Me too! A bit later than your years and I flew out of Stansted. The Heralds had gone when I joined but I certainly remember them operating the IoM service from Blackpool when I was doing my PPL.

I remember doing a couple of trips with Bill Bateson before I started my PPL course proper. He was something of an acquired taste as an instructor and I wasn't sorry he was with a different club when I started my training.

Longish article on the Drover in a well known magazine just on the news stands

Which mag?

Thanks. Will buy a copy tomorrow.

...Edited.

At nearly a fiver for a short mag article, I decided to splash out on the £20 book instead. Now ordered. (Air Britain members, which I'm not, get it £6 cheaper).

Although the aeroplane doesn't have any operational history in the UK, its unusual configuration and quirky looks would surely attract interest to both aviation enthusiasts and the general public.

If there are airworthy examples in Australia, would that make it possible for the CAA to look positively at allowing it to be rebuilt to fly in UK?

As a chippy pilot for many decades, I do wonder at the Drover's potential for mag drops... with three Gipsy Majors!

I believe there are two airworthy examples

One owned by Panorama Airways in Bathurst

The second is based in Wollongong with the Historic Aircraft Restoration Society