Heathrow (1977-1979) 

As someone who went to school near Heathrow at this time this film is so evocative, seeing the looming grey building in the background of the motorway sequences, The THF Post House (since re-named several times), which if our family was driving back home that way at night it's illuminated sign would be like a beacon of us nearing home. The noise of the aircraft was much greater then, Concorde of course (but that went away very quickly as it shot into the air and sped away - little did I know then that 20 year later I would be involved in the engineering operation of that plane at BA), worse were the Tridents, the T3 with it's 4th 'booster' engine in particular, as there were so many of them, plus the loud but lovely VC-10's, still plenty of 707's and some DC-8's too. It was something of a playground too, you went to look at the aircraft on top of the Queen's Building but also to play those new fangled video games too. But I never as some did played 'dare' running across the M4 not far from where that footage was shot. Or you could cycle along the perimeter road to the BA Engineering Base, where the aircraft were towed from there to the terminals, a siren would sound and gates come down to block the road and pavement as the aircraft were towed across, mainly BA long haul types as the short haul fleet were maintained across the road. Happy days! But not totally innocent, one day my Mum forbade me from going to the aircraft when she heard on the radio that an El Al flight crew bus had been shot at by terrorists.

My dad's Ford Cortina Mk III was somewhere in there. OVJ 533M. RIP to both.

WOW! That's amazing routemaster pass-away for British Airways, is going to Heathrow. What is this is unbelievable!

Great film! Wish you had more footage. Heathrow is a wonderful place to visit!

u no, im only 40 years of age, im 41 in march, i have driven most of these cars and worked on them at some stage over my life time, my dad was a mechanic and i am also a mechanic, but i grew up with it and stopped fixing cars on the foothpath about 22 years ago, i turned the neverlasting knodge that wast passed on to me into a business, even though i mostly run the business now i still need my old dads advice who is a mindfield of knoledge, but its a lovley thing to say that i worked on most of these, i also have to admit, me or my dad never worked on the high end stuff. but by god, were here on the rest! u cant bear the old fo info, my dad is 66 now, i cant tune a morris oxford [for exampel] like he can! [by ear]

Ohhh..mustard yeller Austin Allegro..ohhh...what a motor!!

Amazing, they just pulled up on the Hard Shoulder of the M4 and started filming!...... Can you imagine doing that today?...... Some great old vehicles there including the BEA Routemaster on the Gloucester Road to Heathrow service, that finished in 1979......

Why do I just love this?

Taxis with luggage on the boot lid, there were few that the boot lid straps snapped, suitcases all across the M4 😅

Was it my imagination or did that Trident need an inordinately long piece of runway for takeoff?

Trident takes so long to take off

Wonderful.

Loved the Roller probably dropping off somebody important

The M4 motorway link inking to the M4 spur to the A4 bath road fond memories of this seeing tridents etc

Bedford vans and lorries. Austin 1300, Ford Capri, Vauxhall Viva, Ford Cortina, Volkswagen Beetle, Volvo, Triumph, FX4 taxis, Hillman Hunter, Ford Escort, Ford Transit, Austin Allegro, Jaguar, Austin Maxi...Hawker Siddeley Trident, Boeing 747-100...to name but a few🙂

The Trident jetliner was not only beautiful, it was very British....it was very comfortable and fast. BEA gave great service and displayed light red wings. The British were truly innovators of aviation. not only did they invent the jet engine, the Trident was the blue print for the Boeing 727. Yes the Trident came first 1962....the Boeing 727 1963. Yes, Boeing copied the Trident and became much more successful yet it must be realized that if not for the British design, t- tail and 3 engines in the back, there would have never been a Boeing 727. Bravo to British aviation!!!!

I counted 10, the hottest car for the working man back in the day. I'm that sad, please help me!!

The good old British Boarding School Day all the way from Hong Kong !

Woooooah…… cool

Nice traffic jam on the M4 flyover there.

Great years

Did the film crew have permission to park and film on the hard shoulder I wonder? That's a bit of a hazardous position (particularly if that's their car parked just behind the road sign)

No sound, it's just rushes

like watching the sweeney

Except it's NOT of Heathrow Airport!! Most of it is the M4 and Approach! Don't LIE!!

Wasn't car design in the 70s terrible

I prefer modern traffic near the Heathrow Airport in 2020s.