Cauldrose!! – just because I like Cornwall – big enough – surrounded by RNLI stations – good map reading exercise – great for ILR approaches – run at weekend, nobody flying, due to lack of MOD fuel funds – instant chopper support for any lost at sea!!

Cheers Brian

Nothing lasts forever – enjoy what you’ve got while you can

SPITFIRES – THAT REMINDS ME …..

Thinking about using originals skins etc., about 10 -15 years back, on the south coast at Chichester, take either the A286 or B2201, can’t remember which one, down into the peninsula. After a few miles, on the right hand side of the road was a farm entrance, with a sign saying Aircraft Museum or similar. When you drove into the yard there was a Spitfire on a grassed plinth and a barn full of wartime clothing and artefacts, the story was…

During the latter part of the war, the farm was taken over as an Advanced Landing Ground, runway strips laid down with the perforated metal strips etc.. A Dutch Spitfire squadron was operating from there, one of whom over ran the end of the runway and ended in the ditch, breaking the back of the Spitfire, which was simply left there. A few years after the war, the farmer & his sons, got the Spit up to the barn and repaired it for display – by shoving a girder up the fuselage to straighten it – now that is original!. Anyway when I saw it, it was painted and looked reasonable, no markings or ID anywhere and the objects in the barn were varied and many.

Now, I know, its been a long time and probably there is now at least two spits flying in California from this pedigree, but – does anyone live locally to Chichester and know anything of this museum – I know I was’nt dreaming and the pubs were shut at the time – Help!!

Cheers Brian. 😀