Grounded: Orion Airways
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2024
- This episode of Grounded looks at Orion Airways, a UK charter airline which operated from 1980 until 1989 when it was merged into Britannia Airways. While mostly known for their retro looking livery Orion had a pretty interesting history including being the first non-US customer for the Boeing 737-300 as well as owning the 737th Boeing 737 built...
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Very informative video! I remember Orion Airways fondly from my days as an Overseas Representative for Horizon Travel from 1986-1988. I applied to be cabin crew but didn't get the job but I did become cabin crew for Britannia Airways in February 1989. One of my first flights was as crew on an Orion aircraft at LGW right after the takeover. It was still totally in its Orion livery, so it was a pretty surreal experience.
Thanks for your comment David, yes I bet that was a real "bake the noodle" type moment being on an Orion aircraft under Britannia :) Have you stayed with them or moved on?
Really interesting video. I flew for Orion between 1984 and 1989. Best job I ever had. I went on to work for BIA , British midland, Thomas Cook and finally Jet2, but was never as happy. Such a shame the way things ended. Happy memories
Thanks Steve, I've heard nothing but good things about Orion and it really was a shame how things ended up through no fault of their own. I'm glad to hear that despite how it turned out for Orion that you got wings elsewhere :)
@@ExpoAviation I am now retired, but miss Orion so much. They fulfilled a childhood dream
My Dad was the finance director of Horizon Group from 79 to 89 and I'm grateful to see this summary of events as not many of the details have made it onto the internet. I do however have them buried away in his old files and diaries and will eventually try to get a clearer picture of what went on with Bass and Thomson.
I don't remember things being as gentlemanly with Bass though as I remember my Dad telling me that he had noticed merely by his own vigilance that they were sneakily acquiring a controlling stake and this resulted in him flying to New Zealand to meet the owner of Bass to find out what was going on.
I remember the term " corporate raider" being used to describe Bass and "white knight" being used to describe Thomson but maybe that was only in the early stages.
It's nice to hear it confirmed how healthy my dad kept the finances as I know what a painstakingly meticulous man he was. Unfortunately that and their reputation are what made them such an attractive target for acquisition.
Very interesting, thanks for your comment :)
My first flight, as an 11 year old, was on that 737th 737, E Mids to Almeria 1982. I got the miniature plastic model too. Being new to flying, I remember being shocked by the force needed to take off and how much the wings flexed during turbulence over the Pyrenees .
That's cool! I still remember my first flight on a 757 and the force of being pushed back into my seat on take-off :o
Balkan Holidays contracted Channel Airways in 1969 to operate a W flight pattern operation, with two Comet aircraft;from Stansted, Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow; flying to Varna and Bourgas Bulgaria.Channel Airways. Flight crews where flown from Stansted to postion at the respective UK departure airports
Channel Airways are an interesting airline with quite a mixed fleet, always love a Comet operator ;) Very interesting to hear about the Balkan Holidays contract, is that the same company which operated TU-154s to the UK until picking up A320s in the mid-2000s and now branded as BH Air? As for the positioning, I've done a fair bit of that but domestically we have always used either fast taxis or coaches as a lot of airlines shied away from light aircraft positioning following the loss of that Airtours crew at Prestwick.
Fabulous, always remember waiting for a trip on the blue a300. Never thought I would ever see a picture of it. Thank you.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
My first ever flight was with Orion in October 1986, Manchester to Palma on flight KG901. We had a 10 hour delay due to a hydraulic problem! An enjoyable flight once we got going though, and I got to visit the flight deck!
and that is the only flight number I can remember of all the flights I've since flown!
Cool :) I think we always remember more about our first flights :)
Flew with orion as a little one back in i believe 1988, always thought the airline had a nice colour scheme.
Cool :) It was a nice livery, very 1970s & early 80s ;)
Very good video I worked for Orion Airways from 1982 to their merge into Britannia Airwys - without any doubt the best Airline I've ever worked for (now on Airline 10 i think)
Thank you Andy, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really heard good things from Orion crews, definitely sounded like one of the better airlines of the day :) I'm glad you are still in the game - I managed 3-4 airlines before my wings got clipped.
I absolutely love your channel, I find it so interesting studying the history of past airlines. Thank you for your informative videos!
