Hi Moggy, sorry to here about your recent attempts at getting close to nature. Hope all is soon mended (except the deer, which might be a bit far gone!).

Strangely, the only time I have been in a car that has been hit by a deer was also near Lakenheath. Maybe this is a secrurity measure ELP has suggested. Mine was many years ago and luckily was only a young deer. It still did quite a bit of damage though.

Another deer story happened (not to me) on the A1 near Cottesmore.

Two of our supervisors were heading North on the A1 at about Midnight and were travelling at about 70mph. A large (very large!) deer walked out in front of them and WALLOP. The car, an Escort estate, was written off. Both occupants amazingly surviving without injury. Having exiting the car, they could see that the deer was still alive, and was trying to crawl back into the field alongside the A1. Sadly, both it’s hind legs were broken, at it was clearly in a lot of pain. The conversation between driver and passenger went something like this

Pass. “maybe we should try to put it out of it’s misery”

Driv. ‘any ideas on how we go about doing that?’

Pass. “well, we could try hitting it with something”

Driv. “I’ve just hit it with a Ford Escort at 70mph and that didn’t kill it, what do you suggest we use!!!”

The RSPCA were called, and dealt with the situation accordingly. The car was eventually repaired at great cost, and then using logic that only the railway can provide, sold as surplus for a fraction of the cost of repair.

Best wishes

Willow

Looks pretty standard for a IX / XVI to me. It looks similar to those on MH434 these days.
Wasn’t TE184 built as a low-back Spit, and converted to a high-back by Nick Grace?

It’s a rather expensive toy to leave sitting unused for 18months. Such a shame.

Willow

‘It’s like shooting rats in a barrel’

What a shame it was only temporary. This was really different.
What scheme is it in now?
Actually, where is it now? It seems to have vanished.

Willow

A330crazy, I thing you’ve done pretty well considering the lack of space in the museum.
I seem to remember that a well known Aviation Magazine (no names) visited there recently, and your shots were as good if not better than theirs.

Willow

Without a doubt, a flight in a Piper Cub floatplane from Jack Browns Seaplane base in Florida. Fantastic. 1/2 an hour spent doing circuits on a lake. I flew 7 circuits. I’m not a pilot, so it was the first time I had ever landed ANYTHING. Brilliant, fantastic, undescribable! Worth every penny.

A very close second is taking a Cessna 172 out of Tucson, and overflying AMARC, before doing 3 circuits of Pinal Air Park, Marana to see the 140 airliners stored there. WOW

For a commercial flight, it has to be flying into Kai Tak on a 747.
Such a shame you can’t do it any more.

Willow

Cracking photos, especially considering how cramped the conditions look.

DOUGHNUT has made the point before about article displays being in front of the aeroplanes. This looks like a prime example. While relevant and interesting, could not these items be kept clear of the aeroplanes?

This is a very good example of a museum that could benefit from an ‘outside’ day. If it was well known that the Spitfire and Hurricane would be positioned outside for the day, I would certainly make the trip down there.

Willow

Yes, it’ll be nice to see it out and about again. I think it’s been at Legends in the past.

I take it that the CAA issue with the P40 paperwork is different from the issue that is stopping the Shackleton returning from the US?

Willow