Dilligaff
I was on the same flight around the Island flying from Calshot. I remember being on the Flight Deck when we did a low turn around the Isle of Wight ferry....a brilliant experience, and I too bought a Tee from Maureen O'Hara.
The aircraft lasted longer than the Tee. I have a fantastic time each weekend giving folks flight deck tours of the Sandringham (now reverted in identity back to 'Beachcomber' from its Ansett days) in the Museum. Yes, the flight deck is huge, 5 working up there in flight and still room for more. Link earlier in the thread. She is in fantastic condition and the only Sunderland or variant in the World where the public are allowed (supervised by my colleagues and I) onto the flight deck.
If anyone wants to come and visit Beachcomber...I will be working at the museum for the next 3 Saturdays, ask for Trevor and we can chew flying boat cud in the flight seats.
Someone told us that the accident report on the crash of Charles Blair's Goose concluded that it broke up in mid air as he pressed for base rather than put it down on the water at first sign of trouble......
Cheers for the comments......Dilligaff here are a couple of photos I took recently for you to reminisc over.....
