Hallo Dave G,

I’ve looked long and hard at the photo, and it seems to me to be a Whitbreads sign with a picture of a prancing horse, the sign below probably names the place, I don’t think the name is on the big sign. The word bottom right would seem to be BEERS. There is weathered advertising on the wall of the building, and signwriting on the curved board above the canopy.

The car trailer registration AJD11 might be a clue, though hardly a pin-pointer, it was London (Central)…

I doubt the aircraft came down where it sits, it’s most likely on display. Quite a bit of room then, in front of the pub.

Hope this helps, scuse if I’m on the wrong track.

brgds

Correct indeed, Ford it was, in fact, if you look at the sign on the left-hand hangar…:)!

I was wondering what the earliest UK Apache was, and found G-APCL, but I see there was APBD too, though it had a higher c/n. Irish-registered PA-23s were also abundant as you so rightly mention. Perhaps that was what lead to Lord Caryll Waterpark’s connection with CSE, or whatever they were in the beginning…

brgds
Alan

Yup that J made me look twice to!

Photo taken in 1987 during a silly spotting trip to Athens, staying at an hotel overlooking the airport, boy it was hot. Whats the latest on the Spit, seem to recall reading that the Greek A/F museum wanted to get her airworthy?..Calling Mark12!!!

I was actually on a ‘proper’ museum tour, including the National and the Benaki. If I recall rightly, you had to pass the war museum, as it was then, to get to the Benaki, thus my girlfriend at the time had to be patient while I photographed everything.

Our hotel was superb – it was the craziest I’ve ever been to. An English lady had set up a ‘pension’ quite near the Plaka in a house or two that resembled a treehouse made of bricks and mortar, seemingly on various levels. I noticed a small painting of a BAC 1-11 on the wall, G-AXOX I believe, and it turned out she had been a stewardess with BIA in a former life. Super woman, and obviously very popular.

Wonder if anyone knows who I mean…..:cool:

brgds
Alan

Not on public show or in the workshops at either location of the Deutsches Museum as of June last year.

Apols JDK and Planemike et al, I got my Klemms muddled! The one I sat in was G-AAHW, once Roy Nerou’s. It went to Germany in about 1983, languished in the back of a hangar at Moenchengladbach, was offered for sale at Baden-Baden, and eventually joined the Koch collection, which seems to have resided at Sandown until…? Herr Koch had her restored in Augsburg, and registered D-EFTE, which is the one I saw at Unter-whatsit in 2003. She is now the oldest airworthy aircraft in the country.

I note I have also seen AAXK, prior to 1960, I wonder where…she was registered to C.C.R. Vick at the time.

brgds
Alan

My first was in Dragon Rapide G-AHJS from Portsmouth in 1954. We’ve worked out that the pilot may well have been J.B. ‘Tommy’ Thompson, with whom I later had a long business association when he was at Hatfield. We still see each other and stay in touch via e-mail and phone.

First ‘airliner’ was Eagle’s G-AMGG on a test flight from Blackbushe in 1957.

First tricycle u/c was Champion Tri-Traveller G-APYT on 1 June 1960 from Biggin Hill. Donald Campbell popped his head in the door – he was learning to fly at the same club

First trip abroad was in a good old Skyways Coach-Air DC-3 from Lympne to Beauvais to visit the 1961 Paris air show.

First light aircraft abroad was in Proctor G-AGTC from White Waltham to Toussus-le-Noble in May 1963.

First 4-engine prop was British Eagle Viscount G-ANRS Heathrow – Frankfurt on 25 June 1964.

First trip across the pond was Frankfurt – Denver in a World Airways DC-8 in 1979.

First rotary-wing was a Bell 212 belonging to the Italian police, from Forli to Bologna at about 11 p.m. in 1988. I had missed the train due to after-show activities, and wangled the trip from our stand neighbours.

First light jet flight was in Tom Moloney’s Jet Provost (the first of the many) following a Flyer training exhibition at Hammersmiff in the ’90s. Exhiliarating, but not good on a greasy breakfast, though I managed to be good. Another five minutes though….!:eek:

First open cockpit flight was in Tiger Moth D-ENDE (formerly G-ANDI) from Russian Hind base Mahlwinkel near Magdeburg in 1993.

Quietest flight was in a Fox glider from Oppenheim in about 2002. Arguably the most beautiful flight yet, but possibly one of the shortest.

Floatplane next…?

cheers
b_d

In 1953 William Green and Gerald Pollinger came out with their ‘The Aircraft of the World’ series, a large bound book with a max of 6 aircraft to a page, less if 3-view drawings were used. The original publication arranged aircraft in broad structural groups but this reduced the value of the book as a work of reference, thus they changed to listing by manufacturers.
The 1957 edition was in my suitcase when I emigrated, but I haven’t seen a later edition, and guess they went for the pocket-size instead.

The publishers were Macdonalds, incidentally.

cheers
Alan

Here’s one I took of G-AWSA at Norwich in the mid-sixties. I don’t believe there was any clue as to its affiliation to the Biafran cause at the time, not that I knew anything about it then. I got involved (with Hank W and his cronies) in late ’65.

atb

Well, it’s a Dormoy Bathtub.

As Jerry Turner writes: “The original engine has been gone through and reassembled and ready to hang on the fuselage. The wings have been built and I plan to have it flying in two years. I have over 200 original photos of the Dormoy collection, the helmet and goggles that were worn in the 1924 National Air Races that were held in Dayton, Ohio, USA, the gold and silver medals that were handed to Etienne Dormoy from the race officials, and Dormoy’s pilot license # 5 and signed by Orville Wright, among the many items I obtained from Etienne Dormoy’s widow.”

Anyone like to take over?