MMMmmmiles Aircraft
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DamienB
Your pic of Messenger G-AJWB brought back fond memories of a trip to Stapleford on 23 May 1964, part of an east coast tour in a Messerschmitt.....Kabinenroller! (What happened to it, John?). I noted 'JWB (she was already 17 years old at the time!), along with 'JKL, 'IAJ, 'ILI, 'KIO and the damaged fuselage of 'JDM.
Teversham revealed Monarch 'FJU.
Elstree brought forth Whitney Straight 'FGK (still in existence?), plus Geminis 'HKL, 'IIF, 'JKS, 'JWG, 'KEK and Messengers 'HZS (damaged), 'JFF and 'JYZ (a Handley Page variant). Not to mention our favourite Hawk Trainer....you guessed it....G-AKKR!
And at Panshanger we found Monarch G-AIDE, later to receive its correct registration G-AFRZ.
Your pic of Messenger G-AJWB brought back fond memories of a trip to Stapleford on 23 May 1964, part of an east coast tour in a Messerschmitt.....Kabinenroller! (What happened to it, John?). I noted 'JWB (she was already 17 years old at the time!), along with 'JKL, 'IAJ, 'ILI, 'KIO and the damaged fuselage of 'JDM.
Teversham revealed Monarch 'FJU.
Elstree brought forth Whitney Straight 'FGK (still in existence?), plus Geminis 'HKL, 'IIF, 'JKS, 'JWG, 'KEK and Messengers 'HZS (damaged), 'JFF and 'JYZ (a Handley Page variant). Not to mention our favourite Hawk Trainer....you guessed it....G-AKKR!
And at Panshanger we found Monarch G-AIDE, later to receive its correct registration G-AFRZ.
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MMMmmmiles
Hi Damien B
Love the piccies.
THe Duncan Cubitt piccies of the Maggie V1075 and Falcon 'EG in Feb03 FlyPast - out now - are stunning.
Messenger G-AJWB has to be one of the best restorations of an old wooden plane ever. It is based at Earls Colne and belongs to Gordon Spooner.
Messenger G-AKIN was donated by the Spiller family - owners of the aircraft for around 50 years! - to a trust that will operate the aircraft and display it. Nice to see it at the airshows - hopefully Old Warden too. One of the trust members is a Shuttleworth Collection pilot.
I saw a great DD Video yesterday entitled UK Airshows 2002 (or similar) and it covers The Great Vintage Flying Weekend at Kemble back in May.
OK - I'm interviewed but then so are a lot of other pilots too!
Well worth getting.
Keep this thread going guys - lets see if we can hit 100 posts.
HP
Love the piccies.
THe Duncan Cubitt piccies of the Maggie V1075 and Falcon 'EG in Feb03 FlyPast - out now - are stunning.
Messenger G-AJWB has to be one of the best restorations of an old wooden plane ever. It is based at Earls Colne and belongs to Gordon Spooner.
Messenger G-AKIN was donated by the Spiller family - owners of the aircraft for around 50 years! - to a trust that will operate the aircraft and display it. Nice to see it at the airshows - hopefully Old Warden too. One of the trust members is a Shuttleworth Collection pilot.
I saw a great DD Video yesterday entitled UK Airshows 2002 (or similar) and it covers The Great Vintage Flying Weekend at Kemble back in May.
OK - I'm interviewed but then so are a lot of other pilots too!
Well worth getting.
Keep this thread going guys - lets see if we can hit 100 posts.
HP
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Speechless Two: In conversation today with a lifelong friend of mine who was around the same South Coast airfields as I was back in the late 50s and early '60s (and incidentally preceded you on a gliding course at Christchurch by a year) he told me that he is convinced that the Messenger that was damaged at Portsmouth following loss of its propeller on take-off was silver, and thus not 'KKG as the official record has it. That fits in with your memory of KKG's incident happening at Christchurch. BTW, the Comanche that Ben Heron had at that time was a single, not a Twin: a 1959 Model 250 N6183P, memorable not just for retaining its US registration but also for its unusual (in the UK at least) brown/white colour scheme when most Comanche imports of that era had red, blue or green trim.
