NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Glasgow Prestwick

Glasgow Prestwick International Airport (IATA: PIK, ICAO: EGPK) is situated north of the town of Prestwick in South Ayrshire, Scotland. Although officially called Glasgow Prestwick International Airport because the city of Glasgow is 46 km (29 miles) north-east of the airport, most people, particularly locals, refer to it simply as Prestwick Airport. According to the airport's new marketing slogan, it's "Pure Dead Brilliant". An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier or simply a location identifier [1], is a three-letter alphabetic code designating many airports around the world. ... The ICAO airport code (IPA pronunciation: ) is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... The term above mean sea level (AMSL) refers to the elevation (on the ground) or altitude (in the air) of any object, relative to the average sea level. ... A foot (plural: feet) is any of several old units of distance or length, measuring around a quarter to a third of a meter. ... metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation) A metre or meter[1] (symbol: m) is a unit of length and the current base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Runway 13R/31L of El Dorado International Airport, BogotÃ¡, D.C. Aerial picture of a runway of Chennai International Airport, Tamil Nadu A runway is a strip of land on an airport, on which aircraft can take off and land. ... A human foot - Enlarge to view legend For other uses, see Foot (disambiguation). ... metre or meter, see meter (disambiguation) A metre or meter[1] (symbol: m) is a unit of length and the current base unit of length in the International System of Units (SI). ... Pouring a concrete floor for a commercial building, (slab-on-grade) Installing rebar in a floor slab during a concrete pour For other uses, see Concrete (disambiguation). ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier or simply a location identifier [1], is a three-letter alphabetic code designating many airports around the world. ... The ICAO airport code (IPA pronunciation: ) is a four-letter alphanumeric code designating each airport around the world. ... Prestwick is a town located in South Ayrshire on the central west coast of Scotland approximately 30 miles to the south-west of Glasgow, at the 2001 census it had a population of 15,478. ... South Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Ã€ir a Deas in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification - by Kenneth I 843 Area - Total 78... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ...

In physical terms, Prestwick is Scotland's largest commercial airfield, although in passenger traffic terms it sits in fourth place after Glasgow's main airport, Glasgow International, Edinburgh Airport, and Aberdeen Airport all of which are operated by BAA. Glasgow International Airport (IATA: GLA, ICAO: EGPF), located 8 miles (13 km) west of Glasgow, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew, is the largest international airport in Scotland, and fifth largest in the UK in terms of annual passenger throughput. ... Edinburgh Airport (IATA: EDI, ICAO: EGPH), (also called Turnhouse) located in Edinburgh, Scotland, is the eighth largest airport in the UK. It is located 8 miles (13 km) west of the city centre. ... Aberdeen Airport (IATA: ABZ, ICAO: EGPD) is the fourth largest international airport in Scotland, and number 9 in the UK. The airport is located in Dyce, approximately 7 miles (11 km) north of Aberdeen city centre. ... BAA plc is the owner and operator of seven major United Kingdom airports and operator of several airports worldwide, making the company one of the largest transport companies in the world. ...

History

The airport began life around 1934 — primarily as a training airfield — with a hangar, offices and control tower being in place by the end of 1935. The airport's original owners were David Fowler McIntyre, who was also the owner of Scottish Aviation with backing from the then Duke of Hamilton. With the onset of World War II, the airport developed rapidly in order to handle the large volume of American aircraft ferry traffic. 1934 (MCMXXXIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer, England, 2003. ... The Mausoleum of the Dukes of Hamilton sits in the grounds of the old Hamilton Palace in Hamilton The Duke of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1643. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the use of images on this page may require cleanup, involving adjustment of image placement, formatting, size, or other adjustments. ...

In 1938 passenger facilities were added, which were used continuously until the implementation of a massive investment programme to make Prestwick compatible with the new jet transports which were becoming available. A runway extension, parallel taxiway, link road, and an all-new terminal building were opened by the Queen Mother in 1964. The new construction had caused considerable disruption to road users, so much so that during the lengthening of the main runway, the main road into Ayr actually crossed the tarmac. This had to be strictly controlled by a "level crossing" type system until the new perimeter road was completed. 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... A taxiway is a strip of land on an airport on which aircraft can roll (taxi) to or from a hangar, terminal, runway, or other facility. ... Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon as Queen Elizabeth. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ...

