Precisely. While we talk about the risks to people in the naughty field, and I can think of at least two cases where a pilot was killed or seriously injured trying to avoid people in his “safe” landing area (The Bulldog at Farnborough in the 1960s, and a Spitfire in France more recently), the numbers of people involved are actually tiny, however cold comfort that is if you know one of them. Compare that to 1760 people killed on the roads between June 2013 and June 2014, and another 22,000-odd seriously injured in that period, yet we still continue to drive (in some cases like idiots).

Shoreham’s casualties won’t even be a blip in the road death figures – that many people die every three days on the roads as it is. I cannot help thinking that there won’t be the legislative impetus or will to outlaw anything here, never mind enforce a ban (think – how many police would it take to clear the naughty field?).

Adrian

ETA clarification on which figures.

I had a thought last night (yes, it hurt).

That tailwheel in the bottom left of Totes Meer – the way it sits, you can pick it out in one of the photos. Intriguing that something so abstract also had figurative elements within. (that may be arty ballcocks – I’m afraid I suffer from art failure).

Adrian

Hi Adrian (yes it is that Ben).

We have to stop meeting like this, people will talk!

Adrian

Well now, there’s a way to open your account here! Thank you very much for posting these, I bet a few forum members are poring over them with the magnifying glass already. I know that Nash lived on Banbury Road, Oxford, so Cowley may well have been his local scrapheap, though I’m not 100% sure he was living there in 1940.

Adrian

Sadly, it seems not.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-34593948

Adrian

Ah yes, Salvage Squad! It was very obvious that there was far more going on than the team could ever manage, which I thought was rather unfair on the people in the background, but as far as I am aware most of them were real engineers, they got their hands on some really interesting machinery (Biber midget submarine, anyone?), and that Philippa could get a spanner out and tighten my nuts any time she wanted… Raised my steam pressure on a regular basis.

Enjoyable TV, don’t take it too seriously.

Adrian

At least in part it’s because the Germans didn’t withdraw men from the front line to go to Staff level, OTUs as instructors, etc, but just kept them there for as long as they survived. In addition, a lot of the big scores were made on the Russian front where, especially in the early days, many pilots hardly knew how to fly let alone fight. Mind you, Hartmann did for “Kidd” Hofer, so he really could fly. Combine a prodigous talent with a lot of time and a lot of targets…

Adrian