Hi David. The Emeraude is in fact F-BIMG (now G-ASCZ). The picture was almost certainly taken at Biggin Hill in 1959. But why is my father with it? He was definitely a pilot, possibly a club pilot for one of the southern clubs or schools, but other than that I don’t know very much. Frustrating really as someone somewhere must recognise him. The other planes are Chipmunk G-AOSN and Leopard Moth G-AIYS. Most likely both taken at Biggin Hill in or around 1959.

Kind regards, Paul Bennett-Todd.

Emeraude FBIMG, Chipmunk GAOSN

How about F-BIMC for the French aircraft , a CP310A Emeraude ? If so , this was destroyed in an accident in October 1964 .

The Emeraude in the picture is F-BIMG and the picture taken around 1959 I think? It entered the UK after being built in early 1958 and appears in quite a few photographs, including at Croydon and at the Denham tea party fly-in. In 1959 it had an insignia added to both sides just above the wings. The insignia says D.F.C and is some sort of leaf with wings but difficult to make out? It was re-registered in 1962 as G-ASCZ and today is currently privately owned and lives at Goodwood. The Chipmunk is almost certainly G-AOSN, built in 1950 and RAF owned (as WB-574) until June 1956 when it was sold to Derby Aviation and re-registered. I say almost certainly because it could be G-AOSY. Very difficult to tell in the original photograph but certainly looks like either N or Y. Both these two aircraft were later purchased by the London School of Flying. You can see pictures of both on Flickr taken in June 1958 at White Waltham by Tony Clarke. They are both identical except for the last letter in the registration. Any info about these two aircraft between 1958 and 1961 would be greatly appreciated and particularly any information about Peter Bennett, no matter how trivial, would be greatly appreciated too. Kind regards, Paul.