Forgive a spot of indulgence but being fortunate to be able to sit here attached to a machine keeping me going thoughts idly turn to other wonderful machines – of the flying kind.
We all have our special memories but what’s been your perfect day connected with aviation? The one that given your time again you would love to experience again.
Never a pilot but 30 years involved in vintage aircraft group ownership have given many moments, ups and downs, to remember.
A Concorde flight was a unique experience and the nearest I shall ever get to spaceflight – absolutely awesome take off, but sorry, racing along at Mach 2 doesn’t FEEL a lot different from flying in any other jet airliner at a fraction of the speed.
On the down side a couple of ‘incidents’ were memorable for the wrong reasons. A ground loop resulting in a broken undercarriage on a Tiger Moth (appropriately G-APIG – of a landing) and an even more scary take-off crash (don’t mention the Nord!), which also left a broken undercart plus a prop splintered in several pieces.
But for that particular special occasion the choice is the last decent day of the long hot summer of 1976. A road journey to Poole Harbour, a boat trip out into Studland Bay, a welcome aboard from Hollywood film actress Maureen O’Hara and 45 minutes around the Isle of Wight in the Short Sandringham ‘Southern Cross’ flown by Captains Ron Gillies and her husband, the late Charles Blair.
How was your perfect day?
Wicked Willip :diablo:
By: Lindy's Lad - 3rd August 2007 at 23:57
The RAF Finningly Airshow when the Blue Angels made their only appearance! What a show! the Blues tore up the place (even over the crowdline) and to top it off, XH558 stopped on the taxiway not 40 ft away for what seemed like an age. The best airshow and a day to remember. That show single handedly got me interested in REAL aeroplanes! (I think I was about 11 ish… can’t remember the year!)
By: mike currill - 3rd August 2007 at 22:58
Although I’m not a pilot I have a few happy memories of aviation – quite a lot really. I suppose one of the top ones has to be coming back to Coal Harbour, Vancouver from Victoria and looking up on the approach to see the cockpit window full of trees and sky scrapers. Heck of a good job there’s a big height difference between the cockpit and passenger seats or we’d have been in all sorts of bother.
By: Yak 11 Fan - 3rd August 2007 at 22:31
Think it will have to be my first solo in the Stearman, fantastic aircraft and a huge amount of fun to fly.
By: Newforest - 3rd August 2007 at 14:26
Flying my Cheetah from Blackpool to the Scilly Islands after the I.O.M. got socked in was the best flight ever. CAVOK all down the Welsh coast, past Devon, Cornwall and then due west until the rocks appeared, great!
And W.W., I might have been on that same boat trip back in ’76, what an experience that was.:)
By: TEXANTOMCAT - 3rd August 2007 at 10:51
Usually my last flight, which in this case was Cap 10b C-CPDW over Podington Polebrook and Harrington at 1830 last night!
🙂
TT
By: Steve Bond - 3rd August 2007 at 08:56
Choosing one is too difficult, so I am going to cheat and claim two if I may.
The first one is the Woburn Moth Rally on almost any year in the ’90s before it was spoilt. Fabulous weather always seemed to be the norm; a superb collection of wonderful aeroplanes, and just a great, relaxed atmosphere.
The second is arriving at an airfield in Florida to find “joy rides” on offer in a Stinson Detroiter, and spending the vast sum of $25 for 40 minutes around the local area, including flying over Cape Kennedy and performing a low overshoot to the Space Shuttle runway – brilliant!
By: Willip26 - 2nd August 2007 at 22:59
Thanks Pete
Dialysis machine actually, but it’s no problem. Life’s great and everything is possible with a positive outlook. I still get to go flying occasionally and we might even have our Cub back re-united with its wings this weekend after a 3 week job, which has taken 5 months. Aviation eh! – don’t we just love it!;)
Cheers
Wicked Willip :diablo:
By: Pete Truman - 2nd August 2007 at 17:08
At the tender age of 15, taking off from Jersey in an almost empty ( only 5 of us) BM Handley Page Herald late one summers evening, being invited into the cockpit straight away and watching the sunset over the Channel from the ‘Office’, then approaching the massive thunderclouds over the mainland and being quickly shoved back into my seat to experience the most horrendous storm at close quarters, prop jobs having to dodge through the gaps in the clouds, with lightning flickering all over the place.
At 15 you always feel immortal in such circumstances.
Incidentally Willip old pal, forgive me asking but what machine are you talking about, the immortality bit jolted me back into reality, hope you’re ok.
By: tilleydog - 2nd August 2007 at 13:13
Working at the end of the flight line at legends a few years ago, aircraft taxi- ing out to take off for the balbo.
Spitfires in front of me, spitfires to the side and spitfires behind me!! what a sensory overload!! Phenomenal!!
By: Ewan Hoozarmy - 2nd August 2007 at 12:16
My perfect day?
A few years ago, flying back from a great display at Woodchurch, blue sky, sun going down in the west, waving at boats on the river, low level….. and i thought “This is why I do it” 😀
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August 2, 2007 at 11:26 am