Heathrow Control Tower - The Final Salute (1955 - 2013)

Some of Heathrow's greatest airlines and airliners pay a final salute to our grand old tower. Special thanks to John Oram and Mick West for their superb photographs. (This film has special meaning to John as he served in the tower as an Air Traffic Controller for eight years).
Designed in 1950 by Sir Frederick Gibberd ,the tower and other airport buildings were opened by Her Majesty The Queen in 1955.
Taylor Woodrow, the main contractor, produced a special brochure for the occasion. Here is an extract -
'The tunnel at London Airport is the smooth, mysterious link between an old world and a new one. Beyond the tunnel, like a diamond set in a paste of emeralds, lies the streamlined capital of Britain's airways.
But the tunnel is only the beginning. The first thing that opens the motorist's eyes as he cruises up out of the tunnel into a new world, is an arresting two-storey,T-shaped building crowned by a nine-storey tower. This is the air traffic control building; and the control room with the sloping blue glass windows surmounts the tower - the electronic brain of the diamond city.
The air traffic control building was built to last - and also built to please. So it was constructed in steel framework encased in concrete, and the finishing touches were put to it's outside walls with a pleasing combination of brick, stone and tiles. Like the other new London Airport buildings, it gives an enduring impression of elegance married to strength. And it introduces our visitors to the charm of English brick....'
ATC operations ended in the tower in 2007 and were moved to the new 87 meter high control tower.
Between 2007 and 2012 the old tower was used for mainly office and conference duties.
It finally closed it's doors in the summer of 2012, demolition work began shortly afterwards and was completed in the first quarter of 2013.

This is my own personal footage, and I hope I have captured the essence of the wonders that Heathrow had in the late 20th and early 21st century and preserved that memory.
(The ATC recording is of the final Concorde flight between Heathrow and Bristol Filton (the birthplace of Concorde),that took place on the 26th of November 2003.)

[@SalisburyPlainAviation]

wonderful london heathrow, a place that felt like home, morphed into an airport i no longer recognise. makes me feel sad and old.

[@hemmay]

I've worked at Heathrow for forty years, the first thirteen years in T2. There used to be a staff bar below the control tower where I spent many a happy hour. I was very upset when T2 was demolished but your film and soundtrack showing the demise of the control tower had me in tears. Another piece of British history gone. Thank you so much for this wonderful tribute.

[@anthonyglee1710]

Sure you have wonderful memories! Correct me if I’m wrong, but was the T2 check-in area once a car park, hence the low ceilings? T1 was always be fav. All those island check-in desks for BD, EI and BA, the bridge to the Euro pier. Here we are still wanting a 3rd runway, whilst runway 05/23 was abandoned. Appreciate it’s not an ideal runway strip and in the way of new aircraft parking , but lots of major airports major airports have cross strips, eg, EWR, JFK, SFO, SYD, amongst other’s. Who thinks LHR closing runway 05/23 was a mistake?

[@hemmay]

@@anthonyglee1710 No the old T2 (originaly called the Europa Building) was a completly new build in 1955. A low ceilinged ground floor allowed for a lofty 1st floor departure lounge where people spent most of the time. Very sad the old T1/2 and control tower have gone. But that's progress I guess.

[@xetalq]