The US Air Force had opened a base in 1953 on the Monkton side of the airport, used by the Military Air Transportation Service (MATS). This base closed in 1966, part of the site is occupied by RNAS Prestwick, more popularly known as HMS Gannet, from whence a detatchment of No. 771 Naval Air Squadron Sea Kings provide a Search and Rescue service. Seal of the Air Force. ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1953 calendar). ... Military Air Transportation Service (MATS) was a command of the United States Air Force. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... There have been nine vessels of the Royal Navy named HMS Gannet, after the seabird: HMS Gannet, a wooden sloop commissioned in 1800 and sold in 1814 HMS Gannet, a cruiser launched in 1814 and paid off in 1838 HMS Gannet, a sloop launched in 1857 and broken up in... The Sea King helicopter is the only helicopter used by the Norwegian rescue service The Westland Sea King is a license-built version of the Sikorsky helicopter of the same name, built by Westland Helicopters. ...

There had been proposed plans drawn up pre-war for the post war years which would have been classed as extremely ambitious, especially in the austere post-war years. Among the various proposals was a 4 mile long main runway, an integral freight yard and railway station, and a semi enclosed mooring for flying boats and other amphibious aircraft. However, the runway was never lengthened to that degree, and the decline in seaplane and flying boat operations also meant that the latter proposal was never enacted. It is telling however, that many years since those proposals were made, that Prestwick Airport does have its own railway station, something that even Glasgow Airport does not have. Passengers bustle around the typical grand edifice of Londons Broad Street Station in 1865. ... A DeHavilland Single Otter floatplane in Harbour Air livery. ... Boeing 314 A flying boat is an aircraft that is designed to take off and land on water, in particular a type of seaplane which uses its fuselage as a floating hull (instead of pontoons mounted below the fuselage). ...

Scottish Aviation built a factory using the original terminal building and hangars at Prestwick, which produced such aircraft as the Jetstream and Bulldog. One part of the factory, the large white art-deco building which remains to this day, had in fact been the Palace of Engineering that had been built as part of the Empire Exhibition at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow in 1938. When Scottish Aviation merged with British Aerospace as a result of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act, BAe maintained aircraft production at the site until 1998, primarily updates of the Jetstream line. Today BAE Systems retains a small facility at Prestwick for its Regional Aircraft division, with the adjoining main manufacturing site, producing components for Airbus and Boeing aircraft, having been sold to Spirit AeroSystems in January 2006. Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer, England, 2003. ... The Handley Page HP.137 Jetstream was a small twin turboprop airliner, with a pressurised fuselage, designed to meet the requirements of the United States feederliner and regional airline market. ... The Bulldog is a 2-seat side-by-side training aircraft designed by Beagle Aircraft and after the demise of the company was built by Scottish Aviation. ... Asheville City Hall. ... Bellahouston Park is a park in south west Glasgow, Scotland (Grid reference NS550636), between the areas of Mosspark, Craigton, Ibrox, and Dumbreck covering an area of 71 Hectares (175 Acres). ... British Aerospace (BAe) was a UK aircraft manufacturer, now part of BAE Systems. ... The Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act 1977 nationalised large parts of the UK aerospace and shipbuilding industries and established two corporations, British Aerospace and British Shipbuilders. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... Systems plc is the worlds fourth largest defence contractor and a commercial aerospace products manufacturer. ... Airbus S.A.S. is a leading aircraft manufacturer based in Toulouse, France. ... The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA, TYO: 7661 ) is the worldâ€™s largest aircraft manufacturer. ... Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In the beginning, Prestwick was the only Scottish airport allowed to operate a transatlantic link, largely due to the very benign weather conditions on the Ayrshire coast. Indeed, with a much lower incidence of fog than any other airport in Great Britain due to a geological anomaly^{[citation needed]}, Prestwick is the only guaranteed fog-free airport in the UK. This is perhaps one reason it managed to avoid total closure when it appeared that BAA seemed to be running down operations. It was also partly a political decision to silence those that questioned why Glasgow needed two airports when Glasgow Corporation had already invested money building Glasgow Airport. For the similarly named rock band, see TransAtlantic. ... Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Ã€ir in Scottish Gaelic) was a county in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. ... Sunlight filters through a thin layer of fog on a crisp winter morning in Albuquerque, New Mexico. ... Geology (from Greek γη- (ge-, the earth) and λογος (logos, word, reason)) is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. ... The City of Glasgow Council (MÃ²r-bhaile Ghlaschu in Gaelic) is one of the 32 Scottish unitary authorities, formerly Glasgow District Council and Glasgow Corporation in Glasgow, Scotland. ... Glasgow International Airport (IATA: GLA, ICAO: EGPF), located 8 miles (13 km) west of Glasgow, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew, is the largest international airport in Scotland, and fifth largest in the UK in terms of annual passenger throughput. ...

