Meteor T.7(?) on the M4 today
 

Spotted a pretty tatty white RAF Meteor two-seater (T.7?) heading west on the M4 on a flat-bed this afternoon - does anyone know the story to this?

Meteor heading west
 

When I was about 3 years old, my late father had business interests at RAF Weston Zoyland. On one occasion we drove in at an entrance next to a HUGE pile of battered silver aluminium bedecked with yellow stripes here and there. It was the crash compound and would be regularly supplied with a diet of dead Meteors...:uhoh:

Good to know that WL345 survived those dangerous times! The RAF lost 890 of its Meteors over the years, 145 in 1953 alone....

How incredibly sobering!

Dead Meteors then recycled by issue to Stations for Fire Crew training.

We got a ‘new’ one (F.8) for that purpose at Manby c. 1966. Fire practice went a bit awry, as the Very for the Crash Crew ‘scramble’ was somewhat mismanaged by a Manby ATC plt off. By the time the crew got there, it was essentially just a fin and 2 wingtips. :(

Thanks GA - much appreciated.

As always, the Aussies can go one better.

Meteor F8 VZ467 “Winston”, now in the colours of 77 Sqdn “Halestorm” was one of the stars of the RAAF Airshow at Edinburgh SA last weekend, being flown on both days.

The schedule had it holding with the F35 prior to take-off. Nothing is recorded of the pilot’s thoughts on experiencing an adjacent F35 going to afterburner while his canopy was open. Regardless, “Skids” gave an excellent demonstration on both occasions.

Do look after the late 'Puddy' Catt's favourite aeroplane carefully! After dropping the flag at RAF Brawdy, Pud would fly off to Initials and subsequently reappear in a cloud of condensation, howling across the aerodrome accompanied by a splendid 'blue note'.

Enjoyed listening to the aeroplane at a Duxford display some years ago...

Such a beautiful sound...

As the original poster said, she is shabby and in need of some TLC. Glad it has moved from Booker following Barry Parkhouse's retirement. Here are some pictures I took of it in January dumped in the gliding trailer area.

ACW367

Hi Mog! Yes, Puddy was indeed a true eccentric. I was holding for a while on Standards at Brawdy (summer of '76 - heaven!) when Puddy came in muttering about "The wretched Navy". He'd been towing a flag behind Clementine (the T7 partner to Winston) and something had sailed into Hartland range. "Went down and got the bugger's number though!", he announced, "M1115!".

Knowing Puddy's eyesight, to obtain the number would undoubtedly have meant quite a 'close encounter' between the Meteor and said vessel.

I went next door to the Education Section and borrowed a copy of Jane's.... "M1115 you say, Puddy. That'll be HMS Bronington then - commanded by HRH the Prince of Wales!"

"Only right then that our Welsh prince should have been honoured with a flypast", he rumbled in that rich voice of his.

'Twas a dark and wintery night at Brawdy, night flying was in progress (well at Brawdy in the winter this meant about 18:30 hrs). Flt Lt Catt with a dutiful student in tow was making his way to the line, because he was Flt Lt Catt he could go where he wanted to so he took the direct path through the Ready Use Compound. As the the duo walked between the Hunter Gun Pack Reloading Bay and the RUC Office the Pack Bay doors crashed asunder and a Hunter canopy with 3 Armourers astride it shot towards the aircrew - this had a lot to do with bored Armourers, a surplus canopy and the effect of steel wheels on a concrete floor! The terified Student Pilot threw himself out of the way onto the grass whilst no doubt struggling to remember which session at Sleaford Tech covered "What to do if assaulted by Armourers".

Flt Lt Catt only paused slightly with one foot raised to allow the Armourers to pass in front of him and crash into the side of the office. He continued untroubled on his way dragging his now nonplussed student along with the advice "This of course is where the Armourers Live, Do take care"

And that is why when we called him "Sir" we meant it!

P.S.
I always wondered what happened to the Student Pilot

I was blessed to fly with Puddy on several occasions in Lady Clementine as SAC plonk in charge of making & launching the targets & being a general nuisance repairing the VASF aircraft at Brawdy including Sir Winston & the various models of JPs we had. Happy days, just about to retire from a certain Bournemouth based compny that still tows targets :ok:

‘Twas a dark and wintery day at Chivenor’

“Puddy here, Baggy rejoin”

Tower - “Weather yellow, radar mandatory; climb to 1500ft and call radar”

Puddy - “Weather much too bad for that” - continued with ‘visual’ run and break for landing.

Would that be the same one which you were doing at Wildenrath in 1975, Mog?

Today