Named 'Mine' and on a very rare but welcome visit to London, this Caravelle is now preserved in the museum at Istanbul-Yesilkoy. Relatively late-build aircraft delivered to SATA in 1970 as HB-ICN.

Aerosucre operated a fleet DC-6s and a couple of ex-BAF Heralds, later adding Caravelles before moving on to the current mix of Boeing 727 and 737 freighters. This Caravelle, originally Iberia's EC-BIF, is seen here in its ex-Aerolloyd colours and is one of a number that went on to perform often nefarious duties down in Colombia in their twilight years. Indeed she went on to Transapel and a drug smuggling career with Aerogolfo, being seized by the Mexicans in 1994 and landing up with the Mexican AF as 10507 (stored at Santa Lucia AB but now b/u).

With a minute serial number, only my logbook confirms the identity of this aircraft. Callsign F-RAFG, but not carried.

Another Caravelle with a well-known European flag carrier start to its service life, this was Finnair's OH-LSA 'Helsinki' from 7.64. Bought by EAS 3.81 and leased to ACI then Air Toulouse Int from 6.91 to 3.97 when wfu at TLS; apparently offered for sale for $1.5m in 2001 but completely scrapped on 11.03.04

A splendid array of Caravelles could be seen at Athens in the Eighties - I was fortunate enough to catch 10 different examples on camera over my two visits. This one was originally Sabena's OO-SRE delivered in 3.61 and sold to Catair in 5.76, passing on to EAS (still in SN colours) then Corse Air just over a year prior to this shot. Wfu at Chateauroux 2.87 and preserved by the airport but later scrapped

Bought from Trans Europa, the first owner, four months prior to this photo and sold to Istanbul Airlines as TC-ALA in 9.89. Later to SERCA, SEC and Lineas Aereas Suramericanas as HK-3837X and eventually scrapped at Bogotá in 10.01

Two SATA Caravelles sit on the ramp at Geneva. As a long-haired student I hitch-hiked across Europe and took a few photographs with a small compact camera.

This photograph gives an indication of how different things looked in the early 1970s at Heathrow. Also visible in this shot are a DC8 of Alitalia, A Boeing 727 of Air France and a Boeing 707 of Olympic

Flew for JAT, Aérotour and Corse Air International until 1987. Ended up with the ORY fire brigade.