atb1943: Didn't Mr Jones also own a GAL Cygnet, G-AGBN was it? Never did visit his strip, and seeing the first 310 registered in the UK remained an unfulfilled ambition. I didn't get to see one of those until 1959 when Airwork had the Cessna dealership at Blackbushe and the lime green demonstrator 'APUF was there along with the first UK 150 and 175 — exotica indeed at the time. Fascinating place in those days, Blackbushe, not least for the in-transit traffic at the US Navy facility. I recall Neptunes, WV-2 Warning Stars, even a Martin Mercator once. Also remember a trip to view the legendary Sandhurst Harvards, and some others that were at Church Crookham, I think. Later, a field at Lasham hosted the dismembered hulks of many RCAF Sabres and CF-100s, plus some Fleet Air Arm types. Foolishly, the discovery of girls in later years prompted me to throw away thousands of photographs taken at those times — most unwise given my later career as an aviation journalist/photographer.
atb1943: Didn't Mr Jones also own a GAL Cygnet, G-AGBN was it? Never did visit his strip, and seeing the first 310 registered in the UK remained an unfulfilled ambition. I didn't get to see one of those until 1959 when Airwork had the Cessna dealership at Blackbushe and the lime green demonstrator 'APUF was there along with the first UK 150 and 175 — exotica indeed at the time. Fascinating place in those days, Blackbushe, not least for the in-transit traffic at the US Navy facility. I recall Neptunes, WV-2 Warning Stars, even a Martin Mercator once. Also remember a trip to view the legendary Sandhurst Harvards, and some others that were at Church Crookham, I think. Later, a field at Lasham hosted the dismembered hulks of many RCAF Sabres and CF-100s, plus some Fleet Air Arm types. Foolishly, the discovery of girls in later years prompted me to throw away thousands of photographs taken at those times — most unwise given my later career as an aviation journalist/photographer.
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Aerohack
We are getting MMMmmmiles off track here, but yes, the Cygnet was at one time registered to a Jones - Mrs J.I. Jones, whether the Godalming Jones or not I don't know.
Aaah. the 'Bushe! Used to tricycle up there (not bad, up Cats' Farm Hill on one of those...but I think I pushed) due to Grandpa having had a horse in a field just at the bottom. I can remember the feel of the shiny sloping floor of a Halifax that sat on the south side down towards Eagle's, or a Catalina called Zambesi, Israeli Mosquitos, Lebanese Harvards, Transjordan Vikings....
....cadging a lift in a Globemaster that was about to taxy from the 'terminal' to the Navy base down in the dip. Or announcing the arrival over the Tannoy of Dragon Rapide so-and-so from whatsit and forgetting to release the mike button, whereupon the arrivals hall echoed to 'I did it!' All courtesy of Arthur Pearcy's wife, who was ATC/AIS and general factotum. I was on my way to see her one day when I bowled into Douglas Bader stomping around the corner of the building. Whoops!
That Cessna 175 eventually became Donald Campbell's G-ARDC.
'PUF arrived together with 'PVC, long awaited, via the Azores.
Crookham housed Sabres and a lone Sea Fury. They were dumped at Redlands, a former tobacco farm and now I believe a girls' school, St. Nicks, though that must be at the house, whereas the aircraft were across the road. I think Danny Bernstein was the 'collector', for want of a better word. Staravia. Sea Hawks could be found at Lasham.....
Thanks for memory jog....
We are getting MMMmmmiles off track here, but yes, the Cygnet was at one time registered to a Jones - Mrs J.I. Jones, whether the Godalming Jones or not I don't know.
Aaah. the 'Bushe! Used to tricycle up there (not bad, up Cats' Farm Hill on one of those...but I think I pushed) due to Grandpa having had a horse in a field just at the bottom. I can remember the feel of the shiny sloping floor of a Halifax that sat on the south side down towards Eagle's, or a Catalina called Zambesi, Israeli Mosquitos, Lebanese Harvards, Transjordan Vikings....
....cadging a lift in a Globemaster that was about to taxy from the 'terminal' to the Navy base down in the dip. Or announcing the arrival over the Tannoy of Dragon Rapide so-and-so from whatsit and forgetting to release the mike button, whereupon the arrivals hall echoed to 'I did it!' All courtesy of Arthur Pearcy's wife, who was ATC/AIS and general factotum. I was on my way to see her one day when I bowled into Douglas Bader stomping around the corner of the building. Whoops!
