| Entebbe Airport
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| A typical
afternoon scene as thunder clouds gather over Entebbe Airport in the late
1950s. The aircraft is a Vickers Viscount of Airwork which later
merged with Hunting Clan to become British United - PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| Deserted
terminal buildings and tower - PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| De Havilland
Comet 3 G-ANLO. Intended as a development of the unsuccessful Comets 1
and 2, the Comet 3 was a virtual prototype for the Comet 4. Entebbe
was associated with the Comet from its inception and was indeed the
over-riding raison d'être for the airport - Nairobi being deemed too hot and
high. But when the Comet 4 was eventually introduced between London
and Johannesburg, Embakasi had been built and BOAC Comets did not make
scheduled stops at Entebbe - PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| Early morning
and the London flight, BA 161 has just landed on Runway 12 . After an
hour or so it will depart for Nairobi and return around 2130 as BA 162 bound
for London via Khartoum, Rome (Ciampino until December 1960 and Fiumicino
from January 1961). PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| Passengers
disembark from Britannia 102 G-ANBN. In 1959 BOAC briefly operated
Britannia 312s to East Africa. PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| An hour later
and Jet Speedbird 161 prepares to taxi. It will enter and backtrack
down runway 12 before taking off out over the Lake. Both Comets and
Britannias used the "jet" prefix before the standard BOAC Speedbird callsign.
PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| Representing
the Queen the Duke and Duchess of Kent arrive at Entebbe for the
Independence Celebrations aboard Britannia 312 G-AOVG. The normal BOAC
service at this time was operated by Britannia 102s as shown above -
PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| South African
Airways Boeing 707 which possibly had diverted from Nairobi. One of
these aircraft came off Runway 06 at Nairobi Embakasi in November 1960 only
weeks after the type had been introduced between London and Johannesburg.
No one was injured and the aircraft was repaired and put back into service -
PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| Vickers
Viscount 700 of Hunting Clan. These aircraft were later replaced with
Viscount 800s fitted with external wing tanks to increase their range.
They called three times a week en route to Nairobi but had no traffic rights
- unlike BOAC which could pick up and set down between Entebbe and Nairobi. PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| Like Trek,
Luxair operated Douglas DC4 charter flights through Entebbe. PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| A Trek Lugiens
DC4 appears to have problems during a stop at Entebbe - note the engine
servicing gantry and the tail bumper support - PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| Before
acquiring its DC4s, TREK operated Vickers Vikings. Although the
DC4 was bigger it was nonetheless unpressurised and passengers still flew at
a maximum height of 10 000 feet. PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| Avro Yorks were
frequent visitors to Entebbe often ferrying Proteus engines for the
notoriously unreliable BOAC Bristol Britannias. Yet a few years later
when British United replaced its Viscounts on the East African route with
Britannia 313s the type proved remarkably successful - PHOTO Daphne
Seager |
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| UK Air Force
Gloucester Javelin. The RAF was an infrequent visitor to Entebbe
although its jet aircraft were a common sight at Nairobi Embakasi as they
were unable to operate from RAF Eastleigh in Nairobi - PHOTO Daphne
Seager |
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UK Air Force Avro Vulcan. The RAF had plans to operate these aircraft out of both
Entebbe and Nairobi in the event of war - PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| UK Air Force
Blackburn Beverley. PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| The Blackburn
Beverley was frequently seen at Nairobi, but the RAF was a relatively
infrequent visitor to Entebbe. PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| UK Air Force de
Havilland Venoms probably overstaying the weekend having flown over from
Nairobi or Aden. PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| The de
Havilland Venom was a development of the earlier Vampire. It was a very
small aeroplane as can be seen from the top photograph which shows Entebbe
Airport firemen alongside the aircraft. Note the firemen's uniform
which was based on the UK Navy's Number 8 Action Working Dress. PHOTOs Daphne Seager |
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| The Queen
Mother arrives at Entebbe in a de Havilland Heron 2 in February 1959.
She had been due to make the official opening of Nairobi's Embakasi Airport
the previous year on her way back to London from Australia. However
she was unable to do so when her schedule was severely disrupted due to her
QANTAS Super Constellation developing engine trouble and to save time she
overflew Nairobi and landed at Entebbe where she briefly visited Government
House. She then flew on non-stop to London, promising to return to East
Africa in 1959 when she toured Kenya and Uganda. PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| Caspair's DH
Dragon Rapide which was used for charter flights within Uganda.
PHOTO Daphne Seager |
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| Some houses had
a marvellous view of the airport. Here a BOAC Argonaut is on the apron
during the re-construction of the terminal buildings and tower in the late
1950s. PHOTO - Daphne Seager |
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| A Piper Aztec flies over Entebbe Swimming Pool
on Finals for Runway 30 - PHOTO
Daphne Seager |
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Entebbe Airport |