Latecomer
Hi all. Just found this thread. I was lucky enough to get my PPL at Portsmouth in August 1963 courtesy of an RAF Flying Scholarship.
My log book shows the following Auster J1N Alphas that I flew then:
G-APKD
G-AIGF
G-AJIS
and
G-ARUG (which I have down as a J5G Autocar)
The instructors names were Mason, Audas and McCarthy.
It was a fantastic month. There were two accidents.
The first was when an engine on one of the Austers stopped after landing. The student pilot got out and swung the prop, relying on the brakes to hold. They didn't of course, and despite valiant efforts to dive aboard, and then just to grab the tailplane, the aircraft careered off in ever widening circles until it was stopped by becoming entangled in the perimeter fence.
he second was another student managed to fly into a tree on a cross-country exercise. We were told he and the aircraft actually ended up in the tree! He got away with a broken arm.
I also saw the passenger door swing open as a Channel Airways Dakota was taking off one day. The take-off was continued nad if my memory is correct,, he never returned, so presumably continued his flight to the destination!
Sorry to be so late to this thread. Only eight years...