Some good thoughts....
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Some good thoughts....
I’m not sure if I’m the only one but a lot of the posts here recently sadden me and seem to rob from me some of the joy of flying.
Feeling a little melancholy along these lines a few days back I was wandering though my library and came across some accounts of Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown RN and his career. Flew more types than any other pilot ever. Look here.....Eric Brown (pilot) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A few moments later (thanks to Google) I came across the fact he was still with us and with a little detective work found his phone number and called him. We had a great chat (I mostly listened in awe) and much of it was his recall (in perfect detail) of what it was like to fly the DH Hornet. If you’re not sure what a De Havilland Hornet is and think that Sea Furies, Mustangs and Spitfires were the ultimate fighters then do a bit of research. Here’s Brown’s recollections as you’ll find them in Wikipedia:
"For aerobatics the Sea Hornet was absolute bliss. The excess of power was such that manoeuvres in the vertical plane can only be described as rocket like. Even with one propeller feathered the Hornet could loop with the best single-engine fighter, and its aerodynamic cleanliness was such that I delighted in its demonstration by diving with both engines at full bore and feathering both propellers before pulling up into a loop!"
It was just wonderful to hear him talk. I’m so glad I took the trouble to make the call. I regret now all the mentors in my career that I never took the time to keep up with. If you have such folk in mind then don't delay!
And the one phone call I can’t make now (he’s not with us sadly) is to Wing Commander Roland Beamont RAF……here’s a sample of his flying:
"Reaching Newchurch airfield at 480 mph I held "RB" down to 20 ft from the runway and then pulled her up to a 60 ° climb holding it as the speed dropped slowly off and the altimeter needle spun round the dial as if it were mad. At 7000 ft the speed was dropping below 180 mph and I rolled the Tempest lazily inverted, then allowed the nose to drop until the horizon, at first above my head, disappeared below (or rather above) the now inverted nose, the fields and woods steadied into the centre of the windscreen and then whirled around as I put the stick hard over and rolled around the vertical dive. Steadying again I pulled out over the tree tops at 500 mph, throttled back and pulled hard over towards the airfield in an over-the-vertical climbing turn, lowering the wheels and flaps in a roll as the speed dropped. What a magnificent aeroplane! They could have all their Spitfires and Mustangs!"
Just thought this might cheer some of you up a bit and remind us all of a little of our heritage and a time when some awesome aviation was happening. And gentlemen of the air abounded.
Cheers
Algie
Feeling a little melancholy along these lines a few days back I was wandering though my library and came across some accounts of Captain Eric “Winkle” Brown RN and his career. Flew more types than any other pilot ever. Look here.....Eric Brown (pilot) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A few moments later (thanks to Google) I came across the fact he was still with us and with a little detective work found his phone number and called him. We had a great chat (I mostly listened in awe) and much of it was his recall (in perfect detail) of what it was like to fly the DH Hornet. If you’re not sure what a De Havilland Hornet is and think that Sea Furies, Mustangs and Spitfires were the ultimate fighters then do a bit of research. Here’s Brown’s recollections as you’ll find them in Wikipedia:
"For aerobatics the Sea Hornet was absolute bliss. The excess of power was such that manoeuvres in the vertical plane can only be described as rocket like. Even with one propeller feathered the Hornet could loop with the best single-engine fighter, and its aerodynamic cleanliness was such that I delighted in its demonstration by diving with both engines at full bore and feathering both propellers before pulling up into a loop!"
It was just wonderful to hear him talk. I’m so glad I took the trouble to make the call. I regret now all the mentors in my career that I never took the time to keep up with. If you have such folk in mind then don't delay!
And the one phone call I can’t make now (he’s not with us sadly) is to Wing Commander Roland Beamont RAF……here’s a sample of his flying:
"Reaching Newchurch airfield at 480 mph I held "RB" down to 20 ft from the runway and then pulled her up to a 60 ° climb holding it as the speed dropped slowly off and the altimeter needle spun round the dial as if it were mad. At 7000 ft the speed was dropping below 180 mph and I rolled the Tempest lazily inverted, then allowed the nose to drop until the horizon, at first above my head, disappeared below (or rather above) the now inverted nose, the fields and woods steadied into the centre of the windscreen and then whirled around as I put the stick hard over and rolled around the vertical dive. Steadying again I pulled out over the tree tops at 500 mph, throttled back and pulled hard over towards the airfield in an over-the-vertical climbing turn, lowering the wheels and flaps in a roll as the speed dropped. What a magnificent aeroplane! They could have all their Spitfires and Mustangs!"
Just thought this might cheer some of you up a bit and remind us all of a little of our heritage and a time when some awesome aviation was happening. And gentlemen of the air abounded.
Cheers
Algie
Most excellent thoughts...
Thanks Algie. Need to be reminded of how it used to be. "Winkle's" books and exploits were absolutely amazing.
The test pilots' Test pilot...and in spades!
The test pilots' Test pilot...and in spades!
I'd highly recommend Eric Brown's book 'Wings on my Sleeve', if you can find it.
Just a smallish paperback, but packed with matter-of-fact descriptions of his numerous amazing exploits.
Just a smallish paperback, but packed with matter-of-fact descriptions of his numerous amazing exploits.
Many thanks for those extracts Algie. What a wonderful call to make and find the man himself polite, receptive and happy to chat. Happened for me once too, when I rang the late Hal Penrose, long in retirement in his Dorset village. For me his lovely reminiscences contained in the two books 'Airymouse' and 'Cloud Cuckooland' are the perfect pinnacle of a life devoted to sea, land and air in their many manifestations. As he mosied round the south of England in his little single seat biplane taking in the landscape, the birds, often the big migratory geese, his imagination was fuelled so as to later write evocatively of what the gift of wings had meant for him. He will ever be remembered and revered as test pilot for Westlands and author of the Putnam series of British aviation histories.
'A veray parfit gentil knight.'
'A veray parfit gentil knight.'
Last edited by Fantome; 28th Oct 2012 at 07:59.
