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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0962.PDF
THE QUEENS REVIEW . . ^^^^iSr* "^ ^—IT ~^^r Ai ""*i tm —y • jggpNr*"^ ' "*" ^^^^W •^T^^^^^^PcSs*-"" ^^^^^*"*H>BPi ^¥^HI1 ** ~' *.- .. ..—: _ _ «. j^L^w. - -^~^^S^it-SS^^^i\r-9ltpV ^S^HB^' ^i .• *0<S . *j^^j&t^^^ ^^^^^^^ z--~~ ^>~Z*!rru*Uiun ^•|H&flHP^^M^^^ ••^SSE^ r'^iiM^fiiY P*F** J--^B^S2s ^^^WB^" ^5 / [6 |FLiGj Bomber Command Washingtons from Marham over Odiham at 1549% hr on the great day. They were part of a formation of twelve. the R.A.F. College, standing in front of a Flying Training Com mand Vampire. Also questioned by Her Majesty was Capt. M. Evance, U.S.A.F., a navigator on Washingtons, serving on an 18-month exchange assignment with Bomber Command, follow ing Korean service. In charge of the 32-man Mountain Rescue Team in the equipment display was S/L. D. Dattner, A.F.C., a Neptune signals officer from Kinloss, where the team is based. He explained the work of the team to the Queen. Her Majesty asked Major J. R. Eaton, commanding Hucknall- based No. 664 (Air O.P.) Squadron, R.Aux.A.F., if his aircraft were present. When they were pointed out to her in one of the rear ranks she remarked sympathetically, "So they put them behind." With S/L. R. H. D. Weighill, D.F.C., the Duke discussed Rugger, Sabres and Meteors. Particularly he inquired about the Sabre build-up in Germany; and in reply to one of his questions he was told that the pilots liked their aircraft "very much indeed." Addressing F/L. M. Smart, A.F.C., the Duke recalled his visit to Wildenrath last December, when the first Sabres had just arrived. The Duke spotted the V.R. insignia worn by S/L. A. R. Poole, D.S.O., D.F.C., and the squadron leader remarked that these were introduced when the V.R. was reconstituted five years ago. The Duke was glad to hear that the squadron leader still man aged to get in some flying. As the Royal Party stopped at the Home Command Chip munks to speak with W/C. C. J. Mackenzie, D.F.C., A.F.C., S/L. Poole and P/O. Anne Lewis (a pilot in the W.R.A.F.V.R.), the sky-writing Venoms from C.F.S. made a second appearance. Again the letters "E.R." weft formed—this time, in block capitals, contrasting with the flowing script of the earlier monogram. Along the final line of aircraft, the swept-wing Sabres and brightly tip-tanked Venoms of 2nd A.T.A.F. were the last to be inspected before the Royal party returned to the dais to await the most carefully-planned item of all—the fly-past. A specially-constructed ground-glass screen, showing a map of Great Britain and the routes taken by the participating aircraft, was used to explain the complex timing arrangements of the fly-past to Her Majesty and His Royal Highness. Ten minutes elapsed, and then to the north-west could be seen the first dots of the 641-aircraft stream. Slowly threshing in came the leading Sycamore—the R.A.F. ensign it towed streaming in the stiff breeze—to pass the Royal dais dead on time. Right behind were the Chipmunks, individually swaying a little in the bumpy air, but maintaining good formation. The duck like Prentices, too, were clearly finding the weather rough as they droned past at 600ft, to be followed by the neat formation somehow expected of Harvards. Low-wing twins with dihedral then approached, to be recognized as the Oxfords, ignoring the bumps to keep a rock-steady formation. The Ansons, too, were steady, and were followed by the sextets of Varsities and Valettas. As the Valettas passed, the leading squadrons of the fly-past could be seen banking round port and starboard to disperse over Lasham, the sun glinting on The sketch, drawn by a "Flight" artist (who also contributes an account of his flight) shows Vampire 5s of No. 25 Group (Training Command) from R.A.F. Oakington. beneath the sketch is a "Flight" photograph of two Hastings of Transport Command, and on the left, a particularly fine impression of Meteor N.F.Hs from West Mailing. We print an account of the fly-past as seen from one of these aircraft.
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