Footage of Russ Pengelly's Lightning aerobatic displays?
 

Dear all,

I am one of the sons of Russ Pengelly, who was the RAF's Lightning aeros display pilot in the early 1970s. Sadly he was lost in 1979 flying a Tornado prototype. I have been hunting for any footage of him flying for years. It would mean a great deal to me if anyone with even the vaguest idea of where I should search could reply.

Kind regards,
Jim

Russ was the pilot for the Air-to-Air photography of the Lightning done for Farnborough ('70 ?) from an RAE Hastings. ( He and Oscar Wilde were presenting the aircraft on behalf of the RAF)
Tom Hamill of " Flight" got some lovely shots of him barrel rolling the beast around the HP's wingtip -one of which made the front cover of "Flight" IIRC. They may have more in their archives..
Some years he later told me he that was subsequently sent a shot from Bee Beaumont - of him doing exactly the same with a P1 in the '50's.

Can I assume that you knew my father from your reply? If so I'd love to hear any stories you have. I think we have the pictures you are talking about from Flight but I have written to them anyway to ask for all photos and any footage they might have.

You've probably got this- but good picture of your Dad here - on the ground.

http://www.servicepals.com/index.cfm...imageID/46864/

The Tom Hammil pic in question
 

Nope, I haven't ever seen that picture! It's fantastic. I'll send it to my mum, she'll be thrilled. Thank you!

Yes, that's a lovely shot. We have that one hanging on the wall at home. Looks like one of 23 Squadron's Lightnings, who dad flew with at Leuchars. Thanks very much for the link to the Flight archives, I had no idea there was an online archive.

Russ Pengelly
 

JJ,

You have probably seen this site: 89 Entry RAF College, but here it is in case you have not. You might wish to try through there.

Rgds
YS

Thanks very much - I hadn't seen this site before. I'm not sure what my father thought that haircut was about though! :)

Jetset Jimbo,

I have sent you a Private Message.

RGDS
YS

I believe that Al Pengelly was his brother?
Was a pilot on 230 when I joined them in '89.
He was pretty handy with a Puma!
lsh

russ pengelly
 

I worked with russ while i was stationed at wattisham,he was a brilliant pilot and a gentleman.I was on the TFF from 1970 thru to 1972.I was fortunate enough to be selected to be the airframe mechanic to accompany lightning xm139 for the Parish air show.I have a good photo of the team incl russ taken just before we left RAF Wattisham.It was a sad day for me ,and,iwould imagine,for all the tff team when they heard of his sad,fatal accident.He got very close to heaven when he performed hie vertical climb at the airshows.he's reached there now and i'm sure resting peacefully.regards,john titmarsh.

Mercury man
 

Jimbo, you have brought back memories of Cranwell 55 or so years back, I was on 88 Entry A Sqn, your Dad (and one Jerry Pook) on 89 A, so saw quite a lot of him.uy. Really nice guy Oddly, by then out of the RAF I was at a local government trade union conference at Blackpool when he had his fatal accident. which saddened me greatly. Best wishes to you and all your family

Russ Pengelly flying F.1A XM177 at Farnborough Airshow, probably 1972.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....210dd8975e.jpg

https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarch...0-%200621.html

The reference in #5 above shows Russ at Farnborough in '70 with a 23 Sqn Lightning. We set this up together one night in the Mess as I was coordinating the arriving aircraft Air to Air photography at the time.
I was standing by Tom Hamill as he took the sequence, 8000 ft over Hampshire with the Hastings ( RAE Southern Squadron's WD480) freight door off.

I do recall a good dit concerning (at a distance) Russ and his brother Alan (whom I did know). Alan was refreshing on the Wessex OCU (OK - HOCF) in the early 70s before going to Sharjah as QHI, while I was converting, also en route for Sharjah.

Al was in the crew room, trying to 'phone Russ at Colt (??) - military 'phones were trickier in them days. Al eventually got through to Russ' squadron, and although we could only hear half the conversation, it still had us ROFLOAO as I beiieve it would be put now.

AP: Could I speak to Flt Lt Pengelly please?
.................
AP: This is Flt Lt Pengelly.
................
AP: No, I want to speak to Flt Lt Pengelly.....
................
AP: But I am Flt Lt Pengelly..

and so on and so on for what seemed ages. Perhaps you had to be there, but the helpful explanatory words "it's my brother" never seemed to come out .........

Mercury man
 

My friend the late russ pengelly
 

Hello!! Sorry for my very very slow reply. Life has been full of ups and downs and I've not been on the site for a long time. Mum still lives in Tavistock, did you ever meet her? Drop me a PM and we can swap emails.