I don't know that I'd be so critical of the 'new' Heathrow Airport. My connection with the 'old' Heathrow is likely as long as anyone else's and longer than most. My father flew out of LHR for BOAC from 1946 until his retirement in 1971, and I can remember driving to LHR innumerable times with my mother to pick Dad up, upon his return from his trips. I began flying out of LHR as a passenger in 1958 (I was a very small child!), and regularly departed LHR to all ends of the world throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s, before moving (for a while) to California. I, too, became an airline pilot and operated out into and out of Heathrow from the late 1980s until 2010. I can vaguely remember Terminal 3 Oceanic being opened, and the excitement it caused. People would drive to LHR just walk around, and it felt like the nation was proud of the achievement. Why? Because it was new and modern. It felt like LHR and the country were again joining the front rank of airports across the world, and we had a 'gateway' of which we could all justly be proud. But it was Heathrow's modernity which generated the pride - indeed, it was still know as "London Airport" back then, and the small hamlet whereat it was built was still written: "Heath Row" (two separate words), both in print and on road signs. But even as most of the nation celebrated Sir Frederick Gibberd's design for its modernity in 1955, there were also many who complained at that time that the designs were too modern and soulless, and who bemoaned the loss of the preceding version of London Airport. Thirty five years later, and by 1990 it had become evident that LHR's terminals were something of a mess. Shoe-horned in between LHR's original six runways (all but two, by then defunct as runways and used as taxiways), the terminals were ancient, cramped, jury-rigged and apparently built without any forethought whatsoever. And as a professional pilot, I can tell you that taxying to and from the gate was a nightmare. Time moves ceaselessly on and LHR's terminals became something of an international embarrassment. Airports that do not modernize get ruthlessly left behind, and the proposed developments at LHR were obviously long overdue. Indeed, the airport needs - and hopefully will get - a third runway, too; without it, LHR (and the nation's economy) will suffer. Quite frankly, I like the new terminals - they are modern: the designs are clean and spacious, and they are impressive in both scale and quality. They leave the tens of millions who visit our shores each year understanding that as ancient as our national traditions might be, we are a modern, forward-looking nation which looks to the future as much as we are proud of our past. And you know what? We'll get used to the new terminals, too - just give us time. And, thirty five years from now, when these terminals are pulled down and replaced, we'll bemoan that and lament the ceaseless pace of progress then, too. I, too, miss the old "London Airport" - it was an integral part of my childhood. But then, I am old now, and my professional flying career - as much fun as it was, whilst I lasted - is over, as well. In truth, I think mostly that I just miss my childhood. But I still look to the future.

[@MrFlashjet]

Thanks so much for these wonderful memories, what you say is, of course, 100% correct in every way. I sometimes wonder how those that built the airport in the 1940's felt when they saw the 'new Heathrow' of the 1960's, much the same I guess as those that lament the changes happening now...

[@carrielamarr2845]

Oh wow. This video was heartbreaking to watch. My father worked in Air Traffic Control at Heathrow from 1957 until he retired in 1986. We'd go up the tower as kids (before airport security was tightened up) Watched Concorde take off too. My dad died in 2006 but he would have been heartbroken to see the old control tower reduced to rubble. I moved to the US twenty years ago and that old control tower used to welcome me home - It's the first thing I'd look for when I landed back at LHR. I do know I missed that familiar landmark when I flew home for a visit back in 2016. However, the new control tower looks so impressive. Time marches on and the need for new state of the art technology is key. Thanks for this amazing video. Can't believe I missed seeing it as you first posted back in 2013! Cheers. xo

[@MrFlashjet]

Thanks so much for your wonderful memories Carrie

[@mas3974]

Very touching video. Miss the old Heathrow. The memories will always be with me.

[@pepsi666]

Ah, a great place, a shame you never had any photos of the old Tower bar, it great place for a pint you never found a porter once the bar was open

[@hemmay]

pepsi666 Yes, I remember it well. Always popped in on the way home from my early shifts with KLM in T2. Ashamed to say I quite often drove home tipsy but luckily never got stopped. Wouldn't do it now of course but what happy times they were. It was a sad day when we moved to T4 as there was no staff bar there! I started work at Heathrow when I was 20 in 1973 and retired from there this year after 45 years. So sad to see the old T2 and control tower gone. Did you work there as well?

[@malcolmhemming2173]

I worked in that tower as an air traffic controller for 17 years, '86-03. As a teenage aircraft enthusiast who aspired to become an ATCO, it was an honour and a privilege. The CTB was an architectural icon on the West London skyline for 58 years, thanks to Frederick Gibberd.

[@MrFlashjet]

Thank you Malcom for sharing such wonderful memories and I'm so glad my video helps keep the spirit of Sir Frederick's work alive for future generations. I miss this old tower, it had character.

[@briandugan4974]

I worked in the Tower for 36 years as an air traffic control assistant and briefing officer. Loved every second of it.

[@crevans44]

I have just watched your video it brought me to tears as this building has been there all my life and it was sad to see pulled down. When I was 4 my uncle use to take me to Heathrow when terminals were just marques.

