633 Squadron
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Feltham, UK
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I'm sure the RAF call the Selkirk to Moffat valley along the A708 and the A9 Pitlochry - Aviemore "star wars valleys"as well as the foreign ones.
Death Cruiser Flight Crew
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Vaucluse, France.
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After the film was made, one of the Mosquitoes involved was resident at Wycombe Air Park (Booker) for some time. It was there for major maintenance by Personal Plane Services. When it was ready for its test flight, the (late) Neil Williams flew it. He very nearly became the earlier/late Neil Williams that day because, having completed the flight, he returned to Booker for a landing on 25, which is a mite short for a Mossie.
Williams wasn't quite satisfied with the approach, so he opened up for a go-around and promptly suffered the dreaded "Rich Mixture Cut" from one of the engines. Trailing black smoke, he staggered across the airfield towards what seemed like the inevitable site of the crash. Indeed watching this was flying instructor Miss Joan Hughes, who had a fair few hours on Mossies herself, having been a WW2 ATA pilot. She was heard to murmer in that refined accent: "Oh lor! He's dead my dears, I fear he's dead ..."
Somehow, Williams made it across the airfield and vanished into the valley beyond, leaving the trail of smoke. Everyone expected the fireball to rise but amazingly, the screaming of the one good Merlin kept going, getting fainter and fainter. Eventually, what seemed miles away - and probably was - the aircraft was seen to claw its way into the sky and everyone heaved a sigh of relief. NW quite rightly decided he'd had enough excitement for one day and landed at nearby RAF Benson. He subsequently ferried it back to Booker after Doug Bianchi (the boss of PPS) and his boys did some adjustments on the engine.
I'm fairly sure this Mosquito was subsequently flown out to the USA and survives in flying condition.
Williams wasn't quite satisfied with the approach, so he opened up for a go-around and promptly suffered the dreaded "Rich Mixture Cut" from one of the engines. Trailing black smoke, he staggered across the airfield towards what seemed like the inevitable site of the crash. Indeed watching this was flying instructor Miss Joan Hughes, who had a fair few hours on Mossies herself, having been a WW2 ATA pilot. She was heard to murmer in that refined accent: "Oh lor! He's dead my dears, I fear he's dead ..."
Somehow, Williams made it across the airfield and vanished into the valley beyond, leaving the trail of smoke. Everyone expected the fireball to rise but amazingly, the screaming of the one good Merlin kept going, getting fainter and fainter. Eventually, what seemed miles away - and probably was - the aircraft was seen to claw its way into the sky and everyone heaved a sigh of relief. NW quite rightly decided he'd had enough excitement for one day and landed at nearby RAF Benson. He subsequently ferried it back to Booker after Doug Bianchi (the boss of PPS) and his boys did some adjustments on the engine.
I'm fairly sure this Mosquito was subsequently flown out to the USA and survives in flying condition.
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Too close to Croydon for comfort
Age: 60
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G-ALHI, that would make it G-ASKA/G-MOSI, rebuilt by PPS in '71, which subsequently joined the Confeds and others, thence back to Blighty for Doug Arnold in '79. Another Trans-Atlantic ferry in '84 and now in the USAF Museum at Dayton. Sadly grounded.
Hadn't heard that story about Williams...
We want another Mossie!
Hadn't heard that story about Williams...
We want another Mossie!
