Wub, I'll go along with Yeovilton. Definitely Ted White and Keith Sissons.

Treadders. I thought of Ellie and since that lady is there with Ted and Keith I am sure you are right. Jeff's hat was so bad we thought it was quite capable of climbing aboard itself! It suffered rather badly at Biggin one year when the windscreen of the B25 he was driving caved in on take off. Could have been much worse than it was though.

This all suddenly reminds me that I still miss Ted. One of the truly fanatical aircraft protectors. We spent many happy hours and days on airfields - at displays together.

CP

I think a photo of the hat is called for so that we may all admire its splendour! Anyone got one...?

Same B-25 I'll wager at Biggin, it turned up at quite few shows I was at. Mind you, reading through the list of dispersals of the Needle B-25s, it seems as if he flew them till they broke, dumped them and went back to Blackbushe to get another...

I remember going up there during Farnborough week - 78? - four B-25s, half a dozen Daks, a sprinkling of Ju-52s and that was just what was visible on the airfield... the other B-25 turned up next time I went there... Oh and ex Moroccan Fennecs...

While perhaps Ted would have had his hands full keeping the B-17 airworthy, one wonders what he might have gone on to achieve... I sincerely hope Sally B can be kept going ad infinitum - she might be twenty years older than me but I suspect she's much better looked after!

Where's me pipe and slippers...

PS CamelPilot - I suspect you have the cushiest spot on PPRuNe - do you actually ever have to do any moderating?!!:D

Treaders:

If the Starfighter crashed in '79, then the B-25 pic must have been taken the following year, because I witnessed the F-104's demise and I wasn't in the grandstand, from where the B-25 pic was taken.

I seem to remember the 104 had finished his display and was in the circuit to land and just fell out of the sky into a field about a mile from the airfield.

I went to Yeovilton shows every year for about 8 years, it was a fabulous show, in a great location and always attracted some super aircraft - and yes, FRADU's display team was the Blue Herons, named after Yeovilton's nautical name, HMS Heron.

Treadders

This forum is just one I moderate on. But you are right, it does tend to be cushy. I have only had to draw a line twice since the forum opened. That is probably because we are all of one mind when it comes to Aircraft, all the nostalgia and the history - and we all just want to enjoy it.

I particularly like to encourage certain threads to keep going so that we can gleen much more from a subject which is 100 years old this year. Indeed, the thread on Wilbur and Orville is one such thread we should be able to keep going for the rest of the year.

We have many many people from the US who could contribute and I very much hope they do. We have very many people from all over the world and I hope they do as well. It is a very strong fraternity which will last forever.

While making the above points. I would love to see more threads started by those who have a experiences going back many years. There is much to be heard about the RAF, Navy and the Army for example. From test pilots, like John Farley, who does make very interesting contributions. From people who fly/flew the warbirds for fun, as I did, but I have made my contributions. From ferry pilots who tackle the job of bringing aeroplanes from the other side of the world. From those who spend hours, month in and month out restoring aircraft. From museum curators who can give us an inside look at their particular achievements, and their problems. We won't mind if their museum gets an airing on PPRuNe.

The list of possible contributors is endless. PPRuNe could be a hive of information that would be the envy of - ............................that list is endless too.

This, all from a comment from Treadders and why not.

CP

Absolutely CP: I hope no one thought I was taking the wotsit as I only frequent half a dozen or so of the PPRuNe forums or so (didn't realise you moderate others!), and this one is, by far, the friendliest - if there has been the merest whiff of back biting it has been in a tolerant and forgiving manner... I hope it never changes, in that respect. Absolutely great stuff! I enjoy it hugely and am bereft when neccessity bars me from checking on the latest gossip.

And more from the experts please... I am a mere student of aviation, a repaeater of tales and observations...

Incidently, the comapny I work for does a lot of work at airports and airfields and, spotting a marketing opportunity, my boss announced this week that we should invite our airport clients to a "100 Years of Aviation" event.

"Oh," I said, tongue firmly in cheek, we've missed Pearce's achievement, 1902 and all that..."

She glared at me: "Listen... old man... we're celebrating Flight's centenary on 12th December. Got it?"

"17th December" said I. "Actually. And shouldn't that be a lower case f?."

Treadders (ducking to avoid the pro-Pearce squad's missiles).