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1st Aeroplane Flight

Hi Darby,

Great pic of a Mosquito line-up! Can you imagine the wonderful sound when that lot started up?

The German FW Ta154 Moskito twin-engined night-fighter was also of largely wooden construction - I wonder where they got the idea from? Sadly for the Luftwaffe, the German Moskito was not as sucessful as ours...

I never was able to access the Canadian Virtual Museum photos of Mosquito construction. Don't know why. I'll try again later.

Big Gee
 
Royston said:
Hi Mal me again.

I remember seeing a de Havilland Vampire that had been in outside storage
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Hi,Royston
At RAF Topcliffe in the late 50's I serviced Vampires and can confirm lots of the fuselage was made of plywood because I saw one land wheels up. After it had slid along the runway about 6" of the plywood was worn away - no sparks nor even flames. I was small and slim at that time and was one of the only 'bods' on the section who could change the oxygen bottles which were buried deep in the fuselage. Twisting the locking wire on bolts had to be done lookiing through mirrors. How we used to curse the designers !
oldmohawk
:)
 
Hi Mohawk,

Someone I know was in the Navy back in the 1960's and served on HMS Ark Royal (I think). Anyway, he worked on Buccanneers and because of his very slim build his job was to scramble up the tail-pipes to clean them after flight. When he left the Navy he was presented with a sweep's brush!

Big Gee
 
Hi Big Gee,
I like that story about the Buccanneers. I once had to lie as best as I could on my back in a HP Marathon, (after the co-pilot had kindly moved) looking up behind the instrument panel. The aircraft was giving intermittent fuel readings - sometimes zero - rather worrying for the pilots. The 'Chiefy' had told me to look for sparking in the wiring ! I suppose we ought to be posting these in the Sevices section.:D
 
Big Gee said:
Hi Royston,



That must have been a pretty early Vampire, as I believe only the first few built had moulded wood fuselages (I think they were referred to as 'The Spider Crab' for reasons I don't know). Later Vampires had all-metal construction. I should imagine that the wooden fuselage carried quite a few kilos of asbestos to provide insulation from the engine...

I was on my way to the Cosford Museum this morning when I suddenly remembered I should have been somewhere else...rats! They have (or had) a Vampire in Swiss markings.

Big Gee
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Hi Big Gee,I also read that the Vampire fuselage 'pod' was of the laminated ply/balsa/ply construction as on the Mosquito.I also read somewhere that the cockpit canopy was identical to the canopy on the Mossy.I think,if my memory is correct,the canopy referred to was of the T.11(?) Mosquito trainer variant,would you know any more to enlighten me?...........Mal.
 
Hi again Big Gee,on racking my memory bank,I remembered it was the trainer version of the Vampire that had the Mosquito canopy,so as to allow the side-by-side seating required for the pupil and instructor.It just increases the links between the two aircraft,a bit 'make do and mend'..................Mal.
 
The Vampires I serviced were T11's, would have loved a flight in one but no luck. One memory I have is when all of the Instrument Section were told to go out to a T11 just landed. When we got there, the crew were sitting with the complete instrument panel hanging on its wires etc almost in their laps. Someone had not properly tightened the quick release 'oddy ?'screws, and the panel came loose on landing. They couldn't pin it on an individual, so the whole section lost their weekend passes. When I now think back about some of the things that I saw happen way back then, its a wonder the aircraft actually flew and came back. :)
 
Royston said:
Thanks Cadeau for the pic.
Brings back memories, though I don't think this is in the yellow colour scheme or at Elmdon ; do you ?
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Royston, I think if you click on the link that I posted you'll see that the photo of G-ACPP was taken at Crydon. But I'm sure you're right that at some time it had a life in yellow at Elmdom.
 
Cadeau said:
Royston, I think if you click on the link that I posted you'll see that the photo of G-ACPP was taken at Crydon. But I'm sure you're right that at some time it had a life in yellow at Elmdom.
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Hi Cadeau
I did click on the link you kindly posted and I have not been off it since !
believe it or not I am actually a member of Air Britain but never till now looked at the photo collection site.
Over 170,000 photos , not bad and all fully indexed as you would expect from Air Britain.
I do have a few from the fifties that I can add to the list.
Their publications are high quality and extremely well detailed and if you are a member not too expensive.
Thanks for the info, I have sorted out a pic that I aquired some years ago of G-ACPP in Yellow Air Taxi colour scheme, I will have a go at posting it on the web site. Cheers for now R0Y
 
Re: First flight (and this is my first post on here, so go easy on me folks!)

I was lucky, born in '51 about 150 yards from the Elmdon airport boundary (posts with vey little fence in between them), so the sounds of the airport are indelibly imprinted in my brain.
Anyway, first flight was around '58 in a Douglas DC3. Flew to London Airport, where we had to wait around 7 hours for our connecting flight - another DC3 - to Jersey.
My strongest memories are the smell of the cabin, a sort of leathery oily vomitty niff, not unlike the whiff of a very young child, (sans talc and filled nappy), and sucking lots of barley sugar sweeties to help with the popping ears (didn't work). Then there was the view of that patchwork quilt of fields not far below.
Is it me, or was the air more lumpy then? I mean all those sudden 100 foot drops and climbs! I got to use a sick bag or two, then more barley sugar.
I'd be happy to pay real money to be able to fly in one of those draughty shuddering flying trucks again. Great fun, I still love flying and always grab the window seat.
 