That Cessna 175 eventually became Donald Campbell's G-ARDC.
'PUF arrived together with 'PVC, long awaited, via the Azores.
Crookham housed Sabres and a lone Sea Fury. They were dumped at Redlands, a former tobacco farm and now I believe a girls' school, St. Nicks, though that must be at the house, whereas the aircraft were across the road. I think Danny Bernstein was the 'collector', for want of a better word. Staravia. Sea Hawks could be found at Lasham.....
Thanks for memory jog....
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atb1943: MMMMiles off track indeed, but nostalgia knows no bounds. So, just to set the record straight, the 175A demonstrator that Airwork had at Blackbushe was G-APYA, at that time in highly polished alloy with yellow/brown trim, though the bare metal was soon overpainted for UK climate. If memory serves it ditched in the Irish Sea not so many years ago. Campbell's was a green 210, N7307E — the first in the UK — that as you say was later registered 'RDC with an appropriate 'last two'. He used to come into Portsmouth in it, probably visiting Vospers in connection with Bluebird.
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You are indubitably correct, Aerohack. That's what comes of trying to scribe from memory, instead of consulting the records. Perhaps I was trying to wind you up however!
Talking of Donald Campbell, I took a trip to Biggin Hill in 1960, first of June in fact, and asked around for someone to take me up. A chap with a couple of Tri-Travellers said ok, in a min, and who should walk into the room (shed?), but DC himself. We went up in 'PYT, and stooged around Chartwell and Redhill. I was happy to see 'PYT again at one of the fairly recent PFA Rallies.
Since you know all things worth knowing, any idea of what happened to Proctor G-AGTC? I flew in it a couple of times, once to Toussus and again to Rotterdam. The owner was one Simon Biddulph, who enjoyed being seen in a woolly hat, which I think he got from the fishermen of.....island (maybe Ibiza). Believe 'GTC was a Farnborough demonstrator once.
Then I want to ask about the Broburn Wanderlust........
Must go (bowling night).
cheers
Talking of Donald Campbell, I took a trip to Biggin Hill in 1960, first of June in fact, and asked around for someone to take me up. A chap with a couple of Tri-Travellers said ok, in a min, and who should walk into the room (shed?), but DC himself. We went up in 'PYT, and stooged around Chartwell and Redhill. I was happy to see 'PYT again at one of the fairly recent PFA Rallies.
Since you know all things worth knowing, any idea of what happened to Proctor G-AGTC? I flew in it a couple of times, once to Toussus and again to Rotterdam. The owner was one Simon Biddulph, who enjoyed being seen in a woolly hat, which I think he got from the fishermen of.....island (maybe Ibiza). Believe 'GTC was a Farnborough demonstrator once.
Then I want to ask about the Broburn Wanderlust........
Must go (bowling night).
cheers
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atb1943: As I always used to say to my colleague, friend and mentor James Gilbert — former owner/publisher/editor of 'Pilot' magazine — when he accused me (in the nicest possible way) of 'knowing everything': "I don't know much, I just know where to look to find out." Must confess, though, that I've reached that pre-senility point in life where I can remember with great clarity inconsequential trivia from 40+ years ago (like the colour and former N-number of DC's 210) but am hard-pressed to recall just what it was I did yesterday…
Now, Proctor 'GTC. Yes, indeed, it was the Percival demonstrator at Farnborough 1949 (and, Miles fans, there were two Marathons there that year, one the twin Mamba-engined Mark 2). There's a three-view drawing of it in John Silvester's superb book 'Percival & Hunting Aircraft'. According to the records 'GTC was destroyed in a crash on a beach near Malaga on 2 May 1959.
Now, Proctor 'GTC. Yes, indeed, it was the Percival demonstrator at Farnborough 1949 (and, Miles fans, there were two Marathons there that year, one the twin Mamba-engined Mark 2). There's a three-view drawing of it in John Silvester's superb book 'Percival & Hunting Aircraft'. According to the records 'GTC was destroyed in a crash on a beach near Malaga on 2 May 1959.
