BBMF Chippies new scheme
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: truro
Age: 68
Posts: 71
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Self Loading The Chipmunks you saw were based at Plymouth with Britannia Flight, if you lived in Tamerton then that would probably be Sandy Sinclair who took over from my father as Naval Flying grading Examiner on the Chipmunks, both retired from the RN and continued flying the Chipmunks as civilian instructors. The new scheme is very close to the scheme the Navy's chipmunks used to wear, I wonder how long it will be before someone manages to paint royal navy on the side.
gordon
gordon
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,056
Received 2,930 Likes
on
1,250 Posts
Seeing as we like Chippies, have added a couple of my friends Chipmunk, or it was, as they were selling it I believe..
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 543
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Actually, Chippies have been within the BBMF a long time. They are used for tail wheel-type training/familiarization for those who fly the Spits and Hurricanes.
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Cloud9
Posts: 365
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
An ex-RAF pal of mine once recounted to me an incident which occured when he was a Rigger on Station Flight somewhere many moons ago (Thorney Island? Ahhhh........).
A long-retired Old Boy had departed this mortal coil, & his widow requested that his ashes be scattered by the RAF that he loved so dearly. The Station's Chipmunk & Padre were pressed into service; the brief was that the Padre would say a few words in flight, the canopy would be opened & the good Padre would jettison the contents of the urn overboard.
All went swimmingly until the canopy was opened & the Padre removed the top of the urn, whereupon Mr Venturi joined in & the ashes jettisoned themselves in a flash, all over the Padre & rear cockpit.
My pal went out to greet the returning Chippie, & was surprised to see that the Padre was entirely the hue of alabaster, coated liberally in the dearly departed's ashes. A vacuum cleaner was employed to remove the mess from the cockpit; an example, I suggest, of Dyson with death.......
HB
A long-retired Old Boy had departed this mortal coil, & his widow requested that his ashes be scattered by the RAF that he loved so dearly. The Station's Chipmunk & Padre were pressed into service; the brief was that the Padre would say a few words in flight, the canopy would be opened & the good Padre would jettison the contents of the urn overboard.
All went swimmingly until the canopy was opened & the Padre removed the top of the urn, whereupon Mr Venturi joined in & the ashes jettisoned themselves in a flash, all over the Padre & rear cockpit.
My pal went out to greet the returning Chippie, & was surprised to see that the Padre was entirely the hue of alabaster, coated liberally in the dearly departed's ashes. A vacuum cleaner was employed to remove the mess from the cockpit; an example, I suggest, of Dyson with death.......
HB
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have a similar story concerning the scattering of ashes from an SAR Wessex at Manston. The ashes were dropped out of the cabin door over the middle of the airfield and 'Mr Venturi' and others spread them all over the cabin.
We had to sweep some of the ashes out of the Wessex when it had landed back on the pan!
We had to sweep some of the ashes out of the Wessex when it had landed back on the pan!
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
BBMF Chippies new scheme
New member, and first post.
I believe the pair of Chipmunks shown pulling up and to the right, are over BRNC Dartmouth, and from looking at the serials, I believe them to be 904, (WP856) and 908, (WB657), both of which were with the RN Grading Flight at Roborough
Flew both of them as part of my time at Dartmouth with the then Britannia Flying Club
Ended up as TACCO with VS816 (Grumman S2 Trackers) and Air Ops Officer of HMAS MELBOURNE (CVS 21)
I believe the pair of Chipmunks shown pulling up and to the right, are over BRNC Dartmouth, and from looking at the serials, I believe them to be 904, (WP856) and 908, (WB657), both of which were with the RN Grading Flight at Roborough
Flew both of them as part of my time at Dartmouth with the then Britannia Flying Club
Ended up as TACCO with VS816 (Grumman S2 Trackers) and Air Ops Officer of HMAS MELBOURNE (CVS 21)
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Hanging off the end of a thread
Posts: 33,056
Received 2,930 Likes
on
1,250 Posts
Welcome 
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: UK
Posts: 24
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Chipmunk Markings
My vote for the nicest Chipmunk colour scheme goes to this one:
Prince Charles Has Flying Lessons AKA Prince Charles Learns To Fly - British Pathé
Link added as I'm unable to attach an image. WP903/G-BCGC is now in gentle retirement at RAF Henlow and attended Prince William's wings parade.
The black BBMF ones did look rather sporty though! I was watching someone being given a circuit bashing session in a silver and dayglo one at Scampton a couple of weeks ago and wondered who it might be. I now know.
Prince Charles Has Flying Lessons AKA Prince Charles Learns To Fly - British Pathé
Link added as I'm unable to attach an image. WP903/G-BCGC is now in gentle retirement at RAF Henlow and attended Prince William's wings parade.
The black BBMF ones did look rather sporty though! I was watching someone being given a circuit bashing session in a silver and dayglo one at Scampton a couple of weeks ago and wondered who it might be. I now know.
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Back in Blighty
Age: 73
Posts: 185
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nice picture to start the thread!
I flew my first RAF solo in 518 on 09 Feb 1969, off the grass of White Waltham.
I well remember the rollocking after picking up the heroic QFI from the caravan for not knowing the checks to shut it down.
I flew my first RAF solo in 518 on 09 Feb 1969, off the grass of White Waltham.
I well remember the rollocking after picking up the heroic QFI from the caravan for not knowing the checks to shut it down.
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Erewhon
Posts: 474
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Did aeros in a Navy one overhead Dartmoor Prison in 1969 - just to let the inmates know what they were missing.
Returned to Roborough when it was grass (not sure what its status is now). There had to be some advantages of being at BRNC Dartmouth . . .
Returned to Roborough when it was grass (not sure what its status is now). There had to be some advantages of being at BRNC Dartmouth . . .
Seeing as we like Chippies
I like them red white and black, purely because that's how they were back when I was in the Air Cadets when I got to take the controls on a few occasions. I'm so gutted I lost my 3822 so I will never be able to find out which ones I flew in.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,812
Received 137 Likes
on
64 Posts
Fortunately I still have mine!
First Air Experience flight (0:35) in WP981 at White Waltham, 13 Mar 59
First Air Experience flight (0:35) in WP981 at White Waltham, 13 Mar 59
