Scotland's Four Month Airline - Highland Express

Hello all! :D
Today, rather than looking at a plane or an airport, we'll be covering the history of possibly Britain's shortest-lived airline.
While there are plenty of carriers that have been formed, but collapsed into insolvency before they could carry out their first flight, Highland Express actually did succeed in commencing operations, with the premise of delivering services between Scotland and North America in the same vein as Virgin Atlantic.
However, the fiscal limitations of the airline industry, combined with a fickle market, meant that within four months of its start, the airline was gone forever.
All video content and images in this production have been provided with permission wherever possible. While I endeavour to ensure that all accreditations properly name the original creator, some of my sources do not list them as they are usually provided by other, unrelated KZbinrs. Therefore, if I have mistakenly put the accreditation of 'Unknown', and you are aware of the original creator, please send me a personal message at my Gmail (this is more effective than comments as I am often unable to read all of them): [e-mail]
The views and opinions expressed in this video are my personal appraisal and are not the views and opinions of any of these individuals or bodies who have kindly supplied me with footage and images.
Also, I realise that in many shots I incorrectly show certain aircraft or airlines that aren't true to what I'm discussing, but sadly - with the constraints of copyrights and attributions - the number of pictures I can safely use are somewhat limited.
If you enjoyed this video, why not leave a like, and consider subscribing for more great content coming soon.
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Thanks again, everyone, and enjoy! :D
References:
- Yesterday's Airlines (and their respective sources)
- Wikipedia (and its respective references)

[@kenf8020]

I flew as a student on this 747 from Prestwick to Stansted. £10 including bus from Glasgow! It was hilarious, there were about 250 of us checking in for the internal flight and the plane actually arrived from Newark about 1 hour earlier, so we all had to run through the terminal and board immediately. It was actually a really good flight and “tartan service” on board, plus big pictures of Eilean Donan Castle and other scottish sites on the large movie screens around the plane . Great memories and video.

[@gerardacronin334]

I had never heard of this airline. Very interesting, and I didn’t expect to hear that this aircraft, which started out in bad shape, had such a long and adventurous life afterwards. Your videos are excellent and I like the pace of your presentation.

[@davidvincent1093]

It kind of sounds to me like he put a huge amount of money in this bird to get her flight ready and that is a lot of what hurt his back up money. On the other hand the companies that got her after repoed made out like bandits since he air frame was ready to go and all they did was have to fly her

[@ronsmith4927]

I looked up the aircraft, and her original registration was originally N9969 while at American Airlines. Her sister there, N9968, later was sold and registered as N905NA... NASA’s first Shuttle carrier aircraft. She flew until 2013, and is now displayed with a shuttle mock-up on top at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

[@JustinLHopkins]

Good god, that plane had a crazy lifespan!

[@jimtaylor294]

Aye, a bit like the "Mumbo Jumbo" in Yes Minister XD.

[@airzulu2733]

You took the words right out of my mouth . For a relatively old 747 she did some air miles . Its credit to how good the 747 was .

[@jkarhiaho]

This aircraft was actually the only 747-100 Qantas ever used. The leasing of this plane makes Qantas the only airline to operate every variant of the jumbo. This -100 was leased for a while, -200s were a major part of Qantas' fleet, SPs and -300s were also once part of the fleets, -400 was the last passenger 747 variant at Qantas and the -8Fs are now going to be used for Qantas Freight being leased from Atlas Air. So this -100 is a significant jet in Qantas' history!

[@trg37]

It was never painted in QF livery, but leased by QANTAS to use on the Air Pacific services they ran for them. QF did use the aircraft in AP livery on some of their own services.www.aussieairliners.org/b-747/vh-eei/vheei.html. I think QF also used the aircraft for a brief period whilst still painted in the Aer Lingus livery.

[@visionist7]

Qantas should have sold their SPs to Air Pacific and given us a JFK - Fiji nonstop. Woulda been rad. Technically the 8F & 8i are separate planes (no long hump on the 8F) so Qantas almost flew every 747 variant.

[@auxiliarypowerunit]

what about the 747SRs?

