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How we created our logo from 2005 till now, and accidentally created a BA livery

How we created our logo from 2005 till now, and accidentally created a BA livery

Posted by Malcolm on 12th Sep 2025

BACKGROUND
In 2005, I started my own business selling model aircraft. I had retired at 47 after fracturing my back in three places from an active life in retail. At 15 in 1973, I started a weekend job with Tesco. My main aim was to leave school and become a draughtsman, or as it would be said these days, a draftperson. I then went full-time at Tesco while continuing my studies at night school. In 1976, I got an A-level in Technical drawing, one of only three in my class to pass at the highest level. I had drawn a Lysander aircraft from all angles: top, underneath, both sides, front, and back. My only guide was an Observer Aircraft book I got from a jumble sale my dad attended. There were no computers in those days. I had several interviews and was offered a job at Monotype International. From £14 a week, I could earn £29 in a smoke-filled office drawing typewriter parts. My dad said Stop, there will be a computer soon, and you'll be out of a job. He was right, so I worked at Sainsbury's for 14 years and then went back to Tesco from 1989 until 2003. I finished as a Senior Manager. Not quite a waste of an A-level, as anyone will tell you, I excelled in creating displays and utilising Point of Sale (POS) to its best advantage. I was told I had an analytical brain, something you either have or cannot be taught.
HOW THE ABOVE HELPED
In 2003, I had a lot of pain in my back and tried to claim benefits. This was a nightmare. Even after 32 years of working, the DWP (Job Centre) treated you like a number. I had no money coming in as Tesco was not paying me a pension. I was getting into debt, and my family was worried. I seriously considered ending it all. I felt I was no longer a person. No one cared about me outside my family. It was the most challenging part of my life since my dad died in 1985. While waiting for a decision on my pension, I started Airspotters.com. Tesco finally paid my retirement in November 2005, eight months after I began Airspotters. The pain of working with my back was almost unbearable. My wife, Angela, and daughter, Rebecca, were wrapping and packing, leaving me to do the website.
CREATING OUR BRAND “THE FIRST LOGO FOR AIRSPOTTERS”
We needed a website, and I initially used Microsoft FrontPage. Youngsters today would have no idea what it was like. Building pages and uploading took hours. Microsoft FrontPage was discontinued in 2003, making its use already outdated. Website design requires you to look beyond the images they offer and think more critically. I looked at books and things around me to come up with a first logo design. Red, white, and blue were the colours, as we were a UK-based website. The design emerged while examining artwork of World War II aircraft. The B-17 was the one I looked at most, and I decided to go for that. I will find an old business card and put it below.
BACKGROUND
In 2005, I started my own business selling model aircraft. I had retired at 47 after fracturing my back in three places from an active life in retail. At 15 in 1973, I started a weekend job with Tesco. My main aim was to leave school and become a draughtsman, or as it would be said these days, a draftperson. I then went full-time at Tesco while continuing my studies at night school. In 1976, I got an A-level in Technical drawing, one of only three in my class to pass at the highest level. I had drawn a Lysander aircraft from all angles: top, underneath, both sides, front, and back. My only guide was an Observer Aircraft book I got from a jumble sale my dad attended. There were no computers in those days. I had several interviews and was offered a job at Monotype International. From £14 a week, I could earn £29 in a smoke-filled office drawing typewriter parts. My dad said Stop, there will be a computer soon, and you'll be out of a job. He was right, so I worked at Sainsbury's for 14 years and then went back to Tesco from 1989 until 2003. I finished as a Senior manager. Not quite a waste of an A-level, as anyone will tell you, I excelled in creating displays and utilizing Point of Sale (POS) to its best advantage. I was told I had an analytical brain, something you either have or cannot be taught.
HOW THE ABOVE HELPED
In 2003, I had a lot of pain in my back and tried to claim benefits. This was a nightmare. Even after 32 years of working, the DWP (Job Centre) treated you like a number. I had no money coming in as Tesco was not paying me a pension. I was getting into debt, and my family was worried. I seriously considered ending it all. I felt I was no longer a person. No one cared about me outside my family. It was the most challenging part of my life since my dad died in 1985. While waiting for a decision on my pension, I started Airspotters.com. Tesco finally paid my pension in November 2005, eight months after I started Airspotters. The pain of working with my back was almost unbearable. My wife, Angela, and daughter, Rebecca, were wrapping and packing, leaving me to do the website.
CREATING OUR BRAND “THE FIRST LOGO FOR AIRSPOTTERS”
We needed a website, and I initially used Microsoft FrontPage. Youngsters today would have no idea what it was like. Building pages and uploading took hours. Microsoft FrontPage was discontinued in 2003, making its use already outdated. Website design requires you to look beyond the images they offer and think more critically. I looked at books and things around me to come up with a first logo design. Red, white, and blue were the colours, as we were a UK-based website. The design emerged while examining artwork of World War II aircraft. The B-17 was the one I looked at most, and I decided to go for that. I will find an old business card and put it below.
IMAGE WILL APPEAR HERE SOON
A lady in shorts and high heels was lying next to the word "Airspotters.com," wearing sunglasses. I was over the moon, as I had obtained the lady from a royalty-free website and just had to play around with it. I used the paint feature in Microsoft, and the logo went live on our website. It looked good, and at last our site was running with EKMPowershop.
Unfortunately, Boeing, with whom we dealt directly for models, did not like it. They asked me to remove all the Boeing models from our website. It was my first big setback. I realised the idea came from the Boeing B-17. I looked on their website and soon found topless artwork on a B-17. I wrote them a cheeky email saying, At least my lady is dressed. They replied, Fair play, you win. This planted a seed to change the logo. By 2008, we had to move on and stop using this lady. Times were changing, and it was no longer right to have. In short, I thought Boeing was right.
We decided to feature a Boeing 747, and it was now easy to find and purchase a drawing of one on iStock. I designed this livery in 2008. The Union Flag was a photo I took of one at the Dad's Army convention in Thetford. However, it was a good idea, but I needed another one that was more flowing. So once again, iStocks was used. 
This logo has been with us since then, although we have periodically updated the graphics. Another shock happened when the RAF rolled out its new Union Jack livery while Boris was the Prime Minister. It struck me at once that they had virtually copied my design. Some of our regular customers also emailed to bring this to my attention. I did send the Government an email, but they did not reply. I even emailed my local conservative MP. All he did was buy a model from us when Gemini Jets released this model. I was gutted, and to this day, they were close to copying, but I'm sure they could not have seen my logo.
Now, in 2025, a new logo/brand needs to be created once again. That's when I started using three different AI generators. I design the livery and ask AI to refine it, adding the wording 'Airspotters.com'. A crazy moment; I thought this might look good as a British Airways new livery. That's when I changed the text and added the Landor line to create a retro yet modern British Airways look.  I have put this on Facebook and have gotten thousands of views in a short time.
Thank you for reading this. I'm glad you've made it this far.
OUR LOGO AND THEN BELOW A TRIBUTE TO BRITISH AIRWAYS AS A POSSIBLE LIVERY BASE.
BLUE ENGINES OR RED BELOW