FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1678.PDF
FLIGHT International, 4 June 1964 919 remained in place but one Buccaneer observer had prepared for this and he surreptitiously read a magazine. At its 50th Anniversary Review, the Fleet Air Arm demonstrated that it embodies to the full the floating Navy's talent for meticulous organization except, one must say, for feeding the hordes. Never was a timetable so detailed; rarely has a normally irreverent Press been so gently but firmly disciplined. If the meticulousness behind the organization made for a certain lack of mobility—well, this was a Royal occasion. "I really do feel, gentlemen, that Buckingham Palace would prefer your movements to be unobstrusive," the Press conducting officer said. Who, after all, could ignore an imperishable gem like that? It's almost beyond belief that the Navy cannot similarly discipline the weather too. R.R.R. •'Foul-weather" Flying The decision to use the foul- weather plan for the fly-past was announced by Rear Admiral Gick, Swordfish pilot, at a briefing of flight leaders at a dispersal area on the far side of the airfield at 12.45. A weather flight over the route by a Hunter T.8 had shown a layer of strato-cumulus sandwiched between thick haze above and below. Briefing was carried out by Admiral Gick's chief staff officer, Capt D. B. Law, who was to pilot the lead Hunter in the fly-past. The Swordfish and helicopters would not be affected by the change in plan, but for the jet fixed-wing aircraft the foul-weather routine meant a reduction from 12 to four machines of each type (Hunter, Scimitar, Sea Vixen, Buccaneer), and an increase in spacing between types from 30sec to 45sec under radar control. The full fly-past would have involved the following 79 aircraft:— I Fairey Swordfish (pilot, Rear Admiral P. D. Gick; observer, Rear Admiral H. R. Janvrin; telegraphist/air gunner, Lt Cdr C. Topliss). i Wasps of 829 Sqn (Lt Cdr K. Mitchell) and 771 Sqn (Lt Cdr J. R. J. Rutherford). 12 Wessexes of 819 Sqn (Lt Cdr P. J. Lynn), 706 Sqn (Lt Cdr J. E. Kelly), 737 Sqn (Lt Cdr R. Leonard) and 829 Sqn. UGannets of 849 Sqn (Lt Cdr W. H. Barnard) and 831 Sqn (Lt Cdr J. G. Grindle). 12 Hunters of 738 Sqn (Lt Cdr J. W. Beard) and 759 Sqn (LtCdrA. H. Milnes). 12 Scimitars of 803 Sqn (Lt Cdr P. G. Newman) and 736 Sqn (Lt Cdr J. Worth). 12 Sea Vixens of 899 Sqn (Cdr D. C. Matthews), 890 Sqn (Lt Cdr R. G. M.Campbell) and 766 Sqn (Lt Cdr G. P. Carne). 12 Buccaneers of 800 Sqn (Lt Cdr J. C. Mather) and 809 Sqn (Lt Cdr J. F. H. C. de Winton). Cancellation of the full fly-past programme came as a bitter disappointment to the Navy's pilots. The participating squadrons had arrived at Yeovilton one week earlier, and had carried out full rehearsals on the previous Friday and Monday, with a foul- weather rehearsal the previous day. From the left-hand seat of Lt Cdr John Kelly's Wessex HAS.l, cruising through the liquid-grey murk at 900ft above Somerset's Smart salutes for the Duke of Edinburgh from Rear Admiral Janvrin and Lt Cdr Topliss as the Navy's last airworthy Swordfish rumbles past at 80kt to open the flypast. Saluting while excusably seated is the pilot, Rear Admiral Gick. greener-than-green fields, we realized that the foul-weather decision had been the only one possible. We had taken off at 2 p.m., while the crowds were drifting back to the stands after lunch, and we were now heading for the turning point at Frome. Immediately ahead of us was another quartet of Wessexes; ahead of them buzzed a swarm of Wasps. Keeping company with the Wasps was the lone Swordfish, proceeding Fromewards in a gentlemanly fashion. "Helicopter spares detach" over the radio from the Wasp leader, and two of the eight Wasps peeled off to disappear into the haze. Behind us, three spare Wessexes left our own formation to leave a round dozen, and soon we moved up and out to the left to formate on the leading quartet. Yeovilton control took us in hand on the final leg, calling distances to run as we settled down at 400ft and 80kt. The Sword- fish moved into position ahead of the Wasps, and we saw the wide airfield spread out ahead. In the immaculate line of aircraft on the runway the white Buccaneers and the fluorescent red of the two-seat Hunters stood out sharply. The stands were crowded, the apron empty in read- iness for the deck-parking demonstration, the VIP stand a red- white-and-blue wedge in front of the control tower. Suddenly our part in the review fly-past was over and we were curling round to land at dispersal again as the fixed-wing jets came across. K.T.O. Preceding the flypast was a quick-moving Commando assault demonstration by Wessex and Whirlwind helicopters. Here Wessex 5s bring in Land-Rovers to troops and guns landed in earlier waves
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