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This is indeed a cracking thread - I was born a bit too late to enjoy the UK aviation scene of the 50s and 60s... sigh!
All this and I picked up "Aeroplane" today with some good reminiscences from John Stroud and Bill Fisher...
50 posts - halfway to Hairy's 100! (Sounds like a pop group, m'Lud...)
Keep it up chaps!
All this and I picked up "Aeroplane" today with some good reminiscences from John Stroud and Bill Fisher...
50 posts - halfway to Hairy's 100! (Sounds like a pop group, m'Lud...)
Keep it up chaps!
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Righto, Treadigraph.
If you are correct, Aerohack, on the demise of 'GTC, then it rose again from the ashes, because my flights were in 1962 (ish). My participation was arranged by our local vet, Hollie Birkett, who owned Auster G-APKL. Hollie was a founder member of the 750 motor club, and his wife had an interest in the Phoenix Pub on the A30 at Hartley Wintney, venue of a monthly vintage car meet since 1934. There is still an annual Hollie Birkett race, held at Silverstone last year. Hollie perished in 'KL in July '63 near Berck sur Mer. I'd dearly love a photo of 'KL...
There's a thin line between Proctor 'GTC and MMmmiles, because a now very keen member of the Miles Club was along on both flights (weren't you, John).
John and I were thrown out at Toussus, whilst Simon and Hollie continued on to the Jersey Air Rally. That was the time I learned that you cannot overnight at the Hotel de Ville!
Since you mentioned Proctors....! At Exeter on 23 August '59 I found six fuselages, demobbed, registered G-ANXD to ANXI, all still in RAF clothing. 'NXI was ex-LA589, and was apparently the 2nd prototype, the original Preceptor. 3 CAACU operated Mosquitos of course, and I logged eight of them, including poor RR299. Some two dozen Vampires made up the picture. Oh yes, and MMmmiles Gemini G-AISM flew overhead. Strange machine WG180, a Boulton Paul Balliol was also present.
Two weeks later Blackbushe hosted for the last time on a big scale visitors for the Farnborough Air Show. (In 1960 Odiham took over). I photographed Miles Student G-APLK on 8 Sept. For me the hit of the week were two French Navy PV-2 Harpoons.
That leads me on to the Broburn Wanderlust! In a Nissen shed near the old black hangar on the Aldershot end of the RAE were to be seen fuselages marked T5595, T5635, LZ558 and BGA562, alongside G-ADYS Aeronca, G-ALMN Eon Primary, VM691 Slingsby Cadet, three Fa330 Rotorkites, and that Broburn Wanderlust.
Any ideas on the fate of this stuff?
If you are correct, Aerohack, on the demise of 'GTC, then it rose again from the ashes, because my flights were in 1962 (ish). My participation was arranged by our local vet, Hollie Birkett, who owned Auster G-APKL. Hollie was a founder member of the 750 motor club, and his wife had an interest in the Phoenix Pub on the A30 at Hartley Wintney, venue of a monthly vintage car meet since 1934. There is still an annual Hollie Birkett race, held at Silverstone last year. Hollie perished in 'KL in July '63 near Berck sur Mer. I'd dearly love a photo of 'KL...
There's a thin line between Proctor 'GTC and MMmmiles, because a now very keen member of the Miles Club was along on both flights (weren't you, John).
John and I were thrown out at Toussus, whilst Simon and Hollie continued on to the Jersey Air Rally. That was the time I learned that you cannot overnight at the Hotel de Ville!
Since you mentioned Proctors....! At Exeter on 23 August '59 I found six fuselages, demobbed, registered G-ANXD to ANXI, all still in RAF clothing. 'NXI was ex-LA589, and was apparently the 2nd prototype, the original Preceptor. 3 CAACU operated Mosquitos of course, and I logged eight of them, including poor RR299. Some two dozen Vampires made up the picture. Oh yes, and MMmmiles Gemini G-AISM flew overhead. Strange machine WG180, a Boulton Paul Balliol was also present.
Two weeks later Blackbushe hosted for the last time on a big scale visitors for the Farnborough Air Show. (In 1960 Odiham took over). I photographed Miles Student G-APLK on 8 Sept. For me the hit of the week were two French Navy PV-2 Harpoons.
