My most interesting flight.
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My most interesting flight.
One of the more interesting threads on this board has been "My first flight", and it occurs to me that a similar thread "My most interesting flight" could be a good read. Rules are you are only allowed to nominate one particular journey/flight, and "interesting" can mean anything that the writer found to be such. Possibly ranging from aircraft type to incidents en-route.
To start the ball rolling my most interesting flight would have to have been the one from RAF Seletar, Singapore to RAAF Laverton, Melbourne in January 1967 in a Beverley as SLF. Flying via the Cocos Islands, Port Hedland, Alice Springs and thence Melbourne. Other than the days spent in the Cocos waiting engine parts, we really got to see the "red centre" of Australia, taking a full day for each leg of the trip.
To start the ball rolling my most interesting flight would have to have been the one from RAF Seletar, Singapore to RAAF Laverton, Melbourne in January 1967 in a Beverley as SLF. Flying via the Cocos Islands, Port Hedland, Alice Springs and thence Melbourne. Other than the days spent in the Cocos waiting engine parts, we really got to see the "red centre" of Australia, taking a full day for each leg of the trip.
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This might be just odd rather than interesting: a glider winch launch to 4200 ft, on a windy day at Lasham, 17 November 1955, in the Slingsby T42 'Eagle' 2-seater. My instructor was David Kerridge, the winch driver Bill Tonkyn. He just paid out more cable until the drum was nearly empty. I think the end fell in a wood adjoining the airfield. I wonder if this is a record, for the UK: I think someone winched to about 5500 ft somewhere abroad a year or two ago.
Many a contender.
First flight (see that thread)
First round-the-world trip.
First (and only) Concorde trip.
First solo.
A jolly with a pax I met a few days previously - who later became Mrs WHBM
Maybe the last wins......
First flight (see that thread)
First round-the-world trip.
First (and only) Concorde trip.
First solo.
A jolly with a pax I met a few days previously - who later became Mrs WHBM
Maybe the last wins......
Last edited by WHBM; 15th Nov 2010 at 14:01.
This might be just odd rather than interesting: a glider winch launch to 4200 ft, on a windy day at Lasham, 17 November 1955, in the Slingsby T42 'Eagle' 2-seater. My instructor was David Kerridge, the winch driver Bill Tonkyn. He just paid out more cable until the drum was nearly empty. I think the end fell in a wood adjoining the airfield. I wonder if this is a record, for the UK: I think someone winched to about 5500 ft somewhere abroad a year or two ago.
Ah yes...'kiting' a glider...much frowned upon officially,I used to do a lot of winch driving and if the conditions were right - I did do it a few times.
The right conditions ?...
Safe wind direction (for cable fall)
An experienced glider pilot
And of course (and most importantly)...make sure the boss or any other senior officials were not around to give me another 8ollocking LOL
If i remember correctly - didn't Lasham winch to 3,000' at one time ??
Some of the larger airfields could give a 3,000' launch easily with the right conditions.
Ah yes...'kiting' a glider...much frowned upon officially,I used to do a lot of winch driving and if the conditions were right - I did do it a few times.
The right conditions ?...
Safe wind direction (for cable fall)
An experienced glider pilot
And of course (and most importantly)...make sure the boss or any other senior officials were not around to give me another 8ollocking LOL
If i remember correctly - didn't Lasham winch to 3,000' at one time ??
Some of the larger airfields could give a 3,000' launch easily with the right conditions.
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Not sure that interesting is the word but different from the norm.
Autumn 1984 trip to AAC Falklands to undertake annual inspection of aircraft. VC10 flight from Brize to Ascension no problems. Up next morning at 4am for early breakfast and take-off, left Ascension on time 6am in Hercules with full load. After 5 hrs flying spotted on engineer move through hold with a can of OM15, thought to myself that looks a little ominous, 20 minutes later noticed and felt aircraft turning through 180 degrees. Aircraft Captain then informed us that due to a hydraulic problem on No1 engine he has had to shut it down and we were returning to Ascension also informing us that the refuelling aircraft would be escorting us back.
So 10 hours flying and we were back where we started. Next morning same routine, take off at 6am in the same aircraft. 4 hours later we were informed we would be returning to Ascension as the refuelling aircraft had gone US. Next morning same routine, take off at 6am in the same aircraft. This time after one hour we were again returning to Ascension with No1 engine shut down for the same problem as before. We then changed aircraft and set off once again. This time we refuelled in flight no problem and made RAF Stanley after 13.5 hours after leaving Ascension.
Autumn 1984 trip to AAC Falklands to undertake annual inspection of aircraft. VC10 flight from Brize to Ascension no problems. Up next morning at 4am for early breakfast and take-off, left Ascension on time 6am in Hercules with full load. After 5 hrs flying spotted on engineer move through hold with a can of OM15, thought to myself that looks a little ominous, 20 minutes later noticed and felt aircraft turning through 180 degrees. Aircraft Captain then informed us that due to a hydraulic problem on No1 engine he has had to shut it down and we were returning to Ascension also informing us that the refuelling aircraft would be escorting us back.
