What oddballs have you flown or been flown in?
The Fauvel
You could loop it on the trim and the thing just rotated around the main spar! Trim setting for landing was "lean head forward" and for thermals it was "push your head back" - Great fun!
Britten-Norman Defender
Crossing the Thames just East of Tower Bridge at 1500` Air Tragic asked "what type of aircraft? - Military? " (I understand Military aircraft were not allowed to transit at that time. Before London City too)
Looking out at the SNEB pods on the wings and the Machine gun mounted in the door (There were actually bullet holes in the port spats from earlier less than successful trials) we replied "Erm...No ...Just an Islander"
Beverly boom
Out of Waddo on the way to Luqa - fully laden when an engine went to auto-feather. Thank God for the Lincoln edge as we were able to dive over it to gain enough speed to get back on the runway...never forget looking (from a very shallow angle) at the fire truck & ambulances charging across the grass trying to get to the scene of the accident before we did. 6d/half-a-crown (Squeaky bum) time
In the same Beverly (after it was fixed) at `nearly` 9000 ft heading South to refuel at Istres and following the Rhone valley into a stiff Southerly wind. Looking down I noticed we were being overtaken by Southbound cars on the roads below us..
You could loop it on the trim and the thing just rotated around the main spar! Trim setting for landing was "lean head forward" and for thermals it was "push your head back" - Great fun!
Britten-Norman Defender
Crossing the Thames just East of Tower Bridge at 1500` Air Tragic asked "what type of aircraft? - Military? " (I understand Military aircraft were not allowed to transit at that time. Before London City too)
Looking out at the SNEB pods on the wings and the Machine gun mounted in the door (There were actually bullet holes in the port spats from earlier less than successful trials) we replied "Erm...No ...Just an Islander"
Beverly boom
Out of Waddo on the way to Luqa - fully laden when an engine went to auto-feather. Thank God for the Lincoln edge as we were able to dive over it to gain enough speed to get back on the runway...never forget looking (from a very shallow angle) at the fire truck & ambulances charging across the grass trying to get to the scene of the accident before we did. 6d/half-a-crown (Squeaky bum) time
In the same Beverly (after it was fixed) at `nearly` 9000 ft heading South to refuel at Istres and following the Rhone valley into a stiff Southerly wind. Looking down I noticed we were being overtaken by Southbound cars on the roads below us..
Last edited by oldmansquipper; 11th Mar 2013 at 23:00.
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Flew a circuit in one (grasshopper) off a winch launch to around 800 ft at Cranwell in the early 60s. Best ever view, but it glid rather like a brick. Good fun, though.
Last edited by xtp; 11th Mar 2013 at 23:03.
As pax:
Super Frelon on Ex. with the French.
Kamov KA32 on a lifting job at Dover two years ago. I am still missing 'intermeshing' (Kamen style) and tilt-rotor in order to fly in all configurations of rotorcraft
Super Frelon on Ex. with the French.
Kamov KA32 on a lifting job at Dover two years ago. I am still missing 'intermeshing' (Kamen style) and tilt-rotor in order to fly in all configurations of rotorcraft
Death Cruiser Flight Crew
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Eh?
SOSL your flight to Kano certainly has some distinctly oddball things about it. It took place circa 1957, yes? The normal aircraft type on the west Africa run at that time was the Canadair Argonaut. Strictly speaking, BOAC never operated Super Constellations, only the 049, 749 and 749A variants, and I've only ever heard of them being on the Atlantic and Far East routes. You staged via Paris, Rome and Tripoli? The latter two I can buy. Paris, I don't think so. I can't remember BOAC operating via Paris, on any route in that era.
Was this was a one-off charter perhaps ... and is the registration recorded in your Junior Jet Club logbook?
Was this was a one-off charter perhaps ... and is the registration recorded in your Junior Jet Club logbook?
Last edited by Georgeablelovehowindia; 12th Mar 2013 at 12:31.
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GBLHI
Good question - 1957, yes. I wasn't planning to go into this much detail.
The flight you ask about was a special, laid on routinely, in those days, for the start of the boarding school summer hols. Kids (who were aged from 7 upwards) from boarding schools all over the UK, whose parents were serving abroad (Diplomatic Service or Colonial Service) would be put onto trains (my prep school was near Matlock so my cohort all travelled from Derby) bound for London, by their school staff.
We were met at one of the London RW stations by BOAC employed nannies. How did the nannies know who was who? We all had baggage labels attached to our blazers and the nannies stood on the platform with signs so we could congregate on them and I think there was a sweeper up nanny to prevent escapes.
We were then all bussed to the BOAC/BEA Victoria terminus, (unwisely) given a drink of lemonade and then bussed out to Heathrow. Where the nannies spent a lot of time taking little boys and girls to the loo. The nannies kept an eye on us and helped or scolded us as appropriate.
When we boarded the aircraft some of the nannies also came on board, dealt with our little problems during the flight and made sure we got off at the right airport, with our baggage.
We landed in Paris, for sure, because there were a few youngsters on the flight whose parents were on the staff of the embassy - same in Rome and same in Tripoli.
There were about 10 of us went all the way to Kano. My Dad was the District Officer for Abuja; a small rural village at the time. During the hols the Emir of Abuja sent 2 of his horse and grooms to our residence and took me and my sister pony trekking around the village - we saw some Duiker deer and 2 huge scary monitor lizards IIRC.
You must be right about the Super Constellation - I didn't mean to mislead, just the sands of time affecting my memory! It had a long sleek fuselage with stylish wings and a very broad tail with three fins.
Travelled in an Argonaut LHW to Kano for easter hols.
This is a long way from Mil aviation but it answers a question which only touches on part of my OP.
