FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0812.PDF
818FLIGHT, 14 June1957 Outside the West London Aero Club at White Waltham: Competitors J. R. S. Overtory, J. Pothecary, C. A. N. Bishop, P. Langstone, Margot McKellar, M. J. C. Odell, D. McD. Hortas, D. W. Phillips, C. Boddington. (Right) Winner D. W. Phillips. Whitsun in the Air TIGERBATICS AT WHITE WALTHAM R.Ae.C. Cur tain-Raiser for Next Month's International Competition IN these days of sophisticated entertainment one might be excusedfor wondering whether nine ancient Tiger Moths in an aerobaticcompetition would provide an afternoon's amusement—particularlyas rain was still falling at lunch-time. But the flying club spirit is as old and well-established as the Tiger Moth; at White Waltham on WhitMonday everyone seemed well content and at the last moment the sun burst through. The competitors in the Royal Aero Club's aerobatic competition couldnot easily be classified; their experience varied from 150 hours to over 10,000 and one was a woman. The intention was to encourage the art andfoster British participation in international events. Clearly, some British pilots are getting a little rusty in light aircraft aerobatics—so differentfrom the jet stuff in which we excel. It seemed a pity that only Tigers took part.Lots were drawn for order of take-off and each pilot had five minutes for display. Manoeuvres which had to be included were a slow roll, a loopand a roll off the top. Points were given for scope, accuracy, artistry and positioning and originality, at the rate of 25 each, maximum height (withLondon Airport near) was 2,000ft, minimum 100 metres (328ft) for safety.The judges were all experienced pilots: G/C. Gordon Slade, Mr. Hubert Broad, Mr. Jeffrey Quill, Mr. Turner-Hughes and Maj. OliverStewart. After the event the cheques were presented by the governing director of Automotive Products Co., Ltd., Mr. W. Emmott. Thecompany also sponsors the annual Lockheed International Competition. Tiger Moth G-ANSH had been modified for inverted flying and wasused by three of the competitors. The winner used an unmodified machine, G-ANZZ. All the others were also quite standard except forG-AHRC, which had a Fairey metal propeller. There was little doubt as to the winner. When, after noting the detailsof the sixth display, we wrote after D. W. Phillips "quite the best so far," we reflected also the views of the judges. As an Airwork captain, DavidPhillips has 10,000 hours. His slow rolls were very smooth and his variety of manoeuvres wide. He also kept in the centre of the sky andheld his height well. He is a member of the Tiger Club, one of whose aircraft he flew. His prize, given by the Lockheed company, was acheque for £100. Second came Chris Boddington from the Northants Club at Sywell.He has only 190 hours, but recently won the D.H. aerobatic competition. By occupation he is a television service manager. Of his display we wrote"smooth, well controlled rolls-off-the-top; good positioning; slow rolls started better than they finished." He received £75. Third man was Pete Langstone, ex-R.A.F. (600 hours) and at present a student. We liked his slow rolls but, frankly, had two others placedabove him in our private estimate. His prize was £50. Finally, winning £25, came veteran pilot C. A. Nepean Bishop infourth place. Those who were not so lucky on this occasion, in order of take-offwere: Miss Margot McKellar, indoor gardener and secretary with 150 hr; and Messrs. J. R. S. Overbury, Saunders-Roe assistant chief testpilot; John Pothecary, commercial pilot; D. McDonell Hartas, first officer with B.E.A. on Elizabethans; Mike Odell, on the staff of the RoyalMint (whose display we ourselves placed quite high). The first three receive in addition to their prizes a free entry fromthe R.Ae.C. for the Lockheed International Aerobatic Competition which is to take place at Coventry on July 12-13. For this six entries have beenaccepted to date, including three from Czechoslovakia and a Spaniard. DOUBLE EVENT S.S.A.F.A. Twin Displays in Lancashire IN the North-West, S.S.A.F.A. organized twin displays at Squires Gateand Woodvale, each group of demonstrators making an appearance atboth airfields. Though this was not altogether in the interests of the timetable, the entertainment was very well worth seeing and drew largecrowds at both places. The programmes included everything from a good V-bomber beat-up to a frisky fly-past by the Bristol Fighter fromthe Shuttleworth collection. There were formation aerobatics a-plenty provided by the superb No. Ill Sqn. team, by Naval Sea Hawks fromLossiemouth and by four Provosts from C.F.S. The last-named gave a very fine performance which was the more impressive because the artof piston-engined aerobatics is so different from that in jet aircraft. Earlier, in the morning, a Spitfire made the last strictly operational flightby the type—a met. sortie from Woodvale (further details next week). Proceedings were opened at Woodvale by a Valiant which arrived ontime to the second (as Valiants always do) and gave a more enterprising show in this hard-to-demonstrate machine than we have seen outsideFamborough. S/L. Spencer, of No. 90 Sqn. the aircraft commander, first made a dummy approach and overshot into a tremendous zoomingclimb at full power. He then showed the slow-speed capabilities of his machine and ended with a very fast low pass. Manchester University Air Squadron put on a masterful pupil-and-instructor act in two Chipmunks, with "Cadet Pilot Dimclot" making a most skilfully appalling hash of his sortie. Not to be outdone, threeChipmunks of the Liverpool LJ.A.S. set to and bombed a fleeing truck with flour-bags. They missed, but only just; and signed off with therelease of an unmentionable length of paper and one of the "bom- bardiers" standing erect at the salute in the back seat. Four Sea Hawks of No. 738 Sqn., Lossiemouth, took off in box for a All the aircraft competing at White Waltham were Tiger Moths; this one was being flown by C. A. Nepean Bishop. Working out results are: (left to right) Messrs. Turner-Hughes, Jeffrey Quill and Gordon Slade; in the background, Mr. J. B. Emmott and Mr. W. Emmott of Automotive Products Co., Ltd., and Mr. S. Scott-Hall.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