[@MrFlashjet]

+christopher evans Thanks so much Christopher - Yes I had tears when I was filming all this (The demolition was filmed in freezing winter conditions) - I'm glad I was able to capture some unique footage of a building that I, and many others feel should been preserved. I too grew up with the 'old' Heathrow and it is not nearly as good now. It has evolved... of course it had to at some point....

[@samanli-tw3id]

This tower could be preserved as a museum!

[@beachbum4691]

I can understand the grief felt by people who are watching the changes at Heathrow, and in a sense grieving the death of and the passing of the achievements and buildings of their age (and of mine.), Modest though they be compared with the achievements of this age But I see it very differently. Throughout my schooling years; Heathrow was an exercise in energy and vision and reaching out for the next growth step. As others will see in this video; shots taken from the tower showed great areas given over to staff and passenger car parking, staff ultimately having to park north side and take a bus to central so the terminal three, the freight admin offices; and freight sheds. could be built (All on centre) must've hurt ?. Beyond doubt the tunnel was a costly but visionary masterstroke. London's Heathrow airport together with Britain's motorways, were national projects built both to address a national need; and given heightened urgency by the success of Hitler's autobahn; and his construction of Tempelhof airport; across that great; aircraft parking crescent is 3500 feet (That's two thirds of a mile) It's construction being such that aircraft could park undercover away from rain and snow along that entire length; all done in the 1930s. we were very late to build a decent airport. this had left Britain's roads and airports looking utterly pathetic. This next Generation of British people; passengers; engineers; airport workers are as entitled as our own to build for their needs and the prosperity of their age. Though I grieve the loss of the tower; in the scheme of things it really didn't take up that much ground; and could easily have been converted to a historic facility shared by all at Heathrow. I grew up in Harlington/Hayes kneeling on my bed looking out of the window; as the stratacriusers (1947) and later the super constellation (1951) aircraft rattled the glass and the roof tiles above my head as I watched them lining up to land on the diagonal runways. As kids we cycled down to the terminals on the Bath Road; picked up whatever freebies we could get. And as long as we were quiet and respectful staff were well humoured and very accommodating. About 1958 my mother joined Hunting-Clan airlines accounts unit, my sister BOAC engineering. And I joined BEA in January 1966. As part of the airlines air mindedness scheme; I had subsidised flying lessons at Booker, (£4-10/- an hour) :) In an area that was always prosperous. Heathrow made locals even more prosperous. I had the honour to be taught to fly (At Booker) by Joan Hughes; she was born in 1918 flying at age 15 years teaching others to fly at 17 years; long before age restrictions were introduced. but my flying didn't go anywhere. poor colour vision; and questionable hearing meant I could not go on to commercial pilot work. :(

[@MrFlashjet]

Thank you for this wonderful account of life at Heathrow in times past John. Please feel free to see this video of how the Central Area now looks, filmed on the RAF 100 day, the footage shows the new Aurora Hotel almost on the same site as the old Tower building! - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jaW6nHZ_lr6CkJo

[@grahambrown5013]

I spent most Saturdays at Heathrow as a teenager growing up in Reading. I used to catch the bus from Reading, get off on the A4, walk through the tunnel and get that first whiff of aviation fuel. Then onto the QB where I'd spend all day before the long walk back through the tunnel to catch the last bus back to Reading. So sad to see the iconic old tower finally go.

[@bobthebinman9]

That brilliant film pretty much encapsulates my entire working career! Also born in 1955, I joined Swissair in 1974 at the old T2 and stayed until it collapsed in 2000. A few more years airside with Swissport and Alitalia before my final move to Amadeus at WBC3 (later WBC4) on the Northside facing Rwy 27R. Thank you so much!

[@paulmorrison9312]

I’m lucky to have one of the bricks which were saved and fitted with a commemorative plaque on the face.

[@MrFlashjet]

Thanks very much - the last part was not nice to film, I felt physically compelled to walk away. I just had to capture it , - but remember the great days and all the historic moments it witnessed.

[@SalisburyPlainAviation]

thanks for filming this. strangely, this feels like a sort of 'closure'. because it wasn't just the tower that vanished. the whole of old London Airport except the runways and taxyways has vanished too. i believe the alcock and brown statue was saved and is still on the airport. so closure, because it feels like a personal loss. thankyou.

[@paulsmith843]

like the rest of the UK this is "progress"!?

