Biggin 206 & Tiger Moth
Yes Savoia,
Sadly I was fifty yards from the Ferranti 206/Tiger Moth collision being parked at the 03 (then) threshold waiting lift-off clearance when the Bell lifted from the adjacent grass. The pilot failed to make the standard look-out turn and lifted with four pleasure flying pax and climbed into the underside of the landing Tiger Moth. The M/R blades severed both wheels from the Moth as the M/R hub system parted from the Bell 206 airframe. Very fortunately for the spectators, the hull and M/R assy impacted just a few feet clear of the crowd line or I may have witnessed another Farnborough disaster.
Loved the G-BATU Enstrol pic outside the Spooner show tent at Cranfield. I gave the task of training the buyer, a certain Dick Hampton, to that wonderful character ex-Squadron Leader Tony (Nobby) Clarke, DFC. How could any parents called Hampton name their male child Dick!!!
Does anyone have a pic of the cartoon painted and displayed inside the Spoonair tent at the Cranfield show. The cartoon featured myself as a uniformed CP with a dozen rings and wings, my boss Roy Spooner with loads of pound notes tumbling from his pocket, and our Chief Engineer Bob Myatt dangling beneath a 1920 type helicopter spannering up the 'Jesus nuts' all while airborne.
Reference the float equipped G-BENO Enstrom. I hate to tell of the day I half sank the machine on landing to participate in the boat show at Brighton Marina. My ground/water handling boat crew attached the mooring ropes to the floats and not the skids which when pulled promptly shifted along the skid tubes allowing the spinning T/R and half the airframe to disappear beneath the waves!
The local rag ran the headline ... Shoreham pilot 'Plops In' to Boat Show.
More DK cock-ups on request.
Dennis Kenyon.