No. 5 B.F.T.S Clewiston FL USA
Thread Starter
VQ5XO3 - Where are you?
If anybody knows VQ5XO3 (see Post 11) you might just ask him to respond - he (or possibly she) never came back to the thread, and gave no response to the PM that I sent either. Makes you wonder don't it?
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Lady and Gentlemen,
I browsed this thread, with great interest, about a year ago. My dad was also at 5 BFTS, albeit somewhat later than Ian and Liz's fathers and was on the last course (No 25) to undertake and, mostly, complete their training, some of it during the wind-down of the BFTSs following the end of the war.
Like Chris (SinglePin post 20) I have also visited Riddle Field by air. The first time (Cessna 172) was in December 1984 when most of the buildings on the domestic site had been demolished some years earlier to prevent the site's use as a "corrective institution", however, the swimming pool guard house and some other obvious wartime buildings still existed. The airfield was then little used as Clewiston Municipal Airport existed pretty much within the city boundary at the west end.
My second visit was in 2006 , also in a Cessna 172, by which time Municipal had been closed and Riddle Field was being promoted as Airglades. Some new buildings had been built including a new terminal.
I have just returned from a holiday in Florida which included a pre-arranged visit to the Clewiston Museum, which has an excellent archive and a small display relating to 5 BFTS. The Museum Director, Mr W P (Butch) Wilson was very helpful and had laid out many of the archive photos and memorabilia for me. I would mention that much of the material is available on line as are the Clewiston News issues for the period of 5 BFTS operation. I again visited Riddle Field where some more new hangars have been erected, but little other change. The highlight of my trip was, like Chris, a flight in a T-6 (SNJ-6)out of Kissimmee. Alas I didn't get down to Clewiston in it, but was told of someone who had done so recently!
I have my Dad's photos and his log book as well as a number of other articles and books which relate to AT-6, Riddle Field and the Arnold Scheme.
I don't know whether me posting this note will draw the thread back into the current area on PPRune, but if so, I would be delighted to make contact with those of you with similar interst in 5 BFTS and Riddle Field.
Kind regards,
Paul
I browsed this thread, with great interest, about a year ago. My dad was also at 5 BFTS, albeit somewhat later than Ian and Liz's fathers and was on the last course (No 25) to undertake and, mostly, complete their training, some of it during the wind-down of the BFTSs following the end of the war.
Like Chris (SinglePin post 20) I have also visited Riddle Field by air. The first time (Cessna 172) was in December 1984 when most of the buildings on the domestic site had been demolished some years earlier to prevent the site's use as a "corrective institution", however, the swimming pool guard house and some other obvious wartime buildings still existed. The airfield was then little used as Clewiston Municipal Airport existed pretty much within the city boundary at the west end.
My second visit was in 2006 , also in a Cessna 172, by which time Municipal had been closed and Riddle Field was being promoted as Airglades. Some new buildings had been built including a new terminal.
I have just returned from a holiday in Florida which included a pre-arranged visit to the Clewiston Museum, which has an excellent archive and a small display relating to 5 BFTS. The Museum Director, Mr W P (Butch) Wilson was very helpful and had laid out many of the archive photos and memorabilia for me. I would mention that much of the material is available on line as are the Clewiston News issues for the period of 5 BFTS operation. I again visited Riddle Field where some more new hangars have been erected, but little other change. The highlight of my trip was, like Chris, a flight in a T-6 (SNJ-6)out of Kissimmee. Alas I didn't get down to Clewiston in it, but was told of someone who had done so recently!
I have my Dad's photos and his log book as well as a number of other articles and books which relate to AT-6, Riddle Field and the Arnold Scheme.
I don't know whether me posting this note will draw the thread back into the current area on PPRune, but if so, I would be delighted to make contact with those of you with similar interst in 5 BFTS and Riddle Field.
Kind regards,
Paul
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No5BFTS
Ian, my father was Capt John Seymour Westom Davis and if you have the book RAF WINGS OVER FLORIDA you can read about him [look at the inddex] ... he was an Advanced Instructor and Flight Commander throughtout the years of the No5BFTS. Sadly he died in 2001. There are course pictures on the internet w/ first initials and last names. I have an alblum of many pics and things from the No5BFTS. There is also a movie made about the No5BFTS called THE FLYING DAYS OF RIDDLE FIELD in which my father is pictured as an instructor and interviewed as an older man. Some of the gentlemen interviewed in the movie may still be alive. The movie premiered on Public Television on Memorial Day weekend, May 2001, two months after my father died.
