Summary

• The 50th anniversary flypast at London Heathrow showcased a mix of historical and modern aircraft that may never be seen again.
• The flypast demonstrated the significant advancements in aviation over the past 50 years.
• The event culminated with the iconic Red Arrows and Concorde, marking a memorable finale to the celebrations.

On June 2, 1996, a week-long series of festivities began to celebrate the 50th anniversary of London Heathrow Airport. The festivities included a flypast of over 30 aircraft, including the Royal Air Force (RAF) fleet, de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide, and a Boeing 777. The iconic Heathrow Airport was closed briefly on June 2, for the official celebrations to commence.

The airport remained closed for approximately one hour as Heathrow-based airlines, including British Airways, showed 50 years of aviation history.

To help recreate how the airport and its single runway looked to passengers when it opened on May 31, 1946, BAA set up a tented departure lounge with wicker chairs and staff dressed in clothing of the day. The Queen and Prince Phillip attended the celebrations earlier in the week, revisiting Terminal 2, which she first opened in 1955.

The flypast represented 50 years of history

The flypast offered a unique display of the planes of yesteryear mingling with what was modern aircraft in 1996. A fantastic collection of civil aircraft was brought together for the flypast, an event that commentators said would perhaps never be recreated.

The flypast showed how aviation had advanced

Taking part in the flypast would be aircraft with a top speed ranging from 150 mph to twice the speed of sound, demonstrating how the world of aviation has progressed in 50 years.

Spanning the five decades being represented in the flypast, the aircraft flew in the order below:

• de Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide: First flown in 1934, the elegant fabric-covered bi-plane reminded the well-off how air travel was a luxury for the well-off.
• de Havilland DH.104 Dove: Considered one of the most successful British-built aircraft, the twin-engine monoplane was a direct replacement for the Dragon Rapide biplane.
• Douglas DC-3: Built by Douglas for TWA and American Airlines, the DC-3 allowed passengers to fly from New York to Los Angeles in 18 hours with three stops for refueling.
• Douglas DC-4: With its military version, the C-54, the DC-4 was the most used aircraft during the Berlin Airlift.
• Douglas DC-6: Competing against the Lockheed Constellation, the DC-6 was a lengthened, pressurized version of the DC-4. The DC-6 represented the last generation of piston-powered aircraft.
• Handley Page Dart Herald: Built to replace the DC-3, the Handley Page Dart Herald was a fast short-range regional airliner capable of carrying 44 passengers.
• Vickers Viscount: First flown in 1948, the Vickers Viscount ensured that the Americans did not dominate aircraft manufacturing in the 1950s. Loved by passengers for its spacious cabin and panoramic windows, the four-engine turboprop revolutionized air travel.

Enter the Jet Age

• de Havilland Comet: Developed and manufactured by de Havilland, the Comet was the world's first commercial jet airliner.
• Douglas DC-8: Originally designed as a tanker for the USAF, they decided to build a passenger aircraft to compete with the Boeing 707 when Douglas lost the contract to Boeing.
• BAC One-Eleven: Launched as a rear twin-engine 80-seat airliner in 1961, the BAC One-Eleven was a short-haul, narrowbody aircraft that competed with the Douglas DC-9.
• Boeing 727: Addressing the need for operations out of smaller airports with shorter runways, the first Boeing 727 entered service with Eastern on February 1, 1964. During the 1960s and 1970s, the plane was the backbone of American domestic airlines.

• Boeing 747: Affectionately known as the "Queen of the Skies," the Boeing 747 was a firm passenger favorite. While many airlines have retired the 747 in favor of more fuel-efficient twin-engine jets, the 747 is still widely used by cargo carriers.
• Boeing 737: Developed to supplement the Boeing 727, the Boeing 737 first entered service with Lufthansa in 1968. Since then, there have been ten variants of the famous aircraft, including the Boeing 737 MAX.
• Boeing 767: Built to compliment the larger Boeing 747, the Boeing 767 was the first widebody twin-engine jet. The Boeing 767 became popular with airlines flying.
• McDonnell Douglas MD-11: First delivered to Finnair on December 7, 1990, the MD-11 is a widebody stretched tri-jet with more powerful engines based on the DC-10. Airbus A340: Built in parallel with the Airbus A330, the A340 is a long-range twin-aisle quadjet. Most airliners have now retired their A340s in favor of the latest generation twin-engine planes.

The flypast culminated with the Red Arrows, led by a supersonic Concorde.

Did you witness the event in 1996? What should be included in the 100-year celebrations in 2046?