BBMF Hurricane

They certainly were and great memories for you to cherish as well as share with us – thank you!

Sometime around 1968 I was forunate to have a chat with Bill Bedford and asked him about PZ. He told me that the dark blue with the silver cheat lines AND civil reg G-AMAU were indeed Princess Margaret’s racing colours. Peter Townsend was her favourite (pilot, as well) RAF equerry to the Royal Household at that time. I saw it Sept 1956 at the RaES Garden Party at Wisley when Bill B flew it against Jeffrey Quill in the Wisley based Spitfire Vb AB910. This was the first time that those two pilots put on a very good ‘winding match’ for the industry crowd gathered there that Sunday afternoon. They repeated that show a number of times over the next few years. With both aircraft in flying condition it was an almost unique show in that era.

Further more I think Bill B lived somewhere around the north side of Liphook, Hants and I would see him put on a good aerobatic display in the area on a summer Sunday afternoon. Not to be outdone, Mr Quill in AB910, also put on a masterly show over the same area from time to time and if my memory serves my correctly it was usually after lunch on a Sunday afternoon as well! Those really were the days!

I know the feeling Melvyn!!!

Yep, she was flown by Peter Townsend (BoB ace) . . .

I was going to mention that on Sunday but couldn’t remember his name! Brain fade

Was she not once painted in Princess Margaret’s racing colours for the King’s Cup Air Race and flown by a rather dashing friend of hers?

Yep, she was flown by Peter Townsend (BoB ace), but was in Hawker ‘house’ colours. I have her original woodwork and there are still traces of that beautiful blue (woodwork replaced in the 80s rebuild by Cranfield). I put a photo in my piece written for Fluffy’s excellent Haynes Manual on the Hurricane

I still think that Hurricane should be kept in those markings!!!!

Good picture. When and where…?

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5695041069_f481a09cda_z.jpg

I think that given all the juggling going on this year Melvyn, your commentary was the best it’s been. This was my 6th WnW at Dunsfold and easily the most enjoyable one. An excellent way to spend the Sunday.

Did you get your cuddle from Danielle this year…?

Thank you, that is very much appreciated.

And, sadly, no. The Breitlings were only there a short time and some of that was spent in the ‘meet the pilots’ tent. In the short time they were there I was forced to spend some time with the stunning and lovely Lucy who used to work on the show. It was really nice to catch up with her and, more importantly, to be seen chatting to someone who is clearly far too good for me!

So many stunningly attractive young women and so little time….

Perhaps the BBMF needs to update its information from those with personal experience. It certainly adds interesting detail to the story of this “last of the few”.

It is nice to know that someone backs that up and it is not just my fevered imagination! Duncan Simpson (who was at Dunsfold on Saturday) flew it and when it was retired it was supposed to have been passed to the RAF Museum for display at Hendon. Duncan didn’t like that idea so he had a couple of chats to senior RAF Officers and then jumped into the Hurricane, had someone jump into the company Dominie to follow him and he set off to Coltishall. On landing he got out, gave the logbooks to a ground crew man and said ‘This is your new Hurricane’ and he jumped into the Dominie and back to Dunsfold! He told that story at the first wings and wheels in 2005.

That is somewhat different to the ‘official’ BBMF version of events….thus,

In 1969 after BofB filming PZ was re-covered with new fabric and then displayed at the Hawker museum until 1971, when a complete overhaul back to flying condition was undertaken by Hawkers prior to the company presenting PZ to BBMF in March ’72 at Coltishall.

Talking of chase planes ( thread running re M52 ) I am sure that during the commentary banter at Dunsfold we were told that the last Hurricane off the line at Dunsfold (Langley in fact) was retained by Hawkers and saw out its life as a chase plane for the Kestel/Harrier. Is this true or was it commentator’s license or did I mishear amongst all the other extraneous sounds?

Yup, true. The reason it was used was because of it being able to fly relatively slowly (down to 70kt’s IIRC) which was ideal for a ‘chasing’ an aircraft that was transiting between horiz and vertical flight.
Bill Bedford thus also took to flying PZ a lot in air displays during the 60’s.

I think that given all the juggling going on this year Melvyn, your commentary was the best it’s been. This was my 6th WnW at Dunsfold and easily the most enjoyable one. An excellent way to spend the Sunday.

Did you get your cuddle from Danielle this year…?

If he didn’t there’s no justice in the world!!

Was she not once painted in Princess Margaret’s racing colours for the King’s Cup Air Race and flown by a rather dashing friend of hers?

I think that given all the juggling going on this year Melvyn, your commentary was the best it’s been. This was my 6th WnW at Dunsfold and easily the most enjoyable one. An excellent way to spend the Sunday.

Did you get your cuddle from Danielle this year…?

During the year I worked at Dunsfold (1970/71) it was common to have a visitation from appropriate Air Forces on a Friday afternoon complete with Harrier demonstration flight. One time the word went around the office that the Swedes had said “Oh, we’ve seen the Harrier….but we understand you’ve got a Hurricane?” Whatever the truth of that, we had a Hurricane display that afternoon. JOhn Farley flying, I believe. PZ865 was still carrying its ex-BoB film colours, unusually with a mid-blue underside.

Very much so, the main guy flying told me that if he had known he might have crashed from fear!

It certainly was, but that air of the unexpected added to the enjoyment.
Was he indeed? Marvellous! The image of the 10 boys in red watching the astonishing display of their quarter size mounts is one of the best of the day.
See you next year!

By the way, Duncan was first to congratulate the guys flying the mini Hawk duo. They didn’t realise he had flown the first Hawk until later!

Thanks, that is nice of you to say. It was a hectic show with all the changes.