[@joezegers]

-100 SP -200 -300 -400 -8

[@andybaker2456]

Interesting. I can remember being offered flights on Highland Express when researching flights to go and visit family in North Carolina. But although the fares being offered were cheap, using them just wasn't practical seeing as my home was is south London. Also at that time I had a fear of flying, with takeoffs being particularly stressful for me. So choosing an option that added more takeoffs to a journey that was already cause for anxiety wasn't really the best idea! Somehow though, looking back, and now having watched this video, I almost wish I had given them a go. 😊

[@BobbinMcferry]

So less of an 'airline' and more of an 'airplane'...

[@markbranson723]

Well, the plane itself did have a much longer life than the airline!

[@voiceofraisin3778]

Less of an airline, more of an airdot!

[@simonjf]

I took one of those £10 flights from Prestwick to Birmingham when I was a student. It was utter chaos. The flight was delayed for hours. There was barely anyone on the flight. And the passengers threw an onbaord revolt until the cabin staff declared that the drinks trolley would be free. Prestwick was always in a very inconvenient location for major urban populations. Even for this poor starving student, it wasn’t worth it.

[@thehardway7970]

There is a train station at Prestwick and you get a discount on train tickets so it's not so bad anymore

[@aidan4473]

I live in Ayr, the larger town conjoined to prestwick. The railway is, by far, the most convenient way to get anywhere from the airport as there are train services to Glasgow, Ayr and Edinburgh. There are roadblocks a lot in peak times on the M77 as you enter Glasgow too. Also Ayrshire people are s9me of the most miserable people in the country so the revolt is expected from my view.

[@alanmcculloch8775]

@@aidan4473 Ayrshire people have much to be miserable about.

[@jimtaylor294]

@@alanmcculloch8775 As someone of Ayrshire / Glaswegian stock, this explains a lot XD.

[@ronnieince4568]

Simonij Prestwick was built at the time when the range of aircraft made a direct London -New York flight doubtful so aircraft flew London -Prestwick -Gander -New York .Once aircraft could go non stop Prestwick became largely redundant like Shannon in the Irish Republic.

[@MrPhil1969]

Thank you for saying that Newark airport is in New Jersey. I can't tell you how many times I watch a video like this and they claim Newark is in New York. Very interesting story and very well presented.

[@davids3580]

Unfortunately Prestwick Airport is still wrongly associated with, and identified as Glasgow Prestwick, when in fact it is in rural Ayrshire, some 35 miles from Glasgow city centre. Edinburgh Airport is almost the same distance from Glasgow as Prestwick, and for a significant proportion of Glasgow’s population Edinburgh Airport is more accessible than Prestwick Airport.

[@lzh4950]

@@davids3580 IIRC though RyanAir does serve Glasgow via Prestwick airport right?

[@yakacm]

@@davids3580 The airport itself calls it Glasgow Prestwick, so you can't really fault others for calling it that. I mean there is an airport in Glasgow, I am on the flight path for the landing aircraft as it's just a couple of miles from me. I am not too sure but it seems that more international flights go from Prestwick?

[@neilturner6749]

@@davids3580 “London” Stansted is far more implausible than “Glasgow” Prestwick

[@megatop412]

Was surprised to learn Fields died so young. I still have the NY Post article announcing the beginning of flights into EWR. It hangs next to my 1/250 Wooster model of the Highlander, which I searched for for many years. My favorite paint scheme on the 747. Thank you for the informative video. Subscribed to your channel and linked to you on Flickr.

[@ianoliver3879]

Thank you. Room between the sentences. At last, a video I can bear to watch.

[@arnepianocanada]

YES! This superb speaker can go rapidly without exhausting the listener (even me with partial hearing loss) because his elegant accent is easy to understand; he does not 'stumble over himself' as do many web-hosts; and he knows about periodic spacing. Bravo, Mr. MacVeigh!

[@samaguirre3283]

It’s amazing that a old airframe like this Boing 747 to be passed on to one airline to another even more amazing is that it was still flying sadly it had to come to an end

[@arnepianocanada]

Haha Boing, 'bounced' from airline to airline 😁

[@arnepianocanada]

Agreed, Mr. Aguirre. Too bad it could not be preserved in some kind of museum, partly because it survived all that deteriorating

[@davidslobod5726]

Great video, thanks for posting. My flight to Scotland in 1978 was through PIK on a CP Air charter. No service available then from North America to GLA or EDI.