Welcome, wildly-idle
As you can see there are a few 'aviation nuts' on here. Is your forum name a 'play' on a US airport name ? I think the air was lumpier at the lower levels those DC3 flew at. With regard to sick-bags, the closest I came to using one was in a Provost trainer flying from RAF Feltwell in 1958. The Flight Sarge tucked one into my tunic, I tried telling him I didn't need it, but you don't argue with higher ranks. The aircraft flew every move in the book, with me really enjoying it, but if the flight had continued for another 10 minutes I may have needed the bag. I flew a lot on business and initially liked the window seats, but eventually I used to ask for aisle seats so I could get off quicker. I still watch them approaching BHX and listen to communications.
oldmohawk:)
 
Hi Wildly Idle,funny you saying you would pay real money to fly in a shuddering DC3 again,as the is a company called Air Atlantique who operate just such an aircraft on trips and excursions to air displays and other events carrying fare-paying passengers,also several other classic aircraft,which off the top of my head,I can't recall.I'm sure a google on your pc will show them to you.They used to operate from Coventry,but whether or not they still operate from there I'm not too sure.I'm certain somebody will know ,however,and I feel sure they'll let us know.............Mal
 
Royston said:
Hi Cadeau
I did click on the link you kindly posted and I have not been off it since !
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Roy I'm pleased to hear that you enjoyed the link, it's an amazing collection of photos that they have on there and I too have one to add.

Graham.
 
Hi again Wildly-Idle,just googled 'Air Atlantique',it is now known as www.classicflight.com,it's still based at Coventry,and lists an impressive display of aircraft.Aircraft listed include 2 x DC3,3 X Dragon Rapide,2 x D.H. Dove,Vampire,Venom,Shackleton,Hunter,and many,many more,Seems too good to be true ! Has anybody been to see this company,or indeed travelled on one of their aircraft ? ................ Mal,
 
Hi, returning once again to 'Air Atlantique' it appears it was indeed too good to be true.Apparently the DC3's at least have been banned from carrying fare-paying passengers by EEC regulations,which insist ALL passenger carrying aircraft MUST have drop-down oxygen masks,and escape chutes.As the aircraft owner says,it's a bit ridiculous insisting on oxygen in an aircraft which never reaches a high altitude,and an escape chute on an aircraft which is 4 foot from the ground.The 'farewell' tour of the DC3 was in 2008,a great pity,and once again 'elf and safety' has overtaken common sense..................Mal
 
hi folks....just come accross this...thought it may be of interest to you all....nice tiger moth in the one pic...not that i know anything about planes........except that they fly:D

lyn
 
Astoness said:
hi folks....just come accross this...thought it may be of interest to you all....nice tiger moth in the one pic...not that i know anything about planes........except that they fly:D

lyn
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Hi Astoness

Seeing the offical opening date for Elmdon as being 8th July reminded me that it is rumoured that an Airbus A380 (thats the large one) is thought to be visiting for the 70 year anniversary on that date this year.
Only a rumour but I've heard it from three sources one of which could be reliable. We shall see.
Nothing seen on the airport website about any celebration as yet.

Cheers for now R0Y
 
Not my first,but a scary flight,was one I took over shark bay W.A.
It was a 4 seater,don't know type or how old,after beating up the beach we came in to land on a bumpy field and the pilot said "open the door mate",I pointed out that I didn't have a parachute,and anyway we were on the ground,his reply was "the door is the air brake".:stressed::stressed:
 
My first ever flight was in an old high wing cessna from an airfield somewhere near Cheddar in Somerset back in 1966. I was on holiday with my dad, I was 12 yrs old and as we were going along I saw a sign for the airfield and the magic words 'Pleasure Flights' - well I badgered the old man to let us go and see what it was all about and we ended up having a 20 minute flight out over Weston Super Mare and back. Dad wasnt too happy once we were up and looked decidedly green around the gills as they say, but I loved every second and would have stayed up there for hours had it been possible.

I've since learned to fly myself and got my pilots licence at the ripe old age of 54 after 18 months of training. I'd always wanted to learn and had a trial lesson back in 1983 but I'd not long been married and with a mortgage and baby on the way the cost was just too much to consider and it got put on the back burner for years. Come 2004 and I was at Duxford for the 'Flying Legends' airshow and I thought "I'd rather be up there than down here" so the next weekend saw me at Wellesbourne airfield near Stratford, checking out the flying schools, and the rest, as they say, is history. Its never too late to do anything in life I think ( well almost !)
 
