17.30 Amid the biz-jets whoooshing in to Northolt, and the Cirrus’s whining out of Denham, a slow, heavy chug,chug chug could be heard and lo (or rather low) a Broussard lumbers overhead at a few hundred feet heading west, off to Hullavington perhaps?

The pilot on that final flight was the great Neil Williams, who having clocked up some Shakleton hours at Farnborough, was deemed qualified to do the trip.

A wartime L4 would do about 80 mph on a good day. Later Super Cubs with engines up to 150 Hp might do 100- 115 mph, though the pitch of propellor fited makes a difference.

I suspect the 109 pretty much killed itself.

Gee Bee – Granville Brothers

Who knows, 2007 could be even wetter,.. I mean better!;)

Very sorry to hear that the accident has such a tragic connection for you.

To lose both in fatal accidents, in less than a month…….

Without wishing to instigate too much ‘thread creep’ I am wondering if the massed Spitfires can be matched by any other contemporary warbird.

I imagine Mustangs are the only other type in sufficient numbers, and I think Oshkosh has fielded some quite large gaggles, and this year’s ‘Mustang Round-up’ is predicted to draw seventy or more, though I doubt if a tight formation would be attempted.

South Africa put up a huge Harvard formation a few years back when they were being retired and sold, though the Harvard is not really considered a warbird as such.

That was rather sporty! I don’t suppose Big Airways allow that sort of fun these days.