In May 1969 the Daily Mail Sponsored an air race between the top of the Empire State Building in New York, and the top of the PO Tower in London, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Alcock and Brown’s first trans-Atlantic flight.
One of the RAF’s entries was Harrier XV741 piloted by S/L Lecky-Thompson (1 Sqn?), who took off from a disused coal-yard in St Pancreas on 5 May and completed the east-west crossing in 6 hours 11 minutes (plus a few seconds). T
He completed the return in 5 hours 30 minutes, but when did he make that flight?
Does anyone have any photos of either the London departure or arrivel? Odd bloke that I am it’s not the Harrier that interests me but the surrounding area, and in particular the ‘clapped out’ caravan that was used for a meteorological office! It was probably covered in coal-dust.
Brian
By: Arabella-Cox - 13th November 2017 at 15:04
……and the press release
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By: Arabella-Cox - 13th November 2017 at 15:00
OK, here we go……full list of entrants
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By: scotavia - 3rd November 2017 at 20:05
Jet Art are near completion of one of the air race Harriers (St Pancras coal yard departure..)
https://www.facebook.com/jetartaviationltd/
By: AlanR - 3rd November 2017 at 10:48
My memory of this event was shortly after at Bentwaters, where the RN Phantom that took part in the race appeared.
It did one of the most impressive low level displays I’ve ever seen. One that would never be allowed today.
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd November 2017 at 21:08
You’ll have to wait a couple of weeks but I will check the RAeC archives on my next visit
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd November 2017 at 20:03
Does anyone know where I can find a complete list of all competitors please. The Daily Mail does not allow access to their archives!!!
Thanks
By: dhfan - 9th December 2010 at 02:19
Its there in the Video 😉
I meant it wasn’t somebody ‘aving a larf, it HAD to be there to make it an official station.
By: stevew62 - 8th December 2010 at 19:39
WARNING ! – slight thread creep here …
There’s more on the race here => http://www.btinternet.com/~gordon.dyer/543/memories.html
In the above write up it mentions Eric Hemson. If anyone knows his whereabouts could they please ask him to contact me.
Eric flew as #4 in the 1967 “GIN Formation” Aerobatic team & I’d like to find out more for my website …..
Thread creep over …
TIA
Steve
By: hunterxf382 - 8th December 2010 at 18:59
I guess there would have to be a sign.
Its there in the Video 😉
By: dhfan - 8th December 2010 at 17:51
Wasnt there a hand painted sign at the entrance to the coal yard which was inscribed ‘RAF St Pancreas’? I am sure there is a photo in exsistence of it somewhere.
The railway station named after the well-known internal organ…
I guess there would have to be a sign. According to wiki, it was an official RAF station, albeit briefly. Probably the only official way to allow a jet fighter to land in central London.
By: Chox - 7th December 2010 at 17:06
There’s hardly anything by way of photographs other than a couple of well-known (and increasingly poor) images floating around on the internet. You’d think a famous event such as this would have generated lots more pictures but it seems not!
By: hunterxf382 - 7th December 2010 at 14:36
Whilst searching for a link to a photo I was sure I had seen before, I stumbled across this YouTube link. From 2:22 there is footage of the event! 🙂
Includes the RAF sign too….
By: Canberra Geoff - 7th December 2010 at 11:42
Wasnt there a hand painted sign at the entrance to the coal yard which was inscribed ‘RAF St Pancreas’? I am sure there is a photo in exsistence of it somewhere.
By: Stepwilk - 6th December 2010 at 00:43
I was one if the two pilots of a Beagle 206S in that race, and as I remember, we won our class. Motorcycles were involved, both on the London and New York ends. My Brit biker did fine–we rode one of the then fancy-new Triumph triples–but the New Yorker who picked me up at LGA got lost in the depths of Queens.
By: Arabella-Cox - 5th December 2010 at 20:40
This may help.
Photos in the Royal Aero Club Collection which I have just spotted….
http://www.royalaeroclubtrust.org/downloads/RAeC_Collectionv2.pdf
You want item reference 357-36 4. Several pages in.
When I discovered this I recalled this thread and thought this information might help somebody.
By: Sky High - 2nd November 2010 at 08:40
And correct me if I am wrong but the Daily Mail sponsored a London-Paris air race 10 years earlier on the 50th Anniversary of Bleriot’s flight. Marble Arch to Arc de Triomphe I think and I think I recall high speed motor bikes to Northolt and a Hunter to Villacoublay and helicopter in to Paris or perhaps the other way round.
By: Chox - 2nd November 2010 at 08:35
ahh nostalgia…:p
By: inkworm - 2nd November 2010 at 08:13
Don’t know if this is of any use
By: Chox - 2nd November 2010 at 00:08
Lovely photos there – that’s the first time I’ve seen a shot of the NY end. You’d think there would be more images of the event but it seems to have faded into history now… like so many great adventures of the past. I suppose the very idea of landing a Harrier in a coal yard would be too terrifying for our Health & Safety society now, even if we had any Harriers with which to try it!
By: dhexpress - 1st November 2010 at 23:38
Chox, there is a nice colour photo of the Harrier leaving St. Pancras on the cover of Aero Modeller August 1969. This issue also additional b/w photos and detailed general arrangement drawings of both the GR.1 and T.2. Try your patience on Ebay for a pristine copy – it will turn up eventually.
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August 16, 2009 at 5:28 pm