Originally Posted by
treadigraph
Sotonsean, the race took place between 4th and 11th May and I believe three Harriers were involved, one flown London - New York by Lecky-Thompson and two were positioned to New York earlier, one for the return leg and a second as a spare. John Farley flew over and the ultimately successful opportunity was taken to flog the Harrier to the USMC; so two Harriers in New York around the time and not impossible for them to have provided an escort for the QEII!
There were only two Harriers in New York at the time, XV741 flown over by Sdr. Ldr Tom Lecky-Thompson on what would be the winning east-west crossing, and XV744, which had been flown over in advance a few weeks earlier by Lecky-Thompson, for the attempt on the west-east crossing. Lecky-Thompson flew back to UK via BOAC, and Sdr.Ldr Graham Williams, who was going to fly the west-east flight, flew to New York by BOAC. Lecky-Thompson and Williams were at the time 2 of only 3 RAF pilots cleared to fly the Harrier at the time.
It was the evening after Lecky-Thompson arrived in New York after his record setting east-west flight that, he and Williams were having a drink in a New York bar watching the TV which showed that QE2 was due to arrive a day or so later on her maiden voyage, that the two pilots hatched the plan to escort QE2 into NYC, partly so as to not have QE2's arrival upstaging their own success, and without any official permission from RAF but being given permission from both FAA and the NYCPA, and banking on asking for any forgiveness from RAF after the event!!
Lecky-Thompson and Williams took off from NAS Floyd-Bennet Field and escorted QE2 in the hover, and both pilots were invited to the QE2's welcome cocktail party but had to decline as Williams had to prepare for his departure the following day for his west-east run in '744.
Sotonsean, while you may not have heard about it or seen photo's, this hover escort sortie is well known about, even among QE2 people, and also made the British National Newspapers after the event. As such both pilots had no come back from the RAF, a VSO subsequently claiming that it was his idea by all accounts...!!
John Farley flew over via BOAC, and he and Lecky-Thompson shared the demo flying of '741 to the USMC in the following days, although Williams had done some preliminary work for that with '744 prior to the arrival of Lecky-Thompson in '741, and the rest as they say is history.