Where Are They Now?Please feel free to post contact information here if you are looking for long lost friends or trying to find out what has happened to colleagues. Obituaries and condolences can be posted here too.
Location: A Whilom nimble brain. With 31 million posts.
Age: 73
Posts: 3,381
. . . because I'm racing against time to finish a huge novel - as it raced past 1,300 pages I made the decision to cut it into two or even three parts. The rewrite has taken most of this year so far. If I live to its completion, it will be called The Perfect Code. The main character, an airline skipper, dies in the first chapter, but then finds there is a lot more to the creation of the Universe, and our design code than even . . . well, a science fiction writer could imagine.
Our man also causes huge problems by being in love with his widow.
I try to do 4 - 6 hours a day, but life seems to get in the way - no matter how hard one tries to ignore it.
Back to topic. If there's any advice I could give to a young pilot now it would be to carry a camera all the time. Take it to bed with you if you must.
There's no excuse now, they're so tiny and have vast data-collection ability.
I've said this before, but never miss a shot like being over East Anglia in a Heron on a perfect summer's dawn and having Colt say, Look to your left.
There against the English countryside was a Spitfire locked onto my quarter. He waggled his wings and banked away to the left. AND NO CAMERA
"Hong Kong" Hicks now that's a name from the past. Besides the flag the usual accompanying cry was "hang on to your halfpennies"..........as in "hay_pennies". Spent many a charter and night stop supping Scotch and listening to his days at BEA on Vanguards.
Just seen the content of my post?..........apologies for the wayward typing..........I will get used these tablet thingies someday. Having "served" at EGMC for just over 19 years, , '72 - 91 I knew most if not all the mentioned characters plus many others of equal notoriaty not mentioned. how about Bill Mailer, Jock Doyle, Laurie Rowe, John Gibson, Ron Jones, John Woodhouse, Gerry Rosser, John L-Baard etc, etc. All BAF Captains of the Carvair and some the early Herald era. I could go on but I would probably be barred from future posting! I have enjoyed reading all the previous posts..........they brought back some fond memories of a bygone age of aviation.
Re: Ted Wilkinson. I was present at the Dengie Hundred Flying Club members meeting when Ted's wife made a surprise entrance...........confronted Ted with some embarasssing information, in front of the assembled group..........declared the club "closed", and then left. If I remember correctly Barry Powling, ( eventually a BAF Captain), was also present. Left us all a bit stunned...........never saw hide nor hair of Ted after that. Not sure what happened to 'XNS either...............a few of us hoofed off to the Flarepath and mulled over the evening events with a few beers.
Location: A Whilom nimble brain. With 31 million posts.
Age: 73
Posts: 3,381
Without being morbid, I'd really like to know the last chapters of some of these chaps.
I flew with Bill Mailer and it was even my task to wake him in the mornings at the Pax 'hotel' in Rotterdam. (shudder) Bernie Warman I met three separate time in my career. Auster, night checkout. Dak P2ing. HP7 P1ing.
Woody, while being interviewed more than once. Never got a job with BAF. Wise man.
Location: A Whilom nimble brain. With 31 million posts.
Age: 73
Posts: 3,381
Both 'Woodies' would be of interest to me. In the nicest possible way
Lots of names in my logbook I never heard of again. Hans Haslett was a fun guy to fly with. I though I was good at low flying - until I went from AMS to ROT with him.
Shame on me! Arthur Jones............now there is a name that evokes all sorts of memories. Many a time I ventured from the Flarepath to his place on Keith Way.............only to see Jock Doyle grabbing 40 winks on his doorstep!
I was a young lad still in the RAF when I was introduced to him by a BAF Hostie.........in the Flarepath. Although ineligible for membership as such, Arthur declared himself to be in command, and I was inducted as a member and remained one until my departure for foreign shores in 1991. Arthur and I became firm friends up and until his passing. I'll never forget his little MG being "lost", or "stolen" after each session in the Flarepath. Another frequent visitor was Alan Wiles.
Ah! The "Flarepath" now that could support a forum all of its own! If only those walls could talk!!
Tabby "Wahid", (No1), was a good friend, and a real character.......appeared to only drink pints of Tartan, or at least numerous Flarepath "Halves". Tabby left BAF, I think following a parting of ways with his long suffering good lady, and the last drink, (or two), I had with Tabby was with him and Brendan O'Brien at the Skean Dhu in Dyce. Both were flying Herons for Air Ecosse, that must have been in '77.
