A long time back probably 92/93 i caught a glimpse, albeit a few seconds of a Sunderland flying over Farnborough from Sandhurst direction.
Probably the only time in my life i saw/will ever see one fly, can anyone fill me in on what it was doing then?.
I think i recall one being sold to an overseas buyer?
By: RMR - 22nd February 2013 at 19:37
It performed in just two airshows I think, West Malling and Biggin.
It also did at least one flypast at the Conningsby Airshow 16th June 1990.
That was the only time I have seen a Sundeland in the air.
RMR
By: Growler - 22nd February 2013 at 18:48
I worked at Heath End school in Farnham at the time, and we frequently had interesting aircraft from the RAE flying over (this was in the days when they still operated the Comet and Varsity). On the day concerned I was covering another lesson in the school “tower block”, and saw the Sunderland overfly the RAE from there, then come slowly and majestically right over the top of us. It was hard to suppress the excitement in front of a group of unconcerned teenagers! If I remember the Sunderland was doing farewell flyovers of airfields and places significant in its history. It appeared at GWAD a week or two later when I actually had a camera handy – I have some photos somewhere if you would like me to dig them out.
By: hampden98 - 22nd February 2013 at 14:45
Didn’t she have a sponsorship deal with Ryanair which ell through?
I remember seeing pictures where the demarcation line had a gap for the sponsor?
By: Propstrike - 22nd February 2013 at 14:41
It performed in just two airshows I think, West Malling and Biggin.
I remember thinking it sounded just like a B17!
Here she is flying at Biggin 1990
By: hampden98 - 22nd February 2013 at 14:29
I used to live in Peckham and remember the (was it Ryanair?) Sunderland flying along in the distance. I can only assume it was heading to Biggin Hill or possibly down to the coast, possibly Southampton.
I also saw it at Biggin Hill airshow one year and again in Florida with Kermit Weeks.
He said he had plans to fly it from his (proposed) sea plane base.
I don’t think that ever happened.
By: David_Kavangh - 22nd February 2013 at 13:50
You did indeed see G-BJHS, now with Kermit Weeks at Fantasy of Flight. I lived in Farnborough at the time, but had gone out for the day and missed it. To be told about it later. It would have been just before the Sunderland left for USA and it did a flypast of a number of airfields.
By: Tin Triangle - 22nd February 2013 at 13:19
There was, I recall, one operated under a UK civil registration until about 1995-6, when it went to the USA to join Fantasy of Flight owned by Kermit Weeks. I don’t think it’s flown since, sadly.
It was probably that which you saw.
EDIT G-BJHS, this one:
http://www.fantasyofflight.com/aircraftpages/sunderland.htm
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February 22, 2013 at 12:52 pm