Peter Cadbury & Air Pegasus

[Savoia]

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I am looking for any details relating to Peter Cadbury, Air Pegasus and his private aircraft operations.

Anything, including photos, stories and background information would be welcome.

S.

Comments from other threads:

Georgeablelovehowindia (what a username!) wrote:

I did quite a lot of freelance flying for Air Pegasus at Preston Candover from mid-1975 into early 1976. My two mounts were the Aztecs G-BBHF and G-BBRJ - the latter one being a very slick turbo job. The electrically operated hangar - sorry, 'Grain Shed' - doors slid open to reveal the fleet: the aforementioned two Aztecs (although 'HF went and came back during my time) the Cessna 421B, a JetRanger, and ... a Pitts S1!

If returning to Preston Candover after dark, the procedure was to telephone Peter Cadbury's rather delectable - but obviously well out of my league - sec/pa, with the ETA. She would drive up the hill from her tied cottage on the estate, and switch the lights on. Yep, it was impressive when the whole caboodle came on. The grass runway was billiard table smooth, too.

Post-flight silver service tea and scones in the big house showed how the other half live!

Deputy airport manager Anne married another Blackbushe/Fairoaks/Blackbushe personality, Trevor Jones, of Airswift MkII, which morfed into the present-day Manhattan Jet Charter at Farnborough.

Chevvron wrote:

Cadbury told me that he used a disused racecourse when he lived at Crutchfield House. He moved to Preston House at Preston Candover (south of Basingstoke) where he had a strip with hangar, 1200m runway with lighting, all now long gone except the hangar.

The strip SE of Blackbushe is called Hawley; last used by a Harrier about 10 years ago.

Thought of a couple more: West Malling (Kent)- totally obliterated with an industrial estate, Cricklade (Gloucs) - no sign of runways but a huge aerial in the middle.

[chevvron]

Can't remember the reg of the Jetranger (although I should as I have good cause to as I will reveal later) but Peter also operated a C340 (G-MADI) and an Islander (G-BESO) at various times. MADI was during the era when Peter was boss of Westward Airways based at Exeter (3 x Cessna Titans). He'd wanted Embraer Bandierante's for the Westward fleet but (so he told me) the CAA were taking so long to certify them and he wanted to launch by a certain date, that he got on to Rogers Aviation and asked for an alternative and they came up with the Titans.
I arranged a trip with Peter one day in BESO. It was at Bembridge for maintenance, a company pilot was going to bring it back to Candover, then we would go back to Bembridge to drop off the pilot and return to Candover. When I arrived, there was no-one there, but after a couple of minutes, the Jetranger popped up over the hedge and came in and landed. Janie (Peter's wife) got out and said 'Peter says do you want a quick ride while he's got it running?'. Naturally I said yes, went over, opened the passenger door, put one leg in and we were airborne!! Hardly had chance to sit down let alone fasten my seatbelt. Peter explained they'd had his grandchildren for tea and he'd just taken them home.

[Savoia]

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Great stuff Chevvron!

I am building a website which, among other things, will record Peter Cadbury's aviation antics. Regarding his helicopters, these have been discussed on the 'Nostalgia' thread over on Rotorheads and one of the aircraft below is likely to have been the one you flew in:


Bell 206B G-BBUX at Blackbushe on 11th July 1976


B206B G-CHOC at Blackbushe c.1978


AS 350B G-JANY at Cranfield on 5th September 1981

Peter Cadbury (aka Peter the Cad) owned these aircraft according to the following dates:

G-BBUX from December '75 to September '77
G-CHOC from September '77 to November '80
G-JANY from October '79 to November '81

As can be seen from the images, all of Peter's craft carried the golden Pegasus motif - does anyone know if these were also painted on his fixed-wing aircraft?

There is a story about PTC and a Prelate (evidently the father of an 'acquaintance' of his) who turned-up at PTC's home in Preston Candover to enquire about Peter's intentions towards his daughter (especially given that PTC was already married). Evidently the Cad took the Bishop for a spin - scaring him half to death and dropping him off near his car with the promise to do worse should he ever return! What a character.


Peter Cadbury (centre) accompanied by his wife Benedicta and Douglas Bader (who was best man at their wedding) at the Royal Court Theatre on 30th July 1959

Anyone with stories, photos or other material relating to Peter Cadbury and his flying days .. please PM me.

S.

