PPRuNe Forums - John Houlder and G-AWOE

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Well, aircraft is now de-registered from CAA database, so I assume Houlders old 680E met with the scrappers. This also marks the last Aero Commander I can find on the UK register, which is a bit sad. Surprising, since it's a type that's very well suited to UK grass fields and shorter takeoffs. Maybe someone will bring a Turbo Commander or a Shrike onto the register in the future.

There are still quite a few operating in the UK on Manx or N reg plus several other EU aircraft coming to the UK for maintenance at Gama Aviation.

Adam, it hasnt been scrapped just de registered a little while ago but it still lives at Elstree, and was last run a few months ago.

A picture I took over Christmas below, I have some more on my Instagram and a video if you want to look username is AV8_YODI https://www.instagram.com/av8_yodi/

https://scontent-lht6-1.cdninstagram...83882496_n.jpg

Known in The Royal Air Squadron as "the Black Beast"!

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyme273 (Post 7509568)

I too heard the story of using the radar for the approach to St Moritz from John himself (he had made some plates of the expected shape of the mountains and would compare the shapes on approach). He was once in a holding pattern with other aircraft circling above cloud at St Moritz, then commenced an approach. On seeing John descend into cloud, the other aircraft thought he had had an emergency and radio-ed distress.

He always went ski-ing at St Moritz.

Originally the P2 seat was removed to allow installation of the rather bulky Decca Nav - this long pre-dated the advent of GPS.

However, in later years John re-installed the seat as he decided the presence of a co-pilot was desirable. He was 92.

Altogether a long and remarkable flying time, a specialist on instruments.

flyme.

He always said that he held the first ever IR in the uk and he renewed it not long before he died. He was a very accomplished pilot and a very clever engineer. There was a second seat in the front but out of reach of the controls. He regularly took a passenger with him and in more recent years that was Lady Isla Abinger. As a fellow Royal Air Squadron member I knew him well and was on a nomber of trips with him. Trips he made in the Commander included to the USA, N Norway, Pakistan Jordan, South Africa and throughout Europe!
The seat was moved closer to the controls when late in his life a dictat said he had to be accompanied by another pilot but he didn't do a lot of that!!

There is an Aero Commander showing on the Elstree webcam (to the right of the ATC building)...November the 8th at 08:15.

ELSTREE WEBCAM | FlyElstree 020 8953 6868

nohold, I think that is a Turbo Commander, though my eyes are not always reliable
. Those aren't so rare as the piston engined Aero Commander and Shrike Commander

That's M-BETS a regular visitor

My apologies, much obliged for the kind updates.

webcam or not, she's still sitting at Elstree.

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamFrisch (Post 9671792)

Surprising, since it's a type that's very well suited to UK grass fields and shorter takeoffs.

Maybe not so well suited to the UK/Europe's obsession with financially punishing anybody who might want to do something out of the ordinary like flying, instead of sitting at home watching X Factor like all the obedient little citizens are expected to do :sad: