Crossing the Atlantic in barely functional aircraft.

[AdamFrisch]

I do not know how I missed this one and apologies if you've already seen this, but it's an absolutely gripping tale of late madman/stunt pilot/adventurer Jeff Hawkes journey to get 6 decrepit old B25 bombers across the Atlantic. Engine failures, oil leaks, IMC, icing - you name it. Not the kind of guy that would wear a high vis west I think....

B-25 Mitchells do fly I.M.C. - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=PUazQ60utI0)

Although I can't say I've ever come close to these B25 adventures, I do somehow share the common thread of flying old and oil-leaky mid-century piston aircraft with no heating...:ok:

Instantly in my top 3 list of best avaition documentaries alongside Frozen in Time (about the B-29 rescue).

[mmgreve]

For a minute there, I thought you had a new adventure planned for the Commander !

[mutt]

Excellent documentary, unfortunately Jeff Hawke met with a mysterious ending to his life, flying an Aztec off the coast of Croatia.

Mutt

[AdamFrisch]

Ha - no, I'm not that mad yet.

Mr. Hawke seemed like a very interesting character. The Google rumours make it appear as if he might have been running guns or something illegal and could possibly have been shot down. Jeff Hawke didn't appear to have a valid license at the time of his crash. Aircraft was G-OESX and the accident report is here.:

http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Piper%20PA-23-250%20Aztec%20E,%20G-OESX%2008-94.pdf

[peterh337]

The date of the flight was certainly in the right ballpark for gun-running.

Based at Shoreham :)

[A and C]

I met Jeff Hawke at Blackbushe on a winter day that is typical in the UK 5000m vis and overcast at about 600 ft.

He has come along to get a few of the T28 aircraft that he had parked for some time at Blackbushe going, all the battery's on the aircraft were flat so we got him some ground power and he started one of the aircraft, after about 10 min he had persuaded most of the cylinders to fire.

He then took off, at first he seemed to have a problem gaining height but towards the end of the runway he did a slow roll with the gear down.

We then got an aerobatic display in the vertical that we only saw half of because the upper half of the loops were hidden in the cloud.

I will leave it to the forum to decide the wisdom of flying an aircraft with a semi functioning engine that had been standing in the open for months in this way.

[treadigraph]

Somewhere on PPRuNe I have made a comment about watching Jeff Hawke take one of Doug Arnold's Ju52s around the circuit at Blackbushe, rather low level due I suspect to the asthmatic state of his steed, and the approach just cleared the chest-high fence truncating the eastern end of the runway - the wheels were about head-height to me standing to one side. I learned NEVER to stand directly underneath the end of a runway! I think the Ju52 in question subsequently emigrated to South Africa for the SAA Historic Flight (http://www.saamuseum.co.za/our-aircraft/66.html).

There is some stuff about the B-25s on PPRuNe as well - the film they were used in, should you wish to see it, is Hanover Street starring Harrison Ford, Christopher Plummer and Leslie Anne Down. The documentary is excellent, shame it's not included with the DVD of the film.

[119.35]

Thanks for posting this Adam. I didn't know anything about this - it makes for a great watch.

[Durban]

I'd never heard of the guy. It is a great documentary and well worth watching. Thanks.

[Sir George Cayley]

When I met him he reminded me of a Brendan O'B type, but less shy.

SGC

[A and C]

I was on the JU52, it was not flown by Jeff.

The problem was with the ASI under reading, there was about a week between us doing the pump up checks on the pitot/ static system and the flight.

During that week water must have got into the pitot line and frozen putting a small split in the lowest part of the system ( there was no water drain in this system).

After the flight we found the problem, in fact the aircraft had been flying well above stalling speed but the ASI was indicating that it was just above the stall, that is why the aircraft seemed not to be performing well as the pilot was flying the aircraft according to the indicated speed.

If you observed the landing you might have remembered that the touchdown from a normal approach path was two thirds of the way down the runway with a short ground run, as we taxied we had already decided to do a new pitot/static test.

[treadigraph]

I don't recall the actual landing, just have a vision of the wheel going past little more than a wingspan in front of my nose!

It was September 1980 during Farnborough week, same flight?

[N707ZS]

How many of these six are still in one piece? Saw one at North Weald being pulled apart and another wrotting at Duxford.

Heard the C-54s at North Weald are going or have gone the same way.

[N707ZS]

To answer my own question I read that the C-54s have a new owner and one has actually been ground running.

[A and C]

I can't remember the dates in that sort of detail, but I know we were very low as we went over the end of the runway.

