There may be a photograph in the following book:- Sun, Sand & Silver Wings. The Story of Aviation on the Southport and South West Lancashire Coast from 1910 to 2003 by John Mulliner.
As a QFI at RAF Woodvale I seem to recall a C172??? operating off the beach during the summer season (or is my gin soaked brain playing tricks on me??). At about the same time some enterprising individual tried to set up a hovercraft service across the Ribble, which due to not hearing about any more, I assume, failed.
Keep taking the gin, your memory's intact. The 172 was operated by Inglis Aviation from 1985-1995, owned by Bill Robinson; in its last year, 1996, it became Beach Aviation Ltd. The Slingsby hovercraft (flown by Peter?) operated out of St Annes for two years (93/94?), and was used for training pilots from those organisations who had bought the craft - as a sideline, it was also used for pleasure flights around the Ribble.
As I mentioned on the Beach Landings thread, as a teenager, my wife had her first flight from the beach at Southport. I have located a couple of prints of the occasion, although they have suffered in storage. I have processed the scans (using MS PhotoEditor) which seem to show the aircraft as G-A*EV. The date would have been 1969, and she recalls the aircraft as a Piper.
Last edited by Cpt_Pugwash; 17th Jan 2009 at 23:33.
APWR pa22 was there summer 1981.standard piper green and yellow interlinked controls for roll end yaw, must look for the book ,perhaps it s on the "public library shelves".
Nice to see PA-22 G-AREV that operated off Southport Beach. The guy walking away from the aircraft is Chris Benyon, I know cos I was that man. I used to position it to the beach to get my PPL hours up so I could be a Flying Instructor, I also loaded and Prop Swung John Lewreys red painted DH 83C Fox Moth G-ACEJ. It was hangared at Blackpool Airport, we used to maintain it in one of the hangars, always changing the tail wheel as the sand wore out the bearings. Used to sow up holes in the wing when the ladies ripped it with their sharp heels. and of course be a fireman in an emergency.......Wonderfull to see..Thank you.
As a QFI at RAF Woodvale I seem to recall a C172??? operating off the beach during the summer season (or is my gin soaked brain playing tricks on me??). At about the same time some enterprising individual tried to set up a hovercraft service across the Ribble, which due to not hearing about any more, I assume, failed.
The hovercraft service I remember from the early 1970's was with a Saunders Roe SRN-2; My parents took the family on the hovercraft trip over to Blackpool as part of the day out to southport. Shame it failed but I can understand why; I think there were only a few passengers on the trip we took.
My first light aircraft flight was on the same tripacer on another occasion. Ahh memories!
And before that was another Foxmoth, G-AOJH, owned by the late Harry Patterson and based at Speke. I accompanied it many times, and we set out the landing strip, and just operated. This was about 1960.
Well dada, I do not make out I am in Germany, I worked in the German system for 8 years as a Civilian Parachute pilot at a British Army adventure training unit. I flew turbine Islanders, did in excess of 5000 parachute tasks, and AS at Southport I helped maintain the aircraft, from cleaning them to removing airframe bits and a turbine engine or two. Like Southport Beach it was a "Field Opperation" If you did not fix the aircraft it stayed on the ground. I was in the German tax system and still am registered in the German National Health System. This means that if I am seriously ill, I drive to Germany and get it fixed, whilst in England one would wait on the beck and call of professionals!
By the By, in the "Echo Victor" pic you see I have a handbag on my shoulder, ladies often used to say "look after my bag till I get down" as the "Pie Chaser" was quite cramped in the back seats. Mit freundlichen Grüßen.................
Fox Moth G-AOJH operated from the beach at Southport in that fantastic summer of 1976. I had a trip in it. I have a photo somewhere. It was wearing red and silver in those days.
The guy walking away from the aircraft is Chris Benyon, I know cos I was that man. I used to position it to the beach to get my PPL hours up so I could be a Flying Instructor, I also loaded and Prop Swung John Lewreys red painted DH 83C Fox Moth G-ACEJ. It was hangared at Blackpool Airport, we used to maintain it in one of the hangars, always changing the tail wheel as the sand wore out the bearings. Used to sow up holes in the wing when the ladies ripped it with their sharp heels. and of course be a fireman in an emergency.......Wonderfull to see..Thank you.