[@bluebusdriver]

I remember this airline as a little boy and it's unique color scheme. Thank you for the history of this airline and , "the Golf High Ho Heavy"

[@Midge-xn9tp]

Scotland’s World Cup appearances almost lasted longer than this

[@FireAngelZero]

I just found your channel recently but love the fact you’re making airline based videos! Hope to see more of these amazing videos! Edit: you should cover either the story of Eastern Airlines or another bankrupt airline which operated before the “deregulation” of the airline industry in the US.

[@gilbertfranklin1537]

Ruairidh, your provide an excellent narrative, perfect voice and pace. Makes these documentaries very interesting. 👍

[@jimc6486]

Just come across a memento from my flight with HE - a light plastic shoulder bag with the company logo and "Inaugural Flight 1987".

[@stevie-ray2020]

A single-aeroplane airline gives me a laugh because it makes me think of 'Cabin Pressure', the BBC's radio-comedy!

[@smorris12]

"If anything, it's an airdot!"

[@asd36f]

Reminds me of The Goodies pirate radio station with just one record to play.

[@yvoferdinandvanderhoek1027]

Look at slm... Single airplane airline existing for years...

[@jimc6486]

I flew on the first Highland Express flight from Prestwick to the USA. My recollection though is that it was a Cargolux 747 combi. We managed to wangle an upgrade due to the delays and flew upstairs in First Class with Randolph Fields. They still didn't have their own aircraft by the time we had to return so they put us on a NorthWest Orient/Airlines flight (and had a similar upgrade). I recall too being in Prestwick's First Class lounge and seeing stuff about Elvis stopping off at PIK on his way to Germany during his time in the forces.

[@Ben-xe8ps]

I thought they were a low cost carrier. Did they really offer FIRST class and if they actually did, which I doubt, was it really on the upper deck rather than the nose? And why on earth would NW have upgraded you to First? Invol reroute from a LCC, upgraded in preference to their own passengers and their own frequent flyers all the way to First, not Business but First, from Economy?

[@jimc6486]

@@Ben-xe8ps They did offer First Class and that's what our tickets said. On the aircraft we flew, the inaugural flight using a Cargolux charter as their own aircraft was unavailable, it was upstairs. It was small (it must have been a 747-100) and Randolph Fields was amongst the passengers. When we called prior to the return flight we were told the HE aircraft was still unavailable and to go to Northwest (Orient, at the time). I made a song and dance about things and they put us in what I guess now was Business Class.

[@Ben-xe8ps]

@@jimc6486 Assuming you know the difference between a ticket and a boarding card, if your 'tickets' showed F in the fare basis box and F in the class box then you were not upgraded. If not, then your tickets didn't say 'First Class' did they? How exactly did you manage to wangle this upgrade due to the delays. All the passengers would have experienced an identical delay so why did you get this upgrade? In 1987 NW would have offered 3 classes First, Business and Economy. You guess now it was business class. Don't you know? You seem very sure that you travelled First on Highland Express. What prompted you to make a song and dance about things? After all you appear to have been selected for this very special upgrade on the outward flight so your response was to make a song and dance when checking-in for the return flight, presumably to the NW staff who were in no way involved in your problem. You should have been grateful for the outbound upgrade and pleased to be returning home on a proper airline such as NW for the price of your cheap Highland Express ticket. .

[@Tuberuser187]

Nice surprise this getting uploaded this morning.

[@chrisjohnson6876]

Great info there Ruairidh. I'm an aviation nut from the late sixtes. Your video showed 3 airlines I had never even heard of, incl Highland Express! Cheers

[@iamthatguy8207]

What a storied aircraft! Great vid as always!!!

[@johndonaldson3619]

You produce some real gem stories - thank you!

[@peajay1138]

With low fare airlines, there was also Harold Bamberg and Eagle Airways in this market too from the early 1950s.

[@mrpeel3239]

Very succinct and informative. Thank you!

