Lifting people in Vietnam

I was trying to get in to the USAF base at Little Rock, AK when over in the US a couple of years ago and gazing at the C-130 on the gate. Wandering to look at the plaque by it I was gobsmacked that it had carried an incredible number of people during an evacuation flight in Vietnam (800+ !!!)

Sorry to go off topic – anyone confirm this

Roger Smith

PS wasso shocked I didn’t take any pictures.

Janie – you the one with the flashing teeth and wings/union jack on flying suit or the hairy one with big shoulder blades?

ho ho ho

Roger Smith.

Visiting Coventry

The Midland Air Museum do moderate snacks (bacon sandwiches, etc.) and beverages/cans but not meals as such.

There are two pubs in Baginton and both do meals:

The Oak is right next to the old airport entrance/car park and is oriented towards the family with swings, etc. outside and an indoor (pay for) play area. However the building has history – it was requisitioned during WW2 and used as the Officer’s Mess by the various squadrons that flew from Baginton. There are a number of pictures, etc. on the walls of some aeroplanes – both RAF and Armstrong Whitworth (the AWA factory was on the opposite side of the airfield). Also if the weather is good you can sit outside and look at the tails of some of Air Atlantique’s fleet and watch take-offs/landings.

Note: best spotting spot is to continue out of the village (with the airfield on your left) and, just past the end of the runway, turn left into Rock Farm Lane where people congregate to view.

The other pub in Baginton is The Old Mill down Mill Hill, past The Lunt reconstructed Roman fort. The Old Mill is a little more up market pub/hotel/restaurant and used to have a water mill. I drank many a pint in here in my younger days.

Have an enjoyable day (dont forget the Midland Air Museum).

Roger Smith.

Wellington

Breaking news – they’ve managed to decipher most of the name on the aircraft just under the cockpit

“_PR_L _OOL”

Roger Smith.

It is – about six feet of it if I recall correctly, along with some other bits and pieces. Armstrong Whitworth were about half a mile away at Whitley (it’s now the Jaguar Engineering Centre, which is where I’m writing this!).

John C

Slightly more than six feet of fuselage (no rear turret) and it has the starboard tailplane and starboard fin attached.
Althought the prototye Whitley was built at/flown from Whitley the production line was at the (then) brand new factory at Baginton – within sight of the Museum.

Roger Smith.

Airshow memories

I think my most memorable incident at an air display was the King’s Cup Air Race at Tollerton in 1967(or ’68).

Last aircraft to take off (when I think some of the others were already on their last lap) was the all-white Charles Masefield P-51 Mustang. Not sure of the wisdom of mixing an (almost) Reno racer with Cessnas and Turbulents but it made for an exiting race.

The P-51 roared around the 4 laps and, as the usual gaggle approached the finishing line, it zoomed through to first place. Fantastic. Top marks to the handicappers that year.

Other, earlier, memories are of R.A.F. Gaydon Battle of Britain displays:
The demonstration of four Victors doing their four-minute scramble when one pilot slightly misjudged it and over-ran the opposite side of the runway – didn’t do much for the four-minute scramble or the rest of the air display.
At the end of one year’s display sitting at the end of the runway finishing off our sandwiches before queuing for the Midland Red bus back home and the Lightning that had been on static took off for it’s home. Just as it got level with us the pilot tucked his gear up and pulled the stick into his stomach and just went vertical up and up and up and up… Maybe a common sight nowadays with F-16, etc doing it but c.1962 to an impressionable teenager I was well impressed.
Thirdly again a static display aircraft at Gaydon – this time an F-101 Voodoo.
I was suprised as it taxied away through a channel made in the public area how the whole tail waggled! The high set horizontal stabilizer rolled side to side – I often wonder if they did that in flight?

Lot’s more but better stop there.

Roger Smith.