Dan Air Remembered - JetPhotos.Net Forums

Humanahum · 02-20-2009, 09:28 PM

My little tribute to Dan is up and running if you would care to have a look.
www.geocities.com/danairremembered

At the mo it's just a free site but if it's successful I will look at giving it a proper domain etc. The site will hopefully mature and get new pics and features over time and some bit's will get the push. I am particularly interested in any pictures you might share with me of staff, cabin views, flight deck views, or behind the scenes images.
Would love to hear from anyone with their thoughts
Be kind guys!
Regards
Adam

rohank4284 · 02-21-2009, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Humanahum

My little tribute to Dan is up and running if you would care to have a look.
www.geocities.com/danairremembered

At the mo it's just a free site but if it's successful I will look at giving it a proper domain etc. The site will hopefully mature and get new pics and features over time and some bit's will get the push. I am particularly interested in any pictures you might share with me of staff, cabin views, flight deck views, or behind the scenes images.
Would love to hear from anyone with their thoughts
Be kind guys!
Regards
Adam

Nice tribute website to Dan Air.

Rohan

uy707 · 02-21-2009, 02:12 AM

Nice congenial website matching a congenial airline. Congrats for coming up with this work

HalcyonDays · 02-21-2009, 12:01 PM

I flew on the last commercial Comet service from/to Gatwick in November 1980. I also flew on one of their One-Eleven services.

I have numerous memories of the airline. They certainly operated a wide range of aircraft, and routes, not always successfully. They were often lacking in strategy and were a little disorganized, capturing something of the UK post-WW2 atmosphere before the greater competitive edge and deregulatory climate of the 1980s, a process which ultimately killed them. There were some concerns about their safety record at one point, which gave rise to the nickname Dan-Dare.

Foxtrot · 02-21-2009, 06:48 PM

^I never knew of this airline until I got the book "Classic Early Jetliners" by Martin W. Bowman. It definitely had an array of aircraft in its fleet. Did it add the "London" to its name later or was it always known as "Dan Air London"?

HalcyonDays · 02-21-2009, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foxtrot

Did it add the "London" to its name later or was it always known as "Dan Air London"?

I don't think it was ever officially Dan Air London. The full name was Dan Air Services. They almost always put 'London' on the side, though, and I suspect it was just a styling logo policy. That's what I think, but maybe the thread starter knows differently.

Humanahum · 02-22-2009, 02:03 PM

You are right that the airline was called Dan Air Services. The London was added at the start of operations to avoid confusion that the company was British and not Danish. Incidentally there has never been any official questioning of Dan Air's safety record. The reputation of the airline's engineering division was second to none. The only time when a Dan Air aircraft integrity was quenstioned was when a Boeing 707 crashed in Lusaka. Those 707's were ex Pan Am jets and had flown more hours and were actually closer to the end of thier flying time than other aircraft in the Dan Air fleet.Some of the Comet fleet, when retired still had 30,000 hours flying time available. In it's early days aircraft like the York and the Airspeed Ambassador were a bit rough around the edges. That is probably where the poster get his WW2 reference. True, at that time there was a buccaneer spirit to the company that lasted to the end. There was no airline in the World that would pull out every stop to get you to your destination. Cabin crew passengers putting their own luggage on board during industrial action was not unheard when other company's just gave up. But to question the safety record is unfair. Research on the internet about the accidents involving Dan Air aircraft will not point the finger of blame at the company. The 727 and Comet accidents were not caused by any structural faults the aircraft were fully viable. ATC and communication problems as well as human error have been blamed. It's also questionble whether the company was successful or not. It made a profit in every one of it's operating years except the final year. Considering that year was in the middle of the Gulf War, a UK recession and a campaign by at least two UK airlines to finish off Dan Air, it is a good record. If the company was at fault then it was reluctance by Fred Newman to update the fleet. By consolidatin it and by using more efficient aircraft profits, better progress could be made. Standardisation of the fleet started - too late - in 1991 the fleet was to concentrate on 737s - and to be a stand alone scheduled service operator, rather than a mainly charter carrier. Sadly it was not to be.

HalcyonDays · 02-22-2009, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Humanahum

You are right that the airline was called Dan Air Services. The London was added at the start of operations to avoid confusion that the company was British and not Danish. Incidentally there has never been any official questioning of Dan Air's safety record. The reputation of the airline's engineering division was second to none. The only time when a Dan Air aircraft integrity was quenstioned was when a Boeing 707 crashed in Lusaka. Those 707's were ex Pan Am jets and had flown more hours and were actually closer to the end of thier flying time than other aircraft in the Dan Air fleet.Some of the Comet fleet, when retired still had 30,000 hours flying time available. In it's early days aircraft like the York and the Airspeed Ambassador were a bit rough around the edges. That is probably where the poster get his WW2 reference. True, at that time there was a buccaneer spirit to the company that lasted to the end. There was no airline in the World that would pull out every stop to get you to your destination. Cabin crew passengers putting their own luggage on board during industrial action was not unheard when other company's just gave up. But to question the safety record is unfair. Research on the internet about the accidents involving Dan Air aircraft will not point the finger of blame at the company. The 727 and Comet accidents were not caused by any structural faults the aircraft were fully viable. ATC and communication problems as well as human error have been blamed. It's also questionble whether the company was successful or not. It made a profit in every one of it's operating years except the final year. Considering that year was in the middle of the Gulf War, a UK recession and a campaign by at least two UK airlines to finish off Dan Air, it is a good record. If the company was at fault then it was reluctance by Fred Newman to update the fleet. By consolidatin it and by using more efficient aircraft profits, better progress could be made. Standardisation of the fleet started - too late - in 1991 the fleet was to concentrate on 737s - and to be a stand alone scheduled service operator, rather than a mainly charter carrier. Sadly it was not to be.

