Airbase, Coventry

On Wednesday, I had to travel to Bagington / Coventry Airport on business. A good day out for the Triumph. The Trophy’s 1200cc’s made it a rather rapid trip, and it didn’t rain. Can’t ask for more than that.

After dropping off the Citation’s log books and dealing with a few technical queries, it was lunch time – so I was invited to eat in the DC6 Diner. To say I was impressed does not do it justice. The food was great, the service equally so, and the DC6 was the star. Spotlessly clean, very tastefully decored, and well lit, it is a very comfortable eatery. Although the cockpit is plexiglassed off, you can see all the ‘office equipment’. As an historic touch, they have the last Tech Log page with details of its last flight framed and placed on the rear cockpit wall. Take note, I was advised that you need to book well in advance for an evening meal. Because they have not plinth-mounted the aircraft, you get the surreal feeling of flight. She sits on her undercarriage, and as the wind blows, or as people walk backwards and forwards, you can just notice the slightest movement, exactly reminisant of being in flight. I commented that a backdrop of (muted) engine noises would complement this, and this point was agreed upon by my fellow feeders.

Following lunch, the Citation was off for a flight. Fortunately, I was put in the hands of one of the Airbase volunteers, a most pleasant and patient gentleman by the name of Howard. Howard gave me a superb guided tour of the Airbase collection. His accomodating and motivated demeanour, knowledge and enthusiasm was exceptional. I am told that all the volunteers here are likewise.

Then we got to WR963. As we climbed on board, I glanced forward and could see that there were no obsticles. We were joined by a couple who wished to see the inside of Ermintrude. I asked Howard if he would accomodate an unusual request…did he have a blindfold? Understandably, he was a bit curious, but from the galley produced a Mk 1 helmet liner. As I asked him to bear with me, I placed the liner on my head backwards. For the next minute, I then progressed forward visually blinded. My memory had a very clear picture of where I was and where I was going to place my hands and feet, but time does have a detrimental effect. Transiting through the galley, the hot water boiler, the overhead water tank, the lower, middle and upper bunks, the rear-facing dinette seats, the portable oxygen mask & bottle stowage, the infra-red heater, the forward galley door, the flap step, the rear scopies seat, the rear spar, the #2 scopies seat, the starboard overwing escape hatch, the table drop for access to the port overwing escape hatch, the step behind the front spar, the #1 scopies seat, the seat harnesses on the the front spar, the nav’s seat, the eng’s seat, the very pistol storage and firing port, the radop’s seat, the Capt’s seat with autopilot armrest, the co-pilots seat, the pilots overhead escape hatches, duck down to the nose, the invertor crate on the right side with parachute stowage and fire extinguisher, the nose seat, turn around and crouch down, locate the release handle for the forward parachute exit inner door, and…finished.

As I removed my rather effective blindfold, the lady who had joined us asked what had I just done. I applogised to all, especially Howard, who had extended considerable trust to me, a complete stranger. I advised everyone that in an earlier time, when I was very familiar with ’63 and her sisters, I made sure that I and those on my team were able to extracate themselves and lead anyone else on board to any and all of the exits should the aircraft ever be filled with smoke, a very real possibility on any aircraft. On a Shackleton with 3284 Imperial gallons of Avgas, a battery of 1.75″ illumination flares in the rear fuselage, and a bomb bay full of Marker Marines, Smoke and Flame Floats etc, and three Avgas-fulled heaters, perhaps even more so. My curiosity had impulsively compelled me to see if I could still do it. Did I come up to scratch? Well, actually no. I couldn’t remember clearly where the pilots overhead escape hatch release handles were. Time has indeed had an affect. When the lady asked me when the last time was that I had carried out this drill, I realised it had been 20 years, So maybe not to bad after all.

Howard and I made out way to one of the more recent additions at Airbase, the Mighty Hunter, or Nimrod MR2. I realised that, although I had served at the time these aircraft were in service, the only Nimrod I had ever been in was the ill-fated AEW in the late ’80’s. I was impressed with this sturdy backbone of our now deceased Maritime Patrol and long-range SAR capability. After Howard and I put the world to rights in the comfort of the pilots seats, we took in the rest of the collection. The condition of the flyers is impeccable, the non-flyers equally so. There are some extremely rare aircraft at Airbase. All too soon we came to the end. It felt like 15 minutes but had been 90.

The Citation returned, business was concluded for the day, and I bid farewell to Airbase. The Trophy purred all the way back home as I mulled over the days events. Lady luck has smiled on me once again, having been able to enjoy a truly memorable day.

Thank you one and all at Airbase. And yes, I do recommend it to everyone.

As you are probably aware, I have more than a soft spot for the Queen of the Skies. What the SPT have done with Avro Shackleton WR963 is almost miraculous. She looks fantastic. Inside, the many hours of effort to stop water leaks is amazing. I couldn’t smell any damp at all. It is very difficult to appreciate that she has been on the ground, predominantly outside, for 20 years. My hat is doffed to you all. I look forward to visiting when she is being noisy.

camlobe