The fact that we had the pitot line damaged by frost seems to suggest that the flight was not in september as I can clearly remember the ASI system being checked a week or so before the flight.

I would be surprised if two of the Ju52 flights got that close to the fence at the end of the runway but it was a long time ago and maybe time is playing tricks on my mind.

Unfortunatly I was not part of the flight crew ( I was just taking the numbers to check the engine performance ) so the flight did not go in my log book.

[treadigraph]

May well have been a different occasion then - my close up view was certainly September as I was there to watch the Farnborough visitors arrive. Only time I was there for more than a few minutes (especially if trying to see Doug Arnold's hangared treasures! ;)).

No idea where Jeff Hawke's name came from; Roger Russell (who sadly died in the Invader crash a few weeks later) was in the tower all week, and the name may have come from him via a mutual friend.

Actually, I'm wondering if it was the original DA '52 G-BECL which was in Luftwaffe uniform I think... Wish I'd taken a pic, the memories are definitely fading...

I remember those T-28s there as well, ex Moroccan AF I think they were.

[john ball]

There were in about 1976/77 five T28's at Biggin parked where the self refueling pumps are nowadays. They had been brought in by Euroworld which was Don Bullock and Ted White. I believe they came from Chad airforce. Rumour said that one of them force landed in France and some of the baggage/cargo had to be quickly collected from the downed aircraft !!! When the aircraft were sitting at Biggin they were occasionally run and eventually all flew off to USA. I was offered a seat, but had to pay for some of the fuel, but being a new PPL with no money I declined.
What mistake for the experience !!

[trident3A]

Thanks for this it was most entertaining!

[Rhino25782]

Unbelievable:

"Unfortunately, this SME-music-content is not available in Germany because GEMA has not granted the respective music publishing rights.
Sorry about that."

To anyone outside of over-regulated Germany: Enjoy watching.


;-)

[mikehallam]

Thanks Adam,

I can see why you're in love with your own twin a/c.
I too was brought up in the war but didn't know much about the B25, except one poor thing which was parked out at Shoreham some 30 or so years ago.
If they were considered 'old' when that film was made they're double that now.

mike hallam.

[India Four Two]

Adam,

Thanks from me too. I also thought initially you were going to share your latest adventure. :E

A great documentary and a very interesting character. I must confess my sympathies were with the pilots who declined to fly. I'm planning on being an "old pilot". ;)

A lovely piece of nostalgia when they were at St. Johns. Did you see the Viscount and the Stretch 8?

[magpienja]

I actually remember watching this doc on TV many years ago...well worth watching again...many thanks....very refreshing viewing in this risk averse world we live in.

[hum]

Thank you for posting this, a most enjoyable hour that was!

Found some interesting info John Hawke here:

RAF Wattisham page 2 (http://www.users.waitrose.com/~g8jan/html%20files/wattisham%202.html)

and here:

Illegal A/B-26 Invader sales (http://napoleon130.tripod.com/id817.html)

Bill Parish here:

http://www.p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots.cfm?c=incP47BiographyHome.cfm&vm=BIO&pilotid=434&p=William%20White%20Parish

[obgraham]

Great piece of film, and some excellent flying photography.

However:
1. A somewhat disorganized plan to get the a/c together.
2. Pilot group still debating the procedures and route half way into the journey.
3. Drafting a codger to fly right seat who hadn't flown in, like 100 years.
4. Flying IMC in formation without backup radio between aircraft.
5. Pushing fuel management to the edge.
6. Amateur mechanics (the pilots) to do the repairs.
7. Borderline airworthy craft with bits ready to drop off at every turn.
8. Apparently a need to show off "low passes" everywhere.
9. Lack of formation takeoff discipline. Taxy back down the departure runway while in use? Really?

We all admire adventure and derring-do, and the ability of a seat-of-the-pants flier to get the job done. But he seemed to me reckless not only with his own life, but the other 12 or so folks traveling along.

Sorry, no great admiration from me.

[magpienja]

I was surprised when the a/c that the film was being shot from towards the end of the film....fly through the wake close behind the a/c in front several times with very little upset to our aircraft's stability....interesting.

[Squawk_code]

All,

Here is a link in relation to the 'Laden Maiden'.

A B-25 back to Belgium (http://www.bamfbamrs.be/B25/B25-en.htm)

Of the other B25's, I believe one is/was at Hendon with another being destroyed in a fire at a museum in Spain. Anyone know anything further?

