FLYER Forums

Sat 11 July - The Mighty 12 will be at Fenland................

Henstridge this Saturday 8th Aug will host the Vintage Piper Aircraft Club Fly-in.

My Stinson being second cousin twice removed will be there.

Must remember a hat and sun screen!

Henstridge was great. Lovely crowd (but not too close!) Lovely food from the new clubhouse and discounted fuel as well.

hatzflyer wrote:....2019-2020 is my worst year since I started flying in terms of hours .

(written Feb 2020) ain't that the truth. Better now tho' : )

Isle of Wigit today, Piper Fly-In at Sandown though by Auster if it all works out.

We intended to go there but took a wrong turn and landed on Islay.

Wandered to the Tuesday meeting at Goodwood this morning.
Now a sandwich at Shoreham while my parking fee is ticking over.
Someone kindly gave me 20p.
It's difficult to find change these days.

Always up for a cup of tea around the south.

Morning everyone. Planning a quick trip to Conington this morning, with lunch at The Admiral Wells pub in Holme (about a 15 minute walk)

Anyone else around?

Rob P

I might have, had I not had a good day yesterday , had one of these at Beverley

I am off work today but not sure I fancy flying.

Rob P wrote: ... with lunch at The Admiral Wells pub in Holme (about a 15 minute walk)

Absolutely first rate pub. Nice open fire, decent beer on handpumps (I flew outbound), and delicious food at reasonable price - Liver and bacon with mash and onion gravy - What's not to like? Oh, and a lot of 8th Airforce photographs too.

And what a lovely day it was to be airborne!

Rob P

Hi Rob,
I have been flying into Conington regularly this year and thought I would add a pic of the mural that Julie Churchill (owner) has recently commissioned on the side of the hangar by local artist Nathan Murdock. It shows the last crew of the 457th BG stationed there (formerly RAF Glatton) to be shot down in April 1945.
I find Julie, Geoff and the rest of the staff at EGSF ever helpful and as an added bonus for me, every time I land, I see Robin Alpha G-RAFC parked up, which as well as being Julie's own aircraft, is the very aircraft that I made my first solo in at RAFC Cranwell in 1985!!
I'll be popping in and out of Conington again over the weekend and will try and do the walk down to the Admiral Wells when I get chance, thanks for the tip,
Cheers Steve

Aerotech Flyer wrote: It shows the last crew of the 457th BG stationed there (formerly RAF Glatton) to be shot down in April 1945.

I noted the mural, but couldn't remember whether it had been there when I visited last (almost certainly not). I am idly wondering why only nine men are shown, I guess by April 1945 the replacement of trained bomb aimers by one of the gunners acting as a toggleer was widespread.

Rob P

I'm no US Army Air Force expert Rob, but simply looking at the records of the raid itself, it shows that there were actually ten crew on board the B17 shot down in the mural. The extra man was a Flight Officer radar operator, who is not shown on the photo used for the mural. It seems there were thirty aircraft from the four sqns based at Conington on the raid, but only 7 of the 30 aircraft had ten crew rather than 9 crew members. Thus I assume the radar kits were either only on certain aircraft as needed, or else they were very short of radar operators.
Cheers Steve

Anyone fancy a trip into France next weekend or perhaps just a bit further

Pete