That leads me on to the Broburn Wanderlust! In a Nissen shed near the old black hangar on the Aldershot end of the RAE were to be seen fuselages marked T5595, T5635, LZ558 and BGA562, alongside G-ADYS Aeronca, G-ALMN Eon Primary, VM691 Slingsby Cadet, three Fa330 Rotorkites, and that Broburn Wanderlust.
Any ideas on the fate of this stuff?
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atb1943: Oops! Finger-trouble on my part. It was in May 1969 that 'GTC came to grief in Spain. Your mention of The Phoenix at Hartley Wintney reminds me of the marvellous story in the late Denis Jenkinson's book 'Porsche Past & Present' about hurtling along the A30 from Basingstoke to the Phoenix Green Garage in HW in Dickie Stoop's new race-ready Porsche 904, clocking 100-120 mph, passenger Jenks trying to balance on his knees a large unwrapped cream cake, a tea-time treat for Mater Stoop! I remember the famous Farnborough Nissen hut and its treasures well. The Aeronca is alive and airworthy with Jan Cooper, having been restored by her and her late husband Ben at Hungerford many years ago. Get back to you about the others.
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MMMmmmiles
It is Jan Cooper I believe who is restoring the ex-Smithsonian Miles Hawk - what a gorgeous aeroplane that is! - for Richard Earl.
He tells me that it should fly this year.
It will be the first time in probably 40 years (?) that a Hawk (not to be confused with the Maggie - the earlier Hawk has trousered legs and a Falcon-type swept fin/rudder) has graced our skies?
What a pity that the RAF Reserve Collections Hawk - in spurious military cols. - is in such poor condition. I doubt whether there are any short-term plans to do anything with it but they won't part with it. If they did restore it, it would only be a static anyway. Ho hum...its theirs, they can do what they want with it I suppose....
These machines are as rare as hens teeth and - wow! - sooooo pretty!
I dream of owning one but will probably dream on......
MMMMMMmmmmmmm!
HP
He tells me that it should fly this year.
It will be the first time in probably 40 years (?) that a Hawk (not to be confused with the Maggie - the earlier Hawk has trousered legs and a Falcon-type swept fin/rudder) has graced our skies?
What a pity that the RAF Reserve Collections Hawk - in spurious military cols. - is in such poor condition. I doubt whether there are any short-term plans to do anything with it but they won't part with it. If they did restore it, it would only be a static anyway. Ho hum...its theirs, they can do what they want with it I suppose....
These machines are as rare as hens teeth and - wow! - sooooo pretty!
I dream of owning one but will probably dream on......
MMMMMMmmmmmmm!
HP
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Yes, it's the M.2W 'ADWT, which went to Canada in 1964 with the late Father John McGillivray, an RCAF chaplain who'd been based in the Germany. Delightful man, he was a regular attendee at UK fly-ins. I met him at Oshkosh one year when he brought the then Canadian-registered Hawk Major along. The long-term storage and uncertain future of 'ADMW with the RAF Museum Reserve Collection has irked many a Miles enthusiast. It has no significant place in RAF history. Last flew in 1965, I think, so not quite 40 years yet. I'd love to see it flying again, not least because it was once (long before my time!) on the fleet of the Portsmouth Aero Club, where my passion for aviation and Miles aircraft was forged. There's a superb pre-war photo of it in Anthony Triggs's recently published book 'Portsmouth Airport', resplendent in a typical Miles colour scheme of cream wings and tailplane with dark coloured fuselage, fin and 'trousers'. Another — long forgotten — Hawk Major is imminently due in the UK for restoration, but will be leaving again once completed. An expatriate Brit friend of mine in the States has made several unsuccessful attempts to get his hands on one of the South American Hawk Majors, and now is thinking in terms of building one from scratch, having gathered most of the drawings.
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Portsmouth, eh, Aerohack? Happens to be where I had my first flight, local 15 bob trip in a Rapide (but which one..?). Was probably around '52-'53. It must have been on a family day trip to the coast, Witterings, or Hayling. Dad went to Portsmouth G.S. and was obviously happy to revisit regularly. On my third visit on 22 -1-61 I noted Rapides 'HLF, 'JSL and 'KSD, and my feeling tells me 'JSL was my mount earlier on. Tiger Moths to be seen were 'DGT, 'MHF, 'NFP, 'PPB.
