Spitfire MH434/John Farley

Hi John. I would also like to add my own welcome to the forum. We have also met over on PPRUNE.
Thanks for your story. I also enjoyed your magazine artical on your first flight in a Spitfire. Is it on the internet somewere? I’m sure some of the guys hear would like to read it too.

Rgds Cking (aka Dr Illitout;))

Having started (or at least re-started ) this thread, i am delighted to see that John has taken time to share his story with such honesty on the forum.

Thanks John… Welcome to the party indeed!

I look forward to more posts from you.

Out… Roxeth

A ‘heavyweight’ (in the pilot skill sense!) posts on the forum 🙂

An interesting story, John, it’s good to know you were able to spend some surely memorable times flying MH434 on other occasions.

I’ve enjoyed reading of your flying experiences over the years, thanks for sharing this (albeit unfortunate) recollection with us. Publications of up-to-date flying mishaps are of course still prodigious, and the good pilot or crew-member heeds lessons from others contained within. ‘You never stop learning’!

An interesting story and many thanks for John for sharing his story with us, For me any Warbird pilot gets my full respect. I’m sure there were more happy moments for you John than the ‘low points’

I’ve only followed the Warbird scene for a few years now but whats the story behind the ‘Belgium’ scheme?

Wow! A Spitfire propstrike thread that hasn’t been pulled – how refreshing :rolleyes:

Welcome to the playground, John – we have met on PPRuNe before 😉

more proof, if any was needed, that Ray was a fine gentleman. Aviation is one of those places where lessons are learned and finger pointing and name calling thankfully stays in the playground…..there but for the grace of God…..

I heard another OFMC pilot speaking about Ray (after his passing), when he told a story of how Ray had almost ground looped the La-9 on landing after one of the early flights. Apparently, everyone saw it and as he taxied in they wondered how angry he was going to be, but as he pulled up he just had a huge grin across his face…. It can happen to the best. 🙂

Wow, that’s an interesting story. And welcome to the forum.

Hi Chaps

Sorry to come to the party a bit late but I have only recently been tipped off about this thread and I had to await the mod’s approval to post.

Yes 16 June 1991 was probably the worst day of my life. I was supposed to open the flying with 434 but can’t remember if that was at 0900 or a bit later now. There was not much wind – what there was being on my nose when I started the high power mag checks. I had the stick fully back with my right hand, was fiddling with the mag switches with my left and staring at the RPM gauge when I became aware that the tail was rising. In the slow motion that takes over at times like that it seemed to be coming up very slowly but quite relentlessly against full back stick. I tried to chop the throttle but grabbed the RPM lever by mistake and putting that into coarse pitch was obviously not enough. It must have been another second or so before I got the throttle shut. I did not enjoy watching bits of wood fly off the prop tips before the tail eventually went back down.

When I got out I noticed that behind the aircraft was a big black cloud passing east of the field and a row of big hot air balloons that five minutes earlier had been trying to inflate but were now in disarray and what’s more had collapsed on the ground in my direction presumably thanks to some local gusts associated with the cloud.

What l did wrong I am not sure. I could have relaxed a bit on the full back stick or I might have suffered a gust from behind that got under the up elevator or both. Either way if I had closed the throttle properly I am sure I would not have hit the prop.

As has been said Ray was a real gentleman (as was Mark) and they were both extremely understanding and insisted I fly a demo in their Zeke that I was down for in the afternoon. Everyone in the pilots’ tent was also very understanding and supportive. Not at all what I felt I deserved.

After Mark sorted a new prop and got 434 back to Duxford, I flew it again for a demo there on 14 July. I did 10 more trips in 434 for the OFMC before the end of the season. The next year Ray asked me to join them again but by then I had already accepted a test flying job in Indonesia that had to take priority during 1992. In 1993 when Ray asked if I was up for the summer I had to tell him that I had too much on my plate with freelance tp work to be able to commit to so many weekends and do the job justice – so I felt I should quit flying for the OFMC. I don’t believe you should do the airshow circuit thing in a half hearted way.

Thanks to Mark12 for the pic. I did not know it existed. It seems impossible to believe that the event was over 17 years ago. Goodness knows why the OFMC did not just give me the heave-ho after that day at Biggin – I certainly expected it.

JF

I had just started work at Historic Flying at the time – Tim arranged the loan of a propeller to get her flying again.

Mark came through Audley End on the way back from Biggin Hill – I have NEVER seen a Spitfire that low and fast before or since – seriously impressive….

Bruce

Here, Here!

Out… Roxeth

more proof, if any was needed, that Ray was a fine gentleman. Aviation is one of those places where lessons are learned and finger pointing and name calling thankfully stays in the playground…..there but for the grace of God…..

I thought it tipped up because of a drain hole cover ?

At a Tiger Squadron convention Ray say that a very famous test pilot did tip 434 up but refused to name him.

Well…no doubt it happened. Thanks everyone for the extra information and photo’s.

Whilst the Hanna’s may not have been best pleased, i’m sure John (if indeed it was him) was absolutely mortified!

On the other hand, what’s that old Spitfire pilots adage? Something like… ‘There are 2 kinds of Spitfire pilot. Those who have nosed over and those that will’.

Incidentally, i bumped into John Farley at a recent Old Warden flying evening and he graciously signed and dedicated a Harrier book for me. Only chatted briefly, but he seemed like a splendid chap. Who can forget his displays in G-VTOL, especially that incredible opening ‘Rocket Climb’ take-off.

Out… Roxeth.

I was there that day,and always thought it was pete jarvis.

Could be wrong though.

I cannot confirm the name of the pilot but here is a shot of the incident at Biggin on 16 June 1991.

Mark

Image: M Everett

It definitely happened, from what I remember the incident occurred whilst doing a power check or taxi, The tips caught the ground rather than the aircraft nosing over. I believe this was the last time Farley was involved with 434.

You could always ask John Farley himself, try PPrune as John posts on there.

Septic

Please… No jokes about him attempting to take-off vertically!

Out… Roxeth