Finding Francis Chichester

[virgo]

A lady in Australia wants to know if there is there anyone out there who can identify the specific Shackleton and/or any of the crew who located Francis Chichester on his return to the UK after his solo round-the-world voyage in 1972.
(Apparently he'd been very ill and out of radio contact for some time and the Shackleton established contact by the good old Aldis and got assurances that help wasn't required)
Francis Chichester made it the UK un-aided (Plymouth ? Falmouth ?)

[Out Of Trim]

I can't comment on the Shackleton info - but, His circumnavigation was From/To Plymouth. And according to Wikipedia:-

On August 27 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_27), 1966 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1966) he sailed his ketch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketch) Gipsy Moth IV (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gipsy_Moth_IV) from Plymouth, England (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth%2C_England) and returned there after 226 days of sailing on 28 May (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_28) 1967 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1967), having circumnavigated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumnavigation) the globe, with one stop (in Sydney (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney), Australia). By doing so, he became the first person to achieve a true circumnavigation of the world solo from West to East via the great capes (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_capes).

See Here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Francis_Chichester)

and apparently died in 1972.

What I didn't know; was that he was a former pilot engaged in long distance record flights and an expert in Navigation.

Interesting!

[Double Zero]

' The Lonely Sea & The Sky ' is a must for flyers and sailors alike, a truly classic book.

This guy, though small in stature, had 'very big steel ones' indeed !

Later after his Transatlantic racing - established the race by a one-shilling bet with ' Blondie ' Haslar -, circumnavigation ( nearly by air earlier until a nasty accident and then successfully by boat ), then his high speed attempt - Gypsy Moth iv would never be considered for one man today ! -

He was out in her later I believe off the Western approaches when his illness finally started to overtake him - he made it back ( to Plymouth I think ) but was by then a very sick man.

If you haven't read that ( & his other books ) - do yourself a huge favour !

[henry crun]

Out Of Trim: His long distance flying, navigation methods and teaching, have been overshadowed by his sailing.

It is interesting reading if you can find a copy of The Lonely Sea And The Sky.

[RFCC]

Sir Francis Chichester's book, 'The Lonely Sea and the Sky' is an absorbing read. It charts his early flights and extraordinary feats of navigation in an age when the sky was indeed lonely!

[lauriebe]

Chichester was found on 25 May 67 by a Shackleton T4, WB845 of MOTU, St Mawgan, piloted by Sqn Ldr Archie Kinch.

The other Shackleton involved in the search was WR977, a Mk3/3 which, at that time, was on the strength of 42 Sqn, also based at St Mawgan. This aircraft was called over to Chichester's loction by the T4 after the initial sighting. Both aircraft were carrying members of the press.

The captain of WR977 on that sortie was Flt Lt Eric Seales (Nav) and the first pilot was Flt Lt Keith Jarvis. This aircraft is now preserved at the Newark Air Museum, Nottinghamshire.

[India Four Two]

extraordinary feats of navigationI agree with RFCC. Chichester flew across the Tasman Sea solo from NZ to Oz via Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island in a Gipsy Moth. Missing either one would have been almost certain death. He found the islands, using astro navigation in an open cockpit. :eek:

He used a technique subsequently called Chichester's Theory of Deliberate Error. Track to one side of your destination, so that when your elapsed time is up, you know which way to turn to start your search pattern.

The Lonely Sea and The Sky is a must read.

[PPRuNe Pop]

An almost complete answer to the original question. It always amazes me when this happens. It proves that we have on this forum, and PPRuNe in general, the knowledge to answer almost anything.

Thanks 'lauribe' and well done.

[aviate1138]

1940/45 period

Writing navigation instruction manuals at the Air Ministry.

Chief Navigation Instructor of the Empire Central Flying School. Devised methods of teaching fighter pilots navigation by low level flying without maps.

1945/49 period

Warden of the Court of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators.

Fellow and Member of Council of the Institute of Navigation.


:rolleyes:

[lauriebe]

Thanks for the kind words. I was able to extract the information from a book published by the Newark Air Museum, "Duty Carried Out", compiled by 2 Museum members.

The book is still available from the Museum and covers the service career of WR977. There are 3 or 4 pages of notes on this search along with photos of both aircraft involved and the 'doctored' photo of WR977 overflying Gipsy Moth IV after the find which is attributed to the Press Association. Their archive might still have a copy.

The Museum staff have been in contact with crew members of WR977 & WB845 who were involved in the search and might be able to put the original enquirer in touch with them.

[ICT_SLB]

Slight thread creep, Gipsy Moth was preserved near Cutty Sark in Greenwich. Did she survive the recent disastrous fire?

BTW Francis Chichester was born at Arlington House, Arlington near Barnstaple in North Devon which is a National Trust property. I beleive some of his navigational gear is there as is a host of models of the Dunkirk fleet.

[treadigraph]

ICT, she wasn't there because:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/29/nyacht29.xml

:ok:

[saman]

India for Two,

You fail to mention that the second-hand Gypsy Moth, fitted with some old floats, that he flew solo across the Tasman with a watch and a home modified sextant, was wrecked in a storm whilst at anchor in, I believe, the harbour at Lord Howe Island and was rebuilt by Sir Francis and some helpful islanders, before he completed the journey. The man was a true hero.

His flying and navigation exploits in the great de Havilland (Aghh) 60G are the root of his naming his boats Gipsy Moth II to V. '

"Alone Over the Tasman Sea", written by the man himself, is a 'must read' if you can find a copy.

My boyhood hero.

Saman

[India Four Two]

Saman,

Yes, I had forgotten about that. It's been a while since I read the book.

There's also his near fatal crash in Japan when he hit some power cables after takeoff from Yokohama (?) harbour.

[ICT_SLB]

Much thanks, Treaders. I know she was purpose-built but I'm not sure she was worth 650k. <g>. As I said, the "dry-dock" was alongside Cutty Sark - not exactly abandoned.

Remarkable where some of these yachts turn up - Hermann Goering's dutch barge was on Lake Union in Seattle in the early 80s! (Keeping it air historical).

[treadigraph]

Yes, I wouldn't have thought of her as abandoned there, but maybe she didn't get the TLC she deserved.

I'm glad to see her afloat again; like old aeroplanes, I hate to see these things immobile in museums.

[snapper41]

Maybe a bit off-thread (and non-aviation!), but some 'interesting' navigation was also done by Donald Crowhurst during the round-the-world yacht race in 1969. A fascinating, and deeply sad, story. His boat, the Teignmouth Electron, still lies abandoned on a beach in the Cayman Islands.

[Centaurus]

subsequently called Chichester's Theory of Deliberate Error

Ah yes - I remember that technique well. I used it on my first trip in a Mustang. I was concerned that I would round-out too late and maybe bounce or damage the prop. So I deliberately flared too early and floated to buggery until it fell out of the sky on three-points awfully hard!..:D