[@MrFlashjet]

Heathrow has now become the 'Standardised' airport that you see in any major city. It is now (going to become) the characterless, soulless world airport that those who run our world want. Looking at Heathrow in 2017, you would think you were in any airport in any city, it has lost it's charm and warmth and unique feel.

[@peterclark8208]

I worked in Heathrow ATC in the Tower from 1978 until 1986… Thank you for the video 😢

[@MrFlashjet]

Thank you Peter. Please feel free to share the video with any of your former colleagues.

[@sloopeymusic]

Very moving, especially the concorde section. Thank you also for including the seemingly plain parts too, such as 0:55 - 1:00, the equipment room windows, reminded me of my Engineer Cadet field training in the summer of '81, and the occasional shout of "Totty alert!" from the old hands as the eye-candy walk past.

[@mark1968]

Wonderful tribute to a great landmark. When I was a kid I used to spend days at Heathrow on the Queen's building and on top of the car parks. I used to be in a world of my own and knew the whole complex like the back of my hand. I do not recognise it today with all the new buildings and security restrictions. Back in the late 70s/early 80s I used to wander around with out any problems at all. I cherish those memories of long summer days at Heathrow. The noises, the smells and the atmosphere. I distinctly recall watching the ground crew turn around a Ghana Airways VC10. I could almost touch it from the second floor of the car park. I am afraid those days are well and truly over now. You can't get near the place these days.

[@MrFlashjet]

Thanks so much for these wonderful memories Mark, I recall a similar time although in the mid to late '80's. Hot summer evenings in the central area were a special time, the atmosphere of the place was unique and lives long in my memory too. Heathrow is now a grey depressing place to visit where you are constantly watched with suspicion, it no longer has any heart to it.

[@frankhardy5115]

And I did exactly that on my bike on school holidays to carparks and Queens building. Remember 70s 80s 90s up that iconic beautiful building. Friday was favourite day .. see more Aeroflot classics. Well time must move on!!🏗🏢✈️🛩

[@scopex2749]

Thank you for this I got a whole load of photos of the old Queens building I was allowed up on the roof with the building manager ( as Ive been at Heathrow over 20 years) and got permission to take the photos when the building was empty. You used to be able to walk across to the old T2 roof and there was a viewing platform up there. Sadly the photos were all stored only on one PC which was detroyed in a flood so that is lost forever. Its a shame you couldnt have gone inside before the demolision. My father worked at LHR before me fitting out most of the control towers electronics and radar systems, working for Decca and other companies. So sad to see the old lady go as the new 'control tower' is a hideous monstrosity that looks like some sort of phallic symbol or a lollipop on a stick its DISGUSTING! We were told it was only 'temporary' but 10 years later the damn thing STILL makes Heathrow a laughing stock :(( All other large airports have PROPER concrete or brick towers.

[@glynjones2964]

Keep these coming Dave! Anyone who loves aircraft and the airport will be wiping a tear away watching this! Also just gave you another plug on the Heathrow historical group on Facebook! :)

[@MrFlashjet]

+Glyn Jones Thanks for doing that Glyn, I'm sure the footage will be of great interest to the group. I can't believe 3 years have passed so quickly, Heathrow isn't quite the same without that beautiful building! - Yes I shed a few tears when I was there actually filming this, in mostly sub zero temperatures, note the snow in one shot. It really does have an emotional impact, the best part for me was filming the walk into the building, truely unique!!

[@glynjones2964]

You had more bottle than me and good job you did it - to film it for posterity. I could not go into the central area to see it like that. I have not been in the central area since 2010 when I went into the control tower. Prior to that I had not been in the central area since 2006. Even in 2010 it seemed a different place without any Queen's Building or Terminal 2. Felt cold - lacking feeling.

[@pete6645]

Familiar scenes. As a child, I used to go plane spotting at Heathrow in the late 1960s, then worked there from 1974 to 1988 - firstly at Terminal 2, then Terminal 3, then Terminal 1 then finally Terminal 3 again. Met lots of lovely people there too. Happiest days of my working life they were.