[@nathanfu7971]

The livery looks amazing

[@johngalderton]

I travelled on this airline between London Stansted and Prestwick on 2 occasions. Another problem was frequent delays and on both occasions my return flight was delayed ... one one occasion by one day!

[@TheStwat]

Very enjoyable and informative. :)

[@tjfSIM]

Wow, I never knew they existed! The good old days when just about anyone with a bit of dosh could set up an airline. Airports were certainly much more interesting, with new carriers or tour operators appearing and disappearing every day. Fuel was cheaper, slots were available, business travel was booming and package holidays were all the rage. Fast forward 30 years, and only a handful of those start ups still exist, and even the strongest and biggest players are struggling. It’s a bleak time now.

[@SethMethCS]

Because of bureaucracy, cronyism and over-regulation. Don’t run a passenger airline, run a company that services an aspect of a passenger airlines operations. An airline is a shitty way to create wealth. If the best case scenario as an upstart airline is a few years of %10 total operating profit it’s a shit business.

[@visionist7]

@@SethMethCS what about owning and chartering out a business jet?

[@realwiggles]

​@@SethMethCS I think it's hilarious when regular folk talk about regulation in such a negative way. For example, here we see someone essentially implying they'd rather it be a bit more dangerous to fly if it meant a handful of ultra-rich people would be able to make more money. Besides, I'm not sure how much I'd complain about some government regulation when that same government also handles the whole air traffic control side of things. In fact, I'd argue the government's involvement in the industry is a net positive insofar as its influence on the existence of a competitive free market for air travel is concerned. Imagine how difficult it would be to start an airline if you had to worry about creating and maintaining an air traffic control network that covered the routes you intend to fly, or instead having to pay one of the major airlines for the priviledge of using theirs.

[@theirishvideos]

Thanks for uploading that video, I was always wondering what happened to highland express.

[@justmoritz]

Good on them for trying! The fact that the legacy carriers literally conspire to keep competition out made this venture kind of foreseeable safly

[@feltongailey8987]

Most interesting airline story to date. Thank you.

[@Mouxbar]

Superb, one new to me as well. Great yarn :-)

[@Robslondon]

Never knew about this, fascinating video.

[@garypickholz9869]

I flew this out of Newark! $99 one way to Europe. Cost more to get down to London than it did to cross the Atlantic.

[@spencerwilton5831]

Gary Pickholz Have you seen our train fares recently? It's still quite possible to do that exact journey and spend more on the train than the plane.

[@justme-hh4vp]

Spirit of Sir Freddie is arguably Virgin's most famous name. Kind of fitting for that aircraft's particular history.

[@gslim7337]

For what it is worth, it lasted longer than Compass Airlines in Australia.

[@torrarosa7064]

Some of the photos show different aircraft.. Just looking at the number of windows in the hump..

[@shayamoya]

.... funny that. I noticed the same. This was a B747 100 and others are a 200 series. Anyway I always get sad when a carrier goes bust. Aslam Mahomed Johannesburg South Africa.

[@BorisLu]

Nice video!

[@gregstevenson1207]

The 747's shown in this video I assume are meant to be the same aircraft. Well, they aren't. One is it has only three windows in the upper deck area and the other a lot more. But the thing that I noticed more than anything was the fact that one aircraft had Pratt & Whitney JT9 Engines on it and the other had Rolls Royce RB211-D4's; SO totally different Aircraft.

[@visionist7]

He never said the Qantas jet was the same one. Besides window plugs can be fitted and removed in a day. Freighter conversions use them too

[@maximumthrusts]

You have an amazing voice ❤️

[@station240]

Leasing an aircraft that was last used/leased by an airline that went bankrupt is a warning sign. That it was also repainted for a cargo company which never actually used it, due to it's deterioration in storage, is a sign to look elsewhere. Highland Express's only lasting achievement, was to get this aircraft repaired, so others could use it. Wrong aircraft, should have stuck with point A to point B long haul, or perhaps charter service.

[@melvyncox3361]

Very interesting.I have heard of this airline,but l didn't realise it only lasted four months.At least the Jumbo flew on for many years afterward😎👍

[@swiper1818]

Really interesting historical background here👍

[@donalfinn4205]

Very interesting.👍☘️

[@davidcronan4072]

I remember seeing this plane at Stansted Airport on the apron just before taking off for the States.

