This years Festival of Flight was slightly hindered by the weather but I hope enjoyed by all those dedicated people who visited the Festival in spite of the weather. This years Festival for me was a chance to meet some old friends and to even make some new ones. I met up with Ian Foster and Karl from 57 Rescue who had a stand and have an authentic Halifax Bomber control panel. Karl informed me that he had just purchased a Vampire jet with an aim to restoring it to it former glory. So if anyone knows where to find vampire parts please let me know. The highlights of the show for me was the Beech C-45 Expeditor, the Hawker Hunter and the Harrier although I really would have not missed both the Extra 300 team and the Yakolev team as these guys were something to see. I also really enjoyed the RAF Regiment Band that played on the Sunday night. Just to listen to them playing while the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight were flying overhead was just something else. The Hawker Hunter celebrates its 50th year from when it was first used in service and to gives us a really good display Hunter “Miss Demeanour” was out to impress and thrill the crowds with its wicked paint job. Below this text you can see a good picture of a Boeing Steerman aircraft as used by the Utterly Butterly Barnstormers and the Hawker Hunter “Miss Demeanour”. This years lovely ladies with the Utterly Butterly's were twin sisters and thrilled the crowds with their antics.
ESAR is to team up again with NEEACR on the return visit to the Hawker Hunter at Kielder. Foot and mouth had hampered the dig until recent weeks when the part of the land we are to dig was given the all clear. The dates have been set and the teams are ready to roll. Perhaps this time we may get a better chance to dig as the pump we have got this time can handle a lot more water and some debris. I will add a full report to a future newsletter to say what was found. Meanwhile ESAR had found an air engineer that had worked on Hunters and passed the contact onto NEECR who found the contact a great help. On this visit we are to focus on the cockpit area where we may find instruments.
We have now completed the dig and the results are best found on Jim Corbetts website.
During the course of this last year ESAR has become involved with the task of finding the finance and obtaining the permission to get a memorial erected on the site of the Ferny Ness accident that killed 13 servicemen from the Navy. ESAR has also been contacted and appeared in the Edinburgh Evening News from which a lot of information has been received. We are now well on our way to understanding what actually happened on the day of the crash. The story goes that the gunnery practice had finished for the day as there were two full buses out on the road and a third was being filled actually in the range. The aircraft which had taken part in the days events was still flying around perhaps to give the sailors a good send off or perhaps he was too early to return to his base. The Chesapeake aircraft was the only aircraft to take off from Crail that day as there was a dummy German paratroop landing that day so the airfield was restricted to essential duties. The aircraft was seen to do two low passes and on the third pulled his aircraft vertical, stalled it over at the top of the climb and dive full throttle down. It is at this point that there becomes two stories. The first states that the aircraft hit the ground in front of the bus and the engine carried on through the bus setting it on fire with all the fuel. This was from a news report. The second story states that the aircraft wing hit the shed that was used to store the guns and the wing severed sprayed fuel on the bus and waiting serviceman which then ignited. This was from an eye witness. Which story is true is not known but 13 people lost their lives that day and that was a tragedy. We are hopeful that we will be able to erect a memorial in honour of the dead.
A Vought Sikorsky Chesapeake
You will see from the last issue that the Bluebird hydroplane which Donald Campbell had piloted to his death had been recovered and I had shown an interest in the story. Well as many of you will know Donald Campbell was himself recovered and was awaiting coroner confirmation that it was indeed the man himself. Well this has now been confirmed and his funeral has been held at a small church in Coniston. The funeral was held at 1 pm on Wednesday 12th September. Bill Smith the man behind the Bluebird recover project and two of his divers acted as pall bearers along with members of Donald Campbell's family. It was said on Bills web site that it was a windy rainy day almost as if the lake was trying to tell them something. Visit Bill’s website and read the story.
ESAR has recently acquire a book of Air Ministry rules and regulation
for the day to day running of an airfield. It appears that it was once
owned by Wing Commander G.D.Blackwood of the Blackwood printing firm of
Edinburgh. He was the founder of the First Czech squadron 310 squadron.
He was born on 11th October 1909 at London into a rich Scottish family.
He attended High School in Eaton and university in
Cambridge. He joined the RAF in 1933 and after training was posted
to No. 25 Sq. In 1936 was transferred to No. 600 Sq, in 1938 he left the
RAF.
In 1939 joined the RAF again,and in 1940 was posted to 213 Sq with
the rank of S/Ldr. In July 1940 he became the first leader of new Czechoslovak
fighter sq No. 310. There he was one of the most famous leaders. In 1941
he served as a Staff Officer at No. 12 Group Fighter Command HQ. In 1942
he took over command of the 134th Airfield with the rank of
W/Cdr. In 1944 he left Czechoslovak units and in 1945 he left the RAF.
He was in touch with Czechoslovak pilots till his
death on 2nd March 1997. This is a rare book as most of these
were destroyed.
Next year ESAR plans to get more active as this year saw the Foot and Mouth outbreak which more or less stopped any walks and research. Next year we are to team up with NEEACR another group which comes from the Newcastle area. We are to search for a few crash site to determine what wreckage is still to be found on site. ESAR hopes to recover an engine or perhaps two so if you can help with this then let me know. We also need to find a storage facility that isnt going to cost much or indeed anything so we can try and restore the afore mentioned engines. ESAR has also got the task of obtaining permission to erect a memorial for the Ferny Ness accident already mentioned in this issue. Also funding has to be acquired for this project. We are still trying to recruit new members for this research team. Although we are a informal group more members need to be brought in to insure we can get the best information structure possible. More people = more questions = more answers. Like to join? Contact me
