Flights to ships

First one I recall was 1957 andseveral of us from Dock St pool were flown out from Southend airport on an old Dakota aircraft to join Buries Markes ship "LA CUMBRE" in Antwerp. She was on coal run from Newport News Va USA to continental ports. Not a bad ship but I only stayed two months as my father passed away.
Stuart H

Hi Shipmates I ony flew home once from "Naples italy" they sold the ship The S .S PATIA in 1972 a skin boat to fiat cars{ to the breakers' yard } it was a lovely old ship a work of art canvas hatches ,wooden decks, I would still be on it, today !!! Dont tell my wife we had a great time {The food was not the best} But we were all young then ? How many cars did it make? The plane ride{ my first one was awful} but after a few drinks { duty free} and who cares' I can remember what airport ,we landed maybe heath row? I dont like plane travel { only ships with great crews}:D

New years day 1974 , flew to Dallas to joiun the Gulf Finn in Port Arthur , flew with third Engineer Gilbert Wood , who arrived at Heathrow ,legless oif the Edinburgh flight , we had a awful flight and drank out duty free bottles , then a four hour bus trip to Port Arthur found out the ship was three days late , If Woody is still alive he had a finger missing after that trip , showed a junior engineer how not to engage the emergency steering by not putting your finger in that hole , surprising really as Woody was an ex Brown Brother's service engineer . You dont put pour finger in there ever was the words as the gear moved and chopped his finger off

Hi, remember flying to Aden to join RFA Tidespring July '66, stayed in a hotel until it arrived, we had to listen to the World Cup final on BBC World service, the BA*****S delayed the extra time commentry so they could broadcast the World news, we did'nt know the result until 30mins after the rest of the world, worst of all when the announcer came back on and said "I know" the Final score but will not tell so as not to spoil your "ENJOYMENT". DISEMBOWLMENT came to mind, don't know why.:mad::eek::rolleyes: We won.

Another thing I remember is a bloke registered at Prescot Street Pool, saying ( when on being offered another Fly-out job ) " I thought I joined the bloody navy not the air force " He was not far wrong.:(:rolleyes:

Buries and Marks paid the whole crew off in Emden, Germany 22-1-56 and flew us back to Jolly. They had to,as the rust bucket La Cumbre damn near sank in a storm in the Channel. German cadet Training Ship went down in the storm. It was supposed to have been H.T. 3 week trip, Rotterdam to London, instead had to sign Deep Sea Articles, 10 month trip, not a happy trip or a happy crew. Our flight too was on a Dakota, disembarked in Stanstead stone deaf.

smooth sailing, Rodney R602188

When the P&O liner Canberra had an electical fire in the engine room,(late '62 early'63 not sure) we limped into Malta and all passengers disembarked. Most of the crew were flown to Rome and then on to London.I stayed to bring her home so missed out on the excitment of flying for the first time.

I flew out to and home from many a ship during 1973 -1986 i always thought it was normal practice. ships use to come back to the uk less often because they were on specific runs. an example the PACE Run, Pacific Atlantic Container Express the ACT container ships some went from to london to kiwi and oz via the suez the others ran from Boston or Philly -NY- nofolk -panama-OZ- Kiwi a 3month trip right round, crew change every six months,flew to Japan six month trip flew home from L>A. All expenses paid, it had its down side though, days of travellin on other boats planes and rickity old buses ,stuck in some old hotel waiting for your tickets from an agent and you got no money, or you eventually get home only to find theres a strike on, you have missed your last connection home ,and your bags are lost in transit . ha !. great fun............

Hi Shipmates.......In December, 1958, in Boston, Mass., after a 12 month trip on the Port Huon (Manz run), we, the crew, were paid-off, a plane had been chartered and we were flying home in time for Xmas (somehow I don't think the benevolence of that act was necessarily intended by the ships owners at the time, call me cynical if you will):) Anyway, on the 22nd we left a freezing Boston, covered in snow, and took-off for Gander, Newfoundland, in a Boeing Stratacruiser, which was, I think, a civilian version of the B52 bomber. The 'Stratacruiser' had one long main cabin and, about half-way along, a stairway led down to a bar on the deck below. How b----y convenient! After a couple of hours, we landed in Gander in darkness and in the middle of a blizzard. As we were to stop there for an hour or so to refuel, we were requested to go and wait in the main airport terminal (which in those days was a huge, wooden, barn-like structure). Although the building was only about 150 yards from the aircraft, walking through the blizzard made it seem like a mile and by the time we reached the terminal I felt like Scott of the Antarctic. The freezing weather conditions didn't seem to worry all the crew members, especially those that had located the bar after leaving Boston and were, by now, feeling somewhat anaesthetised. I remember that, inside the 'barn', there were a lot of other would-be passengers like us and it was wonderfully warm and snug, with a thick cloud of cigarette smoke clinging to the ceiling. By the time we
returned to the aircraft most of the crew had a healthy 'glow-on', and after take-off it was back to the bar, situation normal. I had experienced the 'channels' before, but this was the one and only time I ever experienced the 'North Atlantics'. About six hours into the flight half the crew were 'legless' and the rest of us were singing merrily. Much to the dismay of many, and in the interests of aircraft safety I suppose, the bar was closed and the flight attendants very wisely refused to serve any more alcohol. When, after a 12 hour flight, we landed at London Airport the next day, it was a very bedraggled, battle-weary lot that dragged themselves through Customs. But who really cared? It would be Xmas Eve the next day and we were going home, weren't we? I shall never forget it!...............cheers for now, Roger.
P.S. Perhaps you did miss something after all, Den!

Was flown from London to rotterdam and bremenhaven in the early 1970's to join ships. On one it was the whole crew as the ship never berth in the Uk but was British. (SYdney bridge) then sailed to Angola to Mobil, Alabama, venezuela for six months. Then flown home again from Rotterdam