Although British Airways had ceased regular passenger operations in the late 1970s which some people saw as the beginning of the end for the airport, BA continued to intermittently use Prestwick as a site for pilot training, especially for training Concorde pilots. Concorde became a semi-regular visitor to the airport, and indeed BA and a number of other major airlines still use Prestwick for pilot training. British Airways (LSE: BAY, NYSE: BAB) is the largest airline of the United Kingdom. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... Pilot licences (in the United States, certificates) are issued by national aviation authorities, and establish that the holder has been trained by a qualified instructor and has met a specific set of knowledge and experience requirements. ... AÃ©rospatiale-BAC Concorde supersonic transport (SST), along with the Tupolev Tu-144, was one of only two models of supersonic passenger airliners to have seen commercial service so far. ...

Prestwick Airport is also famous because it is the only piece of United Kingdom territory that Elvis Presley set foot on, when his US Army transport plane stopped to refuel in 1960, whilst en route from Germany. Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 â€“ August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer and actor. ... The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ...

Prestwick Air Show

Prestwick Airport also used to host a bi-annual airshow, the first of which was held on 30 September 1967. While very small in scale compared to such shows as RAF Fairford or Farnborough, the air show was a local attraction and drew a considerable crowd. There were constant rumours in later years that the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird reconnaisance aircraft would make an appearance, but this came to nothing, most likely due to difficulties associated with handling the special fuel. The last air show was in 1992 and there have been no efforts at reviving it since. The UK Utterly Butterly wing-walking display team flying Boeing Stearman PT-17 biplanes An airshow is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their flying machines to the crowd. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 92 days remaining. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... RAF Fairford is a Royal Air Force station in Gloucestershire, England, near to Fairford. ... The Red Arrows in formation at Farnborough The Farnborough International Exhibition and Flying Display is an international trade fair for the aerospace business which is held biannually in England. ... ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

Change in the 1990s

In 1991 the newly-privatised British Airports Authority, BAA plc consolidated their portfolio of UK airports. Part of this was to move all transatlantic traffic departing from Scotland to Glasgow Airport, near Paisley, and sell Prestwick off to the private sector. In the early-to-mid 1990s passenger figures fell sharply with only freight traffic and a small number of charter flights using Prestwick on a regular basis. At this point the airport faced an uncertain future. 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... BAA plc is the owner and operator of seven major United Kingdom airports and operator of several airports worldwide, making the company one of the largest transport companies in the world. ... Glasgow International Airport (IATA: GLA, ICAO: EGPF), located 8 miles (13 km) west of Glasgow, near the towns of Paisley and Renfrew, is the largest international airport in Scotland, and fifth largest in the UK in terms of annual passenger throughput. ... Paisley (PÃ islig in Scottish Gaelic) is a large town, and former royal burgh in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. ... See also 1990s, the band The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from the very late 1980s and from 2000 and beyond. ...

1994 marked the beginning of a renaissance for the struggling airport. It took the shrewd move of building its own railway station on the existing Glasgow-Ayr line, which runs straight past the airfield. Then, Irish budget line Ryanair opened a route to the airport from Dublin. This led to another route to London the following year. The resulting rapid growth of European no-frills airlines in the late 1990s has seen Prestwick grow even larger than it had ever been in traffic terms under state ownership. Ryanair now serves 20 destinations from Prestwick – now one of their maintenance hubs – and other budget airlines have also moved into the airport. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Ryanair (ISEQ: RYA, LSE: RYA, NASDAQ: RYAAY) is an Irish airline headquartered in Dublin. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom. ... See also 1990s, the band The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive, sometimes informally including popular culture from the very late 1980s and from 2000 and beyond. ...

