Off at a slight tangent!
I was born in Bath 1941.
Mad keen on Aircraft from a very young age.
I used to spend days in the early Fifties outside of Colerne, fond memories of watching the action.
One of my close school friends in the fifties, lived in the village, so I got to know his family very well. His father was a civvy "Driver" on the airfield, a Mr Billett" (Apologies for forgetting first name)
He told me many years later that he was involved with Museum, especially the famous view of the aircraft laid out in a Triangle.
Worst part was getting there, the long hike pushing my bike up Bannerdown
hill, but offset by the great fast ride down at the end of the day.
My first air show was BOB at Colerne in 1952, highlight was an "Attacker" from Ford NAS.
I remember as we entered the airfield there was a very large dump of aircraft bits, all manner of "Ali". bits and pieces.
BOB in 1953, highlights... 3 B50 Washingtons. then three circuits by the Brabazon, two low flybys and a final touch and go , this was of course after the actual cancellation of the project. It was a gesture to all the local people from Bristol and Bath who were involved with the building of the "Brab"
Sometime later in the 70s when I started semi pro. aviation photography I organised a couple of private visits to photograph the Museum aircraft prior to it being broken up.
The other memory not actually aircraft, was when I used to spend all day watching the action. It was the continuous sound of "Skylarks" singing as they flew up, which is evoked when I hear the almost rare sound now at airfields of to-day.
Closing the hangar door.
OPF
Last edited by Old Photo.Fanatic; 15th Feb 2018 at 16:13.