Hello,
was the 767 G-BNWL the first British Airways aircraft painted in the new livery besides the Concorde?
The Concorde was painted in the new livery in May 1997 and the 767 in question in 1999. So was it G-BNWL the first aircraft to wear the livery we know today?
Regards.

accuman wrote:

Hello,
was the 767 G-BNWL the first British Airways aircraft painted in the new livery besides the Concorde?
The Concorde was painted in the new livery in May 1997 and the 767 in question in 1999.
So was G-BNWL the first aircraft to wear the livery we know today?
Regards.

Hello.
767 G-BNWR was re-painted into the Union Flag / Chatham scheme in April 1999 to be used on a royal tour to South Korea.
I believe that this was the first BA aircraft other than Concorde to wear the Union Flag scheme.
Before the repaint, NWR had been in the 'Chelsea Rose' scheme.

No, that livery was specific to Concorde, until hostile public and more to the point, customer reaction (not the semi coherent ramblings of an ex Prime Minister which happened to be caught on camera so in the minds of the public that was the turning point, though that happened 3 years before when the livery was first rolled out).
It was not until early 2000 that BA decided to adopt the livery across the whole fleet.

BealineV953 wrote:

accuman wrote:

Hello,
was the 767 G-BNWL the first British Airways aircraft painted in the new livery besides the Concorde?
The Concorde was painted in the new livery in May 1997 and the 767 in question in 1999.
So was G-BNWL the first aircraft to wear the livery we know today?
Regards.

Hello.
767 G-BNWR was re-painted into the Union Flag / Chatham scheme in April 1999 to be used on a royal tour to South Korea.
I believe that this was the first BA aircraft other than Concorde to wear the Union Flag scheme.
Before the repaint, NWR had been in the 'Chelsea Rose' scheme.

Thank you!

GDB wrote:

No, that livery was specific to Concorde, until hostile public and more to the point, customer reaction (not the semi coherent ramblings of an ex Prime Minister which happened to be caught on camera so in the minds of the public that was the turning point, though that happened 3 years before when the livery was first rolled out).
It was not until early 2000 that BA decided to adopt the livery across the whole fleet.

Er, I'm not sure what you replied 'no' to.
The question was, was G-BNWL the first BA aircraft other than Concorde painted in the Union Flag scheme?
If you are saying 'no' to that, then I believe that you are correct.
I said that G-BNWR was the first BA aircraft, other than Concorde, painted in the Union Flag scheme.
If you are saying 'no' to that, then I believe that you are wrong.
The team responsible for the 'World Images' was part of BA's Commercial team. Back then I was in BA's Commercial team, and saw regular updates on how the World Images roll out was going. In 1999 BA quietly decided to put half of the fleet into the Union Flag scheme, and that started to be done. However, a year or so later it was decided that the World Images would be abandoned, and the entire fleet adopted the Union Flag scheme.

Title is misleading...should be current colors. I thought BA was rolling out a new color scheme. MODS??

Didn’t the ATC controllers at various airports round the world used to struggle telling what was a BA aircraft with the ethnic tails? Maybe just an old wives tale.

Annoyingly i don’t think there was ever one for Wales.

Arion640 wrote:

Didn’t the ATC controllers at various airports round the world used to struggle telling what was a BA aircraft with the ethnic tails? Maybe just an old wives tale.

Annoyingly i don’t think there was ever one for Wales.

They did. I heard a story where they mistook one for an African airline.

Does anyone know if there’s any plans to either roll out a new livery or refresh the current one? (Puts on flameproof suit) INHO the current one is a bit bland and dated..

Arion640 wrote:

Annoyingly i don’t think there was ever one for Wales.

There was one designed, but the world tails were ditched before it was ever applied.

Everyone seems to have forgotten BNLO. This and Concorde were used for the unveiling.

CarbonFibre wrote:

Everyone seems to have forgotten BNLO. This and Concorde were used for the unveiling.

That Concorde tail looks more like the Thai flag than the Union Jack flag!!!

Fiend wrote:

CarbonFibre wrote:

Everyone seems to have forgotten BNLO. This and Concorde were used for the unveiling.

And that looks more like a Thai flag than the Union Jack!!!

It's only a Union Jack when displayed on a ship. Other than that it's the 'Union flag' and it's not even a complete flag in the BA example, it's just a stylised version referred to as 'Chatham Dockyard, the 1970's Negus designed 'Quarterjack' tail or indeed it's immediate BEA predecessor were more true to the flag design, as we know it.

