Flying through Tower Bridge

[POBJOY]

Tower Bridge PA28

Was this a 'through' the bridge or low flying across the bridge,as i do not recall any 'media' reports for the time,nor does it seem to feature in Biggin Hill folklore.

[DaveReidUK]

Flying through the bridge is nothing new:



Video clip here: TOWER BRIDGE - British Pathé

[Warmtoast]

Tower Bridge PA28
Was this a 'through' the bridge or low flying across the bridge,as i do not recall any 'media' reports for the time,nor does it seem to feature in Biggin Hill folklore.

Probably this one from Blackbushe on 21st September 1969 as reported in the press at the time.





And fined in May 1970.

[POBJOY]

Under the Bridge (BOB Tribute)

It looks like the Judge took a lenient view of this escapade,or the pilots took a chance on the 'max fine' bit.
I suspect a similar occurrence today would see some 'time' being served.
Either way it seems to have escaped a mass media exposure,so thanks Possel for letting us know.
Did they become Airline Pilots somewhere !!!

[possel]

Was this a 'through' the bridge or low flying across the bridge,as i do not recall any 'media' reports for the time,nor does it seem to feature in Biggin Hill folklore.

The pilot's name was Chris Francis and his passenger was Ashley Wilkin (from the same year at school), from whom I heard the story. I know it was June/July 1970 as that's when we did our A-Levels and left school. The aircraft was (I think) from the Surrey and Kent Flying Club.

Afer emigrating to Australia to join their Army (don't ask why!), Chris returned to the UK in about 1975/6. I saw details of the prosecution in a flying magazine in 1976/7 which corroborated the story that I had been told, that it was under Tower Bridge. I recall that the heading was "The CAA always gets its man!" or something very similar; he was fined a lot.