A Luton Minor – all at sea

Pleasure. Mike was a fairly regular correspondent back then and wrote the odd article as well I think. 

Thank you, both of you. I was able perfectly to read Mike Stapp’s letter to Pilot magazine and I’ll be interested to hear if Popular Flying carries any mention of Mike Stapp putting G-ASEA down in the sea.

Here you go – sorry, had to photograph the two sections with my phone – oh for the kit I used to have at work!

Hope it reads OK for you.

AA…….    Now that we have narrowed the time scale down a little I will see if I can clamber into my loft and have a “shuftie” through my back copies of PFA Popular Flying  and if I can turn anything up……!! 

No promises, mind……!!!!        PM

See what I can do…

Thank you, Planemike (belatedly!) and Hooligan. Hooligan, do you have a copy of the issue which contains letter and, if so, would you be so kind as to scan it and post it as an attachment?

The photograph I posted on 6 June last was taken at Shoreham on 9 July 1978. Thus it seems likely that this was after it had been ditched at sea, dried out and flown again.

Avion ancient, remarkably I’ve just read a letter from Mike Stapp in the August 1978 Pilot in which he discusses not turning back after EFATOs and refers to his ditching, though I regret there is no date mentioned. Mike said there was no question of what he had to do, straight ahead and into the sea. It was a CofA air test; as Laurie had acquired the aircraft from the previous owners in early ’75 after it had been “permanently withdrawn from use” by the previous owners, might that suggest an air test after fettling later in  ’75 or early ’76?

I suspect that Phil Ansell, if he was still alive, would have had the answer!

My recollection is the “dunking” occurred while SEA was in the ownership of Laurie Mansfield, that covers 75 – 79.

I think that it would have been in the seventies but I can’t be more specific than that. In consequence, I wouldn’t be so unreasonable as to ask you to plough through a decade of Popular Flying – unless, of course, you’re looking for an excuse to do so!

Very likely to have been covered in PFA’s Popular Flying. I have copies back to the early 70s. Unfortunately I know of no searchable index.

So going back to the point at which I came in, is it reasonable to assume that no-one knows the date or the circumstances of the ditching?

Even though the failure of the aircraft was (probably) not due to the actions of Mike Stapp, the fact that he flew too far out to sea to be able to get back to land in case there was such a failure is very firmly his fault.

Eh? Rather, ever mindful of the “don’t turn back” dictum, an engine failure after take off from 20 left him with little choice but stick it in the sea. Or beaches packed with holiday makers and a largely very built up sea front between Brighton and Worthing… If I remember the circuits for both 20 and 24 are left hand and take you a little way out to sea. From what I’ve heard of Mike he was a skilled and respected instructor.

I witnessed the crash of G-BDJG at Biggin; whether it was turbulence or a lack of power that caused the accident, it disappeared into the valley pretty quickly and didn’t appear to have particularly good gliding characteristics.

AA’s photo is the hangar just to the west of the terminal building at Shoreham if my 40 year memory serves – sure I recall ‘SEA in there on my first visit in ’79, it was full of the more interesting types!

Yes, including Bill Tazewell’s Auster 5D, G-AGLK, which also gets into the picture!

Even though the failure of the aircraft was (probably) not due to the actions of Mike Stapp, the fact that he flew too far out to sea to be able to get back to land in case there was such a failure is very firmly his fault.

I’ll guess he wasn’t wearing a LSJ so it could have been much worse. The Rules Of The Air state that one should not fly over water without the appropriate survival equipment or at a sufficient distance from the shore as to be able to glide back, should there be a problem. It is no surprise that Mr Stapp didn’t follow through on his threatened legal action because he would have lost the case as well as his wristwatch.

Very surprised the aircraft went back in the air. Did it need a re-cover after it had been thoroughly dried out and inspected?

Anon.

AA’s photo is the hangar just to the west of the terminal building at Shoreham if my 40 year memory serves – sure I recall ‘SEA in there on my first visit in ’79, it was full of the more interesting types!

Nice photos G-ASEA, the middle one is probably PFA rally at Sywell but cant work out the other two. Same for your photo AA, any offers.

Here’s one of my own

Thank you, Dave – but I’m still no closer to discovering when Mike Stapp dropped G-ASEA in the drink off Shoreham!

That’s an understatement, Hooligan!