UA_Flyer

Thanks in advance for anyone who may be able to provide with information I am looking for.

As a young child, I took a flight with my dad from Hong Kong to London (cannot remember whether it was LHR or LGW).

We flew out of HKG late at night and had two stops before arriving in London: One in India and the second stop was somewhere in the middle east.
I believe the plane used was a 747-100. It seems odd to me why BA would make two stops from HKG to London when the 747-100 seem to have the right to fly non-stop. IIRC it was a regularly scheduled flight not a chartered flight.

My father recently passed away and I am trying to recount the times we spent traveling together.

I am looking for specific information on the two stops we made during the Hong Kong to London BA flight. Which airport we made stopped on our way to London.

Again, thanks for your help.

bisonrav

If you happen to have your father's passport, you can check the stamps around the dates, which will give you very specific information on the timing of the flights. In 1977 children travelled on their parent's passport (at least I did).

There was someone with timetables posting here and I'll have a scout round myself although I think my 1977 timetable is just European.

corporate-wage-slave

That would have been HKG-BKK-DXB-LGW, and on a B707.

My condolences for your recent loss, I can fully see why these memories are important.

Can I help you

I think it was London Muscat Hong Kong.

crazy8534

Also extending my sympathy for your loss.
I know that the 747-100s used to sometimes go via FRA/FCO - BAH - CCU on the way to HKG but it sounds like you have the solution as per cws and it was a 707.

corporate-wage-slave

Was that not the KUL / SYD service?

guv1976

I found a 1980 BA timetable here:

https://www.departedflights.com/BA011680p5.html

("Intercontinental Routes Timetable (Page 5 of 12) 16 January 1980")

I cannot say whether the schedule was similar in 1977, but in 1980, BA operated HKG-CCU-DXB-LHR on Mondays, utilizing a 747; and HKG-DEL-MCT-LHR on Thursdays, also utilizing a 747. Both flights departed HKG at 8:00 pm.

Hope this is helpful.

cwl

Mid to late 1970's BA routed to HKG with Middle East stops in Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Bahrain at different times. India stops were usually Mumbai (then Bombay) or Delhi. I can recall wandering around a mixture of these airports in the middle of the night during a technical stop as a child in the late 70's and early 80's on route to/from HKG

Routing across China (and Soviet Union controlled airspace) was very limited, plus 1975 and 1976 flights were having to do a dog leg around Vietnam ( requiring a stop in Bangkok in addition). Not sure when the closure of Vietnam airspace came to an end so could have continued into 1977.

The first non stop HKG to LHR flights didn't start until 1983 with Cathay Pacific and initially that was only one direct service per week.

Can I help you

Also LHR BOM HKG.

bisonrav

The routemap here suggests Hong Kong Bombay Dubai Heathrow

BRITISH AIRWAYS INTERCONTINENTAL AIRLINE TIMETABLE JANUARY 1977 NO.2 BA | eBay

(but every time I look at it I come up with a different conclusion)

Can I help you

LHR MCT CCU HKG sounds correct.

bisonrav

And this one Hong Kong Calcutta Muscat

BRITISH AIRWAYS INTERCONTINENTAL AIRLINE TIMETABLE WINTER 1977/78 BA SEAT MAPS | eBay

PETER01

Interesting thread.

Paging @rapidex

He was flying 747s from/into HKG to XXX including LHR but not sure exactly when. Hopefully he can throw some routes in too?

Betteronacamel

Best I can get you is the Winter 1978 schedule:

All ex LHR T3

BA 003 Mon/Weds - FRA - MCT - KUL - HKG (747)
BA 003 Tues - FRA - BAH - BKK - HKG (747)
BA 003 Thurs - FCO - THR - DEL - HKG (747)
BA 003 Sat - FRA - DEL - KUL - HKG (747)
BA 003 Fri/Sun - FCO - BAH - BKK - HKG (747)
BA 021 Thurs - BAH - CCU - HKG (747)
BA 021 Mon - DXB - CCU - HKG
BA 021 Tues - DOH - DEL - HKG - NRT (SVC10)

and.....

BA 037/A Thurs/Sun - JNB - SEZ - CMB - HKG - NRT (SVC10)

I guess there was no overflying USSR/China at that time.

Nice Tier Point run potentials

Happy memories.

cwl

BA 037 made it feasable to do a RTW routing entirely on BA metal LHR-ANC-NRT NRT-HKG-CMB--SEZ-JNB JNB-LHR (did this have a technical stop on route at the time?). Which would have been quite a tier point run if such things existed at the time.

I seem to recall the Tokyo- Hong Kong - Jo'burg flights continued into the early 80's although the CMB stop may have ceased at some point before the route disappeared completely.