John "Woody" Woodhouse...........now there was a great guy, great pilot. "Woody" sadly passed away a few years back. We used to hear from him once, or twice a year. "Woody" saved BAF's bacon many a time, usually when the CAA, Colin Mastin, was threatening TDK with pulling BAF's AOC. He was TDK's top TRE/IRE both for BAF and TMAC. Still hear from his wife Pauline, each Christmas.
Derek Woods, another character..............he was one of my instructors at SLAC, along with Mike Abbot, Ted Clack, Roy Mann, Pete "Biggles" Grant, Paul Reid. The last time I saw Derek was many moons past...........he accepted a job in the right hand seat on a 707 somewhere in Africa.
At the risk of boring all to death I'll give it a rest for now...............
Location: A Whilom nimble brain. With 31 million posts.
Age: 73
Posts: 3,381
I never worked for BAF, well, not directly. I flew the HP7 out of SEN for BIA until I was moved to the F27. It was a strange time at SEN. Bernie used to make us fill in bits of paper now and then, but apart from that, the ops lad seemed to run the show. Just go there and fly. Not wake the customs guys from their deep sleep on the way out, and head off home again. Oh, and carry an extensive tool kit to keep the bird in the air.
An engineer and I robbed a autobrake hose from one side to repair a burst one in the port wing. We had to block off the pipes where we'd robbed them, and I used a new half penny as a blanking plate, filed as flat as we could get it. I did insist the UC was pinned down and wire locked for the ferry back.
I also got an aircraft back from BSL after rebuilding the electric steering mechanism. The engineers griped at me for spoiling their day out in BSL. Can't please anyone. Gosh, I even found a shorted out solenoid in the stub wing of a BAC1-11. No spares, no hotels, and our pax were being kicked out of the terminal to allow the scheduled pax in Fiddled it and got the aircraft.back from Seville.. Slept on the aircraft in 40c temps. Never got a word of thanks in thems days.
Location: A Whilom nimble brain. With 31 million posts.
Age: 73
Posts: 3,381
I can say with absolute certainty it wasn't him!
I was thinking of John Binns. I was in Eagle with him, and rode shotgun while he was doing his command checks. Super bloke.
I later heard him on the airwaves when he was training for BAC. I'm just not sure when I met him first time.
I have it in mind he was at SEN - with a gap of a few years before Eagle, but I'm not sure.
Astonishing thing about being old, one gets the most vivid memories of certain scenes, but in this case, a distant view of the couple in the car. It really was old. I'm guessing, but early 30s.
He was definitely at Southend in the early sixties, shared a house in Rayleigh with John Newby, also in the crowd were, John Ward(EGMC ATCO), Dudly Errington, Pat Callahan, Derek Woods, Willy Weber, Roger Parker, Phil Bowles, all became senior capts. with various airlines
Location: A Whilom nimble brain. With 31 million posts.
Age: 73
Posts: 3,381
It's amazing, but the skills learned at SEN seemed to make good foundations for a lot of careers. After a while I seemed to be making radar approaches as a matter of need rather than practice. A bit naughty sometimes, but I don't know where else one could have got training like that.
Being one of the dimmer ones, I recall coming back from Norfolk and trying to see how high an Auster would go. I even got permission to cross Red 1 at FL140. Just don't believe it now. But the problem was I hadn't cottoned onto the fact that the lovely sunlight in my aircraft didn't translate to the ground. I noticed street lights were on before the Oh, ! moment.
Just a teeeenzy bollocking from Mr Cockburn about not being night rated.
Jack Jay gave me some earnest advice. 'Do a bit of straight and level.' He said. 'Get a map out occasionally.' He said. So I did.
I hadn't left the SEN zone, when cruising as sensibly as a sensible person, I looked up to see the Tripacer from an American airbase pass under me. Wouldn't say it was close, but the aerial on his roof could have touched my wheels. Not kidding on that. I threw my map on the back seat.
I did mention it to SEN, and heard later they let the bloke know what happened, in no uncertain terms, as he'd not called them.
I think you'll find that DC-3 is parked on the old 'East' apron at Aberdeen Dyce.
I too last saw Tabby - "Not my fault!" - Wahid partaking in the Skean Dhu bar, in September 1977. I was there as a BAF Dart Herald first officer, when we were sub-chartered by Dan-Air on the Aberdeen-Sumburgh oil contract.
