atb1943: Yes, the Comanche was indeed 'PUZ, which still exists. It arrived at Portsmouth in late July/early August 1959, looking incredibly modern againt the usual Austers, Tigers, Maggies etc. Owner Len Snook was a local bookie. In 1961 he traded it for an Apache G, G-ARED, for which I discovered many years later from CSE's former MD Rex Smith, he paid with used notes from a suitcase! Ironically, very much later after Portsmouth had closed and some of its former residents were temporarily based at Ford, Snook was sent down for some kind of footbal pools scam, and he ended up in the open prison there. Whatever he did, I still remember him with affection as the man who gave me my first two flights in aircraft, and MMMMMiles aircraft at that. Ah, the big black hangar at Thruxton! Housed the Zaunkoenig G-ALUA amongst other treasures around then. I last saw that a few years ago at Berlin-Schoenfeld when I was reporting the ILA Show, as it happened in the company of old friend and colleague John Fricker, who used to fly it in the early 1950s (and to keep within this thread's main theme, he may also be the only man alive to have flown both Miles jets, Sparrowjet and Student). As for the HAC Halcyon, it fell apart during taxy trials and never flew. I was snooping around the Hampshire Aeroplane Club hangar at Eastleigh one day when it was being put together, trying to photograph an elderly Belgian Bonanza that had badly dented itself taxying into a lighting stand, and a brand-new South African Comanche (it was the one that sadly crashed fatally last year in Essex on a post-maintenance test flight — incapacitation through CO leakage according to the recent AAIB report). Got thrown out and given a tongue lashing by a chap whom I later discovered (and got to befriend) as the legendary Viv Bellamy. Happy days!
Last edited by Aerohack; 12th Jan 2003 at 15:42.