Anita Davis Revell
[email protected]
Anita Davis Revell
[email protected]
Thread Starter
Hi Anita - delighted that you have turned up on here - you may have the answers to so many questions in your possession. I will email you.
Thanks
Ian BB
Thanks
Ian BB
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Course 18 1943
Hello,
My late father Harold F Halstead was training there in 1943 (Course 18) and I wonder if one of your photo's is of him.
Let me know,
Regards,
David Halstead
My late father Harold F Halstead was training there in 1943 (Course 18) and I wonder if one of your photo's is of him.
Let me know,
Regards,
David Halstead
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David this link will take you to a course photograph of your father's course
http://www.5bfts.org.uk/courses/imag...18%20A-LC.jpg:
http://www.5bfts.org.uk/courses/imag...18%20A-LC.jpg:
Thread Starter
Course 18
David, my father graduated on Course 12 (May 1943), so he would have left Clewiston before course 18 arrived, so I have no relevant photos. Have you tried all the links previously posted in this thread?
IanBB
IanBB
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WWII RAF cadet training in Florida
08-25-2015
I am the editor of the book RAF WINGS OVER FLORIDA, which contains several reminiscences by cadets and others associated with the No. 5 BFTS. The book was published in 2000 by Purdue Univ. Press. My page on this publication is here: RAF WINGS OVER FLORIDA
It can be read as a free e-book at this link:
http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewc...t=press_ebooks
Kind regards,
Tod Roberts ([email protected])
I am the editor of the book RAF WINGS OVER FLORIDA, which contains several reminiscences by cadets and others associated with the No. 5 BFTS. The book was published in 2000 by Purdue Univ. Press. My page on this publication is here: RAF WINGS OVER FLORIDA
It can be read as a free e-book at this link:
http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewc...t=press_ebooks
Kind regards,
Tod Roberts ([email protected])
Thread Starter
R.A.F. WINGS OVER FLORIDA
Welcome to PPRuNe Tod. My copy of Will's book is well-thumbed and I have often quoted from it in these forums, (see Post No. 4 on this long-dormant thread, and, from page 276 onwards in the long-lived "Gaining an R.A.F. Pilot's Brevet in WW 11" thread in the Military Aviation Forum).
'Best
Ian BB
'Best
Ian BB
Last edited by Ian Burgess-Barber; 14th Sep 2015 at 15:14. Reason: To correct page no. from 267 to 276
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A few years ago I attended a Quiet Birdmen dinner meeting in Miami. The guest speaker had been an instructor in Clewiston, starting with about one hundred hours in his log book! Sorry I cannot recollect his name from memory but it will be in the QB system some place if anyone is interested. The former owner of Pelican flight school at Hollywood/N.Perry (Florida) airport told me his former RAF CO learned to fly at Clewiston, and he flew him out there when he was on a visit to Florida, found his photograph in a group they had on display! The field now goes by the name Airglades.
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Help with
Hello all, I'm researching Ron Kenny who graduated from Pan American Navigation Section at Miami University. He was from Rochdale in England. Ron was my GG. I have dozens of documents relating to the training of these guys and i'd like to share them.
I can't upload them for some reason so please message me. There are literraly hundreds of photos and documents. I'm in love with him and need to know more x
This website won't allow me to upload them. Stops at 50%. Unlike Ron x
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Until you have a posting history you don't have access to private messaging and adding urls. An email address will give a chance of results.
I can't upload them for some reason so please message me. There are literraly hundreds of photos and documents. I'm in love with him and need to know more x
This website won't allow me to upload them. Stops at 50%. Unlike Ron x
----------------------------------------------------------
Until you have a posting history you don't have access to private messaging and adding urls. An email address will give a chance of results.
Ron,
See the note added to your post by a Moderator.
You cannot upload photos until you have at least 10 posts AND you haven't posted anything to offend the Mods!
See the note added to your post by a Moderator.
You cannot upload photos until you have at least 10 posts AND you haven't posted anything to offend the Mods!
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Is this still active
Hi, My Grandfather was on Cse 15, 5BFTS. He turned 100 on June 12th and after spending time with him today, and him joyously spinning stories about his time at 5BFTS, I thought I’d try and find some info.
I came across this thread which has been a really interesting read. Does anyone know if the memorabilia is still at Clewiston or if indeed there may be any other 5BFTS still around?
Many and huge thanks if anyone is still monitoring this thread.
all the best
Billy
I came across this thread which has been a really interesting read. Does anyone know if the memorabilia is still at Clewiston or if indeed there may be any other 5BFTS still around?
Many and huge thanks if anyone is still monitoring this thread.
all the best
Billy
