Rothmans Aerobatic Team (& Others)
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: NSW Australia
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Tempting, very tempting Happy Jack, but I find it hard enough to get in and out of a Ford Falcon these days, so Pitts is out of the question and will have to rely on my 30+ years memories! Yours looks lovely, and has rather more poke than the ones I remember, must be even more fun. Will call in if passing to have a look. All the best.
Noveliste 2000, good to know another ex Rothmans member is here in this fair land, though I left well before you joined. I do just remember Jeanne. Happy days.
Tim
Noveliste 2000, good to know another ex Rothmans member is here in this fair land, though I left well before you joined. I do just remember Jeanne. Happy days.
Tim
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: belgium
Age: 49
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Rod Rea
Hi,
I'm A pilot for TNT airways and have flown a lot of times with rod rea.
Sadly he went to pension, because i liked flying with the guy. I know he's now living in turkey and hopefully enjoying his time off in the sun.
If someone has made contact with him, say hello from kristof.
By the way, my best mate has got a great picture from you guy's in his living room.
Formation foto taken on the top of a loop, and signed buy the guys.
best regards
Kristof
I'm A pilot for TNT airways and have flown a lot of times with rod rea.
Sadly he went to pension, because i liked flying with the guy. I know he's now living in turkey and hopefully enjoying his time off in the sun.
If someone has made contact with him, say hello from kristof.
By the way, my best mate has got a great picture from you guy's in his living room.
Formation foto taken on the top of a loop, and signed buy the guys.
best regards
Kristof
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: South Germany
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G-SOLO
Hello to all,
it took some time, till I recogniced that this thread is still alive. Had to read many pages. Nice to hear from Bob Lee, builder of G-SOLO.
As I postet 2 years ago, G-SOLO is here in southern Germany.
It was stored since the late 90's and his permit to fly expired.
Sadly it was not possible to renew the british permit to fly.
My friend Hermann tried it in 2004. In 2005 he tried a N-reg. which
also failed. Now it's in the german reg as D-ESHS but still not in the air.
I will post some pictures when it's back in the air.
I am very interested in the history of G-SOLO.
All info welcome.
Regards
Joachim
it took some time, till I recogniced that this thread is still alive. Had to read many pages. Nice to hear from Bob Lee, builder of G-SOLO.
As I postet 2 years ago, G-SOLO is here in southern Germany.
It was stored since the late 90's and his permit to fly expired.
Sadly it was not possible to renew the british permit to fly.
My friend Hermann tried it in 2004. In 2005 he tried a N-reg. which
also failed. Now it's in the german reg as D-ESHS but still not in the air.
I will post some pictures when it's back in the air.
I am very interested in the history of G-SOLO.
All info welcome.
Regards
Joachim
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Scotland
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Old and Bold
Been reading this thread with great interest after searching for info on the Rothmans Team - who I've now become fascinated with. Managed to get hold of a copy of 'Man in the Sky' along with other short Rothmans related films after reading this thread - watch it when I can't fly. What a fantastic team! It's a real pity there are no Pitts display teams operating full time in the UK now. It's a superb display machine and now has that growing 'vintage' appeal combined with a performance that in the right hands, can still hold its own with the modern Carbon Fibre machines.
For me, gazing skyward at a Pitts display by Brian Lecomber as a boy, was an experience that seemed to linger in the pit of my stomach to adulthood. it's great to read the stories by those involved with the Rothmans and display flying in general over the last 30 years - your experiences are the envy of other pilots. I have a Pitts S1-D now - culmination of a long held dream and I'm getting to grips with the basics - go to sleep at night designing sequences I have no chance of performing! Still, one day! Give me a few years and I might be posting to start another all Pitts team myself!
hats off to you old bold guys.
For me, gazing skyward at a Pitts display by Brian Lecomber as a boy, was an experience that seemed to linger in the pit of my stomach to adulthood. it's great to read the stories by those involved with the Rothmans and display flying in general over the last 30 years - your experiences are the envy of other pilots. I have a Pitts S1-D now - culmination of a long held dream and I'm getting to grips with the basics - go to sleep at night designing sequences I have no chance of performing! Still, one day! Give me a few years and I might be posting to start another all Pitts team myself!
hats off to you old bold guys.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Southern Turkey
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whifferdill
Stick with it and don't be pessimistic. In my 2 years with RAT I must have watched Brian fail to perform 100's of sequences. He got to be very good through years of painstaking practice, and after 2 years almost hacked formation flying (sorry Brian, couldn't resist that). I hope you do start another team, but you'd do better with more power-to-weight than the S2A.