Thanks for an interesting post.

1) I think you may be right regarding the use of 'London' to distinguish it as British rather than Danish. I do have a distant recall of this now you have prompted me.

2) Yes, agreed, re: engineering expertise. They made the Lasham facility what it is today. I saw a Comet depart from Lasham once - very memorable.

3) On safety, don't get me wrong, I'm not trashing their record, merely pointing out that there was some concern during that 1977-1981 period (four fatal losses : 707, 727 and two 748s, following a Comet in 1970), even among some industry professionals. There was a rumour that the CAA were considering revoking their AOC, though I know not whether this was true. The 707 accident was seminal in drawing attention really for the first time to the problem of geriatric airliners and how to manage them. The 727 case was certainly crew error as a primary cause, even if there were other contributory factors (as there always are).

4) Post-WW2. The spirit we talk about was across the whole UK independent airline sector from about 1948 (Berlin Air Lift) to around 1982 (collapse of Laker). Nonetheless, the 'spirit' led to more failures than successes. Many more failures in fact.

uy707 · 02-22-2009, 11:45 PM

I remember the losses of both the 707 and the 727. They did not prevent me from sampling DA on some rides. With times, I off-course regreat to have passed an opportunity to fly a Comet.

Thanks you both for the additional info.

Humanahum · 06-03-2009, 02:46 PM

Hi folks - I have been working for ages on the Dan Air Remembered website www.danairremembered.t35.com It's running now - we have MASSES of pictures from ground crew, flight deck and cabin crew. I am determined to make it the most comprehensive Dan resourse point there is. It's already doing well and new things keep coming in daily. I am hard at it at the mo with the memorabilia section which at the moment is small. In the next few days it will be massivly expanded as will the aircraft types operated where each individual aircraft will be featured. Of course I am constantly on the scrounge and cadge for pictures, in flight items etc to add to the site. One feature I have worked at is giving each staff member thier own "page" that page will be a kind of profile that shows the person at work and how they are now - they can write a bio or whatever words they want to add. As well as give any stories and contact details. There's no limit with the amount of photographs. Please help me make the site a success. Chug a lug
Adam Nolan

Heathrow · 06-08-2009, 10:40 PM

Well done on getting the site going, I have had a quick look and it looks good.

Afraid I can’t help with pictures or staff anecdotes, since my professional association with the airline only occurred as a result of its closure.

As you noted in the Dan Air history on the site, the airline was sold to British Airways in 1992. My involvement came as a Consultant Project Manager of the transfer of one of the IT systems to BA called MERLIN. From memory, this was the aircraft maintenance database. The project was successfully completed in March 1993.

My only visit to the Dan Air offices in Redhill was in connection with this, when the closedown of the airline was well underway. This visit I found both very sad and surreal. There were still a few retained employees trying to work at their desk, whilst various teams of people, myself included, were removing the entire company & office infrastructure which was everything from coffee machines to office furniture. Subsequent to this project, my involvement with BA continued though the 1990’s until 2003.

Good luck with your site, it's good that someone has done this tribute.

Humanahum · 06-09-2009, 10:44 PM

Thanks people for your kind words guys - I have made loads of new "improvements" lately - so please keep visiting www.danairremebered.t35.com cos I am constantly trying to make it better. I have been blown away by the lovely response.

still flyin' · 01-02-2010, 05:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Humanahum

Thanks people for your kind words guys - I have made loads of new "improvements" lately - so please keep visiting www.danairremebered.t35.com cos I am constantly trying to make it better. I have been blown away by the lovely response.

I have only just become a member and I would really like to thank you for all the hard work you have done in getting this site up and running.

It is really terrific to see how much interest there still is in this great airline. My time with them as Cabin Crew will always be remembered.

I have nothing to offer in the way of memorabilia except that I have sent an email to Adam re the "On Board" link that the young hostie in the red & white uniform holding a tray of drinks is myself - I still have my wings kept in a very safe place.

Keep up the good work

EconomyClass · 01-02-2010, 06:18 AM

I thought Geocities was history. I subscribe to enhanced Yahoo services, and I got an email to that effect. Maybe I misread how soon it was to be.

9V-SJH · 01-02-2010, 10:08 AM

Dan Air had a fan club for children, I was a member, they used to send us all kinds of neat goodies. Headed by a Mr. Yeaman. I still have everything if it's of interest. Seems like air transportation is really gentrified now, I guess that's the cost of low-cost. Couldn't see your site but perhaps you'll have it up and running again some time? Happy new year!