So 10 hours flying and we were back where we started. Next morning same routine, take off at 6am in the same aircraft. 4 hours later we were informed we would be returning to Ascension as the refuelling aircraft had gone US. Next morning same routine, take off at 6am in the same aircraft. This time after one hour we were again returning to Ascension with No1 engine shut down for the same problem as before. We then changed aircraft and set off once again. This time we refuelled in flight no problem and made RAF Stanley after 13.5 hours after leaving Ascension.
The flight which contained the most interest, rather than fun, excitement or enjoyment (plenty of those), was a flight in a USAF C119 Fairchild Packet. I was an ATC cadet and we dropped 32 TA Paras over Fairwood Common and then formated on another C119 which dropped a Landrover. It was a strange experience to land with 32 less passengers than we started with. It was also my first experience of the use of reverse pitch for braking and I thought that the nose wheel had come off.
Second most interesting, and noisiest, was an airtest in an Avro Lincoln.
Second most interesting, and noisiest, was an airtest in an Avro Lincoln.
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When I was something like sixteen, a team of one helicopter and aircraft (De Havilland Beaver) sprayed insecticide powder (zot-zot-zot) around an old forest WWII airstrip not far away (meaning: reachable by bicycle) from the place where I spent summer. The Beaver pilot was son of my Mom's schoolmate, and I went to see him and also helped him start the engine every time after picking up some more of the evil stuff, because his battery was bust. So, I dragged a huge spare car battery next to the a/c, stuck the plug in into its side, and after the (huge at a close look) propeller started rotating and a thick smoke came from the exhausts on my face, I pulled the plug, took the battery and run for my life. In the afternoon, I asked as indirectly as I could, but clearly enough, if I could come along for a ride.
After consulting the owner (an ex low-ranking SS-officer, who had been POW in Siberia, returned, written two books, and bought two aircraft with the royalties), the pilot consented. He left one sack of the stuff out to compensate for my weight, and we did a small variation to the routine: After running for my life after the engine start, I deposited the battery and run for joy back to the plane, opened the right hand door and tried to sit down. Now, the plane had been emptied of everything that would reduce the amount of said stuff to be loaded, including the right hand seat. So, I squatted where the seat usually was, and held with my both hands on a funny bar that went cross the floor of plane. Seat belt? What's that?? So, we did a trip, some meters above the tree-tops back and fort, with some impressive looking bank at the same altitude as we made the 180 degree curves, and then landed back. Great! Like a roller-coaster, yet better - even better than the roller-coaster in Paris Disneyland some 50 years later. Disneyland was more dangerous, though, given my heart condition at the time.
After consulting the owner (an ex low-ranking SS-officer, who had been POW in Siberia, returned, written two books, and bought two aircraft with the royalties), the pilot consented. He left one sack of the stuff out to compensate for my weight, and we did a small variation to the routine: After running for my life after the engine start, I deposited the battery and run for joy back to the plane, opened the right hand door and tried to sit down. Now, the plane had been emptied of everything that would reduce the amount of said stuff to be loaded, including the right hand seat. So, I squatted where the seat usually was, and held with my both hands on a funny bar that went cross the floor of plane. Seat belt? What's that?? So, we did a trip, some meters above the tree-tops back and fort, with some impressive looking bank at the same altitude as we made the 180 degree curves, and then landed back. Great! Like a roller-coaster, yet better - even better than the roller-coaster in Paris Disneyland some 50 years later. Disneyland was more dangerous, though, given my heart condition at the time.
Last edited by RegDep; 15th Nov 2010 at 20:12.
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Mine was probably 15 mins as a pax in the back of one of Jack Brown's float J-3 Cubs at Winterhaven. If we went above 100ft it was very briefly - we splashed around in several local lakes looking for 'gators! Great fun and I wish I had been able to afford a longer trip.
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In an 'Aviation History & Nostalgia' context -
As a passenger
Difficult to choose between my first flight in a warbird in 1982, in the back of a P51 Mustang with Stef Karwowski during a display at West Malling (in the good old days before Nanny banned pax in displays) and, in 1987, flying over the Alps from Troyes to Sion (Switzerland) in a P40 Kittyhawk with Ray Hanna, in loose formation with Me109 (Mark Hanna), Spitfire Mk IX (Brian Smith), P51 Mustang (Carl Schofield) and a Grumman Avenger (either Alan Walker or Pete Jarvis?).
Flying
June 1990, in a Yak 11 from Duxford via Eelde (Netherlands), Billund (Denmark) and Karlstad (Sweden) and then through the Norwegian fjords to Oslo, again with some other OFMC aircraft. (I can't now remember which.) Mark and I had only just bought the aircraft so Norman Lees, who had lots of Yak 11 experience, very kindly came with me.
My happy memories of the weekend are tinged with sadness. When we left Duxford, some of the Fighter Collection aircraft were setting off to an airshow in France. When we got back we learnt that one of their pilots, John Larcombe, had been killed when the Kingcobra he was flying went down near La Ferte-Alais.