[@MarkAHHDvideostreaming]

Well done

[@superyachtchef]

Sensational presentation - utterly brilliant, well done 🎖🎖🎖

[@tonyburford421]

I booked to fly out on highland express but it went under before I was due to fly, fortunately my travel agent rebooked on a different airline.

[@western_alex]

Nice one! Imagine it was still here...

[@bmc9504]

If it was it'd probably be a lesser interesting 737/ 757 flight.

[@visionist7]

It could have been a Scottish Ryanair

[@pjotrtje0NL]

In the back at 1:34, that’s I think a 757, but the 757 wasn’t in operation the day Laker ceased operations?

[@theshadowman1398]

Who the hell stores a plane in Belgium, one of the wettest countries in Europe.

[@Quasihamster]

The British. To them, it must look like a freaking desert.

[@bobblue_west]

Yes. Morocco might have been a better choice.

[@dave1001]

@@Quasihamster Citicorp the aircrafts owners wh are American and not British

[@Quasihamster]

@@dave1001 woooosh.

[@allandavis8201]

Just goes to show you can’t run an airline without a huge amount of money and expertise. Interesting video, thanks for sharing. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@amc3]

I remember this, a woman I worked with (who liked a drink) told me be she was visiting her daughter in London and as was flying on a 747. I thought she was a bit pi$$ed, but she wasn't, she flew the return trip with Highland Airways, Prestwick to Stansted for a silly cheap price.

[@mikehoward4632]

How many paint jobs did the 747 have?

[@visionist7]

Yes

[@Bod8998]

How mental is that we went it from London to Scotland prestwick 29pound the fare was when I was a kid

[@EdWhizAviationTrains]

Airline Iv'e never herd of so thank you for the great history, sad that it couldn't stay around. I just subscribed 👍😎

[@seanchaplin7217]

I flew on that aircraft with virgin in september 1990 to orlando and it was named spirt of sir freddie then not in 1992.

[@rossflynn4428]

Was even in the biz on the cargo side and I did not know this story. I sold transatlantic space on Skytrain. Transferred from UK to US with them but they folded the day I arrived Feb 2 82... still here and ended up a major Virgin client. .

[@puirYorick]

It seems like repainting airliners might be a good business venture. Hmmm. Daily short hops couldn't have been kind to a heavy airframe in terms of life expectancy.

[@garymcalea3815]

Well if you are UK based, £17.5k application fee to the CAA for your approval, 1 xC licence staff £50k, 2x B1 staff £80k, 1 xB2 £40k, 6x painters at £24k each, 1 x Quality Manager at £55k, 1 x Accountable Manager at £70k, hangar space rent approx £250k per annum, Environmental licence £30k, hire of equipment to weigh the aircraft after every paint £750 per day. Paint if you go for the cheap stuff about £15/ litre. Convert the hangar to a paint facility about £500k Oh you also have to get the manuals from Boeing at $10k per year Then your rates, electric, gas maintenance of your temperature controlled hangar all the PPE for the staff, non metallic tools..... Enjoy!!!

[@mindwalk2007]

There is a big error in this video. The Virgin recoerd label was not founded until 1973 with release Of Tubular Bells. What happened i 1972 was the opening of the first records store on Bold Street in Liverpool.

[@jimc6486]

I remember two competitor Northwest adverts that appeared in the press. Each had comparisons - one with a panel showing the Northwest fleet (many, many aircraft icons) and an adjacent panel with just one aircraft icon for HE. The second advert had a similar structure but focused on routes - a graphic showing hundreds for Northwest and again just one for HE.

[@visionist7]

And now Northwest is just a memory

[@jimcargill8492]

@@visionist7 Still using a Northwest toiletries bag on my travels...pressed into service for an overnighter this past weekend. :-)

[@visionist7]

@@jimcargill8492 last week I remembered the long misplaced Air 2000 headphone case I got from them in the 90s and eBayed it... some are still available. I was tempted

[@jimcargill8492]

@@visionist7 :-)

[@frankirvine316]

Great very informative 👍 It’s a tough industry to survive in,and lots of politics going on when your trying to break into the “Big Boys” routes😩

[@davgat79]

Wouldn't have made more sense to originate at Prestwick , stop-off at Stanstead then onward across the water?

