What Type Of Aircraft Did You First Fly In?

Scottish Aviation Bulldog RAF St Athan 1984

DC-4 Brisbane-Sydney

Blackburn Beverley, Abingdon to Slasvic Holstein and back. Went empty and played football in the freight bay with all the crew whilst ‘George’ flew the aircraft. Literally dropped out of the clouds to land on 3rd attempt at SH. Came home with a full complment of pongo’s (brown job’s…..army):diablo:

DH84 Dragon

My dad took me on a flight around Blackpool Tower from St Annes when I was 6ish.

I remember a grass field – no tarmac. I distinctly recall other aircraft types parked on the grass – Chipmunks and Tiger Moths – because I got to sit in one of each.

My nostrils still flare at the thought of these machines.

My old man worked in the industry – first for Vickers and then for Rolls. I remember him telling me much later that when he was a teenager during the war, he sneaked aboard a B-17 at St Annes and souvenired a live round.

Another memory percolates – of driving to Blackpool and seeing aircraft being transported behind large lorries – probably near Preston – the shapes of Canberras and Lightnings come to mind. I’ve always known these aircraft as English Electric whatevers . . . so this must have been around 1960.

Quick 15 minute “Pleasure” flight in a Rapide in short trousers, from Renfrew Airport 1947? 🙂

First flight as a toddler was in an Air Anglia F27 Friendship between Dyce (Aberdeen) and Norwich…. circa late 73, early 74

…. memorable for my mother more than me as the gentleman behind me was wiggling his finger between the head rests to say hello and entertain me, but I repaid his kindness by biting his finger as hard as a toddler could….

Ooops!

Scotty

My first flight was in an Anson Mk1 N4948 (The glasshouse variety, where the undercarriage had to be cranked up and down by hand!) from Roborough, Plymouth, as an ATC cadet in 1946.

My first rotorcraft was the Fairey Rotodyne XE521, which whilst not exactly a stealth machine, did not make as much noise as its protesters would have you believe, and internally was quite a comfortable ride.

[IOUOTE BY FoxVC10
Still like Heralds today and I can tell a Dart when I hear one,/I]

Do you remember the prototype 4 x Alvis Leonides Herald G-AODE. I remember it doing a series of rough field landings at Shoreham in the Late 50s

First flight, DH-Chipmunk out of RAF Woodvale as an ATC cadet…..last flight, T6 Harvard out of Sywell only just last year.

Auster Tugmaster at Shobdon 1968.It was for sale at the time £700 if memory serves me right,can`t remember the reg though.

Dragon Rapide G-ALBC from Elmdon in 1962.
Tim

First flight. BIA Herald G-ASKK Soton to Jersey 1973. Aircraft preserved
First Chopper ride. Whirlwind XD163 RAF Turnhill 1974. Aircraft preserved
First Solo. T31 cadet XA294 Old Sarum 1975
First Military jet. VC10 XV104 RAF Waddington 1980

A DC-8 from Brussels to JFK back in 1980 as a 6 year old.

Dan-Dare Comet to spain as a wee lad………..

First flight

As an ATC cadet in Harvard KF155 of 504 Sqd at Wymeswold c.1953 when the pilot, a Jimmy Edwards lookalike, beat the tower and airfield up low level.

A BA Viscount on the morning Edinburgh-Aberdeen run. A quick stop in the bar for a few snifters then onto a second Viscount for the Aberdeen-Inverness-Wick-Kirkwall run

1962 in a Silver City Bristol Freighter from Lydd to Le Touquet

Although I was an apprentiice at FG Miles Ltd, I never have flown in a Miles Aircraft

what type of aircraft did you first fly in

avro 748 skyways,ashford to beauvais,june 1969 it was a terrible flight the flightdeck door kept opening and shutting on finals

20min flight in a Puma helicopter from Fort Halstead in 1996 as part of an AEF with the ATC.

Herald from Southend To Birmingham and return. Was on a freight run.

Still like Heralds today and I can tell a Dart when I hear one, having been brought up to their noise living under the flight path to Southend Airport