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Stewart

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December 3, 2011 at 9:33 am in reply to: D.H.2 to The Somme 11/11/11 #1075033

Stewart
Participant

Happy to report that the DH2 and Chipmunk made it back from Abbeville via Headcorn and Fenland on 02/12 at 1550.
We still have a Cherokee Six and RV10 at Abbeville. Crew weren’t available to hop a ride over with us from Wickenby early yesterday morning. They should be easier to recover though.

Any bright ideas for 2012??:rolleyes:

August 1, 2011 at 3:11 pm in reply to: Spotted #1075015

Stewart
Participant

NII VVS.

A D.H.2 in fact (well in replica fact) from Wickenby.

S

March 10, 2009 at 3:30 pm in reply to: Chipmunks #1169167

Stewart
Participant

If anyone has memories or old pictures of WD390, now G-BWNK based at Wickenby, I would be grateful to hear from you.

Following extracts from the Form 78 Movement Cards might jog a memory or two:-

RAF
1951 April Delivered 2BFTS
1953 Jan Allocated 5RFS
Oct 10MU
1955 March Allocated 22 Group Comms Flt.
1957 March 10MU
June 22 Group Comms Flt.
1960 March Allocated Tech College Henlow
Sept Cat 3R RES/71MU (??)
Dec Tech College Henlow
1961 June 27MU
1964 Aug Allocated RAF South Cerney
Sept 27MU
1965 March Allocated Bristol UAS
May Allocated 2 AEF
June Allocated 1 AEF
Aug Allocated ITS South Cerney
1967 Jan name chge Aircrew Officer Training School
Jan name chge RFS (Church Fenton) AOTS
1969 Oct Allocated Manchester UAS
1970 July Disposal Ac RDS/60MU
Sept Manchester UAS
1974 July NEA 5MU
1979 Aug Allocated FSS Swinderby
1980 Oct 5MU
1981 Feb FSS Swinderby
1984 Nov Allocated 9 AEF Finningley
1986 June Marshalls
Dec 9 AEF Finningley
1987 June Marshalls
July 9 AEF Finningley
1988 July Marshalls
Aug 9 AEF Finningley
1990 approx SOC

Private
1995 bought at Sale
1996 Registered G-BWNK
Civilianised at RAGWING
and to private owner, Breighton.
2007 re-registered to
WD390 GROUP’, Wickenby.

Cheers,

S

January 8, 2007 at 12:48 pm in reply to: Chipmunk WD331 Info. Request #1249706

Stewart
Participant

http://www.cnapg.org/chipmunk has it as Cosford Station Flight and Birmingham UAS but no dates.

June 22, 2006 at 5:09 pm in reply to: world war 2 aviation movies #1325883

Stewart
Participant

“Piece of Cake” 3 DVD set of a six part BBC mini series from the ’90’s. Similar to BoB but more emphasis on the changing attitudes and effects on young flyers through the evacuation and BoB. Brilliant flying by Ray H and others.
Bet you watch it end to end!

April 10, 2006 at 12:29 pm in reply to: Am I? #1332983

Stewart
Participant

Mike,
You’re probably right, after all it’s over over 30 years ago, but it always seemed to be there ready to remind you how to correct it.
Didn’t mean to imply criticism of the Condor. I remember it as a brilliant training aircraft because you had to fly it all the time, but at the same time there was a lot of feedback to teach the novice what was happening or about to happen. After that the C150 felt like sitting on a sponge!

April 10, 2006 at 11:50 am in reply to: Am I? #1332996

Stewart
Participant

Ahhh! Condor moments.
Doncaster Aero Club 1972-3.
G-AWSS, -AWST, -AXGS, -AXGV (first solo), -AYFF (most hours and FHT).

Moment 1.
First trial flight, 20 mins. Avgas, dope and oil. Silly grin and two days later the burning impatience to book the first full lesson.

Moment 2.
3 turn spin and recovery. Pulling out through the horizontal and my right arm is suddenly almost too heavy to reach the throttle, F.I. Gordon C says “I have control”. Pull up into stall turn, prop stops! Nose down and engine restart at 1500′. Absolute rictus grin for ages. Oh, and it WILL drop a wing at the stall.

Moment 3.
Solo qualifying cross country Doncaster to Sherburn, land, to Brough, turning point, to Tollerton, land, to Donc. Some time after Brough 2000′ 90knots, toddling along and that uneasy feeling something is wrong. Check everything, check everything again! Look over left shoulder to see JP flaps and wheels down, wings wobbling, just about to break left after formating on me!

Moment 4.
Comment from CFI Jim W after FHT ‘Emergency Short Field Landing’ – “Congratulations, that was the shortest ground roll I’ve ever done in a Condor. Don’t ever ********** do that again in one of my aircraft, you’ll have the oleo legs up through the wings!”
(long low slow approach, full flap, lots of power, chops throttle 10′ above the deck!)

Ah, but Moment 5.
Post PPL, check out on G-ARWB(?) Chipmunk. Now that’s another story!

December 17, 2005 at 9:20 pm in reply to: Licence Re-validation #413345

Stewart
Participant

Wessex Boy,

Crack on and get it done, whatever the hours required you will enjoy them all and, excuse me for the bluntness but, you’re running out of time!!

I hadn’t flown for nearly 30 years but renewed my license into a NPPL this year. Reasons for NPPL instead of renewing the old lifetime PPL were a) no interest in night/imc/foreign flying and reduced cost/frequency/stringency of medical requirements. Like you I previously had around 70 hours total time.

There is another ‘break point’ if the lapse is >10 years. Basically you have to do all excercises again and including all exams plus the now essential R/T license. I did around 20 hours incl nav test, skills test. I did not do the long X/C but possibly should have done. Notwithstanding, CAA/NPPL authorities signed it all off. Check with LASORS.

When you start flying again, be prepared for it all to be very familiar but somehow more difficult than you remember. I knew how to do everything but it took the first three hours or so before I could do more than one thing at a time and a further few before handling several things simultaneously.

Do look forward to the smug satisfaction and personal confidence boost of finding that you are still equal to the challenges you faced as a younger man.

Starting from scratch in May this year, I now have a share in a Chipmunk, am loving every minute of it, and wondering why on earth I didn’t do it sooner.

Just do it!
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