Crossing the Atlantic in barely functional aircraft.
Adam,
Thanks from me too. I also thought initially you were going to share your latest adventure.
A great documentary and a very interesting character. I must confess my sympathies were with the pilots who declined to fly. I'm planning on being an "old pilot".
A lovely piece of nostalgia when they were at St. Johns. Did you see the Viscount and the Stretch 8?
Thanks from me too. I also thought initially you were going to share your latest adventure.
A great documentary and a very interesting character. I must confess my sympathies were with the pilots who declined to fly. I'm planning on being an "old pilot".
A lovely piece of nostalgia when they were at St. Johns. Did you see the Viscount and the Stretch 8?
Brilliant stuff
Thank you for posting this, a most enjoyable hour that was!
Found some interesting info John Hawke here:
RAF Wattisham page 2
and here:
Illegal A/B-26 Invader sales
Bill Parish here:
http://www.p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots....White%20Parish
Found some interesting info John Hawke here:
RAF Wattisham page 2
and here:
Illegal A/B-26 Invader sales
Bill Parish here:
http://www.p47pilots.com/P47-Pilots....White%20Parish
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Great piece of film, and some excellent flying photography.
However:
1. A somewhat disorganized plan to get the a/c together.
2. Pilot group still debating the procedures and route half way into the journey.
3. Drafting a codger to fly right seat who hadn't flown in, like 100 years.
4. Flying IMC in formation without backup radio between aircraft.
5. Pushing fuel management to the edge.
6. Amateur mechanics (the pilots) to do the repairs.
7. Borderline airworthy craft with bits ready to drop off at every turn.
8. Apparently a need to show off "low passes" everywhere.
9. Lack of formation takeoff discipline. Taxy back down the departure runway while in use? Really?
We all admire adventure and derring-do, and the ability of a seat-of-the-pants flier to get the job done. But he seemed to me reckless not only with his own life, but the other 12 or so folks traveling along.
Sorry, no great admiration from me.
However:
1. A somewhat disorganized plan to get the a/c together.
2. Pilot group still debating the procedures and route half way into the journey.
3. Drafting a codger to fly right seat who hadn't flown in, like 100 years.
4. Flying IMC in formation without backup radio between aircraft.
5. Pushing fuel management to the edge.
6. Amateur mechanics (the pilots) to do the repairs.
7. Borderline airworthy craft with bits ready to drop off at every turn.
8. Apparently a need to show off "low passes" everywhere.
9. Lack of formation takeoff discipline. Taxy back down the departure runway while in use? Really?
We all admire adventure and derring-do, and the ability of a seat-of-the-pants flier to get the job done. But he seemed to me reckless not only with his own life, but the other 12 or so folks traveling along.
Sorry, no great admiration from me.
I was surprised when the a/c that the film was being shot from towards the end of the film....fly through the wake close behind the a/c in front several times with very little upset to our aircraft's stability....interesting.
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All,
Here is a link in relation to the 'Laden Maiden'.
A B-25 back to Belgium
Of the other B25's, I believe one is/was at Hendon with another being destroyed in a fire at a museum in Spain. Anyone know anything further?
Cheers,
S
Here is a link in relation to the 'Laden Maiden'.
A B-25 back to Belgium
Of the other B25's, I believe one is/was at Hendon with another being destroyed in a fire at a museum in Spain. Anyone know anything further?
Cheers,
S
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Apart form the Belgian example above, one is in the RAF Museum, one at a museum in Spain, one destroyed by a fire at a Musee d l'Air store near Paris, and one returned to the USA and was being rebuilt at Chino.
The Shoreham example that mikehallam mentioned is now preserved in the USAF Museum at Duxford.
One was also abandoned at Biggin Hill for a while in the 1960s (the 633 Squadron camera ship I think) which moved to the Southend Museum, then to North Weald. Still there?
The Shoreham example that mikehallam mentioned is now preserved in the USAF Museum at Duxford.
One was also abandoned at Biggin Hill for a while in the 1960s (the 633 Squadron camera ship I think) which moved to the Southend Museum, then to North Weald. Still there?
Last edited by treadigraph; 21st Nov 2012 at 12:02.
OLD RED DAMASK
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Great clip and yes a derring do flyer but obviously "hands on".
Health and safety would have had a field day nowadays, even to re-spraying the aircraft without masks.
Health and safety would have had a field day nowadays, even to re-spraying the aircraft without masks.
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derring do
I don't agree with the use of "derring do" either, that implies an admirable form of bravery. This was neither bravery nor particularly admirable, it was ill disciplined cowboyism - amateurs playing at being bomber heroes (who often did display derring do, and in spades - in a time when it was appropriate). This behaviour sadly has been all to common in those entrusted with precious warbirds and over the years has resulted in a shocking loss of scores of irreplaceable aircraft from the Kee-Bird downwards.