[@neilturner6749]

Not really as Glasgow is much nearer to the Northern US than London

[@jimtuite3451]

I'm more interested in why Fields is pictured with Bonnie Langford and Holly Johnson? (0.50)

[@SevenSagesRO]

And Gary Numan and Suzanne Danielle. It's not unusual to invite a few celebs of the day to attend the launch of a new airline company...Airliners were fairly glitzy in themselves in those days and a few celebrities helped get publicity and added their own glitz to the occasion.

[@Tallandcharming]

Snacks consist of shortbread biscuits, all beverages are iron brew for the kiddies and whisky for the adults, breakfast is porridge and dinner is Hagis, the inflight movie is just Billy Connolly on repeat.

[@09weenic]

Very droll

[@theinternetfireandrescuese8716]

It's funny how funny English people think they are...

[@seldom_seen_kid]

@@theinternetfireandrescuese8716 "Some hate the English. I don't. They're just wankers. We, on the other hand, are COLONIZED by wankers. Can't even find a decent culture to be colonized BY. We're ruled by effete assholes." Mark Renton, circa 1980s

[@vjfeefeecat586]

Tallandcharming Irn Bru. Haggis

[@steyningowl]

I flew on that aircraft in December 1999 from LGW-BOS with Virgin Atlantic.

[@visionist7]

I might have seen that very same plane. I remember walking through Gatwick in 1999 and seeing a Virgin 200 through the terminal windows or maybe it was indeed this 100

[@robertwilloughby8050]

Behind Fields, in that first picture - is that Bonnie Langford?

[@JetDom767]

Awesome video could you cover why the Lockheed Tristar failed or the Boeing/Mcdonnell Douglas merger of 1997 and how McDonnell Douglas bought Boeing with Boeing's money?

[@Laurent312]

What kind of plane is 1:00 ? Icelandic

[@harrypenn611]

Brillant

[@harveysmith100]

So when Branson say Virgin Atlantic was all his idea?

[@Denis-tg6jw]

He's good at claiming credit for the ideas of others.

[@harveysmith100]

@@Denis-tg6jw Not the great guy his media make him out to be.

[@Madjock1965]

I remember using this airline a few times to fly up and down to London for £10 and they use to be a free bus from Glasgow to Preswick airport.

[@Fsrjtyttzma]

He had a go and good for him!

[@yankcock]

The National Airlines 747 you use in your video is not the reincarnated National Airlines you speak of, but the original that was purchased by Pan Am, at which time they (National) had stopped using the 747.

[@cementer7665]

He should have made it using the business model of World Air, a charter airline used to fly American oilfield workers between Luanda, Angola and Houston, TX. God knows that it was the Americans who made it possible to produce North Sea oil and gas.

[@meanderintven4156]

Cementer Yes.Worked both SedNed and Sedco H..Eventually ended up near Nova Scotia..

[@rogerhargreaves2272]

Well, that aircraft certainly did the rounds with various carriers.

[@benwm]

I noticed that this aircraft intermittently had PW and RR engines at different times. Does anyone know how difficult engine type swap outs must have been? Pylon designs and wing mounts are very different for these two engines types. It's hard to imagine why Qantas wouldn't have just left the PW engines on the wings. Can anyone shed anymore light?

[@jamesclendon4811]

From Mr. MacVeigh's introduction: "Also, I realise that in many shots I incorrectly show certain aircraft or airlines that aren't true to what I'm discussing, but sadly - with the constraints of copyrights and attributions - the number of pictures I can safely use are somewhat limited."

[@benwm]

@@jamesclendon4811 Serves me right for watching this with only half attention. Thanks for pointing this out James!

[@DMWill65]

I still have my ticket in a scrap book somewhere in the attic!

[@neffersonjickel3901]

I had no idea this airline existed! They should have gone for the Scandinavian market instead.

