Morane-Saulnier MS885 Super Rallye G-BETO in August 1993,when I was 13. We flew from Draycott Farm strip in Wilts to Compton Abbas,landed there and visited the cafe. We were beaten up at very low level by a bunch of RAF Hercs as we walked out to ‘Beto for the flight back to Draycott. Awesome!
The flight back was also memorable for the near detachment of the canopy in flight,after it popped off it’s rails when the pilot and front seat passenger tried to open the canopy a tad. We were well within the canopy opening limiting speed,but it popped all the same. They managed to secure the latch again and it saved the canopy from detaching-phew! Had an interesting remainder of the flight watching the sides of the canopy flapping about in the slipstream.
I puked most of the way there,and then puked again during a tight spiralling landing approach on the way back,the pilot wanting to get down asap with that canopy flapping about.
Flew in her again about a year later to Thruxton and back,was fine for most of the flight there,but puked on approach (again) and then proceeded to puke all the way back! As an aeroplane nut I’m rather embarressed to admit that i’ve never quite triumphed over air-sickness and have suffered to varying degrees every time I’ve flown (about half a dozen times).
G-BETO was badly pranged by another member of my mate’s syndicate shortly after the Thruxton trip,the nosewheel being ripped off and the fuselage wrinkled. She was sold on and has since been resurrected by new owners. 🙂
The replacement was a Cessna 172,G-ASNW (Got-A-Stronger-Nose-Wheel :D) and flew in her a couple of years back. The rest of my flying was done on Chipmunks with 6AEF at RAF Benson when I was an air cadet,something I’m very pleased about as they were retired not long after.
I have pics of the first flight (and the low-level Hercs) just here,but tantalisingly the scanner has packed up,so can’t post ’em at the moment!Sorry folks…
Sign In
