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Aviation History
1957
1957 - 0823.PDF
829 FLIGHT,21 June 1957 National styles in formation fours: above, the R.A.F. Hunters from 93 Sqn.; upper right, the French Mysteres; lower right, the Skyblazers' North American F-100C Super Sabres. ILSY 6 ... occupants of the submarine leapt into a dinghy, floating rigidlyon the grass, and were rescued by an S-55 helicopter. Next to arrive was the R.A.F. Hunter aerobatic team of 93 Sqn.—and also the heavy rain which had been moving across the North Sea from East Anglia towards Ypenburg since lunchtime. Underappalling conditions the Hunters (led by S/L. H. Minnis) carried out impeccable formation drill, while on the ground the spectatorswere drenched, less-responsible journalists dashed for the shelter of the Press tent, and the ice-cream salesmen cursed the weatherwhich the Britishers had brought. Restrained in speed, the Hunters' demonstration featured near-perfect station-keeping through a variety of manoeuvres, and beautifully precise formation changes. The swan, or Y-pattern,was particularly elegant. A light-aircraft circus of types from Czechoslovakia, Finlandand Germany seemed to ignore—indeed delight in—the rain, as they splashed around the dull sky. Tightest and closest aero-batics were those of the Czechoslovak Metasokol. At one end of the runway Juhani Heinonen of Finland in his trim HK.l ultra-light put on a quietly impressive show, while at the other end the functional RW-3 powered sailplane cruised around like a motor-boat. The Brigadyr, Dornier Do27, and Klemm 107 also displayed their own particular abilities. The master-hand of Leon Biancotto was next evident at thecontrols of his Stampe-et-Renard Monitor IV in an excellent low- level display. M. Biancotto's aptitude for inverted flying, and forsupercontrolled rolls, was made splendidly obvious. Massed descents from two Dakotas by 39 parachutists werefollowed by five solo drops from Tiger Moths, after which the mixed helicopter group appeared. This included a Saunders-RoeSkeeter flown by Ken Reed, a Djinn which had netted a swim- suited young lady, an Alouette II, two S-55s and a smartSabena S-58. And now it was their turn. The mighty Americans with theirmighty F-lOOs. They who had demanded 17 minutes. They who had thoughtfully provided, for the benefit of the world Press,publicity packs containing 15 sheets of descriptive information, ten full-plate photographs and seven diagrams of manoeuvres.They who were known as the Skyblazers. And it has to be recorded. From the first shattering, terrifying,reheat-banging, vapour-clad pass by the solo machine to the final Progress in aviation: the 1911 Fokker Spider (plus attendant veteran cars) is overtaken by the Auster Agricola on a dusting run.
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