Autolanding celebrates its 50th anniversary
On June 10, 1965 a BEA Trident 1 aircraft flown by Captain Eric Poole became the world’s first passenger aircraft to make an automatic touchdown. Automatic landings are still used today, throughout the airline industry, to increase safety levels, especially in challenging weather conditions such as fog.
BEA’s Flight BE343 from Paris landed at Heathrow using the brand new technology and set the path for new levels of flight safety.
Each customer was given a certificate signed by Captain Poole as well as BEA’s Chairman, Sir Anthony Milward as a memento of the day. The historic moment is captured at British Airways’ Heritage Centre, near Heathrow with one of the original customer’s certificates and a report from the time in the BEA Magazine.
British Airways’ Heritage Centre manager, Paul Jarvis, said: “This is a truly significant piece of aviation history.
“We are proud to have been at the forefront of technological advancement in the aviation industry then and throughout our 95 year history to present day.
“Along with automatic landings we were the first airline to introduce the first ever transatlantic jet service in 1958 and fully flatbeds in business class in 2000.”
British Airways continues to offer its customers the most modern, safe and comfortable flying experiences. The airline already has nine A380 aircraft and by the end of the year will have nine 787s with a further 33 on order. The carrier will also welcome 18 A350 aircraft into its fleet from 2017.
