Whilst “holding” between Pilot training courses in Summer 1978 I spent a week at StMawgan and flew on a Canberra sortie.
I have no record of the serial/type as it was pax flying so logbook entry is optional, but recall it could be something to do with target towing??
We were due to formate with an AEW Shackleton over the Scillies but the old Shack went tech!

Can anyone supply details and/or pictures of the varient of Canberra I flew in?

Fascinating thread?

It has to be the Observers series, together with Air Pictorial and later Aircraft Illustrated. I still have about 10 Observers going back to mid 50’s and I have the Vol 1 Edition 1 of AI.

The “heavy” tomes such as Janes were beyond reach but I spent hours looking through them at the Library. Also I freqently borrowed a bound collection of B & W aircraft photographs -mainly air to air – by Charles E Brown. Stunning images of 1950’s British aviation. Works of art.

One of my most cherished books is “Supersonic Aircraft” by Roy Cross. No publishing date but would place it about 1960?
Landscape format -red cover with painting of Fairey Delta 2.

I’ve yet to find another example of this book- anyone know it?

Spent my first SUAS Summer Camp at Swinderby 1975.
Not long after my first solo at Hamble so I hammered the circuit for hours before being let loose on my first flight out of sight of the airfield. 🙂
These images evoke those far off happy times . . . and yes the sun was shining for the whole two weeks.

May jog someones memory but during our camp a Chipmunk was involved in a fatal accident down the road at Newark. Anymore info available on that?

Very interesting article about the Beverley crash.
Abingdon is my hometown and although only 2 at the time of the crash, I was very much aware of it during my youth and frequently passed the crash site on the northern outskirts of Drayton. This is the first time I have seen images of it.
The accident was the result of a wrongly fitted fuel valve causing fuel starvation shortly after departure. I believe the aircraft was bound for Cyprus?
The Hastings accident referred to has more direct resonance for me and it had a devastating effect upon the local people. I understand for many years it was the largest single loss of life involving an RAF aircraft in peacetime.
That one resulted from loss of control following an elevator falling off due to fatigue.

What ever happened to………the Swinderby Canberra c1975

As a memeber of an early morning alcohol fuelled team from Southampton UAS, we pushed afromentioned Canberrra around through 180 degrees. Summer Camp 1975. ……Strange but true.

RN Chipmunks at Plymouth

I flew the Chipmunk on my Flying Grading course at Plymouth Airport in April May 1978.

This course was at the end of the RN pilots 2 trems at BRNC Dartmouth and I flew approx 13 hours, including a solo flight in the Chippie.

We were bussed each day from Dartmouth to Plymouth.

I flew solo in WB575 and also flew WK634, WP856 & WP801.

After the Chippie we went on to EFTS at Leeming to do approx 80 hours in the Bulldog, then 705 NAS Gazelles.

Great fun the Chipmunk, and the current Pilot article is most interesting.

Many of us in 78 came from a Bulldog UAS background and found it pure delight to fly the “previous” generation aircraft. Some on our course were however genuine AB INITIO and the Chipmunk was thus a bit of a handful!

When did the RN dispense with Flying Grading? What has become of the aircraft I personally flew?

Will it be necessary to test the function on the brake parachute before first flight?
Or is this only needed in less than ideal conditions?

Bravo533