Today, as well as the thriving no-frills segment, Prestwick has continued its traditional strategic role as a refuelling point for military aircraft – the US Air Force, RAF and the Canadian Armed Forces are frequent visitors for example. Cargo traffic has also become another stronghold of Prestwick with the vast majority of Scotland's Boeing 747 Freighter traffic entering via the airport. The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... CF-18 Hornet CC-115 Buffalo CT-114 Tutor Canadian Forces Air Command (AIRCOM) is the air force element of the Canadian Forces. ... The Boeing 747, commonly called a Jumbo Jet, is one of the most recognizable of all jet airliners and is the largest airliner currently in service. ...

The airport is privately owned by Infratil, a New Zealand investment company which also owns Wellington International Airport. In April 2005, Infratil completed a major £3m refurbishment of the terminal building, and also controversially rebranded the airport using the phrase "Pure Dead Brilliant", taken straight from the Glasgow Patter. Some of this rebranding has been controversial, in particular the redecoration of the airport bar. The bar was rebranded in February 2006 with a logo depicting a man in a kilt, unconscious with an empty bottle of whisky. Despite objections that it promoted the wrong image of Scotland to foreign visitors and embarrassed local travellers, the airport management insisted the logo was "fun and visually stimulating". However, the logo was removed on 3 March 2006, only several weeks after its introduction, after the intervention of the South Ayrshire Licencing Board who said the logo trivialised excessive drinking.[1] Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or — especially in India — disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership. ... Infratil is a New Zealand-based infrastructure investment company. ... Wellington International Airport (IATA: WLG, ICAO: NZWN) serves New Zealands capital city of Wellington. ... See also Scottish colloquial terms. ... Tourists sit outside a bar in Chiang Mai, Thailand A Depression-era bar in Louisiana. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A logotype (from the Greek Î»Î¿Î³ÏŒÏ„Ï…Ï€Î¿), commonly known as a logo, is the graphic element, symbol, and icon of a trademark or brand, which is set in a special typeface or arranged in a particular way. ... Whisky (or whiskey) is the name for a broad category of alcoholic beverages distilled from grains, that are subsequently aged in oak casks. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... South Ayrshire (Siorrachd Inbhir Ã€ir a Deas in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council regions in Scotland, covering the southern part of Ayrshire. ...

On 6 July 2005, Prestwick Airport became the entry point into Scotland for the world's most powerful leaders on the eve of the G8 Summit which was being held in Gleneagles. Strathclyde Police implemented an unprecedented level of security around the airport for the duration of the summit. Officers from police forces throughout the UK were drafted in to assist in the operation, including armed officers. In preparation for the landing of Air Force One, carrying US president George W Bush, the A77, which runs past the end of the main runway, was controversially closed while the aircraft was on final approach. July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... G8 work session; July 20-22, 2001. ... Glen Eagles is a glen or valley in the Ochil Hills. ... Strathclyde Park Strathclyde park is a large country park located in Strathclyde. ... Air Force One is the air traffic control call sign of any U.S. Air Force aircraft carrying the President of the United States. ... This article is about the country in North America. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the current President of the United States and a former governor of Texas. ... The A77 road is a major road in Scotland. ...

Airlines and destinations

The main scheduled carrier at Prestwick is Ryanair, operating the vast majority of flights from the airport. Ryanair (ISEQ: RYA, LSE: RYA, NASDAQ: RYAAY) is an Irish airline headquartered in Dublin. ...

Aer Arann is a privately-held regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. ... Ryanair (ISEQ: RYA, LSE: RYA, NASDAQ: RYAAY) is an Irish airline headquartered in Dublin. ... transavia. ... Wizzair is a Polish/Hungarian low-cost airline focusing on the markets of Central Europe. ...

Charter and holiday

Holiday airlines operating from Prestwick vary seasonally, but include MyTravel Airways, Britannia Airways, Balkan Holidays and LTE. Flights are normally operated to Spain, Portugal and Bulgaria. MyTravel Airways UK and A/S is the in-house charter airline of the MyTravel Group of companies. ... Britannia Airways Boeing 757-200 in pre-Thomson colours Britannia Airways Boeing 757-200 in Thomson colours Britannia Airways was the largest charter airline in the United Kingdom, rebranded as Thomsonfly in 2005. ... BH Air (Balkan Holidays Airlines) is a charter airline based in Sofia, Bulgaria. ... In thermodynamics, a thermodynamic system is in thermodynamic equilibrium if its energy distribution equals a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution. ...

Spanair S.A. (IATA: JK, ICAO: JKK, and Callsign: Spanair), is an airline based in Palma, Mallorca, Spain. ...