Cheers,

S

[treadigraph]

Apart form the Belgian example above, one is in the RAF Museum, one at a museum in Spain, one destroyed by a fire at a Musee d l'Air store near Paris, and one returned to the USA and was being rebuilt at Chino.

The Shoreham example that mikehallam mentioned is now preserved in the USAF Museum at Duxford.

One was also abandoned at Biggin Hill for a while in the 1960s (the 633 Squadron camera ship I think) which moved to the Southend Museum, then to North Weald. Still there?

[lasernigel]

Great clip and yes a derring do flyer but obviously "hands on".:ok:

Health and safety would have had a field day nowadays, even to re-spraying the aircraft without masks.

[Agaricus bisporus]

derring do

Great film but as said by obgraham nothing much to admire in their operation.

I don't agree with the use of "derring do" either, that implies an admirable form of bravery. This was neither bravery nor particularly admirable, it was ill disciplined cowboyism - amateurs playing at being bomber heroes (who often did display derring do, and in spades - in a time when it was appropriate). This behaviour sadly has been all to common in those entrusted with precious warbirds and over the years has resulted in a shocking loss of scores of irreplaceable aircraft from the Kee-Bird downwards.

Adventurous, charismatic, entertaining? - hugely.
Professionalism? Absent.
Respect? Very little indeed.
Envy? Huge!

[treadigraph]

If you can find a used copy I recommend Martin Caidin's "Everything but the Flak" which chronicles ferrying three B-17s across from Arizona to Gatwick in 1960 in much the same way.

[Romeo Tango]

It will be a sad day when all the cowboys are regulated out of existence.

[851Pilot]

Brilliant - thanks for posting the link!

Remember it being on telly - I must have been 13 - left a bit of an impression.

Watching it now I have a PPL has added a whole new dimension - won't comment on some of the airmanship - but utterly gripping.

Unusual for a flying documentary in that it was obviously made by pilots and, therefore, includes a lot of the really interesting stuff to other flyers that the likes of Ice Pilots (good show that it is) does not.

Have wanted to watch this again for years - so you've made my day!

Utterly, utterly, brilliant!

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

I remember this on TV as well, and have a DVD copy from someone who recorded it from VCR. The you tube version has a bit missing off the beginning and the end of the film. Particulary at the end when the 'Hannover Street' planes land in the dark, with flames from one of the engines. The tower controller echos the epic trans-atlantic flight with the words "Hannover 4, your right engine is torching". It makes a nice finish to the film and you tube misses it off.

I think it's a fabulous documentary, capturing the spirit of Hawke in pushing it through where many would have baulked. What an adventure! What a character that Hawke guy was. Where are their likes today? Legislated out of existance by nanny state petty rules?

There's a lot more to life than Elfin Safety, as Hawke demonstrated. He left us early as those types often do, but crikey didn't he have a ball? :ok:

[magpienja]

Well said SSD.

[scottish_ppl]

What a brilliant film, thanks for the link.

Plenty admiration from where I am sitting :ok:

Would have been great to have had more cameras in the other planes and heard more from all the other crews as well.

[20milesout]

mmgreve:
"For a minute there, I thought you had a new adventure planned for the Commander !"

This was exactly my first thought. :p

Anyway, a link for GEMA-struck German viewers (you may have to refresh once ore twice before the video loads):

Hide My Ass! Free proxy node (IP address 1/1 / Server 5/7) (http://5.hidemyass.com/ip-1/encoded/Oi8vd3d3LnlvdXR1YmUuY29tL3dhdGNoP2ZlYXR1cmU9cGxheWVyX2VtYmVk ZGVkJnY9UFVhelE2MHV0STA%3D&f=norefer)

Thank you Adam, and fingers crossed for your IR :ok:

Michael

[Echo Romeo]

Dam it, looks like the film has been withdrawn from you tube :sad:

[AN2 Driver]

Lovely movie, thanks a bunch for posting!

The Mitchel was a great plane, those pilots were not easa conditioned scarerabbits but fun loving and go minded. Clearly, today the community gets a collective heart attack at the prospect.

If I hear that there are folks in the regulators who wish to ban just about everything, we sometimes need a reminder how much fun it can be to fly.

Sure as hck, it took a lot of skill to do this flight. Today, most of us lack not only that but had our ball$ regulatiely removed.

My lovely AN`s were all grounded by the Euro-Cylons within days after bg became part of the burempire... And it won't be long before all of us go the same way. Maybe we should look at these movies more often.

[magpienja]

Well said AN2....you hit the nail.