Propliner

[SE210]

Dear friends

I am looking for a complete or near complete collection of Steven Piercey“s Propliner magazine.

If you are looking to sell, please contact me for an offer.


Brgds

SE210

[JW411]

I have a complete set and absolutely nothing would persuade me to part with them!

[SE210]

I started subscribing in 1987 but stopped after a couple og years.

I should never have done that.

You sure are a lucky man to have a complete set.

Brgds

SE210

[treadigraph]

Steve Piercey - what a nice bloke. Met him twice, second time a week or few before his sad loss...

I refer any of you who knew him not to Roger Bacon's elegistic farewell in Straight and Level, Flight 1984... also to Flight's GA guy who's name, I regret, escapes me right now...

[SE210]

Hi Fergal

I sent you a personal message, but I am not really sure, if it got through. The message control panel seems unlogical to me.

If not - I hope you will contact me again.

Brgds

SE210

[Gainesy]

Treaders,
The other chap we lost was the GA Editor, Cliff Barnet. There was also a Brazilian freelance journalist who begged a ride, sadly I do not recall his name. Terrible day.

[SE210]

I recall reading about the accident 20 years ago.

I believe the collision was between the Aztec cameraship and a Beech-1900 over Germany somewhere.

Was Stephen Piercey a pilot himself ??

Brgds

SE210

[WHBM]

Try calling Tony or Janet at a certain aviation hobby shop in West Drayton (I'm trying to get round the "no commercials on PPRuNe" !). They have backnumbers in stock going back many years and are possibly well placed to know anyone selling up.

But you're not having mine ! (complete since issue 21).

Steve Piercey was Flight's staff photographer (and started up Propliner magazine in his own time) and they were doing an air-to-air photoshoot when the midair happened between cameraship and subject.

[Gainesy]

SE210,
No, Steve was not a pilot; he was the photographer, Cliff was the pilot. The accident was near Hannover.

They were over there to cover the airshow and the photo-sortie was arranged (in advance, I think) to provide pix for a later feature on the 1900.

Another Flight scribbler, Pete Middleton was on the 1900, which landed safely.

[southender]

I have a complete collection from issue 22 to 101 but have also been looking for the original Stephen Piercey editions 1 to 21.

Presume they are like gold dust to obtain as I know mine will not be available until after I have passed on and my children decide to throw out all my "old junk".

Issue number 1 was on e-bay a month or two back at a starting price of £10 but I've no idea what it finally fetched.

Issue 102 out any day now - can't wait.

My thanks to all involved for hours of nostalgia each quarter.

Regards

Southender

[treadigraph]

Thanks Gainesy, my braincells had been slightly addled by the traditional Friday tipple...

One thing that sticks in my memory from Roger's item was that Steve had to be "gently reprimanded" for playing a recording of a Constellation taking off at full volume in the office...

I once accidently let loose an extremely rapid pass by Miss America in this august establishment - seems very tame by comparison!

[SE210]

Wasn“t there a Vickers Viscount named after Steven Piercey from British Airferries ??

If so, is that being taken care of today ?

Brgds

SE210

[Gainesy]

for playing a recording of a Constellation

Well, it did get rather tedious after about 25 renditions!

And Mike Ramsden's bollockings were never exactly severe:
"I'd rather prefer it if you would stop doing that, there's a good chap."

Don't know where Steve's Viscount ended up, Brooklands perhaps?

[WHBM]

If so, is that being taken care of today ?

It's at Brooklands museum nowadays.

Unfortunately it was damaged beyond repair on the ground at Southend by a wayward Shorts 330 not too long after the naming, and had to be withdrawn from service.

I believe Steve's father was a Viscount captain with BEA.

[Biggles Flies Undone]

Thanks for jogging my memories of a top bloke I sat through several slideshows by 'Piston Piercey' and marvelled at his nerve. Not only did he travel to amazingly remote spots to see the old props, he actually enjoyed flying out of rainforest strips in them

[Halcyon Days]

There is a set now on offer on e bay

[atb1943]

Tredders, from another thread...

Ah, first Connie I ever saw was N1007C, by that time ('84) parked up and looking a little dilapidated at Opa Locka - sadly she was scrapped soon after.

There was a good write up of all existing Connies in Flypast, over two issues in 1998/99, believe 07C was then on the east coast.

Thumbing through a Propliner from the same stack of mags last night when a note fell out. It was from Alison Chambers dated I believe 19 May 84 announcing Cliff and Steve's visit the next day to our stand to do a write up on a product line. Alison and Steve were very close. I felt again that same numbness and disbelief at the sad news of 21 years ago.

I've had the pleasure of bumping into Alison a number of times over the years, one very tough lady, and excellent media person.

cheers
Atb

ps hallo Gainsey!!

[Malcolm G O Payne]

I was at the Hanover Air Show when Cliff and Steve were killed. I had known Cliff for many years before he joined Flight. He worked for Smith's Instruments and used to visit the flying club that I owned at Staverton. At Hanover I was European correspondent writing for an American magazine then called Aviation Convention News, now known as aviation International News. I spoke to Cliff the day before the accident and my editor and I had a look at the Beech 1900 after the accident. My interpretation was that Cliff lost sight of the 1900, which was above him and either climbed to get back into position for Steve or the 1900 descended. Either way, there wasa gash in the botom of the 1900s fuselage and some of the control cables were frayed. The port inner flap section had been chewed and there was a long brown witness mark made, probably by the starboard wing tip of the Aztec as it seemed to have rolled up and over the top of the 1900.It was a great loss to the aviation publishing world and to aviation as a whole.