I think my best Viscount memory was getting on to Air Malawi’s 7Q-YDK at Salisbury (Rhodesia) in June 1974. it was early evening and we were parked next to one of the “ahem” sanctions-busting Lockheed L1649 Starliner freighters that were plying their slightly dubious trade up and down Africa. Start-up for the Viscount and the Connie was just about simultaneous and I’ve never heard, or in the case of the Connie seen, anything like it nor will I again. Great stuff but cameras were not advisable in the Rhodesia of the time, which is a pity as the flames out of the hard-pressed Connies engines were amazing.

This is taxing the memory but I believe GVG and HHO were in a very smart blue scheme with a silver cheatline back in the 50s. Can anybody confirm that?

Thanks for that, yet another British “near-miss” in the light aircraft arena. I suppose the original Chrislea designers had looked at the Ercoupe, which had linked controls, and thought that was the way to go for “everyman’s aircraft”.

A bit of a negative here. I went to the races in 1998 and, fired with enthusiasm, persuaded my wife that we should have a look at the Reno Air Race Museum on the Monday. It was mentioned in my Lonely Planet guide to California and Nevada but when I got to the address all I found there was a bemused receptionist and a large warehouse. The question is when did it close and where did it go ?

Dave, sounds like a loose formation might be in order. The nav seems about right too.

Interesting subject as to whether a civvie or military colour scheme suits the Tiger Moth better. Certainly our experience at Classic Wings at Duxford is that the public who take trial flights in our Tigers by far prefer the military schemes and feel slightly cheated if they fly in G-ANPE. This was partly the reason our Rapide G-AIYR went military as well although i always felt the green and cream civilian scheme suited that and the Tiger very well.

Trinny, thank you for the suggestion re the curtains but I fear velvet would eat into the already restricted payload on the Airtourer. I have some lime green polyester which might work, what do you think?
Moggie, I’d be delighted to share a cuppa and extol the virtues of the Airtourer with you. Perhaps at Knettishall International one Spring evening?
Janie, I had the same concern about using 04 as I set myself a target of 600 metres in normal circumstances for the Airtourer. Not for nothing is it called the “Groundtourer” by the other chaps on our strip. However the sums looked right, with the given wind speed, and I was down and stopped in very short order without using the fairly average brakes. Skybolt is correct when he says it all works if you nail the approach speed. Aerodynamics take over after that.