As far as the original 'Project Utopia' grand reveal went, I'm sure there were other aircraft at other locations, revealed simultaneously too ? I recall a Loganair (BA franchise) BN Islander in Benyhone tartan tail being revealed at GLA, as one example.

https://londonairtravel.com/2019/08/18/ ... -tailfins/

I always liked the Utopia scheme. A unique idea.
However, it was a marketing mistake that they painted mostly exotic schemes first. 50% British, and 50% from the rest of the world, I think that would have worked with the public.

Fiend wrote:

CarbonFibre wrote:

Everyone seems to have forgotten BNLO. This and Concorde were used for the unveiling.

That Concorde tail looks more like the Thai flag than the Union Jack flag!!!

All the Concorde tails are unique and different as they were all done by hand I think.

Maybe GDB - resident Concorde expert can expand.

Arion640 wrote:

Fiend wrote:

CarbonFibre wrote:

Everyone seems to have forgotten BNLO. This and Concorde were used for the unveiling.

That Concorde tail looks more like the Thai flag than the Union Jack flag!!!

All the Concorde tails are unique and different as they were all done by hand I think.

Maybe GDB - resident Concorde expert can expand.

I’m not sure if the Concorde tails were hand painted/unique but BA did obviously tweak the design when they decided to adapt it to be their main livery.

Each Concorde tail was slightly different.

Polot wrote:

Arion640 wrote:

Fiend wrote:

That Concorde tail looks more like the Thai flag than the Union Jack flag!!!

All the Concorde tails are unique and different as they were all done by hand I think.

Maybe GDB - resident Concorde expert can expand.

I’m not sure if the Concorde tails were hand painted/unique but BA did obviously tweak the design when they decided to adapt it to be their main livery.

G-BOAE’s tail

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:BA ... G-BOAE.JPG

G-BOAA’s tail

https://www.airpics.net/photo/G-BOAA-Ae ... ays/5416/L

The blue on G-BOAA’s tail extends further down than AE.

I think they’re all pretty close but to be fair but there are some subtle differences!

CarbonFibre wrote:

Everyone seems to have forgotten BNLO. This and Concorde were used for the unveiling.

I am trying to place the pic of G-BNLO on launch day. Is it outside TBA South? With demolished TBB in the background?
I assume the B744 was done in the paint bay in TBK with Concorde in a normal hangar only requiring titles and tail logo? They had to keep it under wraps and there was only one paint bay?

TUGMASTER wrote:

Exactly where I’d put it Skip,now known as TB1.
I seem to recall a few 747’s pre launch were repainted white , with the blue under belly,
Titles from Landor, and also Landor type tail , but in just blue/red.

Yes, indeed.

JannEejit wrote:

Fiend wrote:

CarbonFibre wrote:

Everyone seems to have forgotten BNLO. This and Concorde were used for the unveiling.

And that looks more like a Thai flag than the Union Jack!!!

As far as the original 'Project Utopia' grand reveal went, I'm sure there were other aircraft at other locations, revealed simultaneously too?
I recall a Loganair (BA franchise) BN Islander in Benyhone tartan tail being revealed at GLA, as one example.

https://londonairtravel.com/2019/08/18/ ... -tailfins/

The World Images unveiling took place on 10th June '97.
You are correct. The aircraft and locations involved were:
Concorde G-BOAF and 747 G-BNLO at Heathrow
Newly built B757 G-CPEO at Seattle
A Loganair Islander at Glasgow
A British Regional ATP at Belfast
A Maersk 737 at Birmingham
A Deutsch BA 737 at Munich
A Brymon DHC-8 at Gatwick
A Comair 737 at Johannesburg
Later that week newly delivered 777 G-RAES and EMB-145 G-EMBA were displayed in their Utopia schemes at the Paris Air Show.

CarbonFibre wrote:

Everyone seems to have forgotten BNLO. This and Concorde were used for the unveiling.

I didn't start this post, but my reading of the question is that it is not about the World Images launch. Rather, it is about what happened two years later.

"Was 767 G-BNWL the first British Airways aircraft painted in the new livery besides the Concorde?
"...it [G-BNWL] was painted in the new livery in 1999. Was G-BNWL the first aircraft to wear the livery we know today?" (my bold and italics).
So, G-BNLO was not forgotten. Rather, it is not the answer to the question.