Regards,
rod
Stick with it and don't be pessimistic. In my 2 years with RAT I must have watched Brian fail to perform 100's of sequences. He got to be very good through years of painstaking practice, and after 2 years almost hacked formation flying (sorry Brian, couldn't resist that). I hope you do start another team, but you'd do better with more power-to-weight than the S2A.
Regards,
rod
Join Date: Jul 2006
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Old and Bold
Thanks to rodthesod and Tim Mills for the encouragement - I will stick with it, and the S1D. Plenty of inspiration for me reading this thread. My S1 is a great little machine with plenty of room for me to grow into, performance wise, at the moment. Be a good while I think, before I'll be needing more performance than that! A constant speed prop would be nice though........can't even open up full straight and level without overspeeding.
All the best
All the best
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: uk
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Overspeed in straight and level with full power, now there is an interesting concept. Does that mean you have to work at not climbing during your sequence then whifferdill? BTW, your handle was one of David P's favourite expressions.
Dog Tired
Well, several names here.
Someone wrote that Cairns was a 'naughty boy'. You have no idea how naughty; I had the room next to him in RAF Bruggen, Germany. Got no sleep for about three months.
I worked for Dixie when I joined Airworld and I still 'phone him every week. He looks exactly the same as in the piccy but he is twice the girth.
John Connor works for the same outfit as I.
Good stories from you all !
Someone wrote that Cairns was a 'naughty boy'. You have no idea how naughty; I had the room next to him in RAF Bruggen, Germany. Got no sleep for about three months.
I worked for Dixie when I joined Airworld and I still 'phone him every week. He looks exactly the same as in the piccy but he is twice the girth.
John Connor works for the same outfit as I.
Good stories from you all !
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Cairns..... god bless him. He is drinking pints of Bacardi Coke with St Peter as we speak and shagging every angel he can get his hands on. I oubt there will be another like him again though few will know what a kind hearted soul he was. Clever too, particularly with his hands; such a practical guy.
No saint for sure but a one off.
No saint for sure but a one off.
Join Date: Mar 2000
Location: Live in Taupiri, Waikato, work in the big smoke, New Zealand
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VH-PIG is now resident in Hamilton, NEW ZEALAND. Has been getting a good workout over the last couple of weeks.
Oh to be "semi retired" and have your "toy" readily available!!!
Oh to be "semi retired" and have your "toy" readily available!!!
Join Date: Oct 2005
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Just discovered this thread late despite being a regular pprune reader.
I was in the Royal Selandor Flying Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last year and the RATS are still featured in pictures on the walls of the club despite the years gone by. For me is was a reminder of my novice flying days in 1981 when I first got the flying bug thanks to a chance meeting with Marcus Edwards in a pub in Bridgend South Wales. This led to me meeting John Mclean but the most influencial figure from the RATS was Bob Lee.
We were close friends for a few years during his time as chief engineer at Cambrian Engineering and I have happy memories of times he took me as ballast test flying the Vixen 2 Pitts or just the many ferry flights he put my way.
He rebuilt my first aircraft, G-ARRP, still flying but now as G-LIZI.
Marcus was a superb person to have in any bar after a days flying. "Matey" was his way of addressing his friends as he stood with a pint in his hand. Vixen 2 were Marcus and John McLean flying their old RATS ships. Paul Layzel (now Touchdow Aero Centre Old Buckenham) got them work flying for Jaguar and BMW I seem to recall.
I still have a video of Marcus and John which they did for Polydor records.
I was a deejay on a morning BBC Radio Wales programme and Polydor needed
a couple of aircraft to do a 3.5 minute video for a Song titled Out Of This World for a group called Shakatak for Top of the Pops. Vixen 2 did the job
from an airstrip near Bristol. (remember that Bob?)
They were superstars in Malaysia judging by the albums in the flying club at KL. They clogged all the roads with punters coming to see their displays.
Marcus had a black labrador and he gave me a pup which became a fond companion for many years.
I understand Bob Lee left the engineering biz and became a full time pilot which is where I always knew his calling was.
I was in the Royal Selandor Flying Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last year and the RATS are still featured in pictures on the walls of the club despite the years gone by. For me is was a reminder of my novice flying days in 1981 when I first got the flying bug thanks to a chance meeting with Marcus Edwards in a pub in Bridgend South Wales. This led to me meeting John Mclean but the most influencial figure from the RATS was Bob Lee.
We were close friends for a few years during his time as chief engineer at Cambrian Engineering and I have happy memories of times he took me as ballast test flying the Vixen 2 Pitts or just the many ferry flights he put my way.
He rebuilt my first aircraft, G-ARRP, still flying but now as G-LIZI.
