i met Ken a few times at the Waddington airshow he was always willing to chat and when i once asked him if he flew his autogyros every day he said he flew most days when he could but he then added with a twinkle in his eye but i dont do airshows anymore after all i am 89 what a character.
He signed a coloured photo of LITTLE NELLIE for me and autographed it i shall raise a glass to you to night sir
Brian

Many years ago whilst rooting around the old Halifax base at Rawcliffe near York a small boy wandered up to me and when i told him i was looking for bits of aeroplanes he said he could show me a real one.
He then took me to a small brick built building that was nearly covered in bushes and going in through a three foot high wooden door in the side wall i was presented with the sight of a complete Hillson Praga.
A small metal plate in the cockpit stated that the owner was Flying Officer Roberts of North Luffenham an airfield that was then a R.C.A.F. base and flying F86 Sabres.

Again back in the mists of time i visited the control tower at the disused airfield at Snaith again an ex Halifax base the blackboard was still in place and i am sure that names , times, and aircraft serial numbers were still in place on the board.

I HAVE BEEN PRIVILIGED OVER THE YEARS TO HAVE MET SEVERAL NOTABLE AVIATORS JAMES GOODSON, TWO GERMAN F.W.190 PILOTS, THE TWO PILOTS OF THE MEMPHIS BELLE, AND RUDI OPITZ THE M.E.163 TEST PILOT, BUT THE MOST UNASSUMING OF THEM ALL WAS THE LATE GREAT S/L JAMES GINGER LACEY.
I CHATTED TO HIM AT THE SMALL AIRFIELD AT GRINDALE NEAR BRIDLINGTON MANY TIMES AND MANY OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE HE TOOK ALOFT FOR THEIR PARACHUTING COURSES DID NOT EVEN KNOW WHO HE WAS.
TO THEM HE WAS JUST AN OLD CHAP IN A STRAW HAT WHO GOT THEM INTO THE AIR , I THINK THIS AMUSED HIM IT CERTAINLY DID ME.
THE FIRST THING HE DID AFTER GETTING OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS TO KNOCK HIS PIPE OUT ON THE PROP AND THEN RE FILL IT.
HAPPY DAYS BRIAN C D

I have just watched a very silly woman who apparently organised the Battle of Britain memorial service in the Vulcan hangar at Robin Hood Airport tell the reporter from B.B.C. Look North that alongside the Vulcan was an appropriate place to hold the service as the aircrafts predecessor the Avro Lancaster played a very important part in The Battle of Britain.
Where do they get them from
Brian

JIMMY EDWARDS OF COURSE WAS AWARDED A D.F.C. FOR HIS EFFORTS IN A DAKOTA AT ARNHEM.

AS A/C SHAW LAWRENCE OF ARABIA SERVED AT THE AIR SEA RESCUE R.A.F. BASE AT BRIDLINGTON HARBOUR.

HUGHIE GREEN FERRIED MANY LIBERATORS TO BRITAIN FROM THE UNITED STATES.

WHEN I WAS BEING SHOWN AROUND THE MEMPHIS BELLE A FEW YEARS AGO IN THE STATES THE YOUNG LADY WHO WAS MY GUIDE SAID THAT CLARKE GABLE HAD FLOWN AT LEAST ONE MISSION AS STARBOARD SIDE WAIST GUNNER IN THE AIRCRAFT, HE WAS IN A DIFFERENT B/G SQUADRON BUT SHE SEEMED PRETTY SURE ABOUT THE FACT.
BRIAN C D (WAKEFIELD)

‘Out of the Clouds’. Set at London Airport in the late 50s starring BOAC Stratocruisers and Constellations, BEA Viscounts and Elizabethans, Pan Am DC6/7s, KLM Convairs. Plenty of real ramp shots including Strat engine runs and a fantastic reproduction of the original terminal. Its in colour with a great British cast, made by Ealing Studios and now available on DVD. IMO it doesn’t get much better than this. Also ‘Cone of Silence’ which centres on design faults with an early British airliner. The aircraft concerned looks like the Canadian Jetliner. A clever plot line and again some big British cast members. 🙂

ThE AIRCRAFT WAS ONE OF THE THE AVRO ASHTON RESEARCH AIRCRAFT NOT THE AVRO CANADA JETLINER
BRIAN C D ( WAKEFIELD)

D.H. DRAGON AT SQUIRES GATE

QUITE RIGHT IN 1955 I FLEW IN D.H. DRAGON G-ACIT FOR 10 BOB ( 50P)
THERE WAS A D.H. EXPRESS DOING JOY RIDES AT THE SAME TIME .
I AM PRETTY SURE THAT THE DRAGON HAD 8 SEATS.
MY BEST AND CHEAPEST FLIGHT WAS IN TIGER MOTH G-ADWL FROM SHERBURN IN ELMET IN 1953 30 MINUTES FOR 7/6D THATS 35P.
HAD HALF AN HOUR IN A BOEING STEARMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA EARLIER THIS YEAR BUT IT COST RATHER MORE THAN 35P.
THANKS BRIAN C D