The little I know of some of the others: Bob Ellwell, still flying with Monarch, mainly on A330. Barry Powling got a 'fireman's salute' on his last departure from Sanford Florida, four or so years ago, in command of a Monarch A330. He retired to Brittany, to sail his boat, but I think he may subsequently have moved to the USA. Phil Bowles and his wife stopped by for tea with us here in the Vaucluse, a couple of months ago. He told me that John Binns had finally stopped flying, and was living in Southern Spain. I last saw Alan Wiles outside Concorde House, late 1990s. He was crew transport driving, could hardly speak, and sadly is no longer with us. Paul Reid left BAF to join Laker, and after its demise he went off to help start Air Wales/Cymru, I think.
Dear old Bernie Warman, engineer Ted Land and I had a 'Great Adventure' ferrying the ex RMAF HPR7-214 G-BEYJ: Sepang-KL Intl-Bangkok-Rangoon-Calcutta-Delhi-Karachi-Dubai-Abadan-Baghdad-Larnaca-Athens-Belgrade-Munich-Southend 13-22 December 1977. What a final command line-check!
Again some interesting names from the past. Paul Reid, ( havn't seen him for over 20 years), as you say he had a hand in starting Air Cymru, his last trip for them was to ferry a 7373 over to Florida. He then went to Gulf Air. Just before my move to Canada he was round my place mulling over an offer from the far east. I don't know if he took up the offer. he was a good friend, and a first class pilot..............I have to say that, he did my multi training at SLAC on the Apache 160 'WKZ. In fact when I was staying at Paul's one weekend at Llantwit Major, (spelling), i first encountered "Christine"..........the former Rhodesian AF Hunter pilot..........but that is another story entirely.
Ted Land.............top notch engineer. I enjoyed working with Ted, very knowledgeable.........ex RAF Crew Chief on Brits and ex Channel Airways Comet F/E.
Dan-Air contract with Herald G-BDZV at Aberdeen.........yep, they were good times. In fact Paul Reid was on that contract along with characters such as Lou Summerfield, George Calvert, Nils Barleet, Sam Ashkuri and others.
Alan Wiles was a very sick man at the end. It was sad to hear the news. I knew his wife Terry Evans, (as was), well............she was a former BAF hostie. Spent considerable time with Alan on the Paulings contract in the UAE/Oman.
You may have to adjust your logbook though..........all the Malaysian Heralds were 400 srs.
hootnroar, glad to report that all G-BEY Heralds are correctly entered as -401s in the logbook
The first 'Great Adventure' was when Eddie Roocroft, Bernie Riley and I ferried back G-BEYD. Things got off to a great start when Bernie undid an underwing inspection panel at Sepang, and a smallish but very live python fell out on his head! This led to lurid speculation as to what other interesting local fauna might be lurking in other dark parts of the airframe.
'YD was unique in that it had an extra 660 imp. gal. fuel in two underwing pylon tanks, enabling us to make giant strides, well for a Herald anyway. The longest sector was 6hr 45min from Calcutta to Karachi. We ended up night-stopping in what had been the BOAC rest house, of which many interesting tales are told.
Hugo Keith Hicks, now there was a character. He and Alan Wiles, and the engineer whose name escapes me, got intercepted in 'Plain Jane' - the all-silver Carvair - when they blundered into Iran. (Failed to turn the corner at the bottom end of Iraq.) It had been a very long night, Alan was gently dozing in the right-hand seat, and Keith was regailing the engineer with one of his many "There I was" stories. In the faint light of dawn, the engineer, looking across at Keith, saw the nose of an Imperial Iranian Air Force Phantom slowly appear from behind Keith's head. "Keith!" said the engineer. "Naw, naw, let me finish" said Keith. "Keith!!" said the engineer "Look outside!!" Keith turned his head and then uttered what must be a classic: "Aw, what the bloody hell does he want?"
Down into Abadan they went, closed down, and clambered down the step ladder, to be met by the pilot of the Phantom. "You have violated the airspace of Iran without clearance, etc., etc., etc. And finally, Captain, please explain to me who is this Plain Jayne, and why are you displaying her telephone number on the fin?"
Last edited by Georgeablelovehowindia; 18th Sep 2012 at 15:28.
I know it's edited. I only wanted to put the date in, dammmit.
! moment. 