TUGMASTER wrote:

Exactly where I’d put it Skip,now known as TB1.
I seem to recall a few 747’s pre launch were repainted white , with the blue under belly,
Titles from Landor, and also Landor type tail , but in just blue/red.

There was also at least one plane delivered as a white tail but the rest of the design in place - I flew G-CIVM on July 7th 1997 painted like this:

TUGMASTER wrote:

Exactly where I’d put it Skip,now known as TB1.
I seem to recall a few 747’s pre launch were repainted white , with the blue under belly,
Titles from Landor, and also Landor type tail , but in just blue/red.

Yes, where there a few types in that interim scheme ? Freshly delivered from factory but too early to get the full Utopia scheme, ahead of launch day ? A 767, maybe a Bae 146 too ???

"We fly the British flag, not these awful things" - Margaret Thatcher


But even after changing all the tails to (a part of) the 'Union Flag', i can't help but seeing two red lips and a blue tongue

jwhite9185 wrote:

Arion640 wrote:

Annoyingly i don’t think there was ever one for Wales.

There was one designed, but the world tails were ditched before it was ever applied.

You can see the Wales image, along with a few others that were never applied, in the June 2022 issue of Airliner world including:

Variations on Colour Down the Side
Variations for the Seychelles
Variations for West Coast USA
One for Norway and one for the Caribbean

ukjohna wrote:

jwhite9185 wrote:

Arion640 wrote:

Annoyingly i don’t think there was ever one for Wales.

There was one designed, but the world tails were ditched before it was ever applied.

You can see the Wales image, along with a few others that were never applied, in the June 2022 issue of Airliner world including:

Variations on Colour Down the Side
Variations for the Seychelles
Variations for West Coast USA
One for Norway and one for the Caribbean

Might have to buy that to see those. As I recall the variations were because the artwork behind each image could be viewed as a canvas, with the applicable airline tail effectively cut out at random (obviously not completely so!).

It's a shame the images couldn't have been allocated to particular franchise carriers, with a core of UK designs for the BA LGW/LHR fleets, then utilise the other designs in marketing, etc. Colour Down the Side would have been great for Brymon for example, Blue Poole and Grand Union for British Regional Airlines, Wings for Sun-Air, etc.

You had me with that title. I really thought for a moment BA was releasing a new livery!

JannEejit wrote:

TUGMASTER wrote:

Exactly where I’d put it Skip,now known as TB1.
I seem to recall a few 747’s pre launch were repainted white , with the blue under belly,
Titles from Landor, and also Landor type tail , but in just blue/red.

Yes, where there a few types in that interim scheme ? Freshly delivered from factory but too early to get the full Utopia scheme, ahead of launch day ? A 767, maybe a Bae 146 too ???

G-CIVM was delivered with Utopia base and white fin. G-BNWZ and G-CPEM/N came with Landor months after BA had begun using the interim livery as they were painted as per contract. Up to G-CIVL and G-VIIH were similarly Landor.

ukjohna wrote:

jwhite9185 wrote:

Arion640 wrote:

Annoyingly i don’t think there was ever one for Wales.

There was one designed, but the world tails were ditched before it was ever applied.

You can see the Wales image, along with a few others that were never applied, in the June 2022 issue of Airliner world including:

Variations on Colour Down the Side
Variations for the Seychelles
Variations for West Coast USA
One for Norway and one for the Caribbean

Image now posted (not by me) in a new dedicated thread. viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1473535

skipness1E wrote:

JannEejit wrote:

TUGMASTER wrote:

Exactly where I’d put it Skip,now known as TB1.
I seem to recall a few 747’s pre launch were repainted white , with the blue under belly,
Titles from Landor, and also Landor type tail , but in just blue/red.

Yes, where there a few types in that interim scheme?
Freshly delivered from factory but too early to get the full Utopia scheme, ahead of launch day? A 767, maybe a Bae 146 too ???

G-CIVM was delivered with Utopia base and white fin.
G-BNWZ and G-CPEM/N came with Landor months after BA had begun using the interim livery as they were painted as per contract.
Up to G-CIVL and G-VIIH were similarly Landor.

Also, a number of the existing fleet that were repainted in the run up to the Utopia launch appeared in the interim scheme. Examples included 747s G-BNLR and G-BNLS.