Welcome, Eric. Not tedious at all – fascinating.
My memories start at Panshanger, in the mid-fifties, when my Dad was learning to fly in a Tiger Moth, G-ANOH, featured in this month’s Aeroplane and now owned by Nick Parkhouse. There were mainly Tigers and Austers and at least one Messenger and Gemini. There was a black low-wing monoplane standing on it’s nose beside one of the hangars. At the age of 5, I decided it was a Zero. A Piper Tri-Pacer took up residence and seemed incredibly futuristic. Later, during the sixties, a Canadair North Star arrived and disintegrated/was scrapped where it stood.
By then we lived close to the flightpath from Hatfield. There were very often aeroplanes visible from the garden but, although I can guess at Tridents, for example, I really don’t remember. Luton was only about 15 miles away but I don’t recall seeing anything from there.
For fifteen years or so I passed Hatfield and Radlett on regular visits to my grandparents. Apart from the occasion when Dad suggested we may have tyre tracks on the car roof from something large and loud landing at Radlett as we passed the end of the runway, I have no specific memories.
First airshow, September 1958 at Bassingbourn. I remember Dad’s photos, but little else.
Occasional visit to Heathrow, again in the sixties. The only thing that sticks in my mind is the amazing initial climb angle of the Trident.
Early seventies after I became mobile myself I remember Monarch, Britannia and the pastel-coloured Court Line aircraft at Luton. As I’ve never had any interest in airliners I haven’t a clue what they were.
There followed a period where other things took precedence over aeroplanes before around the time I bought Flypast’s forerunner, Classic Aircraft, and I’ve been interested again ever since.
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