Adventurous, charismatic, entertaining? - hugely.
Professionalism? Absent.
Respect? Very little indeed.
Envy? Huge!
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If you can find a used copy I recommend Martin Caidin's "Everything but the Flak" which chronicles ferrying three B-17s across from Arizona to Gatwick in 1960 in much the same way.
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Brilliant - thanks for posting the link!
Remember it being on telly - I must have been 13 - left a bit of an impression.
Watching it now I have a PPL has added a whole new dimension - won't comment on some of the airmanship - but utterly gripping.
Unusual for a flying documentary in that it was obviously made by pilots and, therefore, includes a lot of the really interesting stuff to other flyers that the likes of Ice Pilots (good show that it is) does not.
Have wanted to watch this again for years - so you've made my day!
Utterly, utterly, brilliant!
Remember it being on telly - I must have been 13 - left a bit of an impression.
Watching it now I have a PPL has added a whole new dimension - won't comment on some of the airmanship - but utterly gripping.
Unusual for a flying documentary in that it was obviously made by pilots and, therefore, includes a lot of the really interesting stuff to other flyers that the likes of Ice Pilots (good show that it is) does not.
Have wanted to watch this again for years - so you've made my day!
Utterly, utterly, brilliant!
Last edited by 851Pilot; 22nd Nov 2012 at 16:12.
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I remember this on TV as well, and have a DVD copy from someone who recorded it from VCR. The you tube version has a bit missing off the beginning and the end of the film. Particulary at the end when the 'Hannover Street' planes land in the dark, with flames from one of the engines. The tower controller echos the epic trans-atlantic flight with the words "Hannover 4, your right engine is torching". It makes a nice finish to the film and you tube misses it off.
I think it's a fabulous documentary, capturing the spirit of Hawke in pushing it through where many would have baulked. What an adventure! What a character that Hawke guy was. Where are their likes today? Legislated out of existance by nanny state petty rules?
There's a lot more to life than Elfin Safety, as Hawke demonstrated. He left us early as those types often do, but crikey didn't he have a ball?
I think it's a fabulous documentary, capturing the spirit of Hawke in pushing it through where many would have baulked. What an adventure! What a character that Hawke guy was. Where are their likes today? Legislated out of existance by nanny state petty rules?
There's a lot more to life than Elfin Safety, as Hawke demonstrated. He left us early as those types often do, but crikey didn't he have a ball?
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What a brilliant film, thanks for the link.
Plenty admiration from where I am sitting
Would have been great to have had more cameras in the other planes and heard more from all the other crews as well.
Plenty admiration from where I am sitting
Would have been great to have had more cameras in the other planes and heard more from all the other crews as well.
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mmgreve:
"For a minute there, I thought you had a new adventure planned for the Commander !"
This was exactly my first thought.
Anyway, a link for GEMA-struck German viewers (you may have to refresh once ore twice before the video loads):
Hide My Ass! Free proxy node (IP address 1/1 / Server 5/7)
Thank you Adam, and fingers crossed for your IR
Michael
"For a minute there, I thought you had a new adventure planned for the Commander !"
This was exactly my first thought.
Anyway, a link for GEMA-struck German viewers (you may have to refresh once ore twice before the video loads):
Hide My Ass! Free proxy node (IP address 1/1 / Server 5/7)
Thank you Adam, and fingers crossed for your IR
Michael
Last edited by 20milesout; 26th Nov 2012 at 15:14.
Lovely movie, thanks a bunch for posting!
The Mitchel was a great plane, those pilots were not easa conditioned scarerabbits but fun loving and go minded. Clearly, today the community gets a collective heart attack at the prospect.
If I hear that there are folks in the regulators who wish to ban just about everything, we sometimes need a reminder how much fun it can be to fly.
Sure as hck, it took a lot of skill to do this flight. Today, most of us lack not only that but had our ball$ regulatiely removed.
My lovely AN`s were all grounded by the Euro-Cylons within days after bg became part of the burempire... And it won't be long before all of us go the same way. Maybe we should look at these movies more often.
The Mitchel was a great plane, those pilots were not easa conditioned scarerabbits but fun loving and go minded. Clearly, today the community gets a collective heart attack at the prospect.
If I hear that there are folks in the regulators who wish to ban just about everything, we sometimes need a reminder how much fun it can be to fly.
Sure as hck, it took a lot of skill to do this flight. Today, most of us lack not only that but had our ball$ regulatiely removed.
My lovely AN`s were all grounded by the Euro-Cylons within days after bg became part of the burempire... And it won't be long before all of us go the same way. Maybe we should look at these movies more often.
