No more heroes………

RE: No more heroes………

Agreed Steve.I also find it hard to put feelings into appropriate words.Perhaps words just can’t do justice.

RE: No more heroes………

Tony, I don’t think it’s that people can’t be bothered. From a purely personal point of view, I find it quite difficult to express sorrow without sounding like I’m just following the crowd and adding comments for the sake of it. Therefore, I’d rather take a quiet moment and reflect. I did it for Johnnie Johnson, I’ve done it for ‘Bea’, and sadly I know I’ll do it for many others in the future. I’m not saying people should or shouldn’t post messages of condolence, as it’s very much each to their own way. Mine is quiet contemplation. Hope this doesn’t offend anyone.

RE: Roland Beaumont: Family?

Snapper, thanks for the link to Wg Cdr Beamont’s obituary, and for the spelling correction — I have seen Wg Cdr Beamont’s name spelt both ways, in different media, in British and other sources.

I was aware that the late Wg Cdr Beamont, who test-flew the Canberra and Lightning, wasn’t the same as the Gp Capt Bea(u?)mont who was seconded to the Indian Air Force. Without wishing to hijack this thread, I was just wondering if that officer was any relation. Can’t swear to the spelling version of his name either!

Regards,

Snoopy

RE: Roland Beaumont: Family?

I don’t believe he was – Its Beamont without the U. (A common misspelling). Their is an obituary at www.telegraph.co.uk if you type in Beamont in the search box.

Roland Beaumont: Family?

Though I certainly never met Roland Beaumont (and am not even from the same country), I have read enough of his contributions to aviation (and felt the results, in the form of certain successfully exported aviation products) to feel I’d like to respectfully endorse ReHeat’s and Snapper’s comments.

One question: Does anyone know if the late Roland Beaumont was related to another RAF officer of the same last name, who as a Group Captain was loaned to the Indian Air Force, and commanded an IAF training establishment in the 1950/1951 time frame? If so, I can claim a small, indirect connection …

Snoopy

RE: No more heroes………

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 25-11-01 AT 06:29 PM (GMT)]Just finished reading ‘My Part of the Sky’ by R-B, excellent book. I thought I’d copied the paragraph, underneath, to give a brief idea of what the books like! (taken from the Tempest web-site). A damn good read.

“Reaching Newchurch airfield at 480 mph I held “RB” down to 20 ft from the runway and then pulled her up to a 60 ° climb holding it as the speed dropped slowly off and the altimeter needle spun round the dial as if it were mad. At 7000 ft the speed was dropping below 180 mph and I rolled the Tempest lazily inverted, then allowed the nose to drop until the horizon, at first above my head, disappeared below (or rather above) the now inverted nose, the fields and woods steadied into the centre of the windscreen and then whirled around as I put the stick hard over and rolled around the vertical dive. Steadying again I pulled out over the tree tops at 500 mph, throttled back and pulled hard over towards the airfield in an over-the-vertical climbing turn, lowering the wheels and flaps in a roll as the speed dropped. What a magnificent aeroplane! They could have all their Spitfires and Mustangs!”
(“My part of the sky”, Roland Beamont)

If this gets the hairs standing up on the back of your neck- the rest of the book is in the same sort of vain!!!
A great pilot, who’ll be sadly missed.

Neilly

RE: No more heroes………

Wasnt he the chap who barrel rolled the Vulcan at one of its first shows?

RE: No more heroes………

Well said Snapper,

The only thing that makes me sad, is how few people on this board, can be bothered to say a few words on his passing.

This man, as well as being a thoroughly nice person, was also instrumental, in some of the most important aviation developments, in the 50’s , 60’s and 70s.

So, if we as enthusiasts, cannot say a few words, and express we are grateful for what he did, then what hope is there?

Blue Skies Roland

Tony

RE: No more heroes………

I was fortunate enough to speak with ‘Bee’ on the phone after the 609 Squadron reunion at Duxford in July. One of the greatest pilots we have been fortunate enough to have had in this country. I learnt today of his passing, and can only say that I feel honoured to have had the chance of meeting him. Now that he is reunited with his wife, Pat, and his former friends, it is important to remember the contribution he and others like him made to our lives, and to be grateful for it. Never forget. We are all the poorer for his passing, but richer for his being.

RE: No more heroes………

I am sad to hear this news. He was a great pilot and had an outstanding flying career, anyone who saw the interview at the Newark Air Museum open day will know what I mean.
He will be missed.