Incidentally, I found a couple of Miles 18s in my log, and an Aries or two. What were (are) they?
Incidentally, I found a couple of Miles 18s in my log, and an Aries or two. What were (are) they?
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The M.18 (also referred to earlier in this thread) was a two seat trainer similar to the Maggie... only three prototypes were built between 1938 and 1942, and one still survives, 'HKY, at the Museum of Flight at East Fortune. Brian Iles won the King's Cup in this aeroplane in 1961. The others were 'FRO (Scrapped '47) and 'HOA (crashed 1950).
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The original Geminis that I worked on had the Cirrus minor engines.
We had several at Burnaston and we modified two of these from the Cirrus to the Gypsy Majors.
These were Percy Blamires and I think Fred Dunkerly's.
I worked on both conversions ( as mere apprenti!)
The main thing was that new engine bearers were installed
which was quite a major rework.
The side panels of each engine were rivetted to the bearers and these used hard rivets that had to be softened to drive them. To this end in one of the back sheds ( well away from habitation!) we had a salt bath to heat treat these rivets and as apprenti my job was to monitor this treatment. The bath as the name implies is full of salt which is then heated to molten ( quite hot!!) by gas jets.
The room where this bath was located had all safety poster stuck up showing the dire effects of a drop of water falling in the bath.
I took several hours to get the proceess complete all spent looking at pictures of various demolished buildings
The said rivets were then put in a vacuum flask to keep them workable for maximum time.
I flew in the aircraft several times with Percy who had an artifical leg, the foot of which was firmly strapped to the rudder pedal!
I always thought that this conversion made it an Aries but that may not be technically true as I think the later production aircraft had Gypsys from new.
We had several at Burnaston and we modified two of these from the Cirrus to the Gypsy Majors.
These were Percy Blamires and I think Fred Dunkerly's.
I worked on both conversions ( as mere apprenti!)
The main thing was that new engine bearers were installed
which was quite a major rework.
The side panels of each engine were rivetted to the bearers and these used hard rivets that had to be softened to drive them. To this end in one of the back sheds ( well away from habitation!) we had a salt bath to heat treat these rivets and as apprenti my job was to monitor this treatment. The bath as the name implies is full of salt which is then heated to molten ( quite hot!!) by gas jets.
The room where this bath was located had all safety poster stuck up showing the dire effects of a drop of water falling in the bath.
I took several hours to get the proceess complete all spent looking at pictures of various demolished buildings
The said rivets were then put in a vacuum flask to keep them workable for maximum time.
I flew in the aircraft several times with Percy who had an artifical leg, the foot of which was firmly strapped to the rudder pedal!
I always thought that this conversion made it an Aries but that may not be technically true as I think the later production aircraft had Gypsys from new.
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atb1943: It seems we have several things in common in our pasts. As I mentioned in a previous post on this thread, my first ever flight was also in 1953-53 from Portsmouth, in a Messenger. 15 mins over the Solent, including some steep turns around the forts, I recall. Rapide 'JSL was on the Portsmouth Aero Club fleet for a long time, well into the 60s. It's now in Australia. Had many rides in it, along with the Austers. My pals and I used to hang around the club, helping push aircraft in and out of the hangars, strapping-in pleasure flight customers — many of whom were fetched from Southsea beach by the club Dormobile, and square-searching the field for Auster tailwheels broken off by students, and in return we'd get the occasional flight. For my own part, my first trip in the luxurious cabin of club member Len Snook's Comanche 250, which was the first in the UK when it arrived in the summer of '59, rather spoiled me for the fuel- and dope-smelling Austers and Tigers. How times change! For me and most of my friends those were formative years. And the nicest thing is that with the odd exception we are all still good friends, and all involved in aviation at some level. One incident I now recall humour was the occasion on which I tried to impress a potential girlfriend by inviting her for a ride in one of the club Austers commanded by the first of our little group to gain a PPL. Unfortunately this chap, still a good friend and now a senior 747 captain, elected to do an unannounced PFL down to 50 feet somewhere over the back of Portsdown Hill. It frightened the poor girl so much that after we landed back at Portsmouth and I'd taken her home I never saw her again!
