I digress…..Some 60 Sqn Griffins went into Manston the other day thinking they might be the last military movements into and out of there, but some AAC Lynx popped in later, so I heard.

The same happened at Filton: the BBC chartered a Citation to supposedly be the last departure, but at least two further movements (an RC112 and an Apache?) went in the next few days. I suspect history will record it differently because I find no mention of these later flights anywhere.

Very disappointed/annoyed/angry about Manston though: I recall sunny days spent on the ASP, looking after Canadian Starfighters, F-111s and sundry other noisy things. And times when it was full of military helicopters and fixed-wings. Further back it hosted Canucks, KB-29s, RF-84Fs, F-86Hs and anything that would fit. Bigger stuff would get parked further up the Western taxiway and I recall the UK’s first Antonov 22 movements (1986?), complete with a belly full of Hoplites. Those were parked on the runway edge, as were the Aeroflot Tu-104s that had diverted into Manston thirty years earlier (when the USAF had nuke-equipped F-84Fs on base!)

Happy times tinged with a great deal of sadness.

I also remember seeing a snow clearing machine parked near 2 Hangar which consisted of a DH Goblin jet engine , or similar , mounted on a wheeled tractor unit but I never saw it being used in anger .
Apologies for the thread drift !

Sounds like either an MRD (twin Derwents) or a SnowBlow (single Derwent). I ran an MRD once, and it was quite a frightening experience. These things sat outside all year, got an annual anti-det run and on those occasions seemed to be on the verge of something catastrophic. We scrapped ours at Manston circa 1985 but I ‘liberated’ the engine plates. I wish I’d taken a few photos. Do any survive?

Can I say first of all – this thread is a Stork Hotel free zone – if it is mentioned then I will likely delete the thread.

But I suppose the key question is – can you really better the black and white 1950’s film – or is so iconic that any remake will always be overshadowed by the original

Easy answer? No you can’t better most original B&W versions, but it won’t stop people trying, as the recent ‘remake’ of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty shows.
I suspect a remake of RFTS would be a bit too ‘niche’ for modern worldwide palates unless they included a love back-story and the USAAF coming to the rescue.

And a few robots maybe.

I thought it was just called ‘The Sound Barrier’ and filmed largely at Chilbolton?

Jack,

Probably not much help, but as a next of kin, you can request his service records from RAF Personnel Management Centre (or its latest iteration) at Innsworth.

I’m sure a quick Google will get the right target for your query.

Duncan

You can’t keep a good plane down! Is this one of the Intra Dakotas I used to see at Hurn in the 1970s? ‘MHJ’ rings a bell.

And good luck!

From: http://bacteriosclub.blogspot.com.es/2014/03/fotos-para-la-historia_1861.html

1Saludo

Does ‘how low can you go’ count if it’s just raising gear early on take off? (and ditto regarding aircraft landing!)

If I recall, Branson wanted to put in a rail connection from Minster (closest line), but the council wanted it to run from Birchington (maybe twice the distance away) and thuis, along with other roadblocks put an end to it. One would have to ask oneself, “What counciol in their right mind would turn down the offer of a free rail link?”.

Or maybe a better question would be, “Why?”