Originally Posted by
Geezers of Nazareth
Does anyone know of similar information for the 1959 London-Paris race?
I am aware that a French AF aircraft overran the runway upon landing at RAF Kenley, but other than that I don't know who else competed, in what, and what were the results.
I was in a coach returning home to Chesham from school camp at St Marys Bay on Romney Marsh. We'd seen a lot of 'strange' aircraft flying over all week(we weren't far from Lydd and those Bristol Freighters kept you awake all night) including a Bleriot monoplane (kind of sticks in your memory) and on the Embankment near Vauxhall Bridge we were stuck in traffic when a Royal Navy Whirlwind (piston engined version)descended onto a landing pad on the Thames next to us, disgorged one person who leapt onto a motorbike and sped off. It was from the Arc de Triomphe to Marble Arch and vice-versa.
Biggin Hill was still RAF so RAF competitors used that (Hunter from Villacoublay) along with a Bristol Sycamore to Chelsea Reach then motorbike.
One competitor used a Piaggio P136 amphibian between the Thames and the Seine.