When I came to do a draft of this item, I realised I didn’t know as much about it as I thought I did. So, anyway, just concentrating on the essentials of this personal reminisence:
As I recall it, there was a brief period in the mid 1960’s when RAF Transport Command seemed to engage in some low flying trials across England. These involved convoys (ie several aircraft in line astern with perhaps ten seconds spacing) flying fixed routes at an altitude of 200-300 feet (and sometimes lower as mentioned below). They were groups either of Hastings or Beverleys. The Beverleys would be flown slightly higher than the Hastings would. I wondered if this was because the higher cockpit on the Beverley made it more difficult to fly very near the ground, so a greater safety margin was required, but I am guessing on that. Where I lived on the N.Worcs/Staffs border there was a roughly SE route passing right in front of our house and a roughly NW route passing a couple of miles to the west. On the basis that you actually had to be there to see things, I didn’t see everything that went over, but I did see two or three each of Beverley and Hastings “convoys”. The thing particularly of note is that I was at home when I realised a convoy was coming on the SE route. We all rushed outside and saw a line of Hastings approaching. Now our house was on a slight rise in the ground. The convoy did not seem to take any heed of this and just came straight across in front of us at a correspondingly reduced altitude. So we had the spectacular sight of a line of Hastings passing right in front of us at probably a bit less than 200 feet. They weren’t hanging about either. What a noise!
A story I read in the local paper was that a line of Beverleys had gone right across Halfpenny Green airfield at low level, to the consternation of the airfield staff. Apparently The RAF thought the airfield was disused, whereas it had been re-activated for civil use.
In those days, the only camera we had was a folding brownie and it didn’t normally have any film in it. What a missed opportunity.
I would be very interested if anyone can add anything to this account. Did anyone else see this sort of thing? Was anyone here actually involved? And did anyone get any pictures?
By: g6hyf - 9th June 2012 at 17:35
I have seen a close convoy of C130 low level over E. Lincs a few years ago….in the half light early hours one weekend… The first one roared over the house and must have woken me…I found my way to my south window to see a mystifying mass of lights…then the next aircraft roared over and the source of the lights started to become clear…did I count 15 aircraft in total.? routing North.
Too young to remember the Hastings as a transport…..but did used to see the T5 Hastings locally….especially jubilee time 1977.
Clive
By: pogno - 9th June 2012 at 16:31
Between 1963 and 1968 I was living at Newbury and attending a school a few miles to the west of Greenham Common.
It is one of my most vivid aviation memories from that time seeing the stream of Hastings roar overhead the school, I cannot remember how often it happened or exactly how many were in the stream but they were certainly very low and only seconds apart.
They came from the North East direction (Lyneham, Colerne I assume) and for some reason I think they were heading for the Hankley Common DZ but I do not know why I have that in my mind, probably more recent knowledge.
The Beverley’s did also trundle around in line astern like some sort of armada and so did the Argosies and Andovers but always at a couple of thousand feet or so and never at the same low altitude as the Hastings.
It all came to a sudden halt on the 6th on July 1965 when TG577 crashed at Abingdon with the loss of all 41 crew and para’s onmboard, the type was temporarily grounded. The cause of the crash was failure of the elevator hinge structure and aircraft had to be chacked and modified before return to service. many were scrapped.
Some did return to service, like the T5’s which continued on for another ten years.
Richard
By: ozplane - 9th June 2012 at 16:10
I can’t help with the Hastings and Beverleys but we used to get fairly regular “convoys” of 3 or 4 low level C-130 Hercules over here in North Herts. I met one of the co-pilots from these jaunts and he told me they had all bought cheap Garmin GPS units out of their own pockets and the RAF wouldn’t even buy replacement batteries. Apparently they didn’t like the on board kit for low level stuff.
By: davecurnock - 9th June 2012 at 14:09
I was on 24 Squadron around the mid-60s and remember our Hastings being involved in various low-level practice streams during my time. Some of these jaunts took them on a scenic tour of Wales (and/or, sometimes, Scotland).
I didn’t fly on any of these particular sorties so can’t confirm the reason for these operations – no knowledge of the Bevs being involved either – but on Transport Command, and later, Air Support Command, if the Army held a ‘party’ then we were all usually invited.;)
By: Halcyon days - 9th June 2012 at 11:34
I grew up in Clacton-and as a young spotter in the mid-to late sixties (67??)can well recall one evening-walking along the low cliffs/esplanade and first of all hearing – and then seeing 3 Beverlies-appear out of the evening mist-very low- flying parrallel along the coast at I would guess 3-400ft-in close formation.
A few minutes later-another distant drone-and this resulted in 3 Hastings at a similar height?
We were very used to low level jets at that time with all the various F-100s/F-84s/F-101s etc that were around-but this was quite unusual-so sticks in my memory?
Sounds very similar to what you described??
By: slicer - 9th June 2012 at 11:26
Can’t help with recollections, but still awestruck at the thought of a convoy of Beverleys at 2-300 ft!
By: HP111 - 9th June 2012 at 11:00
Oh well, no replies. I suppose it depends on who is around on the forum.
I can add something else. At the time I had little understanding of where RAF bases were. Now, looking at how the flight path aligns on a map, it seems plausible that the the route was a direct point to point between Abingdon and Shawbury.
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June 8, 2012 at 10:44 am