I had a quick Google and it turns out that that particular airframe is fairly historic:
Cathay Pacific | Boeing 747-400 | B-HUJ | Hong Kong Kai Tak by Dennis Lau, on Flickr
“July 4th 1998… approx. 14:00 local time
B-HUJ departs Kai Tak for the final time, operating CATHAY 888 to Vancouver and New York. The return flight to HK was the first commercial flight to land at Chek Lap Kok on opening day, just after 06:30 on July 6th.
The return flight made history by becoming the first ever non-stop flight between New York and Hong Kong, flying over the North Pole with an appropriate callsign of CATHAY POLAR 1.”
Here’s the same aircraft on its farewell flyby at Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong.
Christ – you’d better take that one down – if the CAA sees it they’ll probably close Beachy Head next year in case a Seagull has someone’s eye out…
It was a dismal year for Beachy Head photography wasn’t it? I was there on Saturday and about the only thing that I didn’t need a 600mm lens for was a nice close flypast from the BBMF:
BBMF fly past Beachy Head by sboreeves, on Flickr
I’ve written an email to the Eastbourne Tourist Information Centre to tell them that the amassed crowd on Beachy Head had a very disappointing afternoon, possibly due to heavy-handed application of the CAA regs. They list Beachy Head as an official viewing point so hopefully something can be done. I got a reply saying that they had passed the message onto the event organisers. Sadly if the Beachy Head photo opportunities have gone forever then I doubt I’ll be back next year.
My other Eastbourne pics are here. Hope you don’t mind me hijacking your thread a bit Anna – if so I’ll delete this post and start my own 🙂
I also seem to remember that all the David Brown VIG 1 tugs were issued with a rear fitted winch. Although plenty of David Browns survive in museums, most seem to be later issue Post war examples.
Here’s a picture of my brother in law’s DB Tug, taken at Haddenham Steam Rally in 2009. He’s been gradually restoring it ever since and it was purchased as a wartime example. You can just see the top of the winch assembly at the rear of it – it’s thought that this is original to the vehicle.
MH434 at home, May 2013.
Spitfire Mk. IX MH434 at IWM Duxford, England by sboreeves, on Flickr
Nipped over to Duxford today to take a sneaky peek inside the Lanc. According to a DAS volunteer to whom we chatted to for quite a long time inside the York, this is the first time it’s been open to the public for 8 years. Well done IWM for opening the aircraft up – I hope it’s the shape of things to come.
It was also really good that they had a re-enactor to talk about bomber command and life as part of an Lanc aircrew – a great opportunity to engage with the public and bring it to life a bit.
Here are a couple of pics of the interior of the a/c – I didn’t get much time inside and it was a bit tight for space, so don’t expect miracles, but even just being able to get into the rear part of the fuselage, you can get an idea of the conditions the aircrews were working in. The thought of getting out of that rear turret in a hurry, clipping on a parachute and jumping out of that tiny door is frankly terrifying.
Looking towards the front of the aircraft:
IMG_0014 by sboreeves, on Flickr
Looking towards the rear, into the rear gunner’s position:
IMG_0013 by sboreeves, on Flickr
Above the door – left over from its days in RCAF?
IMG_0018 by sboreeves, on Flickr
Finally a story I read about KB899’s history – so someone has had to bail out through that door then!
“While with 428 Sqn, RCAF: training flight flown by S/L F. Macdonnell and crew, the mid-upper gunner F/L B. Hunchburger was taking a compass reading for the Navigator; a/c flew into a cumulus cloud and in the violence the aircraft flipped on its back and Brock Hunchburger decided to leave but while clipping on his chute it opened and he leaped into space, bounced off the tail plane and landed beside a farm house not far from Derby bruising his right leg but returned to Middleton St George none the worse.”
Sign In
