Vulcan Restoration Trust Xmas Event & Buffet feat. Jonathon Whaley

The Vulcan Restoration Trust are delighted to welcome Jonathon ‘Flapjack’ Whaley to speak at our Christmas Enthusiast Event and Buffet on Saturday 5 December 2009.

Jonathon Whaley started his flying career by joining the Royal Navy in 1965 at the age of 17. After gaining his ‘Wings’ he moved on to Advanced Flying Training on Hawker Hunters at RNAS Brawdy in South Wales. His love of the Hunter had begun.
Jonathon’s Operational Flying Training was carried out at RNAS Yeovilton, flying the Sea Vixen FAW2, followed by his first front line appointment to 899 Sqn, embarked on HMS Eagle. It was during his time on the Sea Vixen that he gained his nickname ‘Flapjack’, having overstressed the aircraft’s flaps during ‘high g’ manoeuvring, on more than one occasion. He also lost part of a canopy during a catapult launch. In all these incidents he managed to bring the aircraft safely back on deck.

Jonathon converted to the Phantom F4K with 767 Sqn of the Fleet Air Arm, but the days of naval fixed wing flying were numbered. He joined the Naval Flying Standards Flight (NFSF) as the AWI on the Hunter, but still also managed to fly the Phantom, carrying out test flights on aircraft undergoing modifications at Yeovilton. One such flight involved flying a Phantom out of Lee-on-Solent, whose runway was shorter than the F4K Pilots Notes stipulated: “As I recall, clean with minimum internal fuel, we reached 40,000ft, never reached the coast of the Isle of Wight, closed the throttles and didn’t open them again until down wind at Yeovilton. My log for the flight was 8 minutes. On another flight, I wanted to see if a clean F4K really could do the advertised Mach 2.2. We did a bunt, pull bunt profile, topping out at over 60,000ft. We reached Mach 2.0, 1214Kts TAS, we also burnt all the paint off all the aircraft’s the leading edges………….. on an aircraft that was fresh out of the paint shop!”

Jonathon left the Navy in 1973, for an engineering career. He started competing in and teaching competition aerobatics. During this time he also started Air Show, TV and film flying. Among his film and TV credits are “Bugs”, “Born to Ride”, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” and “The Mummy”. Jonathon’s logbook includes over 120 aircraft types from a Bleriot to the Russian MiG 29 and Sukhoi 27 Flanker. Display aircraft include the Bleriot, Manning Flanders, Fokker Eindecker, Sopwith Camel, Morane Saulnier “N” Type and 230, Stampe, Yak11, Fiat G46, Spitfire and Hawker Hunter.

Jonathon’s company, Heritage Aviation Developments Ltd was set up in the late 1990s and acquired a single seat ex-Swiss Air Force Hunter J-4104. Registered as G-PSST and named Miss Demeanour, the Hunter has famously received a gaudy colour scheme, and delights airshow crowds wherever she appears.

The Event will take place at the Hawkwell Village Hall, Main Road, Hockley, Essex, SS5 4EH and starts at 12.00 noon, and finishes at 17:00.

Tickets cost £10 each for adults, and £5 each for children aged 5 to 15. Under 5s are free.
Included in the ticket price is a buffet lunch, whilst teas and coffees are also available.

Tickets can be ordered by post from the following address:

VRT Christmas Buffet
Treetops
Woodham Road
Battlesbridge
Essex SS11 7QW

Cheques should be made payable to VRT Enterprises Limited. Please include a SAE with your application. The closing date for application is 28 November.

I’d be happy to answer any questions via PM or email.