Three Battle of Britain veterans, S/L Geoffrey Wellum, S/L Michael Wainright and W/C Tim Elkington each flew a half hour sortie in the rear seat of the Boultbee Flight Academy Spitfire SM520 at Kidlington today. It was a very special occasion filled with much humour from these wonderful gentlemen.
Former CO of the BBMF Al Pinner tucks in real close to the photoship with Geoff Wellum, who remarked on landing – “Al I think you are ready to go solo”.
Tim Elkington chats with Matt Jones co-founder with Steve Boultbee Brooks of the flight academy.
Al Pinner taxies out with Tim for their sortie.
“So where did we go” inquires Micheal Wainwright to instructor Willy Hackett.
Author James Holland interviews two wonderful ATA girls Joy Lofthouse, left, and Molly Rose.
A very special thanks goes to Richard Paver for the seat in the Aztec and we can all look forward to a fine spread of his Air to Air images in the aviation press in the coming weeks.
Mark
ps. Did I say this was a very special occasion. 🙂
By: cotteswold - 27th August 2011 at 21:00
Great shots – very clean perspex!
Michael’s dropped something on the floor- & Geoffrey’s holding his head on!!
Not surprising, given the turbulence.
= Tim
By: Mark12 - 27th August 2011 at 20:47
Here are a couple more shots from the Aztec, which only has an opening window on its port side.
Through the perspex, but showing the ‘Boultbee’ Lion. BoB veteran Michael Wainwright in the rear cockpit.
..and another shot of Geoffrey Wellum being flown by Al Pinner with Steve Boultbee Brooks in the back of the T-6.
Mark
By: cotteswold - 27th August 2011 at 16:32
I’m told that I’m accredited with some glamorous gongwear? I wish.
Very careless talk.
See Johnny Ellacombe – always next in a list to me…………!!
Nothing glamorous here.
= Tim
By: PanzerJohn - 27th August 2011 at 16:21
Just got my copy today, a great article and, brilliant photos, a big well done to Richard Paver. Re uniting pilots with their old mounts is fascinating, the other article with pic by Peter Arnold of the ex Burmese AF pilot with his old Spit is just incredible.
By: adrian_gray - 27th August 2011 at 16:11
Overflying your house to impress the girls… ever the fighter boy!
How you managed to use a Super Ikonta in a single-seater cockpit without a third hand or ending your days there and then in a smoking hole is beyond me. Having seen what you’ve posted in the past, though, I’m very glad you managed it. You posted a stunner a while back of Hurricanes leaving contrails taken from lower down in the formation. I’ll have to print it off and show my dad – his tales of watching contrails in 1940 (and parachutes the day it got a bit close) are what got me interested in the first place.
Now all you need is someone to squeeze a second seat into the Fury!
Adrian
By: pagen01 - 27th August 2011 at 15:19
Yes – this one shows that I’m not just an armchair driver!!
PS – by Richard Paver, of course – the Ace of Air to Air
Fantastic pic, encapsulates how the day must have felt for you Tim.:)
By the way I have on my computor one of the pics that you took on another occasion which shows that you’re a good air to air photographer yourself!;)
By: PeterVerney - 27th August 2011 at 14:43
Excellent. And the sound was spot on, even if the picture wasn’t.
By: cotteswold - 27th August 2011 at 10:43
Debrief!
In the front seat was Al Pinner – ex-MY No1 Squadron & BBMF.
By: DCK - 27th August 2011 at 10:16
Best thread ever produced on this forum I’d say
By: Sky High - 27th August 2011 at 08:59
This is one of the most satisfying and enjoyable threads here. I cannot contribute much other than to enjoy the various posts and memories. For you, Tim, I cannot begin to imagine the joy you must have experienced after all those years – although I know you spent a fair few hours in the Hurricane. Even so……:)
By: cotteswold - 27th August 2011 at 08:50
Yes – this one shows that I’m not just an armchair driver!!
This is how it sounded over home. No a/c visible because Daughter used my wide angle lens!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxJ0wcJ5hkc
= Tim
PS – by Richard Paver, of course – the Ace of Air to Air
By: Dunbar - 26th August 2011 at 22:08
Great article and photos of the launch day in the October 2011 Aeroplane Monthly…
By: Mark12 - 13th August 2011 at 14:50
[QUOTE=Matthias Dorst;1786868]Yes, right you are, and the owner is really very very proud ! [QUOTE]
Matthias,
Mary first signed MV154 when she delivered it to No. 6 M.U. at Brize Norton on 15 September 1944.
This signature was discovered on 3rd December 1979, the day it arrived at Duxford from Australia.
Mark
By: svas_volunteer - 13th August 2011 at 14:27
Probably a good choice as they left the gun on and its taken a few scalps in its time, just ask my wife!
By: Matthias Dorst - 13th August 2011 at 14:27
Mk VIII MV154, now in Germany, still has the siganature on the cockpit coaming of Mary Wilkins, the original ATA delivery pilot.
She signed all the Spitfires she delivered.
Here she is flying with Carolyn Grace.
Mark
Yes, right you are, and the owner is really very very proud ! Sadly, the weather made it impossible to visit the 2011 Legends:(
By: cotteswold - 13th August 2011 at 14:12
A great vehicle!
Just so happened that I walked!!
= Tim
By: svas_volunteer - 13th August 2011 at 13:26
My brother and sister used the families jeep to move some of the pilots around the site at the invitation of Willy Hackett and had a fantastic day, comment of the day was from a battle of britain pilot who refered to flying a tiger moth through one of the hangars at RAF cardington!
By: Mark12 - 12th August 2011 at 07:03
, …and Falmouth had the Red Arrows yesterday.
Gnats or Hawks?
By: pobjoy pete - 12th August 2011 at 01:43
Good Lord we are no-where near up to 1980 yet,i was parked between a morris minor woodie and a 1964 E Type in Hayle (birthplace of the motor car) this morning, and Falmouth had the Red Arrows yesterday.
However its all getting a bit “high tec” now that the gas lamps have gone.
By the way our local boys in blue have set off “east” to quell your riots up there,with stocks of overbaked pasties to hurl at the miscreants.
By: paulmcmillan - 11th August 2011 at 22:07
It is not in the west country edition of the Daily Mail. Maybe tomorrow.
Mark
West Country.. It will take time.. Its still around 1980 there….
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