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Thanks chaps for the info on the M.18s and Aries.
Quite a hazardous job TShirt, and the sort of stuff Aviation is made of. Bet you didn't have any protective clothing, eh?
On a similar vein, I was at Hermeskeil museum a couple of years ago when I overheard an elderly lady recounting how she had worked as a seamstress at Messerschmitt, something about sewing the interior of the glazing?? Oh for a tape recorder!
Your activities at Pompey, Aerohack, mirrored ours at Blackbushe fairly comprehensively, but unfortunately we looked our most promising gift horse in the mouth! After he took over the airfield he presented us with a Proctor 'JLS in the hope that we would restore it to its RAF markings etc. We failed miserable, mainly due to the lack of dosh and experience. Used to love listening to his talks that he held in the clubroom on occasions.
As for frightening people off flying, I have a similar story. A friend who had an air taxi business at Sywell needed some capital, so he invited his bank manager to that year's Cranfield do, I suspect one of Flight's September events, but it may have been an early PFA rally. He took us up in his Grumman Tiger with the express purpose of showing the bm what aviation was about. Unfortunately, the chap didn't take mush to neg G, and his pint of Guinness wanted out. Not sure if R got the funding, but I got some amusement out of it. That evening, R arranged with a local farmer to show him the AA5 next day, so after an overnight stop at Sywell, we proceeded south and started looking for the farm. We didn't find it, thanks to the smoke from stubble burning (ah...September), and just made Cranfield just before the show started, landing right over the Tiger Club who were preparing to take off. R still flies, EMBs for Maersk.
Got another question - Blackbushe hosted a Bristol Brigand, RH798 I believe, one Farnborough week in '57 or '58. Anyone with an idea to whom it belonged, and its role?
Now I've got to find the thread about the Spiteful.......
......he being AVM Don Bennett of course, sorry.
Blackbushe bye the way was well-known for its FIDO system, something akin to goosenecks sunken into the tarmac on either side of the runway for fog dispersal. Was this a common wartime system? Was it in any way automated?
Quite a hazardous job TShirt, and the sort of stuff Aviation is made of. Bet you didn't have any protective clothing, eh?
On a similar vein, I was at Hermeskeil museum a couple of years ago when I overheard an elderly lady recounting how she had worked as a seamstress at Messerschmitt, something about sewing the interior of the glazing?? Oh for a tape recorder!
Your activities at Pompey, Aerohack, mirrored ours at Blackbushe fairly comprehensively, but unfortunately we looked our most promising gift horse in the mouth! After he took over the airfield he presented us with a Proctor 'JLS in the hope that we would restore it to its RAF markings etc. We failed miserable, mainly due to the lack of dosh and experience. Used to love listening to his talks that he held in the clubroom on occasions.
As for frightening people off flying, I have a similar story. A friend who had an air taxi business at Sywell needed some capital, so he invited his bank manager to that year's Cranfield do, I suspect one of Flight's September events, but it may have been an early PFA rally. He took us up in his Grumman Tiger with the express purpose of showing the bm what aviation was about. Unfortunately, the chap didn't take mush to neg G, and his pint of Guinness wanted out. Not sure if R got the funding, but I got some amusement out of it. That evening, R arranged with a local farmer to show him the AA5 next day, so after an overnight stop at Sywell, we proceeded south and started looking for the farm. We didn't find it, thanks to the smoke from stubble burning (ah...September), and just made Cranfield just before the show started, landing right over the Tiger Club who were preparing to take off. R still flies, EMBs for Maersk.
Got another question - Blackbushe hosted a Bristol Brigand, RH798 I believe, one Farnborough week in '57 or '58. Anyone with an idea to whom it belonged, and its role?
Now I've got to find the thread about the Spiteful.......
......he being AVM Don Bennett of course, sorry.
Blackbushe bye the way was well-known for its FIDO system, something akin to goosenecks sunken into the tarmac on either side of the runway for fog dispersal. Was this a common wartime system? Was it in any way automated?
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Speedbird48
You mentioned earlier on this thread that you operated 'KKR from Elstree in the early '60s. Perhaps our paths have crossed. I noted her on my first visit to Elstree on 15 Jan '61, and then pedalled across to Panshanger to find 'KKR had beaten me to it.
