Isles of Scilly Routes

The ‘fixed wing’ routes to the Isles have been reduced (Southampton & Bristol stopped) and the Otters do the Exeter run.
The three main routes are now from L-End,Newquay,and Exeter.
The Plymouth route ceased some time ago well before Ply closed.
The new L-End (St Just) Airport terminal opened today.
Penzance heliport is now dormant which is quite strange after nearly half a century of bustle,but some of its equipment lives on (Having been rescued before it went into multiple skips and dumped).
It was particularly sad to see decades of high class engineering back up being destroyed after all the work that went on there.
The jury is still out on how the Islands will adapt to loosing what was for years an aviation conveyor belt.

Biggin-Old Sarum

JG interesting that you are now near OS.
Arranged to meet someone there recently (w-end) to find the place full of people.
I thought they were ‘bucking’ the down-turn,but it seems the club is but a shadow of its former self,and the ‘people’ were there to support the parachute activity,with a ‘Caravan’ dropping them like D-Day.
Flying Clubs that kept places like BH and OS going for decades are now becoming the ‘poor relation’ of Aviation.
West of Exeter we will be down to Bodmin as even the club at Perranporth looks like closing soon.
An active club (or clubs) and a proper Airfield Cafe were always the heart of an airfield;when they go its a bleak prospect for the future.

Biggest ice cube on wheels

This cold snap reminded me of a similar ‘climate’ in Dec 81 when Biggin was snowed in and the airfield officially closed.
I was allowed in as a special favour (Comper Swift) as Biggin was to be my departure point for an Australia attempt,and landed between 6 ft snow banks.
Anyway what i do remember was the Fire Engine had a frozen water tank and whilst it was thawing someone moved it and this gigantic ‘ice cube’ ‘clonked’ around in the back and nearly had the old girl over.
Finally escaped on the last day of the year (escorted by Cobby in the Proctor) and flew into a well flooded France,and an interesting blast through Syria via the Bekaa valley,just before it all went haywire again.

My goodness what a performer,it is ‘going up’ with no wings on.
Well done for saving her.

Hurricane for sale

This needs a ‘Robin Hood’ approach to acquire the required funds.
Who are we going to steal the money from,and can we claim it was in the National interest.

Biggin on the bump

When i was a young loon of an Air Cadet gliding at Kenley we used to scrounge lifts over to Biggin on non flying days.
Apart from the types mentioned S&Kent also had a Prentice that PPL’s could hire (imagine that).
Peter Chinn retired to run a grocers shop in Surrey (what a gentleman) and Dillows Cafe was the centre of the airfield action.
With over a dozen clubs and two circuits (radio and non radio(grass) it was the golden days of affordable GA.
Was at Newquay today,and the sight of the Prentice at CAF brought back the memories of the similar type in S&Kents blue and yellow paint scheme,and what a large machine it was/is.
ATC (such as it was) was in a greenhouse alongside the old RAF (South Camp) jet apron,and the whole place was a hive of activity.
Most of us did our PPl’s (and flying schol’s) at Biggin,so the Kenley-Biggin tie in was always there, and Jock gave me my first display booking with the Swift at one of his Air Fairs. VERY happy times.

Rudder Pedals

No idea,but if they are taking up valuable space i could ‘store’ them in a safe (airborne) project.
How much do they weigh. They are a very neat set.

Scion Prop

I know where a Scion prop is lurking;one of the last to come out of the ‘Weyrock’ (Airscrew Co Weybridge).It is huge and is for a Pobjoy Niagra.
It was tested on a Swift,but only had a few inches ground clearance with the tail down.The test flight required it to be flown off in a three point attitude and switched off in the flare.
The climb was positively ballistic,but had to be throttled back in level flight to keep the revs down.
I think this was the only flight it had ever made,as the previous owner was given it direct from the factory as new but unsold stock.
I think a monospar prop is ok for the swift due to its reduced dia.