Cargo airlines serving Prestwick

Regular freight operators include Cargolux, Polar Air Cargo, Atlas Air, British Airways World Cargo, Air France Cargo, Northwest Airlines Cargo, Evergreen International and Singapore Airlines Cargo – the majority operating Boeing 747-400F aircraft, with Polar Air having a maintenance hangar at the airport. Air Foyle HeavyLift and Volga-Dnepr are also occasional users of Prestwick with Antonov An-124 aircraft. Cargolux Boeing 747-400F Cargolux (Cargolux Airlines International) is a cargo airline based in Luxembourg. ... Polar Air Cargo Boeing 747 at Glasgow-Prestwick Airport (UK) in February 2004. ... Atlas Air Boeing 747-200 Atlas Air (IATA: 5Y, ICAO: GTI, and Callsign: Giant) is a cargo airline based in Purchase, New York, USA. It operates scheduled freight flights for some of the worlds leading airlines, flying to 101 cities in 46 countries. ... British Airways (LSE: BAY, NYSE: BAB) is the largest airline of the United Kingdom. ... Air France Boeing 747 Air France (Compagnie Nationale Air France) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before its merger with KLM, it was the national airline of France, employing 71,654 people (as of January 2005). ... Northwest Airlines (IATA: NW, ICAO: NWA, and Callsign: Northwest) is an airline headquartered in Eagan, Minnesota in the United States of America. ... Evergreen International Aviation, Inc. ... Singapore Airlines Limited (Abbreviated: SIA; Chinese: æ–°åŠ å¡èˆªç©ºå…¬å¸; Pinyin: XÄ«njÄ«apÅ HÃ¡ngkÅng GÅngsÄ«; abbreviated æ–°èˆª) (IATA: SQ, ICAO: SIA, and Callsign: Singapore) SGX: S55 is the national airline of Singapore, and the worlds second-biggest carrier by market value. ... Air Foyle HeavyLift is a UK company providing air cargo services. ... Volga-Dnepr Airlines is an airline based in Ulyanovsk, Russia. ... The Antonov An-124 Ruslan (NATO reporting name: Condor) is the largest aircraft ever mass produced, and was, until the advent of the An-225 Mriya, the largest aircraft in production. ...

Future

A multimillion pound plan to double the size of the departure lounge has been proposed. Prestwick has pledged to be ready and willing to handle the Airbus A380. A two storey building is being considered to replace the current arrivals and departure halls. One floor would be used for departures and the other for arrivals. It would also raise the amount of aircraft stances from 6 to 12. This process will take 18 months. The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, four-engined airliner manufactured by Airbus S.A.S. It first flew on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse in France. ...

Accidents and incidents

The first serious air accident at Prestwick was the KLM disaster on 20 October 1948. A Lockheed Constellation of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines crashed in a field 5 miles north east of the airport while attempting to approach in bad weather. The aircraft had already aborted a landing due to strong crosswinds and had negotiated with air traffic control to approach using a different runway. It was on that approach the Constellation struck power cables and crashed. A combination of poor weather and pilot error were to blame for the crash, with the flight crew having an incorrect above ground level reading. 30 passengers and 4 crew died in the accident, 6 having survived the initial impact but having suffered fatal injuries. The KLM Lockheed Constellation airplane Nijmegen (identification PH-TEN) crashed near Prestwick, Scotland on 20 October 1948, killing all thirty-four aboard. ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... President Dwight Eisenhower flew in two Constellations, named Columbine II and Columbine III. The Lockheed Constellation, affectionately known as the â€œConnieâ€, was a four-engine propeller-driven airliner built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. ... KLM Tailfins KLM (in full: Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, literally Royal Aviation Company; usual English: Royal Dutch Airlines) is a subsidiary of Air France-KLM. Before its merger with Air France, KLM was the national airline of the Netherlands. ... In aviation, Above Ground Level (AGL) denotes that an altitude is given above the ground. ...

