http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/...mans_Pitts.jpg


This photo is part of the APN archive and dates from the mid 70's. I seem to remember seeing a Pitts still wearing its Rothmans livery as late as 1986 at a display at Goodwood.

If my memory serves me correctly there was a short film made in the 70's called something like the 'Wind in the wires' narrated by the great James Mason which featued the Rothmans team. It was made in that wonderful colour film that they used before video tape came along.


Batchy.

http://img51.photobucket.com/albums/...s_Pitts_II.jpg


I managed to find the old slide I took at Goodwood in 86, does anyone know who was the pilot.

Batchy.

I remember standing on the airfield at Compton Abbas in about 1970 when the RAT flew past in their Stampes. As they got to about the middle of the runway, but about 500 yards to one side, they pulled up into a loop and then carried on their way without changing heading

OK - here are Aerohack's excellent Rothmans and Marlboro photos: I'll leave him to provide the narrative!

1:
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...Rothmans-1.jpg

2:
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...Rothmans-2.jpg

3:
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...Rothmans-3.jpg

4:
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...ph/Mboro-1.jpg

5:
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...ph/Mboro-2.jpg

6:
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...ph/Mboro-3.jpg

7:
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...ph/Mboro-4.jpg

8:
http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q...igraph/zph.jpg

Batchy, Bob Mitchell was flying G-BADW in 1986. Probably Bob or Dai Heather-Hayes.

Great pictures.

KZ8

Thanks KZ8,

Was 1986 the end of the line for Rothmans sponsorship, I cant recall ever seeing the livery on anything after that Goodwood display in 1986.

Batchy.

Batchy,

I think 1983 would have been the last year that Rothmans sponsered the Pitts. By that time they were concentrating on the Pitts solo display flown by David Perrin in G-SOLO.

G-BADW was bought by the Aerospace Museum at Cosford in 1980 and statically displayed there with the Rothmans Stampe G-AWIW. A change of musuem policy meant that the aircraft were put up for sale in 1984.

Once sold, G-BADW was then brought up to airwothiness and flown for a couple of seasons from 1986 in Rothmans colours before the arrival of a sponsor dictated a repaint.

KZ8

Those pictures brought back memories of my childhood... Many thanks for posting them.
Fantastic thread too. I flew with John Jordan in his Steaman as an Air Cadet at a Branstormers do at Cranfield in the 80's. Fantastic bloke. I enjoyed those displays too. Shame they don't happen anymore. That sort of display is rare these days.
Many thanks one and all for the trip down memory lane.
OAW

Branstormers? Freudian slip or not, very appropriate considering Mr Jordan's family business. :ok:

Thanks for the further info KZ8, it seems strange that the Rothmans colours were retained when the aircraft was returned to flight after its stay at Cosford. I'm sure the sponsor would not let it happen just incase some 'incident' were to happen.

Orange arm Waver, I remember John Jordan displaying the stearman at Old Warden, on more than one occassion, has he retired from flying now, I seem to remember he was quite a good age in the late 80's.

At one show the Stearman carried German WWI markings a legacy of the Biggles Movie if I remember correctly.

Great display pilot and much missed on the circuit.

Batchy.

As a matter of interest, did John Jordan used to perform aerobatics in his Stearman?

Yes he did - if you've seen Channel 4's "Classic Aircraft" he does so in one episode... not sure how old he is now, but I believe he was playing rugby at 60!

And not only in the Stearman. He once showed me a photograph of himself inverted at very low level in a Vickers Warwick!

Simtech
Ooops:ok:

Batchy
He did the flying of the Stearman in that film... Lame story but love the flying in it. When I flew in it with him there were only three dials in the front cockpit, oil temp, oil pressure and one other that escapes me - it was an engine one. There was no intercom just a tap on the shoulder when it was my go and a tap when time to give her back. Only did a circuit of Cranfield and didn't keep the height very well but a memorable flight.
It was a fantastic machine and still had some of the film markings on her on that day.
He is indeed missed from the scene

Yak11 Fan
He really threw the Stearman around the sky during the displays...

OAW

Would I be right in saying that his Stearman is a 450hp R985 powered machine?
I was under the impression that the CAA took a dim view of the 450 Stearman performing aerobatics on the British register or did the rules change more recently? This is not intended to be a dig at the CAA or anyone else, I hope that someone can point me in the right direction for some guidance on this matter or let me know of any information on the 450 Stearman.

Many Thanks

Chris

Yak11 Fan

The CAA register G-INFO lists the engine as a PRATT & WHITNEY R-985-AN1. I've no idea what that relates to in HP as not into engine details.
Hope it helps in some way.
OAW

It has (and has always had since its arrival in the UK in 1961) a 450hp R-985 P&W Wasp Jnr — very common post-war conversion in the USA for cropdusting which also became a favourite mount of airshow performers. G-AROY was in single-seat cropduster configuration when John Jordan first imported it, and I fancy he may even have used it thus

I believe he dusted with it in the US and brought it back overhere... I saved an article from the Daily Telegraph magazine back in the 80's about the man and his machine. Will see if I can find it and let you know more next week.
OAW

OAW, quite correct, according to JJ on "Classic Aircraft" he dusted with it in the States, came back to the UK, then acquired the aircraft from his former employer... or something like that...

Apart form the inverted Warwick incident, two others stick in my memory: getting an award for landing dead stick in Spit after n engine failure - an unacknowledged consequence of flying it inverted for some considerable time! And if I recall he flew under the Orwell Bridge at Ipswich in the Stearman...

Ahhhhhh Aerohack. Methinks you identify yourself as a Grade 1 knitted anorak in this thread. That is NOT an insult...merely an observation.!!

Taildragger:

Guilty as charged, though never actually owned an anorak (knitted one wouldn't be much use, would it?). Just spent best part of a professional lifetime recording the passing aviation scene, and reached that time in it when I can recall with remarkable clarity events of 30 or more years ago, but not always what I did yesterday...