The story told by
Andy Craig, one of the pilots aboard the aircraft:
http://3j8lrq31uyjk1yo9b01c7jub.wpen...eryPhoto14.jpg & http://www.faaaa.asn.au/mystery-photo-no-14-answer/
“On
01 July 1964 three Tiger Moths from Britannia Flight (attached to
Britannia Royal Naval College) flew from their base at Roborough (Plymouth) and landed on board HMS EAGLE – the ship was working up in the English Channel. Three staff pilots and three of us Sub Lieutenants who had PPLs formed the crews. There were two RAN officers in the group – I was one and John Hazell (who later became a gunnery officer and paid off as a LCDR) was the other.
A great day. The wires were unrigged, 20 knots of wind over the deck and the Tigers approached at 45 knots. It was almost a hovering touch down. As soon as the wheels hit the deck two handlers raced in from either side and grabbed the wing tips – the Tigers had no brakes. Take off was entirely straightforward – line up on the axial deck from about six spot, two handlers hanging onto the wings, full power, handlers let go and we were air-borne by about the island.
EAGLE had just finished a major re-fit and, as we were the first fixed wing aircraft to land on, we got the traditional cake – to the chagrin of the Buccaneer and Sea Vixen squadrons.
One of the staff pilots was (then)
LCDR Lyn Middleton who later commanded HERMES in the Falklands war. It was a special occasion on about five levels but I suspect we were the last biplanes to land on an RN Carrier. It does seem a long while ago – and I suppose it is; 53 years!!” [then - at time of writing]
