Not bad going for an old girl of 69

[Mad Cook]

It has been Southport (seaside resort in Lancashire - how apt!) Airshow and this old girl flew from Hamilton, Ontario, under her own steam, to Britain to appear with her British sister at the show.

They are the only two remaining airworthy Avro Lancasters in operation.

http://www.warplane.com/vintage-aircraft-collection/aircraft-history.aspx?aircraftId=4


In 1944 my mother was transferred from the munitions factory to Rolls Royce in Derby to work on Merlin aircraft engines so she might have worked on the engines of this one. The Lancasters where designed and made by A.V. Roe (aka AVRO) at Woodford in Cheshire, about 7 miles from where I live.

You have to hand it to those old men and women, they knew how to build aircraft! And it's great that there are still younger people keen to keep them going.

About now (4.15pm Sunday) the old girl will be doing a fly-past at the Derwent reservoir in Derbyshire, where Lancaster's practised for the Dambuster's raid in 1943.

 

[buckytom]

beautiful aircraft and impressive pilots indeed!

you know what they say about old pilots. there are old pilots, and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots.

i recently saw a show about the dam busters. very cool idea.

if you see a spinning barrel, get out of the way!

 

[Mad Cook]

beautiful aircraft and impressive pilots indeed!

you know what they say about old pilots. there are old pilots, and bold pilots, but no old, bold pilots.

i recently saw a show about the dam busters. very cool idea.

if you see a spinning barrel, get out of the way!

The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum also has an American B-25 (same vintage as the "Lanc") which is still airworthy. If you have a $1000 or so hanging around that you have no use for you can go for a ride in one of the old girls.

Incidentally, I read recently that the original 1940s "Memphis Belle" is being restored at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Perhaps she'll be in airworthy condition again.

I won a flying lesson in a sales competition at work about 20 years ago (long story). My (female) colleagues all said "It's not fair, all these prizes are aimed at men" and when I won one of them they said "You can't do that". Needless to say I said "Just watch me!" It was wonderful, I was even allowed to take off and land. I was thoroughly hooked and was all set to blow my savings on getting my licence when Tetley the Wonder Horse became available and I had to choose. I made the right choice and wouldn't be without him but I do still hanker a little.....

 

[buckytom]

taking off is easy. thrust, not attitude, equals elevation. nose up and you just stall, so you just have to let it wind up enough speed for lift.


but they let you land? that's not easy.

was it a single engine?

 

[Souschef]

These are pictures of me flying a Czech L-29 jet. It was the experience of a life time!
By the way, Mad Cook, I also had the opportunity to rent a plane at Kidlington Airport near Oxford. It was a great experience after driving 1000 miles in England.

 

[Mad Cook]

taking off is easy. thrust, not attitude, equals elevation. nose up and you just stall, so you just have to let it wind up enough speed for lift.


but they let you land? that's not easy.

was it a single engine?

Yes, it was a tiny little plane with just enough room for the instructor and me. I can't remember what make it was. Dual controls, obviously. When he suggested that I could land it myself I was a bit shocked but he insisted. Goes without saying, he talked me through it. Best experience of my life.

It turned out it has a lot in common with riding a horse - light hands on the reins, light hands on the controls. (It turned out that he rode, too).

 

[buckytom]

i've flown single engine cessnas and twin beechcrafts, but never landed one by myself.

thank god for dual controls when you have to do a crab landing on fixed tricycle gear.