Ist Flight

My very 1st flight was 4/5 hours in an Avro Lancaster — followed by two in dakota’s — Tiger Moth & so in various vintage types — a few ‘Spam – Cans’ thrown in — now waiting for my 60th flight

Dustyone

Thinking back to August 1960 close to my 10th birthday i recall my first flight.
My uncle a carpenter who earned good money knew of my love of a/c. As he and his wife holidayed in N. Ireland each year on my 10th birthday i was invited to fly out and stop over for 1 night then home alone.
We left Elmdon on BEA Viscount G-AMOF on Saturday, quite turbulent, it was air pockets as the stewardess explained.
On arrival at Belfast Nutts Corner the first thing i noticed through the window was dozens of hares running about. When we had parked up I went onto the pan to take some photos with my Brownie 127, I got the Viscount and on the other side of the pan BEA DC3 and Bristol Freighters.
I was cautioned by the staff ” Dont walk under the wings you will get oil on you”
The following Sunday morning i was put on the return flight to Elmdon however this was via Ringway so another take off landing
This confirmed my love of flying. God bless Uncle Bill & Auntie Edna.

My next flight was 3 years later in a Euravia Constellation Luton to Perpignan.

What about you???

G-ADPR

In 1944 I had the pleasure of seeing DPR come into our civilian repair unit when she was impressed into RAF service — at that time sprayed in RAF training scheme, & carrying the serial AX 866 — apart from that she was virtually as she was when she made her final record breaking flight, — the main difference being that the huge fuel tank in the rear of the cabin had been removed.
It was wonderful for me to be able to sit in the seat where once a great aviator had sat just a few years earlier.

The original colour scheme — reg.makings could be seen when the camouflage was likely scrapped away.

When it went to Shuttleworth they stripped all the original ‘Dove Grey’ leather etc from the cabin & then completed the ruination by finishing her in a totally wrong colour scheme from the original which I had seen a few years earlier.

As Jean Batten was born in NZ. I suppose that it can be argued that DPR had a right to go to NZ — but not in my opinion — Money it seems was the main factor that she went no doubt, but had she not been sold, then today the Shuttleworth team would have worked wonders & she would be gracing our skies & not getting dusty lingering in the roof of an NZ airport.

During those years I also worked on Percival Q6 ‘Petrels’ — Proctor Mk 1 -11-111 & 1Vs — Vega Gulls etc —- I would love to hear from anyone who has copies of old pictures of those types Please.

Dusty

Percival Proctor

Percival Proctor G-AKEX > LZ 791 still retained most it’s 1944 RAF training colour scheme when it was found in Sweden 3 years ago,– it was purchased — & brought back to the UK for restoration to flying condition — This was an A/C which I feel sure I might well have worked on after seeing it crash on our small airfield in Nov. 1944 when being flown by ATA pilot Monique Agarazarian (?) — the actual paint work found was that which was applied by our firm after repairs were carried out — even the works serial numbers could still be found in the original stencil forms. Pieces of the original fabric have been retained.
Work on the restoration is coming on well, & this A/C is hoped to be airworthy within a year or two.
Dustyone

24 hour build

The 24 hour Wellington ‘build’ was a wartime propaganda film — it was in fact ‘assembled’ in that time from pre-constructed units, & thus could not be classed as a complete ‘build’ — very good work though, & full credit to all

Dustyone

LZ791

Guess who agrees with you ?????

Dustyone