In Christopher Orlebar’s excellent book on Concorde, it is told how the American’s accusations about Concorde’s noise pollution went very quiet when noise tests at J.F.K. revealed that the then ‘Air Force One’ made more noise on takeoff. . .

Back in the late seventies my family used to holiday in Cornwall, we stayed at the same house for a few years running and my parents used to notice on Wednesday? nights, the big lounge window this place had used to go ‘THUMP’ once, about the same time always, we think it was when Concorde went through the sound barrier on the way out to the Bay of Biscay.

I started out around 11 with what was in my father’s cupboard, can remember reading ‘Bomber’ and ‘Fighter’ by Len Deighton and ‘Bomber Command’ by Max Hastings, the chapter about 82 Squadron and the horrific losses they suffered flying Blenheims had quite an impact on me. Still have them as they came with me when I left home! Does anybody remember the fictional series of books by Robert Jackson with R.A.F. fighter pilot George Yeoman and Hans Richter, his opposite in the Luftwaffe? Dad had ‘Hurricane Squadron’, set in the Battle of France and the final one ‘The Last Battle’ where he flew Gloster Meteors against Richter in an ME262, both survive too!
First book I bought, and still have was ‘Antiques Of The Air’ by Michael F. Jerram which featured all the warbirds that were flying both sides of the Atlantic in the late seventies, a good number of them happily still are now.

There are two good photo’s of 57 and 630 Squadron Lancs showing the painted tailfins on page 112 of ‘Lancaster At War 2’, one in the background is marked LE-C. By the way did any of the 50 or so B1 (BV11 Interim) Lancs with the Frazer-Nash mid upper turret moved forward that were built before NX611 and all the other BV11’s serve with 57 or 630 at East Kirkby?

Here she is in April ’07, awaiting the axe. Apart from the prototype are any early 747’s preserved anywhere even in the desert?

There is a photo of R5868 in Garbett and Goulding’s ‘Lancaster At War 3’ having a major rebuild rebuild in 1944 at Bracebridge Heath minus the nose section, in ‘Lancaster At War 1’ they explain how when the Lanc’s were rebuilt it was ‘first off the line’ which meant that very rarely would an airframe’s major parts be reunited back together, only the nose would keep it’s original identity, a picture shows the serial number chalked on the side of a nose section awaiting it’s fuselage.

Couldn’t have put that better myself Phanton Phixer. As I was at Duxford in 1996 it was bad enough seeing it for real, and having the whole thing shown on the evening news later on. Unfortunatley a seemingly large element of the public now gets a kick out of this in varying degrees from tragic events like this to people ripping chunks out of other people in all the awful reality:mad: TV that we are bombarded with.

The comment above reminds me of when I went on one of the Dakota Farewell Flights back in May this year, Biggin Hill was our original departure point, this was ruled out by the Hypocrites at Bromley Council on the grounds of noise, the operator to their credit switched the flights to Southend and laid on a coach to take all of us there and back, while waiting to leave on the coach in the departure lounge at Biggin two biz-jets took off making far more noise than any Dakota. Money talks as usual. . . .:(
I have lived pretty close to Brands Hatch all my life and the same problem there, it has existed since 1926 but still people move in locally and try to get it closed down. Will sign that petition as it applies to racing circuits as much as airfields too. . . .

Sorry canberra-tt18 I’m not THE captainslow! A fan of T.G. and it has been used as an occasional nickname. Glad you like the picture!