By: 'lectra - 29th March 2013 at 18:20
So Neil’s still able to entertain an audience almost 40 years after his sad demise. An amazing feat for a pilot surely.
Indeed. Although I had read about the Zlin accident before I have only recently read ‘Airborne’ Superb!
By: Paul F - 27th February 2013 at 14:31
Indeed. Reprinted at the back end of 2012.:)
Ah, I didn’t realise it had been reprinted recently – the last time I looked it was harder to find in second-hand lists etc.
I would definitely recommend it to anyone with any interest in historic types then, my copy has been read and re-read many many times…. not only was he an excellent pilot, but he could write about his experiences in such a manner was to make them very “readable” too.
Paul F
By: Mothminor - 27th February 2013 at 14:07
Indeed. Reprinted at the back end of 2012.:)
So Neil’s still able to entertain an audience almost 40 years after his sad demise. An amazing feat for a pilot surely.
By: Hot_Charlie - 27th February 2013 at 12:33
Copious supplies available on the South American river………
Planemike
Indeed. Reprinted at the back end of 2012.:)
By: Arabella-Cox - 27th February 2013 at 11:07
Definitely one for the book shelf if you can find a copy. Paul F
Copious supplies available on the South American river………
Planemike
By: Paul F - 27th February 2013 at 11:01
“Airborne” – Book by Neil Williams
NW’s book has a chapter describing the incident “from the inside” too. His final roll-out from inverted prior to belly-landing the Zlin was so precise, and so close to the ground, that the wing tip was found to have scraped along the ground during the roll to erect flight as marks/scrapes were found in the grass, yet the perspex on the wing-tip light was unbroken – precision flying or what?
I well remember seeing NW display aircraft at Old Warden, where he would display three very different types in an afternoon, pretty much climbing out of one cockpit and getting straight into another… a very gifted, and much missed pilot.
‘Airborne’ is a collection of short articles covering various of his experiences, from ferry pilot work, his time in the RAF, through display flying, test flying, display and tets of various vintage types and so on. Definitely one for the book shelf if you can find a copy.
Paul F
By: Moggy C - 26th February 2013 at 18:05
Official AAIB report can be found at http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/15-1971%20G-AWAR.pdf
If you don’t already know the story behind this incident, the AAIB is a must-read. It gives some hint as to what an exceptional pilot we lost when the CASA ploughed into the hillside.
Moggy
By: Dr. John Smith - 26th February 2013 at 17:01
Neil Williams Zlin G-AWAR
Short answer – Neil Williams Zlin G-AWAR crashed a long time ago. To be exact, crashed at Hullavington, Wiltshire on June 3 1970. During practising aerobatics the port wing failed due to fatigue failure.
Official AAIB report can be found at http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/15-1971%20G-AWAR.pdf and some notes on the registration document at http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/15-1971%20G-AWAR.pdf
(Which states “P.W.F.U. 3.6.70, notified 13.10.70”)
source http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=18912 (which I may have had some input into…)
At this point, I did not pursue the matter further into what happened to the wreckage of G-AWAR. The above mentioned AAIB report states that the wreckage was examined where it crashed at Hullavington, and the defective wing/fuselage joint was sent to RAE Farnbrorough for further analysis including being X-rayed.
Since the crash was non-fatal, perhaps it was not as thorough as a fatal one…
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February 26, 2013 at 4:06 pm