Ray & Mark

Let’s not forget the Hannas’ film work over the years:

Empire of the Sun
Air America
Memphis Belle
Piece of Cake
A Perfect Hero
Over Here
Saving Private Ryan
Dark Blue World
Flyboys

Some films better than others, but all of them testament to their expertise.

A most enjoyable thread taking me back to my first airshow experiences at Biggin Hill. Here’s a few more of mine, this time from the other end of the time frame, Duxford 2005 with MH434, Ray and Alister Kay. And agree with ‘The Bump’ regards Nigel Lambs ‘valley salute’. Biggin Hill, MH434 and the airshow final. So, so special.

Chris

I agree with the plaudits given above..and would add that, of the current display pilots, I think Alistair Kay has some of the Hanna stardust about him.

You beat me to it!
I find that all the pilots associated with the OFMC fly the ‘Hanna way’
I’d like to single out Nigel Lamb for praise, after Ray passed away, Nigel flew MH434 in the traditional closing slot of the Biggin Hill Air Fair (with the exception of one year)
It was as if Ray was back again, complete with the ‘valley salute’.

When Ray was around I always thought it would have been a great idea to merge OFMC and TFC together and make one big aircraft collection!

Thanks DragonRapide for putting a name to the face….

certainly looks like him

Nick Grey?

Mark and friend

Taken at Finningley in 91 Mark was going to pilot the T33 and the other chap was his passenger..

Here’s a couple more

Ray, Mark and (?) arriving in style at West Malling and then performing a great tail chase on a preview day at the Great Warbirds show. Think this all that actually happened from memory due to cross winds at the airfield. I remember Ray landing what looked like ‘through’ the blast pens so guess there was a grass strip available somewhere down the far end? The other shot back at home base – early to mid ‘90’s

Happy days indeed

Chris

Re; Mark Hanna flying the Scandinavian historic flight Venom,
Sorry people may well have been a vampire and not a venom, was a few years ago. Either way it was a cracking display.

Ray was a wonderful person. His displays were great (both solo and with the Breitling Fighters) I met him on a few occasions and he was always in a good mood. The first time I met him I was still a kid who was into airplanes very much, and he gave me some of his time and showed me all 4 of the Breitling Fighters (Corsair, Spitfire, P40 and Mustang).

I still have some pictures from back then and I’ll never forget that. I thank him for these great memories :rolleyes:

Unfortunately cant scan but have these among many at Biggin Hill.

Yes i’m pretty sure it was a single seat Vampire, not Venom.

Have to say that the Hanna’s in my mind gave Duxford some variety with their mix of vintage jets and piston types. And as much as i like and appreciate the various WW2 types based there, that variety and ‘cosmopolitan mix’ is now sadly lacking.

Wow, never knew that Mark ever flew Lindsey Walton’s Corsair !

I remember once, when Ray first flew it, Lindsey said to me “He kept trying to find things wrong with it so he could buy it off me cheap!” 🙂

Did the SHF ever operate a Venom? I thought they had a Vampire.

Wow, never knew that Mark ever flew Lindsey Walton’s Corsair !
Think Blue Max’s comment (post 49) says it all.
There are still a lot of good display pilots and restrictions have no doubt changed things too. I believe it was Ray himself who once said in an article i read that he was always aware of the limited hours on a type and the lack of experience in flying that sort of vintage aircraft, and look how much experience he had ! Must be even harder today in the current economic climate.
I do however remember some of the beat-ups Mark did at Duxford in the Buchon whilst they were filming Memphis Belle, a friend said that the day before when he did it they threw themselves on the floor ! Enough said …
Also the year of “The Classic Jet and Fighter display” at Duxford , Mark took the Scandinavian historic flight’s Venom up for a spin in the morning before the display started, the display was fantastic and we all said afterwards how we had never heard a venom sound like that before …. or since . Happy days.

Photos From Biggin Hill 2004 and 2005(Rays last show at Biggin Hill)

Its great seeing all these photos and memories coming back, and I do feel both Ray and Mark deserve the “hero/legend” worship. They brought me an huge amount of enjoyment and excitement through their displays in my formative years until adulthood.

I have huge respects for many currrent display pilots including John Romain, Nigel Lamb, Carolyn Grace,Johnathon “Flapjack” Whaley, Alistair Kay Lee Proudfoot and Stephen Grey. All are fantastic pilots who are bringing great displays to us to this day.We are fortunate to still have such displays available to us.

For me its not about comparing them to the Hanna’s or taking anything away from the current pilots, but is about the emotions I had seeing MH434 close a Biggin Hill show or seeing Ray low flying down the runway at a show, The Brietling Fighters displays, and Mark and Ray doing duos in Spitfire and Buchon. All fond memories all special ones too, for that reason the Hanna’s will always mean a lot to me.

Love the pic of Mark in Lindsey Walton’s Corsair CAF-UK.

Thanks for posting

Very nice 😉

With a bit of tweaking, they’d almost be pass for period shots, I reckon, especially the first taxiing shot.

Wot, like this? You can see East Fortune’s derelict tower under the Mustang’s right wing.

Had a rummage through my old prints last night and came up with this selection

The Mustang is from the West Malling, ’89 or ’90 and as good a place as any I guess to watch the flying from, the Corsiar might be WM as well but maybe Alconbury ‘90?

Spit is at DX but not sure on the Yak11, North weald maybe? Again around ’89 or ’90

Chris