Rearwin Flight: 5 March 2005

A couple of minor problems.

Safety first.

M

Hi Mel,

Hope it wasn’t anything to bad, your right safty first, I look forward in reading of your first flight, are you going to be taking any video that we all can enjoy 😀

RER

looks like the date is set for 2006

No chance for Legends then.

bet you settled it with her, very tight case i hear :DF

Hi Melve

A little caution is a good thing all the best for when it happens………………

Oh also congrats on the court case

“Nice of you to ask but I prefer girls.” Very pleased to hear you obviously beat the charges – Silly of you really – you don’t even look like a doctor.

Kindest regards
John

😀 are you setting a date for the ‘Melvin and the chipmunks’ Goose 😀

so you setting a new date?

Nice of you to ask but I prefer girls.

so you setting a new date?

Well Mel,

Did we go don’t keep us all in suspence here, did Steve behave himself :diablo:

The World needs to know come on someone has to know something 😮

RER

A couple of minor problems.

Safety first.

M

Mel, this forthcoming week looks good with the establishment of high pressure over the UK. Even I might get up in the Maule 😮 😮 😮

Well Mel,

Did we go don’t keep us all in suspence here, did Steve behave himself :diablo:

The World needs to know come on someone has to know something 😮

RER

Today

Hi all, especially SRP.

Wx looks pretty lousy for the rest of today despite a nice start – hopefully giving you sufficient time to complete the first flight of the Rearwin this morning.

Here follows the TAF (Forecast) for Farnborough, pulled off at 9.30 local today.

FARNBOROUGH EGLF 050908Z 051013 32011KT 9999 FEW025 SCT040 TEMPO 1113 5000 SHRASN PROB30 TEMPO 1213 34015G25KT 2500 SHSN BKN009 BKN015CB

Basically, it forecasts rain/ snow showers that will progressively worsen and likely to be accompanied by very poor visibility/ low cloud/ increasing winds/ thunderstorms.

So, ideal first thing for the Rearwin flight but not good enough for me to fly down in the DR400 and stand a reasonable chance of getting back home during the afternoon.

Here are some wise words that I always abide by and have kept me, my aircraft and my passengers safe for 30 years –

‘If there is any doubt, there can be no doubt’.

Best of luck today, sorry I cant be there.

CU next trip Stephen, lots to catch up on; P51 (but possibly something even more exciting?!) is becoming an increasingly likely prospect in the ‘not too distant future’. I will also be flying some ‘heavy metal’ shortly.

Hurrah!

HP

Mel and Steve

Sounds like a comedy duo.

Come to think of it….

Good Luck to Mel and Steve today!

[QUOTE Viv Bellamy] “Dear boy, you’ve bought a young lady for me to impress!”

Very Noel Coward!

I wish I’d had the chance to meet Viv, sadly there seems to be very few of these larger than life characters left. I would love to been on the Battle of Britain film crew, with Viv, Hawke, Mahaddie and co, I bet it was a riot in the bar most nights.

Septic.

Thanks for that. As you probably know Robert was a mate and I pranged my car on the way to his funeral. He would have laughed at that. I hadn’t realised he had flown in the Provost with John but I know he was not keen on flying. He was on the list for a go in the Rearwin but it just didn’t happen in time.

I like the picture. I used to pop in and see Viv when he was at Longparish and he could out-swear anyone and he was never offensive with it. I took Carol down there one day and he said “Dear boy, you’ve bought a young lady for me to impress!” Cool dude. After he died Tony Bianchi told me he had only ever met two people that taught him to fly aeroplanes rather than drive them, one was Neil Williams, the other was Viv.

John Isaacs told me a good story about the delivery flight too and I think that was in his book.

Thanks for posting that pic.

Melv

Melv, I found this whilst looking for old photos tonight, thought you might like it.

Your article in A—plane reminded me of Rob Rudhall. Rob also flew with John Fairey in the Piston Provost, John knowing that Rob wasn’t a keen flier had managed to lure him into the cockpit for some engine runs, and high speed taxying tests, which of course led to a full blown flight. I know Rob cherished the memories of his flight with John Fairey, I’m sure you will to.

Good luck with the first flight, is it still on for tomorrow.

Septic.

Good Luck for Saturday if all goes ahead, weather and paperwork permitting!

We shall be v.busy on the Dak (apparently nearly everything we’ve been waiting for returns from overhaul and NDT tomorrow [1]) so there’s no chance of coming over.

JC

[1] That’s a lot of bits – elevator and rudder hinges, tail and tail wheel fork, port engine, one of the 2 props, mainwheels and 2 fuel booster pumps. There may be even more than that and it all needs to go on next weekend.

What’s on the programme for saturday?

If Melvin’s making the tea, I’ll do a bit of baking. Anyone for a piece of cake?

Looking forward to the visit next Saturday Melv. I’m sure that we’ll all be able to recognise you from the photo in the latest ‘Aeroplane’! 😀

Taken when I was the same height as Patty is now!