The Auster Alpine was of course registered G-APAA
Not sure how the AA managed to “blag” what was, in effect, a “personalised” registration!
However, a pic of G-APAA can be found here: http://www.auster.ukf.net/G-APAA.jpg
According the CAA database, G-APAA was registered to the Autombile Association between 23 June 1956 and 29 April 1958
There’s even a colour pic of it, being used in a flight sim at http://forum.mutleyshangar.com/index.php/topic/3859-february-tail-draggers-finished/page__st__30 (see posting #35). As you can see, G-APAA was black and yellow, with the AA Badge very prominent.
Many years ago, Air Britain published a book on all Civil registered aircraft in the G-APAA to G-APZZ range (back in the 1980s, long before G-INFO appeared…) and of course this particular Auster was featured on the front cover.
Lastly, G-APAA was written off in a crash at Badminton on 9th August 1975 (see http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=18459) but the details are somewhat vague. Does anyone have any additional data?
I was most interested in the demise of ‘PAA, as I came extremely close to wrecking my Auster at Badminton on 24th April 1988! I’d only had it in the air for 3 weeks, after a 3.1/2 year re-build. During the rebuild I had acquired a Gipsy Major 10-2 that had not flown for some years. It had a top end overhaul before fitting, but for reasons unknown, the tab washer on no.1 cylinder had not been tabbed up. The result was that during a go around, the rocker assembly came adrift, leaving me at 200 feet with only 3 cylinders operational! I found it would just maintain 200 feet, but would not climb at all. I managed to scratch around the circuit, cutting in on the FlyPast Pup (sorry about that if the pilot is reading this!). As is customary in Austers, it bounced on touch down, but having no power to catch it, the result was a much publicised photo on me with the Auster just before it fell to earth! Luckily, apart from the engine problem, the only damage was a bent tailwheel spring.
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