[@justinobrien9164]

It was a clapped out jumbo but it outlasted the lifes of most other jumbo jets so from 1970 to 2003 30 years service wasnt bad for what was a scraper fixed up, and most jumbo are lucky to get 20-25 years in service.

[@kurtmuller1861]

04:02: Prestwick Airport is further southwest than shown on the map.

[@ontheroadagainwithvinny931]

Correct, it is on the coast near Ayr.

[@e.c.listening326]

True ist is on the coast. Fell for that once, unknowingly arriving in Glasgow and looking for Glasgow-Prestwick Airport, was a hell of a rush to catch the flight.

[@airzulu2733]

Four months and Highland Express went bust is that a form of world record . I cant remember any other airline going bust that quick .

[@derekblake8516]

7:00 Thought registration would be G-ERTI.

[@adamdroi]

Interesting topic but the long pauses between make it very frustrating to watch

[@darrenbrashaw8409]

Is that Bonnie Langford in the pic beside Fields?

[@ods-n-sods]

Yes I would say it is. Photo also features (I think) Holly Johnson, Billy Idol and Suzanne Danielle.

[@SevenSagesRO]

@@ods-n-sods It's Gary Numan, not Billy Idol and thanks for identifying Suzanne Danielle...I couldn't think of her name.

[@leonpapadopoulos9798]

The man certainly had a dream, pity that economics stood in his way, looks like he might have made it given a while longer, and without interference from the other transatlantic bullies. Also by today's standards, perhaps the relatively short flight-time of just 7 hours from Glasgow to the US could have been exploited to their advantage, still its amazing that he tried though. Ps it wasn't that long before Virgin socked it to BA / AA for attempting to monopolize the North Atlantic routes, just that Virgin had much more money to spend on top-notch lawyers which helped them win their case!

[@macjim]

I'd never heard of this airline...

[@keego2001]

Don't let wee Krankie know about this or she'll be blaming us Brits for sabotaging Scottish aviation.

[@doveronefoxtrot4417]

The aircraft @4.50 is not the same as the one @5.20.

[@regnig99]

Globespan was probably the best Scottish airline throughout the years. Rivalled Easyjet, Ryanair and Jet2 for cheap flights and package holidays. Shame it went bust in 2009. Think there's only Loganair and that only does regional.

[@ab4113]

regnig99 Yes Globespan were great, fly all over Europe with them, shame when they went bust, due to some crook who who ran the Visa clearing system, Withheld there cash they were due, then disappeared over the border to North Cyprus, which signeled the end of Globespan.

[@stephanthienel]

I guess nowadays routes like this might be profitable with an A321LR and the business model of a low cost airline...

[@brianarbenz7206]

This plane was repossessed for non payment of debts. OMG the thought of a Repo person bringing a tow truck out to a 747! That would ruin the pilot's day, as well as the passengers'.

[@meanderintven4156]

And eventually led to Chapter 11 of Sabena..It all added up

[@Spookieham]

This happened just a few months ago at Perth Airport in Western Australia. Virgin Australia went pop and suddenly all of their aircraft on the ground were surrounded by trucks etc so they couldn't move with court orders sellotaped to the door.

[@smorris12]

Randolph Fields sounds more like an aerodrome!

[@jessicacolegrove7257]

how about Randolph Air Force Base its in San Antonio TX

[@visionist7]

Or a James Bond character

[@Code3forever]

Why take a chance with the 747 when the airframe is in poor condition as claimed? I'm no expert but if you only have one jet, you would want it in strong and safe condition to make numerous transatlantic flights with 300 passengers on board.

[@arnepianocanada]

One could blast (or at least sneer at) that wild dreamer burning through his money on a wish - but still, to nake a success of it would have been nice. Good to see that he had other skills up his sleeve, so to speak 👌

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

Prestwick is nowhere near the Highlands though

[@spencerwilton5831]

Roaming Adhocrat Prestwick is nowhere near anywhere.

[@kevanhubbard9673]

I'd imagine that Belgium is hardly an ideal location to store aircraft;damp,wet and cold hardly going to help the air frame last long!

[@user-ky6vw5up9m]

Thats the old 747 with the Depleted Uranium counterweight slugs.

[@easternwiseguy]

Flew from Prestwick to Birmingham with them...once