Doc Chapman's account of the "fly-past" on 30th May 1974
I'm sure many of us are looking forward to hearing anecdotes from G-AMSV's career with various operators after leaving BIA, but - in the meantime - here is another witness account of her last departure in BIA colours from Gatwick, with Joe Rechka or Dudley Scorgie at the controls.
Dr Peter Chapman - known to countless flight-crew as an AME from the 1960s through to the present millennium - was also the Chief Medical Officer for BUA and BCAL. Joe Rechka was one of his regular customers. His office and medical centre were located adjacent to the old BUA/BCAL operations building at the south-east corner of the aerodrome, just inside the curving perimeter road and - at that time - close to the distinctive Hermes fuselage mounted by the roadside. It's perhaps worth mentioning that, when heading towards the contemporary terminal building (now the South Terminal), the perimeter road straightens and heads due north, parallel to the A23 main road and the railway line, before crossing the approach lights for what was then Rwy 27 (now 26L). It then passes underneath the terminal building, the tallest part of which was the BAA admin block (at least six-storeys high) at the west end of the terminal. Here is Peter's account:
"In the 70's I had a Renault 16 car with a 'sunshine roof'. I was driving with this open one bright day along the peri track, just inboard from the dual carriageway, from my office to the Terminal. There was a sudden roar and a DC3 passed just overhead but it was going the wrong way, my way, right angles to the runway, as if to do a 9/11 into the Terminal building. It then climbed acutely, before hanging for a second in plan view before what seemed a perfect stall turn and off down the runway!! I said to my passenger "That can only be Joe." Indeed it was. Having been given clearance to do a low level run, as he was taking the last DC3 from Gatwick. During subsequent discussions with the authorities he pointed out that he was cleared for a low level run, but no-one had said which way. He was reprimanded - and congratulated."