Has anyone received their VTTS Newsletter email about the routes/timings for this weekend?

I think more details along with provisional timings are due today or tomorrow.

I will be somewhat surprised if times are published…….

This Sea King in the photo is coded 65. It was lost on Aug 2 1973 when it ditched at sea.
It was XV675 coded 665 of 737 Naval air Squadron. No details of casualties.

Edited- It was not lost! XV675 photographed in 2011 at Gosport. Many ditched Sea Kings were dried out and returned to Service!

That Kidlington post is interesting. Living in Abingdon, Kidlington was a happy hunting ground for me – from the mid 60s till around 1973/4.

Although there was a public car park with a good view over the apron I used to wander off with my notebook and “binos” and later a camera. I was aware however this had to be done with a certain amount of stealth as we were never really made welcome.

Recall once I bumped into Sheila Scott who was “fettling” her famous Piper Comanche and I nervously asked her to pose for a photo by her aircraft. She agreed but recall her being very shy and self effacing.

In 1972 I snapped the first BA Helicopters Bell 212 ground running outside of the BEAS hangar and sent the print to Aviation News (remember them? – newspaper format – I rather liked it).

They published it ! My 15 seconds of fame!

Blimey…I flew that Sea King XV677 in 1979 whilst serving on 706 NAS ! Does it have a complete cockpit?

If these times are correct this was not Miller’s aircraft.
Twinwood is just north of Bedford and it was therefore impossible to see it over Reading just 15 minutes after it departed.

Did a lot of flying in Rapide G-AGSH in 1973 including 2 parachute jumps from it. It is now a “preserved” aircraft I understand.

As a pilot I flew numerous Chipmunks, Bulldogs, Gazelles and Sea Kings – remarkable that the latter is still a first line aircraft – some must be near to 40 yrs old?:eek:

Along the way had rides in now retired Sea Prince, Wasp, Jetstream, Wessex, Hunter, Canberra, Nimrod, Harrier, Andover, Argosy, VC10 (still going?), Britannia and Belfast.