Does anyone have any information re this incident, when W/Cdr Walter Holden, whilst carrying out engines runs to trace a fault in XM135, found himself in full reheat running allong a runway at Lynham. Forced to lift it off the ground, without canopy or flying equipment (to avoid a fuel tanker I think), he managed to put it down after four attempts, with only minor damage to the tail.
XM135 is of course the EE Lightning at Duxford.
I read about this incident sometime in the early eighties in a copy of ‘Mayfair’, the well-know adult art magazine – I bought it for the Lightning article honest!!
I mentioned this incident to Steve Young at Hendon yesterday, & he’d never heard of it.
I tried a spot of Googling, without much luck. All I could find was this http://www.lightning.org.uk/archive/0303.php .
Geoff.
By: Last Lightning - 3rd February 2004 at 18:20
i wonder if theirs any pictures of it?
By: scott c - 3rd February 2004 at 17:29
Hi All
Ok heres a bit about said incedent.
It happened on July 22nd 1966 while XM135 was at 33 MU at Lyneham. The aircraft had a persistant electrical problem that only showed itself under aceleration. So Wg Cdr Walter “Taff” Holden decided to undertake some ground tests to see if he could find the problem. The canopy was removed and the ground locks were in place Taff had a set of pilots notes with him in the cockpit he was strapped in but the safty pins were in. A couple of short bursts down the run way showed nothing so taff decided to give it a bit more speed. As he opened the throttels he accidentally pushed them through the gate into reheat. At first he thought the trottles had jammed but by the time he figured out what was happeneing he was out of runway and was left with only one choice to take XM135 for a quick spin round the airfield. This wouldnt be too much of a problem except that Taff had only done a few hours on a tiger moth. He couldnt call the tower as he only had on ear defenders and he couldnt eject as the seat was safe. After a couple of failed attempts after 12 minutes he landed.
Scott C
By: GATEGUARD - 3rd February 2004 at 14:44
There is also a really good bit(p126 127) on the subject in AIRCRASH by Andrew Brookes. Some excellent quotes from Taffy Holden.
By: von Perthes - 2nd February 2004 at 22:26
Thanks for the info, but is there anything worthwhile on the ‘net re this incident?
Geoff.
By: Last Lightning - 2nd February 2004 at 18:11
its also in a flypast mag. quite a few years ago though.
By: Ewan Hoozarmy - 2nd February 2004 at 17:48
The tale of Taff Holden piloting the Lightning features in a book called ‘Drama in the Air’ by John Beattie (No, not THAT John Beattie!) published in 1989 by Robson Books Ltd. It gets 10 pages out of 223 and describes the incident fairly well..
ISBN Number is 0-86051-564-8
By: Firebird - 2nd February 2004 at 15:00
Yup, well known incident. It reasonably well covered in several of the Lightning books, can’t remember of top of my head which ones.
I do remember that he did have some limited flying experience in the past (which is why he was able to make a damn good job of getting back on the ground again)but not in anything like a Lightning…..!!!
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February 2, 2004 at 2:33 pm