[Georgeablelovehowindia]

Golden Pegasus motif

Yes, G-BBRJ carried it, on the fin I think. Not so sure about G-BBHF which was replaced by 'RJ, but came back when that was on check. In fact my last Air Pegasus flight (Heathrow - Goodwood, 18 Feb 1976) was in 'HF. I think I was ferried back to Candover in 'RJ, flown by a BOAC 707 first officer who did a bit of freelancing.

We did a lot of flying for a company called Norcros. Maurice Goor left Air Pegasus for a full-time position with them on a Blackbushe based Cessna ... Crusader? (Whatever the turboprop Golden Eagle was called.) P.C. rang me, offering me Maurice's job, but by then I was three days into my Dart Herald course with 'Monty Keegan's Flying Circus' at Sarfend (BAF).

G-JANY was of course in honour of his newest wife!

[chevvron]

It was G-CHOC in which I had my 'scarey' ride - I just found an old logbook in which I recorded passenger flying.
Maurice Goor flew G-NORC and then G-NORX.
Peter rang us (Farnborough ATC) one Christmas asking when he could deliver our Harrods Hamper. At that time, Farnborough was officially closed from Christmas Eve until after New Year, but some of us who didn't want to take leave went in anyway. We arranged for Peter to come in in the Squirrel G-JANY. He landed and got out, and to our surprise was wearing wellies and courdorys.

[Bigt]

I am sure either Air Pictorial or Aviation News covered Air Pegasus with an article when the company was active. Not sure if most of the article has not been repeated here in some form or other

[FAStoat]

Peter Cadbury Pitts S1 G AXNZ

Hello there,just seen you are asking about Peter Cadbury and Preston Candover.In 1975,I bought the Shuttleworth built(Wally Berry /Bert Etheridge)S1C Pitts Special with Pete Sheppard.Manx Kelly of Kelly Aeroplane had commissioned it with Rothmans for Neil williams to fly at competitions way back before they had the S2s,but it had languished at the back of Old Warden's hangar not used-Williams did not like just the 2 bottom ailerons.Manx told me the they were going to sel it,but it had no Permit as the test flying was not complete.Mike Findlay brought it to Booker,and I was familiarised by Manx and Mike in a S2,before letting lose in the S1.I then flew it down to Yeovilton for Pete Sheppard,and the 2 of us had a great deal of fun in it.However it could not accomodate a passenger and we had loads of interested parties wanting to fly it.In the end we decided to sell it rather than keep upsetting people,and it had a weird fuel guage ,which you could not always see(Neoprene tube running down the side of the tank in front of you!!)Peter Cadbury got hold of us and asked if he could buy it,as it was again to be flown by Neil williams after suitable modification.An Engineer in Panshangar,whose name I cant remember,was to do the work,which was to get a better rate of roll and better flick-although this had Semi Symetrical wings so flicked pretty well(Finn had a very interesting return to Booker having tried a triple!!!).On May 3rd 10975 I flew G AXNZ into Preston Candover to be met by Maurice Gore,to be flown back to Blackbushe in the Air Pegasus Aztec.Unforunately this was needed to be elsewhere,so Peter Cadbury fired up a Yellow/Black Jetranger G BAKU,and we flew back to Booker in that.I had only had a go in a Gazelle before,so was a bit kackhanded with the very twitchy control on the Jetranger when you had too firm a grip.I remember Peter being very amused at this.Anyway we got back to Booker safely.The Pitts was only flown a few times by Neil I gather,before it was bought by John Jordan.

[chevvron]

Got a feeling that Pitts ended up at Farnborough along with a Zlin. I can remember a signwriter painting Neils name on a Pitts in Q Shed, where the Aero Club and other private aircraft were kept.
No-one has yet mentioned Peter's Pterodactyl which hung from the roof of the Preston Candover hangar. It was a film prop for (I think) 'The Land that Time Forgot'.

[KZ8]

I believe that the Pitts was G-AXNZ, still about somewhere.

