Happy 50th Birthday Bulldog XX553, ULAS '07' and welcome Bulldog XX552, ULAS '08'

[ABL262]

Thanks everybody for your fantastic stories about XX552.

LR, no shame in a jolly to the Cornish Riviera! In my day, summer camp used to alternate between RAF St Mawgan and RAF Leeming - no prizes for guessing which one we preferred for our two week stay, although, in fairness, nights out to York were always fun. Many thanks also for your photo of XX552 in her prime and in her "rightful" setting at RAF Abingdon. At the risk of causing your heart to sink, I thought you might like to see a photo of XX552 today in her new home in California awaiting quite a lot of TLC.



The zinc chromate airframe has held up remarkably well after being exposed to the elements in South Carolina, but the 1994 vintage Marshall's paint job is heavily weathered. Also, I suspect I will find corrosion in the engine and around the prop hub, but, hey, restoring her while spending the kids' inheritance is at least half the fun.

Beags, your recollections of ULAS are priceless as always. First flight back at ULAS after GW1 is definitely going in the aircraft's archive book. Thank you.

India42, you are welcome to visit anytime. In the mid-1980s, ULAS had a fleet of 10 Bulldogs while our next door neighbors, Oxford University Air Squadron, had a further four aircraft, all based at RAF Abingdon. Looking through my logbook, I would estimate we had 7-8 full-time QFIs on the squadron at any one time for around 90-100 students. During term-time, peak flying days were Wednesdays and weekends when there could be upwards of five Bulldogs on the ULAS line if the weather was clear. If memory serves me correctly (and recalling the squadron mugs left in the kitchen at the end of the day), I would say there were typically 15-20 students per day at RAF Abingdon on peak days. Slots were at a premium so you had to book a couple of weeks in advance and take your chances on the weather. Flying training was more intensive during Easter and Summer camps which could accommodate 25-30 students and you could commit to a week at a time, two weeks in the case of Summer camp. I don't ever recall a shortage of aircraft or QFIs. Weather was the limiting factor. Two days in Abingdon per flying hour during term time was typical. However, life in the officer's mess back then was infinitely preferable to my student digs near the Hogarth roundabout and maintained my sanity while studying engineering at Impossible College. The camps were where you could really "fill yer boots" flying, especially if there was a CFS visit coming up.

Keep those stories and photos coming!

Many thanks,

ABL262