1000 hrs on Spits

[Corporal Clott]

Arc

Probably because 'Strangely' Brown is a bit...well strange (around me, in my experience, anyway!).

And he's not a FJ pilot that all BBMF pilots have to be before they even apply.

Clott

[Al R]

Flt Lt Brown, 53, said: “.. not only because of the joy of actually flying the plane, but the pleasure I receive from seeing the happiness it brings to others watching it.”

Nice, that's what it's about. I heard a Merlin burbling and growling over the other week, as did a few others in the village.. we were all meandering and nattering by the shop. We stopped what we were doing, shielded our eyes against the sun and followed the little fighter until the sight and sound had gone and we were left feeling quiet, reflective and insignificant.

Congrats, Flt Lt Brown.

[Ivor Fynn]

Charlie,

only flown together once, it was a pleasure.

Congratulations

Ivor

[CoffmanStarter]

Start saving if you want 1000 Hrs on a Spit

Noticed this today ... out of Headcorn Kent from 1st July 2014 ...

Aero Legends UK

Messes Pinner, Mason and Parkinson would appear to be the Staff Pilots.

[GeeRam]

Originally Posted by AGS Man

I would hazard a guess that Alex Henshaw holds the record for hours on Spitfires.

I would hazard a guess that Jeffery Quill might hold the Spitfire hours record, given that he was assistant TP to Mutt Summers at the time of the first flight of the Spitfire and flew the prototype for the first time just 3 weeks after Summers had made the first flight - and was still flying Vickers own Spitfire V AB910 right up until it was donated to the BBMF in the mid-1960's.

[Onceapilot]

Just to correct, Charlie is an ex fast-jet pilot Cpl Clott. BBMF pilots come from a different path that Charlie did not follow (bless his cotton socks, hope you don't mind me saying old fruit?).

OAP

[Tashengurt]

Not besmirching the gent at all (god knows he's done things I could only dream of) but how normal is it to see out such a long flying career as a Flt Lt?
I'm aware of a chap who was on Tremblers when I was back in the mid '90's who still I believe, flies Typhoons (and Spits!) but I can't recall this being the norm in any way?

[Wensleydale]

"but how normal is it to see out such a long flying career as a Flt Lt?"

Very normal since PAS replaced Spec Aircrew...the "honorary SA scraper" has long gone.

[Corporal Clott]

OAP

I forgot about his short dalliance with the Fin for a tour before hanging about in training command for 30 years.

Apologies...

CPL Clott

[Tashengurt]

Very normal since PAS replaced Spec Aircrew

Oh go on.. Gis a clue?!

[GeeRam]

Originally Posted by Arclite01

Why is Charlie not a BBMF pilot - any reason ??

While not BBMF, CB was one of the small group of service pilots selected to fly the MOD’s Me109G ‘Black 6’ after it had been restored by Russ Snadden’s team, and CB in fact flew more than 50% of the hrs flown by the 109 post it's restoration (and should have been flying it on it’s last flight )

As a result of that 109 time, back in 1999, CB flew out to California to perform the initial test flight program on the freshly restored BoB veteran Me109E that had once been flown by famous Luftwaffe ace Hans-Joachim Marseille.

[ShotOne]

I wonder how many of the pilots who flew Spitfires in combat ever got close to 1000 hours? Not many I suspect.

[Bert Angel]

Tashengurt: PAS stands for 'Professional Aviator Spine' - they are aircrew who wish to fly & not follow the career path (as they see it), the RAF's definition is something like ' JOs who narrowly missed promotion but who remain in a flying post whilst they sort out their scores by running Summer Balls & the pony club etc' or some such.


So not unusual to have relatively elderly Flt Lts sitting in aeroplanes while much younger (but keen & thrusting) Sqn Ldrs sit behind what used to be called 'mahogany bombers' before the RAF procured those nasty veneered chipboard things.

[Tashengurt]

Thanks Bert. Seems reasonable. I can think of worse careers than flying fast jets.


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[Stitchbitch]

Well done Charlie, it was always nice to see you at BBMF when you took the baby fighter pilots out in the Harvard, and when you were trapping at Boscombe Down a little later.

Heres to the next 1000+

[Ginandtonic]

I was privileged to have flown on Charlie's 10,000th flying hour sortie and his last (for now) Tucano sortie. Memorable. Well done on your 1000hrs (and 5 mins!!) on Spitfire Charlie.

[NutLoose]

So not unusual to have relatively elderly Flt Lts sitting in aeroplanes while much younger (but keen & thrusting) Sqn Ldrs sit behind what used to be called 'mahogany bombers' before the RAF procured those nasty veneered chipboard things.

I often thought it was a waste of resources sticking folks on a ground tour, I realise it was to give a more rounded person, but it still seemed a waste of resources.