The Miles M.18 'HKY was at Elstree in those days, along with Aries 'OGA and Whitney Straights 'EUJ and 'FGK, BA Swallow 'EMW and Moth Minor 'FNI.
Aerohack
Was the Comanche you mentioned 'PUZ? Logged 22 Jan 61 along with Travelair 'PUB (also at Heathrow two weeks later). Eastleigh had 'RIO an H.A.C. Halcyon 'almost complete'..? Kidlington a week later revealed W. Straight 'ERV, Monarch 'IDE and Mew Gull 'EXF.
On my first ever visit to Thruxton in the late '50s something happened to me, a little touch of kindness, that I have never forgotten, and that has influenced how I treat even the youngest of customers that come asking for help. The manager of the hangar, big old black one with holes in the roof, showed is round, and sat us in the aircraft I had fallen in love with, Klemm L.25 G-AAHW. He showed compassion and understanding. To him I owe a huge debt.
What a delight to find 'HW, this time on the German register, at Baden Baden a few years ago (9 or 10). If she's still for sale, I may.............!
You mentioned earlier on this thread that you operated 'KKR from Elstree in the early '60s. Perhaps our paths have crossed. I noted her on my first visit to Elstree on 15 Jan '61, and then pedalled across to Panshanger to find 'KKR had beaten me to it.
The Miles M.18 'HKY was at Elstree in those days, along with Aries 'OGA and Whitney Straights 'EUJ and 'FGK, BA Swallow 'EMW and Moth Minor 'FNI.
Aerohack
Was the Comanche you mentioned 'PUZ? Logged 22 Jan 61 along with Travelair 'PUB (also at Heathrow two weeks later). Eastleigh had 'RIO an H.A.C. Halcyon 'almost complete'..? Kidlington a week later revealed W. Straight 'ERV, Monarch 'IDE and Mew Gull 'EXF.
On my first ever visit to Thruxton in the late '50s something happened to me, a little touch of kindness, that I have never forgotten, and that has influenced how I treat even the youngest of customers that come asking for help. The manager of the hangar, big old black one with holes in the roof, showed is round, and sat us in the aircraft I had fallen in love with, Klemm L.25 G-AAHW. He showed compassion and understanding. To him I owe a huge debt.
What a delight to find 'HW, this time on the German register, at Baden Baden a few years ago (9 or 10). If she's still for sale, I may.............!
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atb1943: Yes, the Comanche was indeed 'PUZ, which still exists. It arrived at Portsmouth in late July/early August 1959, looking incredibly modern againt the usual Austers, Tigers, Maggies etc. Owner Len Snook was a local bookie. In 1961 he traded it for an Apache G, G-ARED, for which I discovered many years later from CSE's former MD Rex Smith, he paid with used notes from a suitcase! Ironically, very much later after Portsmouth had closed and some of its former residents were temporarily based at Ford, Snook was sent down for some kind of footbal pools scam, and he ended up in the open prison there. Whatever he did, I still remember him with affection as the man who gave me my first two flights in aircraft, and MMMMMiles aircraft at that. Ah, the big black hangar at Thruxton! Housed the Zaunkoenig G-ALUA amongst other treasures around then. I last saw that a few years ago at Berlin-Schoenfeld when I was reporting the ILA Show, as it happened in the company of old friend and colleague John Fricker, who used to fly it in the early 1950s (and to keep within this thread's main theme, he may also be the only man alive to have flown both Miles jets, Sparrowjet and Student). As for the HAC Halcyon, it fell apart during taxy trials and never flew. I was snooping around the Hampshire Aeroplane Club hangar at Eastleigh one day when it was being put together, trying to photograph an elderly Belgian Bonanza that had badly dented itself taxying into a lighting stand, and a brand-new South African Comanche (it was the one that sadly crashed fatally last year in Essex on a post-maintenance test flight — incapacitation through CO leakage according to the recent AAIB report). Got thrown out and given a tongue lashing by a chap whom I later discovered (and got to befriend) as the legendary Viv Bellamy. Happy days!
Last edited by Aerohack; 12th Jan 2003 at 15:42.