View Full Version : 40 years ago and RN Phantoms
GeeRam
9th Jun 2009, 08:58
Came across this interesting read about the RN FAA's involvement in the Daily Mail Transatlantic air race in May 1969 on the New York to London direction....:ok:
THE STORY OF THE DAILY MAIL TRANS-ATLANTIC AIR RACE - The Education Forum (http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=14321)
I can still vividly recall as a youngster, the shock of the sudden noisy low level arrival overhead our house (close to RAF Northolt at the time) of Sqn Ldr Tom Lecky-Thompson in his Harrier, who was competing in the race in the London to New York direction.
old fart
9th Jun 2009, 09:36
Hi
I was the Co-Pilot on one of the 55 Sqn tankers based at Goose (XH 650).
The Captain was Keith Evans. Navs, John Williamson and Brian Balding. Aeo, Ray Lawton. Crew chief, Ted Byrne.
I think that we did the last navy Phantom refueling on each of the 3 days.
Wow......... was that a fun time to be in the RAF!
Cheers.
henry crun
9th Jun 2009, 09:48
Brian Davies devotes a chapter of his book Fly No More, to that air race.
sidtheesexist
9th Jun 2009, 10:49
Great read, thanks for posting link Geeram
teeteringhead
9th Jun 2009, 16:05
The RAF participation was called Blue Nylon (geddit?).
The 72 Sqn Wessex used in New York (don't get detachments like that these days!) had its RRPM tweaked to allow 140 kts instead of the usual 120......
Noah Zark.
10th Jun 2009, 20:09
Anyone know if there is a similar account of the Harrier flight done by Sqn. Ldr. Lecky-Thomson?
Not sure, but I can give you an eye-witness account of his take-off. I was a spotty young stude at QMC at the time, residing in a hall of residence just round the corner from St Pancras. I got wind of the planned date and time and hot-footed it round to the St Pancras goods yard, sneaking past the cordon for a good view. Saw him rush to the cockpit and crank up, then launch vertically out of the yard. The noise was incredible, as the yard acted like an echo chamber, but the funniest bit was that all had forgotten that the yard was previously used to store coal for the mighty steam engines that had just been retired. Consequently, as Tom rose majestically above us, we all got spray-coated with coal dust. But it didn't matter to me - I was grinning like a black cheshire cat and decided right then that being a Fighter Pilot was all that mattered - but that's another story.....