posting at RAAF Edinburgh Fields, near Adelaide. My mother, now aged 88yrs, remembers taking 16 (!)pieces of luggage. Due to my young siblings we were the first to disembark at each stop, in the care of one of the air hostesses. We were usually whisked to a baby facility with a nurse or Amah to help my mother and had our meals in, what seemed to me, luxurious airport restaurants. Our trip was supposed to last approx two days, but because of an engine fault after taking off from Beirut, we had to return and spent two or three days in a hotel there waiting for a spare part to be flown out. My baby brother then developed prickly heat which was misdiagnosed at Singapore as measles, and the pilot refused to take him any further. We stayed in at RAF Changi for two weeks(!) before being rescued by Quantas to make our onward journey. But no air journey for me has since has ever matched the simple luxury of the flight and the in-flight and air-side passenger facilities (OK no films!).
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| keith johns, e-mail, 14.05.2008 19:56 This was a definate improvement on the "Brab", nowhere near as noisy & the house did'nt suffer as much!!
In later years I joined the RAF, & flew many miles in the Britannia, also working on them in Trasport command.
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| John Mannion, e-mail, 08.05.2008 05:08 Att Mark Jones
Could you contact me at johnmannion@ozemail.com.au re flight to Australia as migrant in 1960s please?
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| Mark Jones, e-mail, 18.08.2007 06:54 I flew on this aircraft 40 years ago with my family when we emigrated to Australia. It was a British Eagle chartered by Qantas. I still have the ticket and booklet.
We flew from Heathrow to Kuwait, Kuwait to Colombo (in what was still called Ceylon), Colombo to Singapore, Singapore to Darwin and finally Darwin to Melbourne. Each stop was for an hour only (for refuelling) and took two and a half days. I remember we flew at 17,500ft. most of the way averaging about 385mph!
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| Clive Bishop, e-mail, 17.02.2007 02:25 While serving in the Royal Navy,I was lucky enough to fly on an RAF Brit from England to Malta.It was quiet and comfortable and on a journey this far,it did not take much longer than a jet.With the lastest views on global warming could this be the way to go to save the planet?
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| Sidney Woodcock, e-mail, 04.12.2006 03:58 I flew on this aircraft to and from London to Singapore in the mid 1960's. A beautiful aircraft but, of course, slow compared with modern jet aircraft. This aircraft was known as "The Whispering Giant" because it was large and very quiet compared to other aircraft.
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