When we lived in the USA I took flying lessons, being somewhat aviation-minded. I flew my friend's Beechcraft Bonanza (all-metal, retract gear) and another friend's Piper Cub - wonderful aircraft, that. You just opened the throttle and it took off. I also had formal lessons with a school at Cleveland Airport, Ohio, in a Cessna 172, but although I had no trouble actually flying the plane, I was hopeless at landing... After a few hours my instructor put it to me bluntly that sooner or later there'd be an accident. For my health's sake (and that of the instructor) I called it a day, but ever since then I've regretted not persevering. I suppose it's like reversing a car - hell to do at first, but eventually it becomes second nature.

My instructor said that a good landing is one that you can walk away from, but with me it's obvious that he didn't feel like taking that risk...

Big Gee
 
Big Gee said:
I had no trouble actually flying the plane, I was hopeless at landing...

My instructor said that a good landing is one that you can walk away from, but with me it's obvious that he didn't feel like taking that risk...

Big Gee
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Yes, landing is by far the hardest thing to learn but it comes eventually and you wonder what all the fuss was about !! I'm not saying every landing is a 'greaser' - even airline pilots have bad ones , as I'm sure anyone who's flown a few times would be able to testify !!!!

As I said, its never too late ;)
 
It was something fundamental in my natural co-ordination, or lack of it to be more accurate. My instructor (a patient man) showed me time after time how it was done, talking me through it, but I could never quite get it.
Well, you can't be good at everything, can you?

Even so, they were some of the happiest days of my life, tooling around the skies of North-east Ohio, skimming the surface of Lake Erie, following the Interstate Highway down to Akron to look at the old airship sheds.
I remember going to an aviation market at Akron in my pal's Beechcraft, and I could've bought an Erco Ercoupe circa 1947 with 10 hours left on the engine, and a damaged wing-tip, for $900!

Unfortunately I don't think my eyesight is up to flying lessons now. Not to mention my bank-balance...

Big Gee.
 
Big Gee said:
It was something fundamental in my natural co-ordination, or lack of it to be more accurate. My instructor (a patient man) showed me time after time how it was done, talking me through it, but I could never quite get it.
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This is only a word of advice and not a criticism. These are the kind of skills that you should only learn when you are very young otherwise you will be a danger to yourself and others. In most cases coordination won't become natural after a certain age. I have taught many these kind of skills but those above the age of 30 are the worst, some even after the age of 22.
 
What cracking stories! My first flight as a 17 year old in 1961 was on a DC3 from Elmdon to Tours in France to go to the 24 hour race at Le Mans. The trip was organised by Page and Moy (who are still going apparently) and I went with 2 older pals. The flight was very noisy, but we were invited to see the cockpit (it was behind curtains !). I was just taking my turn looking when we hit an air pocket, the plane lurched and the 20 or 30 passengers all thought I had done something! The coach trip from Tours Airport took ages, but the excitement at Le Mans was fantastic. We rented an erected tent to sleep in and ate Chicken and Chips from a huge meat plate. Happy Days.
 
My first flight was a half hour trip in a Tiger Moth at RAF Valley about 1945, I was there with the ATC (Air Training Corps) on a fortnights 'camp' an annual affair, the following year was at Ternhill, this time we flew in an Avro Anson trainer and a DC3, known in this country as a Dakota, at 81 I still love flying and I had a flight in a De Havilland Otter single engine sea plane im Malta last year as an 8oth birthday present from my sister in Law
 
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My first flight was sitting by the side of a Polish pilot in an ancient Avro Anson doing circuits and bumps (landing and then taking off again without stopping) from Shawbury in Shropshire at a deserted, satellite aerodrome, probably Peplow. Noisy and thrilling.

But the second, a few months later, was one which I never equalled later. In the back seat of a two-seater Gloster Meteor T7 doing practice formation aerobatics over Lincolnshire, as a National Service erk in 1955. I was under strict instructions from the pilot to use my handkerchief if I felt the need to puke - which, I still am proud to say, I didn't, despite being suspended upside down at 20,000 feet over Peterbrorough. It was a flight of three machines piloted by flying instructors who used to give demonstrations at nearby airshows and was known, I found out later, as the Strubby Three.

The practice of giving us conscripts a flight was about the only example I can recall of the RAF trying to do something to motivate a bunch of bolshie, resentful lads, stuck on the most easterly aerodrome in England and whose only interest in life was ticking off the days on our demob charts. But credit due to those in charge that they made it happen.

My flying experience was forever downhill after that. Duller, that is - but quieter, more comfortable and far, far safer!

Chris

PS Oh blimey, I note that I posted something similar three years ago in the early stages of this thread. Sorry. I put the memory loss down to two hours of unpressurised flying in my youth...
 
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As a follow on to my post 117 of all the different aircraft I have flown in, the Avro Lancaster was my favourite I was a Wireless/op on 82 (PR) Sqdn in 1949/51, I was really sorry to leave that Sqdn,( the last Sqdn to fly Lancasters , even though they were only used for aerial survey) . The present memorial flight Lanc was from 82 (PR) Sqdn the remainder of course would have been scrapped. Hard to believe that was 60 years ago !! Thats one of the Lancs I,m sitting on in my Avotar Eric
 
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