FL
In an 'Aviation History & Nostalgia' context -
As a passenger
Difficult to choose between my first flight in a warbird in 1982, in the back of a P51 Mustang with Stef Karwowski during a display at West Malling (in the good old days before Nanny banned pax in displays) and, in 1987, flying over the Alps from Troyes to Sion (Switzerland) in a P40 Kittyhawk with Ray Hanna, in loose formation with Me109 (Mark Hanna), Spitfire Mk IX (Brian Smith), P51 Mustang (Carl Schofield) and a Grumman Avenger (either Alan Walker or Pete Jarvis?).
Flying
June 1990, in a Yak 11 from Duxford via Eelde (Netherlands), Billund (Denmark) and Karlstad (Sweden) and then through the Norwegian fjords to Oslo, again with some other OFMC aircraft. (I can't now remember which.) Mark and I had only just bought the aircraft so Norman Lees, who had lots of Yak 11 experience, very kindly came with me.
My happy memories of the weekend are tinged with sadness. When we left Duxford, some of the Fighter Collection aircraft were setting off to an airshow in France. When we got back we learnt that one of their pilots, John Larcombe, had been killed when the Kingcobra he was flying went down near La Ferte-Alais.
FL
Last edited by Flying Lawyer; 15th Nov 2010 at 22:26.
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Fl.Lawyer.
When I saw your name as the last poster, I KNEW you would come up with the P.51 with Stef.K. Didn't know about your others. V.V.Jealous. Nearest I came to that was having a Spitfire pass underneath me once. Smoke in the KingCobra cockpit if I remember rightly. Nice to see his daughter still with TFC. . Sad to see so many familiar names no longer here. Regards from Airshow Spectator.
When I saw your name as the last poster, I KNEW you would come up with the P.51 with Stef.K. Didn't know about your others. V.V.Jealous. Nearest I came to that was having a Spitfire pass underneath me once. Smoke in the KingCobra cockpit if I remember rightly. Nice to see his daughter still with TFC. . Sad to see so many familiar names no longer here. Regards from Airshow Spectator.
I can't choose between these two.
Back-seat passenger in a Hawk transiting through the Snowdonia low flying area and not having time to wave at two Jaguars going in the opposite direction up the same valley because the closing speed was too fast.
Or,
A gentle flight out of Tico airport in a Stinson Detroiter, floating over the launch area at Cape Kennedy and flying a low overshoot to the Shuttle runway.
Back-seat passenger in a Hawk transiting through the Snowdonia low flying area and not having time to wave at two Jaguars going in the opposite direction up the same valley because the closing speed was too fast.
Or,
A gentle flight out of Tico airport in a Stinson Detroiter, floating over the launch area at Cape Kennedy and flying a low overshoot to the Shuttle runway.
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Professionally it has to be the first Head-Up Guidance System (HGS) approach & landing in CAT III conditions at St. John's, Newfoundland. I was the systems engineer/Self loading Ballast in the back of 7002, our CRJ-200, observing the approach. We'd done several with Leigh Farrell, our TC Certification pilot, flying - who then swapped seats with Alain LaCharite, our Project Pilot. It had taken us 20 minutes to get to the runway from the stand and we'd had to wait until conditions & the RVR improved so we could (legally) take off.
Otherwise it has to be in the back seat of my friend's Taylorcraft L3m over the Everglades and getting overtaken by a line of flamingos like flying pink basketballs.
Otherwise it has to be in the back seat of my friend's Taylorcraft L3m over the Everglades and getting overtaken by a line of flamingos like flying pink basketballs.
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A gentle flight out of Tico airport in a Stinson Detroiter, floating over the launch area at Cape Kennedy and flying a low overshoot to the Shuttle runway.
Equal first: Hunter trip in which I saw the highest i.a.s. I've ever seen (460kt) and included aerobatics during which I 'greyed out' due to having no 'G' suit followed by a practice 'one in one' (recovery to airfield simulating engine failure) into Boscombe Down.
Trip in the left hand seat of a Puma starting with a photographic sortie formating with a Seaking containing the photgrapher (the photograph is used on the cover of the book about RAE Farnborough - that's me in the left hand seat). Following this we descended low level (just above treetops), dodged around Popham (the p.i.c. was unaware we were close until I warned him) and transitted to Salisbury Plain where we operated below tree tops for about 30 min. before returning to Farnborough still below 500ft.
Trip in the left hand seat of a Puma starting with a photographic sortie formating with a Seaking containing the photgrapher (the photograph is used on the cover of the book about RAE Farnborough - that's me in the left hand seat). Following this we descended low level (just above treetops), dodged around Popham (the p.i.c. was unaware we were close until I warned him) and transitted to Salisbury Plain where we operated below tree tops for about 30 min. before returning to Farnborough still below 500ft.
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On final learning to water land a SeaRey amphibian in Florida:
Me – “Are those logs in the water”
Instructor – “Nope. They be 'gators boy”
Me – “What if we crunch?”
Instructor - “We’d be 'gator bait boy, 'gator bait”
Instructor mentioned afterwards how quickly I picked up the correct landing attitude
Me – “Are those logs in the water”
Instructor – “Nope. They be 'gators boy”
Me – “What if we crunch?”
Instructor - “We’d be 'gator bait boy, 'gator bait”
Instructor mentioned afterwards how quickly I picked up the correct landing attitude