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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 1234.PDF
FLIGHT, 6 July 1950 THE DISPLAY in PROSPECT A Lengthy Programme of Choice Events : Spectacle and Instruction Happily Combined Thirty-seven Harvard? heralded the great occasion with this formation flight over the capital on July 1st. They are seen above Westminster. THE spectacle of Harvards from the Central FlyingSchool forming the letters R.A.F. in the sky oveiLondon last week-end was probably the most effective contribution yet made towards publicizing the R.A.F. Display. At very short notice, the C.F.S. has also under- taken to form the Royal cipher (G.R.VT), again with Harvards, during the Display, in place of a cancelled event. G/C. Stephenson, commandant of the C.F.S. and an A.D.C. to the King, will lead both the formations. A preliminary survey of the programme for July 7th and 8th, and of the practice and preparations under way at Famborough, left us with no misgivings as to the success of the Display. Last week-end a number of events in the flying pro- gramme were rehearsed at Famborough. After the C.F.S. fly-past on Saturday morning, 12 Vampires practised their attack on a strong-point and, later in the day, 12 Meteors were scrambled for "defence of an airfield" against Mosquitos and Hornets. Mosquitos also took part in a dummy-run over the Amiens-prison set-piece. During Sunday's rehearsals. Auxiliary air drill took the place of the Meteor's dramatic interception. On both days of the Display, the programme begins at 10.30 a.m. The mornings will be devoted mainly to ground events —massed-band displays, P.T. exhibitions, drill and demonstration by police dogs—but there will also be aerobatics by Balliols and Chipmunks, and an exhibition of A.T.C. glider training. To-morrow (Friday) the Cooper Trophy Race between R.Aux.A.F. fighters will take place at 12.45 p.m.; at the same time on Saturday there Left: Group Captain W. A..'. Satchel), D.S.O., Officer Conv manding R^.F. Display Unit, with his personal assistant, FyLW. Young, D.F.C. Right Split-second timing — S/L. Lang (in beret) and his pilots of No. 66 Squadron check watches with the standir display chronometer. flight " photograph! will be an drill by Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons. The main flying programme, which begins at 2.30 p.m., is particularly well balanced. After individual aerobatics by a Vampire, the first event, a number of veteran aircraft willibe displayed (the majority will not be flown, however). They include an Avro 504K, Sopwith Camel, S.E.5A, Fokker D.7 and a 1911 Gordon Bennett Cup Bleriot. Meteor aerobatics—the next item—will complete the con- trast. Aerobatic demonstrations will also be given by Vampire and Meteor formations, the Canberra, Venom, Supermarine 510, Hawker P.1081, Spitfire 16 and an Olympia sailplane. On the lighter side, the helicopter circus and pupil-and-instructor events should provide hilarious entertainment. The "attack on Amiens prison," ground-strafing by Vampires, and interception by Meteors together promise to be highlights of the Display. Although the preliminary rehearsals were completed without large-scale use of explosives, the effect was still highly dramatic. The Display will be concluded by the fly-past, which is divided into two sections. In the first (slower) part will be Sunderlands, Dakotas, Hastings, Lincolns and U.S.A.F. B-29S. An R.A.F. Washington (the new official name for British B-29.S) will be on view, incidentally, in the static exhibition —part of the Display which every visitor should attempt to inspect. The final air parade will consist of Spitfires, Hornets, Vampires and Meteors, representing both R.A.F. and R.Aux.A.F. squadrons Over 400 aircraft will take part in the Display: 70 of "them will be actually based at Farnborough, and many will fly from neighbouring airfields such as Odiham and Tangmere.
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