Marcus was a superb person to have in any bar after a days flying. "Matey" was his way of addressing his friends as he stood with a pint in his hand. Vixen 2 were Marcus and John McLean flying their old RATS ships. Paul Layzel (now Touchdow Aero Centre Old Buckenham) got them work flying for Jaguar and BMW I seem to recall.
I still have a video of Marcus and John which they did for Polydor records.
I was a deejay on a morning BBC Radio Wales programme and Polydor needed
a couple of aircraft to do a 3.5 minute video for a Song titled Out Of This World for a group called Shakatak for Top of the Pops. Vixen 2 did the job
from an airstrip near Bristol. (remember that Bob?)
They were superstars in Malaysia judging by the albums in the flying club at KL. They clogged all the roads with punters coming to see their displays.
Marcus had a black labrador and he gave me a pup which became a fond companion for many years.
I understand Bob Lee left the engineering biz and became a full time pilot which is where I always knew his calling was.
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Herefordshire
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I thought this thread was gone, but I'm glad it's back. (if it ever went).
Just a quick and somewhat belated Hi to Mike F from the CFC, god did we have some fun with that old cherokee of yours, but that's another story. Also to Sue Br, over in Australia now it seems.
Well, I was in Cape Town a week ago and you'll never guess who I met down there, it was quite bizarre realy. The guys name is Martin Wilkens and not alot of you will know of him but he was the MD at Rothmans at the time of the team and the team was his 'baby'. I was invited to the Erinvale golf club for dinner by the mens Captain, and also sitting at the table is the golf clubs' president Martin Wilkens. It didn't mean anything at the time until we got talking. What a bloody coincidence! Anyway I thought I would pick his memory and find out why they pulled the plug. It turns out that he was desperate to keep the team going but was outvoted because of something going on in Belgium, from what I understood, but by that time the night was getting on a bit. He said that it turned out to be a big mistake and they should have kept the team. Anyway, water under the bridge. He sends his regards to all.
I've now been in touch with most of the leftovers from my old team, since this thread, it's been great to talk to and be in contact with them.
Keep the thread going all.
Regards, Bob Lee.
Just a quick and somewhat belated Hi to Mike F from the CFC, god did we have some fun with that old cherokee of yours, but that's another story. Also to Sue Br, over in Australia now it seems.
Well, I was in Cape Town a week ago and you'll never guess who I met down there, it was quite bizarre realy. The guys name is Martin Wilkens and not alot of you will know of him but he was the MD at Rothmans at the time of the team and the team was his 'baby'. I was invited to the Erinvale golf club for dinner by the mens Captain, and also sitting at the table is the golf clubs' president Martin Wilkens. It didn't mean anything at the time until we got talking. What a bloody coincidence! Anyway I thought I would pick his memory and find out why they pulled the plug. It turns out that he was desperate to keep the team going but was outvoted because of something going on in Belgium, from what I understood, but by that time the night was getting on a bit. He said that it turned out to be a big mistake and they should have kept the team. Anyway, water under the bridge. He sends his regards to all.
I've now been in touch with most of the leftovers from my old team, since this thread, it's been great to talk to and be in contact with them.
Keep the thread going all.
Regards, Bob Lee.
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Fantastic thread.
I had the pleasure of being introduced to John Mclean in June 82. I had just managed to harness the fearsome power of a C150 and wobble round my first solo circuit, when John walked in during the de-brief. He then proceeded to strap me into the front of GBECM and show me what a real aeroplane can do in gifted hands. Gyros were toppled for days. It cost me a pint!
There used to be the John Mclean Trophy which was the first aeros competition of the season held at Bodders International. Is it still going?
Also managed to dig out my copy of Man in the Sky. Awesome! 12 year old daughter sat through it with her jaw on the floor.
I had the pleasure of being introduced to John Mclean in June 82. I had just managed to harness the fearsome power of a C150 and wobble round my first solo circuit, when John walked in during the de-brief. He then proceeded to strap me into the front of GBECM and show me what a real aeroplane can do in gifted hands. Gyros were toppled for days. It cost me a pint!
There used to be the John Mclean Trophy which was the first aeros competition of the season held at Bodders International. Is it still going?
Also managed to dig out my copy of Man in the Sky. Awesome! 12 year old daughter sat through it with her jaw on the floor.
Gnome de PPRuNe
Join Date: Jan 2002
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Some of the excellent photos I posted on this thread for others have unfortunately disappeared with the demise of our old company website (now hosted by our parent co - so I can't take liberties any more!). Soon as I can gather the originals together, I will repost using my Photobucket account.
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He then proceeded to strap me into the front of GBECM and show me what a real aeroplane can do in gifted hands.