The Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators hosted a Dinner in Cape Town last month to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Alex Henshaw’s epic Cape Flights.
The Dinner, attended by aviators from civil, military and general aviation in both the UK and South Africa, was held in the Officers Mess at AFB Ysterplaat - only a few km from the former Wingfield Airfield where Henshaw landed in February 1939.
Wg Cdr Andy Green, an Upper Freeman of the Guild and the
fastest man on earth
Air Commodore Rick Peacock-Edwards, Master of the Guild, who is originally from South Africa.
Richard Noble, a PPL and
former fastest man on earth
Tony Ogilvy, Saab-Gripen Vice-President International Sales
Alex Henshaw and his father on their recce flight
(Picture from Henshaw's own collection. Originally posted by
Snapshot)
The Master of the Guild paid tribute to Alex Henshaw and read a letter from his son, who was unfortunately prevented by ill-health from attending. Alex Henshaw Jnr expressed his deep gratitude to the Guild for taking the initiative to commemorate the 70th Anniversary in Cape Town, and recalled his father’s exploits and his deep love of South Africa.
Two former fast-jet pilots reminiscing?
Air Cdre Rick Peacock-Edwards,
Master of the Guild (Lightning, Hunter, Phantom F4, Tornado F2 & F3)
Lt General Carlo Gagiano,
Chief of the South African Air Force (F86 Sabre, Mirage III & F1CZ)
Basil Hersov, Honorary SAAF Colonel (L) and
Brigadier-General Derrick Page, Director of SAAF Heritage (R)
In 1994, Derrick survived a forced landing when both starboard engines of a Shackleton failed within 10 minutes - over the Western Sahara at night. The historic aircraft was en route to the UK to take part in air displays.
Pelican-16
Basil Hersov was made a Liveryman of the Guild at the Dinner.
Captain & Mrs Chalkie Stobbart
Chalkie, an SAA Captain, is a recipient of the prestigious 'Major Achievement Award for Outstanding Service to Sport Aviation' awarded by the EAA (USA) and is a past President of the EAA in South Africa.
A renowned light-aircraft long-distance pilot, he plans to try to break Henshaw's CapeTown-London record in his Osprey GP-4. Henshaw Challenge
Captain & Mrs Scully Levin
Scully, an SAA Captain, is South Africa's premier display pilot. He has been SA National Formation Aerobatics Champion twice.
737 formation at AAD 2008 and the famous water-skiing Harvards.
In 2005, he flew at the RNAS Yeovilton Air Day in the UK and won (jointly) a 'Highly Commended' award. His joint winner displayed a Sea Harrier - Scully displayed an SAA B747-400!
Record-breaker Richard Noble paid tribute to Alex Henshaw, and outlined plans to achieve 1000 mph on land.
Record-breaker Andy Green described going supersonic - on land!
While in Cape Town, Richard and Andy flew to the Northern Cape to conduct a further inspection of Verneuk Pan as a possible site for their 1000 mph record attempt.
Liveryman Tony Edwards and Upper Freeman John Romain, who both knew Henshaw well, gave fascinating talks about him.
John Romain, a leading Spitfire display pilot, described Alex Henshaw's superb test-flying of a newly restored two-seat Spitfire - when aged 92
Captain Scully Levin, Judge Tudor Owen (PPL and a Warden of the Guild), John Romain
Honourable Company of Air Pilots
Wg Cdr & Mrs Andy Green with Skip Margetts & Sarah Dickson of HeliMedia, the renowned aerial filming company based in Cape Town.
Skip and Sarah helped the Guild (enormously) to organise the Dinner. Skip is a Freeman of the Guild, a PPL and a regular contributor to the Rotorheads forum.
It was a truly memorable evening with a wonderful atmosphere - clearly much enjoyed by everyone who attended. Old friendships were renewed and new friendships made between aviators from both countries.
The Guild already has Australia, Canada, Hong Kong and New Zealand Regions and, if the enthusiasm at the Dinner is any indication, there may well be a South Africa Region of the Guild in the not too distant future.
More pictures here
Alex Henshaw was one of the great pre-war pioneers from the golden age of flying - a man of initiative, courage and adventurous spirit.
In February 1939, he took off in his single-engine Mew Gull from the then Gravesend Airfield London to fly to Cape Town and back. He rejected the more well-known Eastern route in favour of the shorter, but more dangerous, Western route which took him over virgin parts of Africa.
He had no radio, no modern navigation aids and no weather forecasts other than those given to him in London and Cape Town
After refuelling at Oran, he set off on a leg of more than 1300 miles across the Sahara. He refuelled again at Gao, Libreville and Mossamedes and landed at the then Wingfield Airfield.
Total elapsed time: 39 hrs 23 mins
Airborne time: 30 hrs 28 mins
Average speed: 209.44 mph
Arrival at Cape Town
(Picture from Henshaw's own collection. Originally posted by
Snapshot)
Henshaw enjoyed Cape Town and would have stayed longer but for his round-trip record attempt. After only 28 hours in Cape Town, he set off on the return flight.
Total elapsed time: 39 hours 36 minutes
Airborne time: 30 hrs 51 mins
Average speed: 206.40 mph
Departing for London
(Picture from Henshaw's own collection. Originally posted by
Snapshot)
Henshaw completed his epic round-trip in just 4 days 10 hours and 16 minutes - not only breaking all the existing Cape records but demolishing them.
When war broke out Henshaw volunteered for the RAF and, while waiting, joined Vickers as a test pilot. From there, he was head-hunted by Jeffrey Quill, Chief Test Pilot of Supermarine. After test flying Spitfires at the Southampton factory, he moved to Supermarine's Castle Bromwich factory where he became Chief Production Test Pilot for Spitfires and Lancasters.
He test flew some 2,360 Spitfires and Seafires and more than 300 Lancasters - once barrel-rolling the big bomber for fun!
Quill described him as "an aviation phenomenon. The last of the great amateurs who, under stimulus of war, then became a very great professional".
Alex Henshaw with Winston Churchill, Castle Bromwich 1941
As he’d left Wingfield behind him, Henshaw knew his memories of Cape Town would never die and, after the war, he returned to South Africa as a director of Miles Aircraft, carrying out demonstration flights throughout Africa until the company folded in 1948.
Alex Henshaw MBE died on the 24 February 2007, aged 94.
His records in each direction and for the round-trip remain unbroken to this day.
FL
*Photographer (colour photographs): Hanis van der Merwe