Thank you, I really appreciate that :)
I flew on the 737th Boeing 737 with Orion to Faro in 1983 from Luton with 3 of my mates
Cool 😀
Flew with Orion from Gatwick to Palma in 1985 on a 737-300, sad but I can still remember the flight numbers KG589/KG590, no Idea why I remember those out of all the flights we did. We were delayed both ways and missed our past train from Gatwick to our home town. Horizon ordered us a taxi to take us on the 70 mile journey. I remember Orion crew were very friendly, and I can remember the brown interior - very 70/80's but delays aside, they were a really good airline.
Some flight numbers stick with us, just another part to add to the memory I guess :) It was nice of them to get you a taxi home, that certainly wouldn't be done these days (I've been left to one's own devices when the flight was late and we missed the last Greek ferry in the not to distant past). Brown is definitely the colour of choice for the 1970s ;) They really had potential, it was just unfortunate that Bass acquired them and didn't know what to do with them and Thomson only had one intention...
Great video man, got so many memories of orion flew with them and live 6 miles from east midlands so would see their planes every day.
Thank you, I really appreciate that :) I saw Orion a couple of times at Manchester but never got to experience them myself.
Fantastic programme...They looked brown inside if i remember as a kid. Air 2000 were the best when they started. Bucks fizz complimentary before breakfast and menu cards. In addition the flight to Orlando in 1989 provided real napkins and cutlery folded with a branded serviette clip. Oh my goodness, no one would believe you compared with nowadays
Thanks Peter, I really appreciate your comment :) Air 2000 were pretty revolutionary (when I started at First Choice Airways in 2006 they still made us watch the Air 2000 promo & history video), they were also key in getting the authorities to allow transatlantic flights from Glasgow without being forced to use Prestwick along with Monarch. Yes, the good old days were certainly miles above what we get service wise now :/
My dad worked for Orion until it's close. He ran the engine bay in the fields hanger. For a small airline, they invested in their maintenance. I worked at EMA too and often transported the crew from ops to the plane. I once was able to sit in the flight simulator whilst they were running some tests. Best time of my life. My dad was devastated when Orion was sold and shutdown.
Thanks for your comment :) Yes I bet it was heart-breaking the way Orion got treated by Bass and then Thomson. I did hear great things about the maintenance programmes that Orion pioneered, some still being used at TUI UK.
When I saw that Cessna 404, my heart leapt for joy.
Fond memories Peter? It certainly looked good in the Orion livery :)
I remember having my Orion Airways Star Club log book, you could get the captain to sign it for each Orion flight you flew on, - they were a great airline.
That's cool! I didn't have anything like that but would bring along one of my IFR maps and get a signature on that for posterity :)
Just discovered your channel. I grew up near East Midlands and orion was the first airline I recognised and was a fan of. I'd just got into aviation at the age of 14 and Orion had taken on the A300s. I loved their 733s. Sad indeed when they got taken over by Britannia. And lokk what happened to them! Brilliant insight into Orion, well researched. 👌👋👍
Thanks Dan, I really appreciate your comment :) I'm particularly proud of this episode myself :) It certainly would have been interesting to see Orion living on into the 1990s and what their next moves would have been.
Very interesting. ORION wasn't regular visitor to Monastir MIR, Tunisia. It landed once, but was on a special charter I think. Not a Britannia flight though.
Ah, I had limited info to go on with them as is the case with a lot of leisure airlines which don't publish timetable booklets. I figured that they may have been regular as I remember Monastir being quite popular when I was crew (albeit 20 years after Orion).
I'd like to see one on Britannia
Britannia is in the works :)
Great vlog! It would be nice with some maps and pics of destinations. If you are as stupid with computers as I am then I will understand that it will not happen, lol! My father worked for the Norwegian airlines Braathens S.A.F.E. BU It was taken over by SAS in 2005.
Thank you :) I have route-maps on some videos but I think I will start to make some myself when I am unable to find an original map. That's a great suggestion about the pictures, I will try and do that in future :) I am familiar with Braathens S.A.F.E, I remember their very funny TV adverts :)
Please can you do a video on British Mediterranean Airways. BMED
Yes, BMED is "on the list" :)
Interesting
Thank you :)
Excellent as always. The Orion livery was very smart - Tui, not so much. Thank you for posting!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it :) I agree, though I think the Tui livery is an improvement on the bland blue livery they had as Thomsonfly. It's just a shame that all of the Tui airlines have the same livery so there is little variety to see :/
Can u plz do Donbass aero plz
I'll take a look at them :)
Thx