How did they justify building Culdrose at the time, with Predannack a stones throw away and Perranporth not much further?

Both Predannack and Perranporth were RAF(Air Ministry) and the Admiralty needed a new airfield in that part of the world, thats one story I have been told.
My father actually worked on the farm that is now Culdrose prior to the airfield being built.

Ollie, I am sorry if you took offence to my question, it was just that your post seemed to suggest you had something against this airframe being preserved, as for the radome, its what it was fitted with when it served in the Falklands as 820NAS was by then a HAS5 equipped unit, personally I would have liked to have seen it in the scheme it wore just post Falklands, all markings toned down except for the airframe serial and the Sqdn badge on the nose

The shame of it is that this particular airframe is at present awaiting display at the FAAM not because of it’s involvment in that particular rescue, but due to the fact that it was flown (P2) BY H.R.H Prince Andrew in the South Atlantic.

Not entirely correct, FAAM was given a list of airframe numbers that were available at Sultan, the basic history where known of each airframe was checked, then the condition, XZ574 had taken part in 2 rescues in the Falklands and had the added bonus that it had been flown by the museums patron, so thats why it was chosen, not JUST because the DoY had flown it.
Ollie you seem to have a problem with this airframe being preserved, why?

What i know of the incident and just looking through a book i have to comfirm it, its recorded as being a 820 RNAS aircraft “016” I have’nt got a tail number to go with that but i’m sure it would’nt take much to find out. As for if its still in service?, looking at the date it was probably a Mk2 at the time as Mk5,s were just coming in, so probably its since been converted to higher standard. Hope this helps, and its correct more over, i’ll keep digging…:)

I can confirm it was a HAS5 at the time and I am pretty sure I know the serial number and that its no longer in service, however I will check tomorrow just to make sure rather than posting duff gen.

The FAAM shop has as expected no copies of the film left, the FAAM film archive has copies, the VHS tape box shows that the originators of the film were indeed FONA(Flag Officer Naval Aviation), so the film is Crown Copyright.
I will investigate the possibility of copies being made as and when I get time and will report back, best I can do at the moment.

OK I have established that this is definitely an official, in house production. Even more surprisingly than locating the video, given the chaos that passes for my library, I have managed to find the official programme. See I said I was a real sad person. The programme was done by HMS Daedalus graphics. As Daedalus is long since closed I would contact Flag Officer Naval Air at Yeovilton. I suspect that is probably the only hope of getting a copy as I don’t have any means of making a CD from it.

Martin

Sorry Martin no such thing as Flag Officer Naval Air at Yeovilton, no doubt your thinking of FONAC or FONA which replaced him, both now long gone, all now run from Portsmouth by someone whose title seems to change by the month, very long shot I know but I will have a look in the FAAM shop in the morning for you, just in case

[QUOTE=NickB;1332436]

That would have been Ernie, then recently retired mechanic from the local Ford garage…….a born again aircraft spotter and a real gentleman. (RIP). Yep, I gave him a set.QUOTE]

I remember Ernie very well.

I seem to recall that he didn’t possess a telescopic lens for his camera. Instead, he would take a picture with a standard lens and have those he liked enlarged! RIP Ernie.

Does anyone remember my cousin Chris L – the ex-milkman from Helston who was at St Mawgan most Wednesdays?

Oh yes I know Chris very well and his brother Jeremy, last year I had one of those ‘its a small world’ moments, had just walked onto the ramp at Aviation Nation at Nellis AFB and who was standing next to me but, Chris, Jeremy and another well known member of the Helston spotting fraternity.

Latest news tonight on Spotlight Southwest is that the ‘airport’ may not be open until Christmas as there is now a problem with the run off area’s.

Another memory was 26th September 1982, standing on the hedge at the ‘Cornish Alps’ end, USMC C130’s landing over the road, bright blue sky, unknown to me my first child had just been born 11 days early, no mobile phones in those days. Also going up on a Sunday morning to see ZR coded RF4C’s, those were the days.