Rothmans Aerobatic Team

A Survivor

oops that should be VH-BVU

A Survivor

I took this photo of VH-BVS at Jamestown, South Australia a couple of years agow.
With the “Rothmans” it was Neil Williams’ mount, G-AXYW.

Digger, OZ

The mention of John Jordan’s Pitts reminded me of a flight on the 10th November 1984. I hadn’t had my PPL long and had joined The Stevenage Flying Club to take advantage of their very reasonable rates flying Thruxton Jackaroo G-AOIR. All new club members were required to do 15 hours dual before being let loose solo. On this occasion I was stooging around near Old Warden with Andy Watson as my check pilot, when on the wing tips appeared John Bygraves in his Stolp Starduster and John Jordan in his Pitts :eek:. As a low houred PPL I was a bit surprised, as they were in very tight formation! I carried on straight and level just in case, when “Bertie” Bygraves peeled off to return to Old warden. John Jordan disappeared too…only to reappear inverted above my head :diablo:! John Jordan was always bouncing you and continued so to do even when I had my Auster some years later.

Thanks for that. Shame it isn’t in the UK. The Pitts design is old enough to qualify for a place in the collection at Old Warden now and there would have been no better candidate than one which was “built on the premises”.

Here’s some I took earlier…. At Booker C1972

Thanks for that. Shame it isn’t in the UK. The Pitts design is old enough to qualify for a place in the collection at Old Warden now and there would have been no better candidate than one which was “built on the premises”.

Biggin Hill 18 May 1974 – the only time I ever saw the S1. I believe it was built at Old Warden but have no idea of its ultimate fate.
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G-AXNZ is now a static exhibit in Rahmi M. Koc Muzesi in Istanbul.

Tim

Whatever became of Brendan O’Brian?
He hosted a TV series that was shown in the US on the old Wings network, haven’t seen him since.

Brendan is still about in recent years he has been doing his trailer top landing crazy flying act with a J3 Cub:)

Whatever became of Brendan O’Brian?
He hosted a TV series that was shown in the US on the old Wings network, haven’t seen him since.

John Jordan’s Pitts S-1 was also used as a static display piece.

Biggin Hill 18 May 1974 – the only time I ever saw the S1. I believe it was built at Old Warden but have no idea of its ultimate fate.
Apologies for the quality – scanned from the original print and taken with a Boots instamatic camera so it wasn’t good in the first place.

from the 1976 St Mawgan International Airday Program

For the record, my logs of the time show:

15.8.70 Valley: G-AWIW, G-AXYW, G-AYCG, G-AYCK
19.6.71 Upper Heyford: G-AWIW/1, G-AXYW/4, G-AYCG/3
29.4.72 Liverpool: G-AWIW, G-AXYW, G-AYCG, G-AYCK
13.5.72 Blackpool: G-AWIW, G-AXYW, G-AYCK, G-AYGR
12.8.72 Upper Heyford: G-AWIW/1, G-AXYW/4, G-AYCG/3, G-AYCK/2
09.9.72 Farnborough: G-AWIW, G-AXYW, G-AYCG, G-AYCK with G-AYIJ as spare
24.4.73 Old Warden: G-BADW, G-BADX, G-BADY, G-BADZ, G-BAEA, one as spare
12.5.73 Liverpool: G-BADW, G-BADX, G-BADY, G-BADZ Pitts S-2A
19.5.73 Biggin Hill: G-BADW, G-BADX, G-BADY, G-BADZ with G-BAEA as spare

Clearly the last season with Stampes was 1972, the first with Pitts 1973. But when was the first season on Stampes and the last as a four-ship on Pitts?

G-BADW is still with Bob Mitchel and now at Sleap under rebuild. It was G-BADZ that was around for a time still in Rothmans colours with a large registration, it to is under rebuild.

Only 41 years and one day have passed. Note the bargain entry, £1 per car!

And your article was either in Control Column or Aircraft Illustrated annual from memory! 😉

G-BDKS and G-BECM served in later years.
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Quite right. I flew with the team (as a passenger) on two occasions in 1980. I flew in G-BECM when doing air-to-airs of the team from within the formation and also took shots from a Partenavia of the whole team. The Pitts I flew in was G-BECM.

Tim

Baby Fart…

Don’t you just hate it when you have had a good sort out tidy everything up and then you can not find anything you need to find…

but not being born until 1975 I missed a great deal of classic aircraft and teams.

Old Fart? You need to change your user name!!:)

It’s amazing how one little question can spark so may memories, just wish I could remember more about them but not being born until 1975 I missed a great deal of classic aircraft and teams.

G-BDKS and G-BECM served in later years. I think two former team aircraft were destroyed when performing with the Vixen Two after the team was finally axed. There was also the Jubille Duo when Rothmans had axed the team, only to restore it a couple of years later. The Pitts team originally didn’t have the yellow pin-striping, this came second time around. Not to be forgotten were at least one Islander and a Partenavia as support aircraft. They were always excellent and I well remember them at Old Warden in the mid-70’s and also down on the seafront at Southend. Final time I caught the whole team was at Biggin Hill, probably 1979. Much missed. I seem to recall one of the aircraft being in its Rothmans colours still but with a giant size reg instead of “Rothmans” on the side. What happened to the one that was with Bob Mitchell at Cosford?

John Jordan’s Pitts S-1 was also used as a static display piece.