[FAStoat]

The Pitts

The Pitts at Farnborough had nothing to do with 'XNZ;that was GAZPH which Neil flew until he died and then,the British Team flew with Mike Reilly having the prop fly off and force landing,and now I believe is in a Museum.The Zlin was part of the Zlin Duo run by Rothmans,flown by Williams and Black,later Jarvis and Scofield(Also of the Stampe Duo).We bought a Rothmans Stampe to replace the Pitts (GAYIJ),but that suffered from flying in bad weather,which in turn was replaced by another Zlin GAWPG,which we flew all over,in which poor Roy Legg was killed.The Pitts 'XNZ is still extant I believe ,but John Jordan repainted it from Rothmans colours into a White/Green Sunburst.The plane resided at Gransden,but I think his son sold it on.That is as far as I remember.A short PS is that Andrew Chadwick is a name that comes to mind as the engineer that Peter Cadbury got to modify the Pitts,and he fitted Spades under the Ailerons and flared them in also added droop to them to get a much faster rate of roll-I could be wrong with the name,but I remember him from somewhere at that time????We used to fly in to Farnborough fairly regularly,as Trevor Davies looked after the Walter Mikron Engines of the Zlins of Neil and James,and so ours as well.His Team at Farnborough were the only people in the UK at that time who could do CAA Approved"Lead Flashing" to restore bronze main bearings,which the Walter Engines still had-No Shell Lead Indium Bearings then,and hollow cross bolted blocks housing the Crankshaft.Exactly the same as the German Argus Engine.Very Archaic design.I have tried in vain to find any photo of the Pitts S1c as Peter Cadbury bought it in Rothmans colours still,but the name and crests painted out from the top wing and side panels,unless someone has a shot of it languishing in the back of the Shuttleworth Hangars betwwen 1971 and 74 when it was flown to Booker.Nothing either for the Jetranger,as I did not have a camera with me at the time.All I can tell you is that it had a white top with yellow sides and underside,with black stripes/flashes down the side.What I can also remember was that he had very funny stories concerning Humphrey Lestoq flying Typhoons and crashing them.My Uncle had known HL(Whirlygig) in Bray in the 40s/50s,so I mentioned it to Peter,as I had met him several times in the local store(Jones).My Uncle had flown Seafires and Corsairs,and knew Pat Shea Simmonds,another Test Pilot colleague of Peter Cadbury,so we had a lot to talk about en route Booker,as Peter had an Estate on Hawthorn Hill with an Airstrip,and that was only a few miles from my Uncle.Finally I was at Prep School with the Shea Simmonds kids,who were driven sometimes in a Vintage 31/2 Bentley,while I was driven there in a Mk5 Jag-Fantastic times,and a very small world.Humphrey Lestoq was the original Pilot Officer Prune!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Savoia]

AXNZ at Coventry in the late 70's

I am keenly scouting for any images of what I believe must have been Peter's first JetRanger, G-BAKU, as described above by FAStoat.

S.

[FAStoat]

That is the very one,as John Jordan repainted it.It had a full beige leather interior and combing,which was very grand and a la 30s,and still lacked any kind of elevator trim,which meant at over 2000rpm a lot of stick force was required for level flight!!The other oddity was it had Auster Brakes,which were Heel operated as I remember,and you had to be careful,as the aeroplane was very close coupled and could jump about on landing,which you had to allow it to do,and not over control it.There was a lot of fun watching a Fast Jet Pilot,who knew it all,making a complete pigs ear of trying to land,without bothering to listen to a brief first on the knife edge approach required!!!Happy days.

[KZ8]

Re. G-AXNZ, I have a shot of it somewhere with Air Pegasus painted across the top wing.

I did not see the wonderful description of its history by FAStoat above prior to posting my identification of the aircraft.

Great stuff!

Best wishes

KZ8

[Gulfstreamaviator]

Was PC also involved in the air south west set up

He was certainly involved in Westward TV, the Plymouth based ITV franchise.

And I suspect Westward airways.(???).

glf

[chevvron]

As I said in #2 above it was Westward Airways, or was it Air Westward? I've a feeling the latter was the Islander based operation of '69/70 and nothing to do with him.
The story goes that as Peter was chairman of Westward TV when he set up Westward Airways, the board didn't like him running the two operations hence he had to dispose of Westward Airways.

[Gulfstreamaviator]

Westward had an Islander

the titans were well later.

The islander was for the L G W - L H R shuttle, before the M25 was finished.

The It was used for the West country run, from L G W. ( I believe).

glf

[Savoia]

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Thanks to PPRuNer Helipixman we have sourced pictoral evidence of FAStoat's G-BAKU as shown here complete with Air Pegasus motif:



S.

[GROUNDHOG]

I was station manager for Westward Airways at LGW, I do know someone who may know something of Mr Cadbury, this person has a book publishes about his aviation history but am not sure I am allowed to advertise it here! PM me if you want the details.