Around 17 June 1940, evacuated from Jersey to Heston - I don't remember it as I was only 6 weeks old.

My earliest memory of a flight was from Southampton back to Jersey at the end of 1945 in a Rapide which had what I now know to be a T1154 mounted on the fwd bulkhead. I was told not to touch!

First, BOAC Stratocruiser Ringway, Prestwick, Shannon, got off for full dinner, then to Gander and Montreal. 1957

Next, CP Air Montreal to Vancouver. United to SFO. Then BOAC B707 to HNL, NAN, SYD. 1969

Since then far too many to count.

Memories as a toddler climbing the stairs and entering through an oval door. So must have been a TAA Vickers Viscount on the Melbourne to Sydney run circa 1960.

Much clearer memories as a 13 yo flying first class in a TAA 727 at Government expense from Melbourne to Port Moresby and return. Life has been a disappointment ever since. :E

Late 60's...in a Tri - Pacer...from MAN to Farnborough....alas, a perfect gliding day as they say...one excited yoof, one breakfast...one sick bag later.... we diverted to Sleap due to one's condition deteriorating....the irony is that I have never been airsick since.

Viscount: Rome to Gatwick - August 1965. And then as ICM puts it the real business: with remarkable similarity to his experience and a shade over a year later out of No 2 ANS by then at RAF Gaydon, B1 famil flight in a Valetta (WJ 478), Ihr 10mins day, followed on the same day by famil flight B2 in a Varsity (WF 385), 1hr 15mins day.

A TAA Boeing 727 from Perth to Brisbane in 1966.
On landing at Adelaide en route a big gout of flame shot past the window, the bloke sitting next to me asked if that was supposed to happen to which I replied; "I dunno Mate, it's my first flight too!"

July 1966 - British Midland DC-3 Elmdon to Sandown (Isle of Wight) - having been able to visit the flightdeck, or should that be the cockpit ? I remember being fascinated by the Decca navigation and its moving map !

So far we have had;

1 x 1940
1 x 1944
1 x 1948
1 x 1950
1 x 1952
1 x 1953
2 x 1954
1 x 1955
1 x 1956
3 x 1957
3 x 1958
2 x 1960
2 x 1961
2 x 1962
3 x 1963
2 x 1965
5 x 1966
1 x 1967
1 x 1969
1 x 1972
1 x 1973
1 x 1974

Are the people who frequent this forum of a certain age ;)

Dave

PS...... It's a slow tele night! ........OK I'll get a life!!!!

OK we can scratch 1951 out now too.


Handley Page HP 81Hermes G-ALDT

London-Rome-Cairo-Khartoum-Entebbe-Dar es Salaam

And yes I AM a baby boomer!!!

:}

Goodness me!

My posting prompted me to stick 'Hermes' into Google and it threw up THIS of a BOAC Hermes at Dar es Salaam. I was absolutely stunned as it rolled back almost 60 years for me!

If you look on Google Earth you can see 'old' Dar airport to the south of the city and it is still possible to make out the old ramp where this picture was taken.:ok:

FW

Chiipmunk, RAF Oakington, ATC summer camp. Seems like 100 years ago.... :{

My first RAF Section CCF Field Day, RAF Bassingbourn 1957 - Anson (I think TX219) - having wanted to fly in the RAF and go to Cranwell since the age of about 5, my biggest concern was that I might not enjoy the experience - I did! Now 66 and learning again to glide, this time in France, I still get a huge grin from flying.

1968 Manston - Basel C-54 Skymaster, may have been operated by Air Ferry.

48 or 49. Auster with stepfather, Mike Graves, aged four or five. Sat in LH seat, don't know why but remember it very distinctly, looking out of left hand window as we flew around our house in Yeovil and he pointed out the features. (Climbing tree, walled kitchen garden, haha. (No, I mean we had a haha of which, until then, I had never seen the other side!)

Second was the almost universal Rapide flight at LAP!

Interesting how many people had their first flight in an Auster. By the time I did my PPL there were very few of them around, must have been far more around the end of the war.

Chris VJ - Did my Flying Scholarship at Sywell July 1961 in 4 ancient Auster J1/Ns, of which I know that at least MTM is still flying. Instructor an irascible 72 year old called Les Hilditch.

1964 Radlett Auster with my dad

1975 Gulf Air VC-10 LHR-BAH-MCT, then a year later from MCT on first GF L-1011 service.

Mark Five Anson with a Polish Flight Sergent pilot, only later did I find out that one really shouldnt loop an Anson, after I got my RCAF wings I looked him up and had a beer with him, Flt Sgt Slon{Spelling} thank you for pointing me in the right direction.

My First Flight
 

First flew from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn New York as a Civil Air Patrol Cadet in June 1948. Aircraft was a New York Air National Guard Douglas B-26 (they had redesignated the A-26 Invader as B-26). Lost my logbook si don't know number or name of pilot but the ship had eight 0.50 in the nose, three more in each wing and four in turrets. A real gunship and a memorable first flight. Spent 52 years in aircraft maintenance so it made an impression and even worked an A-26 in mid-fifties after it landed with an engine out at the then KIDL (now KJFK).