Disengage Brain.
[QUOTE=Jay Doubleyou;10733214]As far as I recall, India Four Two, the RAF never operated the Heron? The RAF always wanted it's own name for every type, even straight purchases of an existing civil model. Where the RN operated a common type with the other service, they would prefix it ""Sea" as in Sea Devon. On operational aircraft, " Sea" meant fitted with hooks and heavy duty undercarriage for shipboard flying, but in the case of the Devon/Sea Devon it was "ours not theirs"![/QUOT
i cannot understand what provoked me to post such a load of drivel! I knew GAORG well when I worked in Jersey and had a few (too few!) trips on board. The box across the aisle, over the main spar, was interesting to the inexperienced passenger! The internal fittings were beautifully original or well marched retro, big on leather by modern standards. I can't believe that I forgot about RAF Herons, when I was a lad, in the early to mid 1950s, I almost came to believe that the news readers rapid delivery ' aheronofthequeensflight' really was all one word!
If I might use this thread to indulge another de Haveland fond memory, it is the long lost habit of training new ATCOs on live aeroplanes, the CAFU Doves loaned to Bournemouth for approach radar training. Every live session had 3 trainees, one controlling, one observing in the room, and one observing from, (actually flying!) the Dove. Great fun!