Rgds SOS
The flight you ask about was a special, laid on routinely, in those days, for the start of the boarding school summer hols. Kids (who were aged from 7 upwards) from boarding schools all over the UK, whose parents were serving abroad (Diplomatic Service or Colonial Service) would be put onto trains (my prep school was near Matlock so my cohort all travelled from Derby) bound for London, by their school staff.
We were met at one of the London RW stations by BOAC employed nannies. How did the nannies know who was who? We all had baggage labels attached to our blazers and the nannies stood on the platform with signs so we could congregate on them and I think there was a sweeper up nanny to prevent escapes.
We were then all bussed to the BOAC/BEA Victoria terminus, (unwisely) given a drink of lemonade and then bussed out to Heathrow. Where the nannies spent a lot of time taking little boys and girls to the loo. The nannies kept an eye on us and helped or scolded us as appropriate.
When we boarded the aircraft some of the nannies also came on board, dealt with our little problems during the flight and made sure we got off at the right airport, with our baggage.
We landed in Paris, for sure, because there were a few youngsters on the flight whose parents were on the staff of the embassy - same in Rome and same in Tripoli.
There were about 10 of us went all the way to Kano. My Dad was the District Officer for Abuja; a small rural village at the time. During the hols the Emir of Abuja sent 2 of his horse and grooms to our residence and took me and my sister pony trekking around the village - we saw some Duiker deer and 2 huge scary monitor lizards IIRC.
You must be right about the Super Constellation - I didn't mean to mislead, just the sands of time affecting my memory! It had a long sleek fuselage with stylish wings and a very broad tail with three fins.
Travelled in an Argonaut LHW to Kano for easter hols.
This is a long way from Mil aviation but it answers a question which only touches on part of my OP.
Rgds SOS
Last edited by SOSL; 16th Mar 2013 at 13:10. Reason: Bit more detail
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Almost everyone here has me beat. Skipping some of the ones that should have been oddities, like a Cessna 411 and a Lear 23, the oddest one I have flown is a Beagle 206 SII. In a fit of insanity I bought this one when it was in serious need of care, fixed it up, painted it in my traditional colors and flew it around South Florida and the Bahamas for a couple of years before selling it. This photo was taken by the new owner who stuck taht odd decal on the tail. IIRC, there were six of them remaining on the world registries when I had this one. I flew several of those. The type certificate was owned by South Florida aircraft which bought almost all of them. Prince Charles got his multi engine rating in one.
Teeteringhead - fully agree about needing more volunteers for the ACO. More staff = more activities for the cadets.
Mods - Apologies for the further thread creep.
Mods - Apologies for the further thread creep.
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My first flight (as an ATC cadet) was in Lancaster H-D from MOTU and my final flight in a 4 piston engined type was in the B-17 Sally B - which was very much quieter!
Just found my old 3822 from ATC. Lists Chipmunk (AEF @ Manston), Zedburg & Kirby Cadet (both West Malling), Rapide, Dove & Heron (Biggin Hill, last 2 Fairflight a/c).
Apart from that several flights in Anthony Huttons Beech 18 out of North Weald and some "interesting" manoeuvres in a yellow Sea King.
Apart from that several flights in Anthony Huttons Beech 18 out of North Weald and some "interesting" manoeuvres in a yellow Sea King.
Avoid imitations
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One of the strangest aircraft I flew was also one of the first I flew in. I was given the chance to fly in an "Ercoupe", from Ipswich Airport, in 1973.
It was a small, SEP, low wing monoplane with a twin fin tail. It had coupled ailerons and rudder and the control "wheel" steered the aircraft on the ground, like a car, via the nosewheel.
It had so little power / climb rate that when I put one arm out of the "targa top" window it stopped climbing. Great fun, but didn't feel very safe.
It was a small, SEP, low wing monoplane with a twin fin tail. It had coupled ailerons and rudder and the control "wheel" steered the aircraft on the ground, like a car, via the nosewheel.
It had so little power / climb rate that when I put one arm out of the "targa top" window it stopped climbing. Great fun, but didn't feel very safe.
I had a few trips in a Fokker Goevier 2 seat glider in zimbabwe in the 80's during a holiday back to visit my old gliding club,quite nice to fly and apparently (according to Chris Wills) pretty rare as it had the original fuselage dimensions (later a/c had a slightly shorter rear fuselage I believe).
Not really an oddball but Jacko very kindly let me fly in the Lanc after they had a weather related diversion into Abingdon in 1982ish,had a lovely flight in the bomb aimers posn...low pass along Lutons RWY and displays at Belton,Nottingham and Duxford
Not really an oddball but Jacko very kindly let me fly in the Lanc after they had a weather related diversion into Abingdon in 1982ish,had a lovely flight in the bomb aimers posn...low pass along Lutons RWY and displays at Belton,Nottingham and Duxford
My first civil aircraft flight was in a DH Dragon, no not a Rapide, a Dragon (GADDI) with a woman pilot no less!
Nobodie's mentioned the Anson so I will. 2 flights from Bovingdon in the mid 60s; Bovingdon - Benson return and Bovingdon - Tangmere return.
Also flew in a few other prototype demonstrators at Farnborough as well as the Optica I mentioned before, Boeing 757 prototype and De Havilland Canada Dash 8 prototype plus the original Dauphin Helicopter prototype with a tailwheel (production versions having a nosewheel)
Nobodie's mentioned the Anson so I will. 2 flights from Bovingdon in the mid 60s; Bovingdon - Benson return and Bovingdon - Tangmere return.
Also flew in a few other prototype demonstrators at Farnborough as well as the Optica I mentioned before, Boeing 757 prototype and De Havilland Canada Dash 8 prototype plus the original Dauphin Helicopter prototype with a tailwheel (production versions having a nosewheel)