A Swissair Caravelle from LHR to Geneva on a school trip in 1968. Nobody warned me of turbulence and it was a bumpy ride all the way. Thankfully the return trip in a BEA Trident was a real smooth ride – having spent the entire fortnight in Switzerland worrying about the return leg!! Overcame my fear of flying in 1969 with 3 flights in a Chippie of 1 AEF doing circuits and bumps at Manston.

Probably why the idea was never taken up.

LIGHTNINGS

It was 1965 (I think). As a 10 year old living in Battersea, I grew up watching all manner of aircraft on finals to either 28L or 28R but I had little interest in aviation – preferring to watch the steam engines at Clapham Junction instead.

It was the day of Churchills funeral and I may well have been on my way to Clapham Junction at the time when there was this almighty roar overhead. This was my first sight ever of the Lightning – I think there were 16 of them in tight formation – and they seemed well below the 2000 ft or so that airliners were at on approach to LHR. An awesome sight which prompted an interest in aviation – 50s/60s jets especially – that I keep to this day.

I used to make a point of looking out towards Buckingham Palace at 1pm every June for the Trooping of the Colour flypast. Almost every year it was 16 Lightnings, then it was Phantoms then Tornados to the pathetic offering we seem to get these days.

Another B29 survivor

In 2000, the was a B29 parked outside the superb National Atomic Museum which is located within the secure confines of Kirtland AFB, Albuqueque, New Mexico. Alongside it was a B52, A7 Corsair and F105 along with a vast array of missiles and bits recovered from sunken (nuclear – I believe) submarines.

Not sure of the status of this museum now – although very modern, it may have moved elsewhere. The public were allowed in but being in the middle of the AFB, events of 2001 may have prompted a rethink about access.

NX611

The first time I saw this Lanc was on the pan at Biggin Hill in 1969. Does anyone know how and when she left BH?? Did she fly out??

Favourite air displays

Its amazing how aircraft – old and not so old – can cut the mustard with the general public – eg a Pitts doing its business at the local fete looks really good. At somewhere like Fairford, such aircraft – and this is no disrespect to the warbird fans either – tend to blend in to insignificance with the general public – most, kids included, want heavy metal.

I suppose the point I am making is that any aircraft performing in non-familiar surroundings – eg over london, the village fete, the beach show etc – will look good whoever the audience might be.

In the Daily Mail transatlantic air race of 69, I saw the Harrier GR1 take off from the coalyard behind St Pancras stn in London – what a sight that was. I think it landed in central park New York to a pretty enthusiastic reception from our friends across the pond. I met the pilot of that plane some 5 years later at Lossie and I dont think there is any doubt that the sight of a GR1 taking off from central park and the big USMC order for the aircraft are unconnected – this event convinced the US public – more than anything else – that the UK had got it right. Shame were now buying the same conceptual technology back from them – if theres an IPR expert out there – is it worth anything more than the paper its written on??