[@jkirk3043]

Great video! Very well put together but sad at the same time! My dad used to take my brother and I for days out to Heathrow in the 1960s, and we've been going back there ever since! The Control Tower in its unique red brick stood out in those days and I have so many memories of that, and the hours we spent on the rooftop public viewing area on the Queens Building - hard to believe in this day and age that an airport was designed with areas dedicated to watching aircraft! I haven't been back inside the airport for a while so I never saw the demolition of the Control Tower, so in that respect thanks for your film - it's good that you captured it. The ATC recording of Concorde's final departure from Heathrow is excellent and I have my own video of that moment here (kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqO2g2iBlqd0nZY) with that same conversation between ATC and Concorde via an airband radio held next to my video camera! You have, indeed, captured the essence of the wonders that Heathrow had with your film.

[@MrFlashjet]

Thank you so much for your memories and for your complements about my video. I was there on the 26th of November 2003 and was a little bit further down on the same fence where you shot your Concorde footage! I probably saw you, there were not many there that day. I will have lots of footage of Heathrow central coming up on my channel in the coming months...

[@glynjones2964]

You certainly know how to put together a video tribute to an iconic piece of Heathrow's history that is now no more. Very stirring stuff!

[@AndysVideo]

Beautifully done. A sad and moving record of a great British Icon.

[@glynjones2964]

That United Jumbo shot behind the stricken Control Tower, sums it all up.

[@richardkeen6965]

Thanks for the video.. i was lucky enough to get a visit to the control tower in 2001

[@Flightsim10HD]

Wow very sad:( Great control

[@adriancreagh7084]

Brilliant video. I used to work in the Control Tower bar, Dodge to some, so probably served some of you a few beers!

[@anthonyglee1710]

Sorry to see, whilst not the prettiest tower, the spinning radar and the Queens building were my childhood memories of Heathrow! T4 was brand new with rows of BA Jumbos and the new T5 was just a sewage site. T2 was always awful, like being in a coffin.

[@x4dd]

Why did they demolish it?

[@MrFlashjet]

Why indeed.

[@soundboy605]

Thank you sir what a sad video well documented a part of my history has gone but we still have this wonderful digital format thank you

[@jimmynesify]

Very well put together. Well Done !!

[@anthonyglee1710]

Out of interest their seems to be fair amount of space below the Visual control floor at the top, anyone know what the other floors were purposed for? Any legacy/interesting stories?

[@Mraviationguy]

4:35:)

[@senabecool7232]

sad, now the only piece of the original Heathrow are terminal 3 and 4

[@danfonseca563]

The tower was the word Heathrow in my books

[@hotscotty1]

This brought a tear to my eye, especially the Concorde/ATC transmission! 😢 I’m afraid I’ve only just come across your channel, being a spotter of a certain age I’m absolutely loving the vintage Heathrow video! To coin an old phrase.... they don’t make em like they used to! Keep up the great work. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@MrFlashjet]

Thank you. I have hours and hours of vintage footage still to upload! Including the last ever BA 757 to take off at LHR....

[@truetothegame2928]

the new towers are so much better !

[@glynjones2964]

Watched this again last night and it still gets to me! Beautiful and poignant! 🤩

[@MrFlashjet]

Cheers Glyn.

[@LeeAirVideos]

I have a brick from the Control Tower; proudly displayed on my desk. The top of the tower could have been saved and preserved. But sadly no one or any organisation was prepared to put their hands in their pockets and finance such a project. Now lost forever. Very sad. I worked at LHR for 14 very happy years.

[@MrFlashjet]

Great memories - thanks for watching.

[@Trek001]

3:56 - the only recorded instance when the entire UK agreed with an American citizen

[@MrEchoimage]

Oh yes, it is sad to see a landmark being demolished. Thank you for sharing and the information given.

[@christopherdaniel4841]

Great job in creating a moving tribute to an iconic landmark. Thanks for making the time.

[@PaulDonovan]

Brilliant !!

[@Glyn14Emerson]

Copyright Issues ?

[@Glyn14Emerson]

Started working now... :-)

[@Glyn14Emerson]

SME and UMG must have changed there mind.... :-D

[@GalvinGaming]

For all the times I've been in and out of Heathrow, I never saw the ATC, but when T5 was built, they has to destroy it. I was upset when I saw this

[@MrFlashjet]

I had tears filming it Galvin, along with many others who share our feelings. Thank you for watching