Early on Christmas Day 1954, at 0330 hours, a BOAC Boeing 377 Stratocruiser crashed on landing at Prestwick, killing 28 of the 36 passengers and crew onboard. The aircraft had been en route from London to New York, when, on approach to Prestwick, entered a steep descent before levelling out too late and too severely, hitting the ground short of the runway. A number of factors have been attributed to the cause of the crash, including pilot fatigue (the captain was well over his duty limit due to the aircraft being delayed), the landing lights at Prestwick being out of action due to repair and the First Officer either not hearing a command from the Captain for landing lights (which may have helped judge the low cloud base) or mistakenly hitting the flaps, causing the aircraft to stall. Joseph and Mary with baby Jesus, at the first Christmas Christmas (literally, the Mass of Christ) is a holiday in the Christian calendar, usually observed on December 25, which celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... After technical problems with the Comet, BOAC resumed jet service with imported Boeing 707s. ... The Boeing 377 Stratocruiser was airliner version of the 367 Boeing Stratofreighter, which in turn was the transport version of B-29 Superfortress. ...

The Stratocruiser had been carrying uncut diamonds in registered mail, then valued at over £1m, though it would be several days after the accident that investigators had any hint of the cargo being carried. An extensive search was carried out in the area surrounding the crash for several weeks, resulting in over 90% of the diamonds being recovered. The KLM Constellation that crashed near Prestwick 6 years earlier had also been carrying diamonds, then valued at over £5000. Diamonds () is one of the four suits found in playing cards. ...

On 28 April 1958 a BEA Vickers Viscount crashed just outside Ayr on a repositioning flight from London after the pilot misread the altimeter by 10,000ft. The aircraft skidded across the ground before catching fire. All 5 crew survived. April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For alternate usages of BEA see Bea (disambiguation). ... The Viscount was a medium-range turboprop airliner introduced in 1953 by Vickers-Armstrongs, making it the first such aircraft to enter service in the world. ... The Royal Burgh of Ayr (Scottish Gaelic, Inbhir Ã€ir) in the south-west of Scotland is a burgh situated on the Firth of Clyde. ... Kollsman-type barometric aircraft altimeter as used in North America An altimeter is an active instrument used to measure the altitude of an object above a fixed level. ... This article is about a foot as a unit of length. ...

A British Airtours Boeing 707 crashed during crew training at Prestwick on 17 March 1977. The aircraft had been simulating an engine shutdown on take-off, causing it to tend to the left. Though the instructor took control of the aircraft, the engine simulating shutdown struck the runway and the aeroplane yawed and rolled violently to the right, causing the undercarriage to collapse and resulting in the engines being ripped off. None of the 4 crew were injured and there were no casualties on the ground. British Airtours was a charter subsidiary of British Airways. ... The Boeing 707 is a four engined commercial passenger jet aircraft developed by Boeing in the early 1950s. ... March 17 is the 76th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (77th in Leap years). ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The undercarriage or landing gear is the structure (usually wheels) that supports an aircraft when it is taxying or stationary. ...

Another simulated engine failure resulted in the crash of a BAe Jetstream on 6 October 1992, killing both crew members. While attempting to trace which engine had simulated failure, the co-pilot had forgotten to retract the undercarriage. While retracting the undercarriage, the aircraft stalled, rolled and struck the ground inverted. The Handley Page HP.137 Jetstream was a small twin turboprop airliner, with a pressurised fuselage, designed to meet the requirements of the United States feederliner and regional airline market. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

Prestwick and London Stansted Airport in Essex, are the only two airports in the UK designated for "at risk" flights. In April 2006, two aircraft were diverted to Prestwick under RAF escort in separate incidents; a Ryanair flight between Paris and Dublin, and an Aer Arran flight from Luton to Galway. In both instances, a note found by cabin crew warning of a bomb on board turned out to be hoaxes. Bomb Disposal cover for Prestwick, and indeed for the whole of Scotland, is covered by an Army Troop from 11 EOD Regiment of the Royal Logistic Corps, based in Edinburgh. Stansted Airport (IATA: STN, ICAO: EGSS) is a large passenger airport with a single runway and hub for a number of major European low-cost airlines. ... Essex is a county in the East of England. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... London Luton Airport (IATA: LTN, ICAO: EGGW) (previously called Luton International Airport) is an airport about 30 miles north of London in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 53. ... A hoax is an attempt to trick an audience into believing that something false is real. ...

Contents

History

Prestwick Air Show

Change in the 1990s

Airlines and destinations

Charter and holiday

Cargo airlines serving Prestwick

Future

Accidents and incidents

Further reading

References

External links

Contents

History GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Prestwick Air Show

Change in the 1990s

Airlines and destinations

Charter and holiday

Cargo airlines serving Prestwick

Future

Accidents and incidents

Further reading

References

External links

History