The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

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CharlieOneSix
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The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#1 Post by CharlieOneSix » Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:31 am

The Royal Navy Historic Flight will cease to exist on 31 March next year and all the aircraft will be transferred to the Civilian Register. Navy Wings is working with the RN on a plan to take ownership of the entire collection, thus ensuring this unique part of our heritage remains within the UK and is used to educate future generations about the rich history of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Fleet Air Arm.

Supporting the Navy Wings charity with a donation of £30 per annum will help keep these aircraft together and available for air displays. It's a desperate time and there is a real risk the collection could be split up if sufficient funds are not forthcoming.

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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#2 Post by Cacophonix » Wed Aug 22, 2018 6:20 pm

CharlieOneSix wrote:
Wed Aug 22, 2018 10:31 am
The Royal Navy Historic Flight will cease to exist on 31 March next year and all the aircraft will be transferred to the Civilian Register. Navy Wings is working with the RN on a plan to take ownership of the entire collection, thus ensuring this unique part of our heritage remains within the UK and is used to educate future generations about the rich history of the Royal Naval Air Service and the Fleet Air Arm.

Supporting the Navy Wings charity with a donation of £30 per annum will help keep these aircraft together and available for air displays. It's a desperate time and there is a real risk the collection could be split up if sufficient funds are not forthcoming.

Become a Navy Wings supporter
What the hell is happening to this country? One new supporter joining up.

Caco

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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#3 Post by CharlieOneSix » Wed Aug 22, 2018 6:46 pm

Thanks Caco - much appreciated!
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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#4 Post by FD2 » Wed Aug 22, 2018 7:52 pm

Thanks C16 and ditto. Is this part of the wonderful 'peace dividend' the U.K. has been enjoying for the past few years?

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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#5 Post by Cacophonix » Thu Aug 23, 2018 6:56 pm

Free access to our private marquee at Yeovilton Air Day each year (which provides free refreshments, comfort facilities and the option of a catered lunch).
I suppose it is is a bit ambitious to imagine that we can entice FD2 to travel all the way from New Zealand but what about you C16? What about Yeovilton Air Day next year?

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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#6 Post by CharlieOneSix » Thu Aug 23, 2018 9:59 pm

Well, that's a thought! However we do tend to have several visitors staying with us during each July. There are flights from ABZ to BRS so that and a car hire would be okay. Will have to decide a bit nearer the time. The date is close to being announced,
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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#7 Post by FD2 » Thu Aug 23, 2018 10:29 pm

I think you're right Caco - just a bit ambitious at the moment!

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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#8 Post by Alisoncc » Sun Aug 26, 2018 12:11 am

You mean the aircraft in your avatar isn't the real you? And you can't just hop in and chopper up to Yeovilton for the Air Day next year? I am disappointed. Was hoping to be able to wave my thumb about and hitch a lift if you were passing. :D

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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#9 Post by FD2 » Sun Aug 26, 2018 1:51 am

It might have made it a bit of the way over the Tasman but then I'd have to swim the other 1,000 odd miles to the nearest bit of Oz (Hobart?)! You'd enjoy being in a VIP version but the cabins of the offshore versions were a bit more basic.

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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#10 Post by CharlieOneSix » Fri Sep 14, 2018 5:19 pm

The Royal Navy Historic Flight, like the BBMF, have a Chipmunk for providing taildragger experience to its pilots. Before the Chipmunk the RNHF had Tiger Moth T8191 for that purpose. Back in the 60's T8191 was part of Britannia Flight based at Plymouth Roborough Airport. Also there were Tiger Moths BB694, NL879, BB852, XL714, T6296 and BB814. These Tigers were used for Pilot Grading of cadets at the Britannia Royal Naval College,Dartmouth, who were destined to become Fleet Air Arm pilots. Those who passed went to 1FTS at RAF Linton-on-Ouse, helicopter pilots to the Chipmunk for around 75 hours prior to going on to helicopters and the fixed wing guys to the Jet Provost.

55 years ago next month I did my first powered solo on T8191. About 10 years ago I was disappointed to see it had disappeared and was unused for years somewhere in Wales, albeit registered as G-BMWK. I've now found out that Kevin Crumplin, an ex-Dartmouth cadet in the 60's who also learned to fly in T8191, returned the aircraft to flying status in May this year and it now flies from Henstridge in the same colours it had when I flew it. I think a visit might be necessary!

Seeing Slasher's video in the 'Really Boring' thread of a Tiger doing aeros reminds me of Plymouth Air Days where the Britannia Flight CFI, old man Lucas, did the most astonishing crazy flying displays in a Tiger Moth. I only knew him as old man Lucas, as with his incredible white handlebar moustache he did seem so ancient to a 19 year old. His ex-RAF son was an instructor there who I only knew as young Lucas and he was the one who sent me solo. After the course if we put our names down to do so we were able to go there for more flying during weekend activities from Dartmouth and I treasure the 25 hours I have on Tigers.

Here's T8191 on a recent flight:
.
t8191.jpg
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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#11 Post by Cacophonix » Sun Dec 16, 2018 10:05 am

My copy of the Navy Wings newsletter arrived yesterday with a rather fine shot of a Sea Fury formatting on a Mig 15. Does anybody know if the Mig 15 is part of the collection? Can't seem to find it but was wondering if it might have been incorporated, Korean War History and all that stuff?
Wings.JPG

I also note that the next International Air Day is on the 13 July 2019, now diarised.

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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#12 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Dec 16, 2018 11:10 am

Cacophonix wrote:
Sun Dec 16, 2018 10:05 am
My copy of the Navy Wings newsletter arrived yesterday .......
I also note that the next International Air Day is on the 13 July 2019, now diarised....
Yet to receive my copy of the newsletter here in the frozen north. I plan to join you on 13 July, Caco - lunch in the members' marquee plus a decent seat to rest aching bones and watch the display, looking forward to it. :-bd

Re the Mig 15, no, it isn't part of the collection but is a Polish-built SB Lim-2 (MiG-15UTI), produced by WSK-Mielec in 1952. The aircraft is operated by the Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron as a representative of the Cold War ‘enemy’. Following its Polish Air Force service ending in 1990, the aircraft was exported to the USA, and based outside Forks, Washington. It was again returned to Europe in the summer of 2014. Experienced ex. Polish Air Force MiG-15 engineers carry out the maintenance of the aircraft.

The aircraft is painted and marked as “RED 18” to represent Russian–Soviet pilot and cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s MiG-15. He was the first human to journey into outer space in 1961. Before his cosmonaut training Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was stationed close to the Norwegian border and only 40 km from the Norwegian city of Kirkenes as a fighter pilot flying the MiG-15.
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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#13 Post by Cacophonix » Sun Dec 16, 2018 11:26 am

C16, looking forward very much to catching up with you at the show, and hopefully well before, once the "wild north" is a little less icy and I can bimble up your way in the spam can again! I don't want to get caught with ice on the wings over the Cairngorms as I did once before. I imagine they are pretty white at the moment!

Many thanks for the detail on the "Mig's" provenance. "Ask the right man and you will learn more than your question anticipated", as my dad used to say. Very interesting indeed.

I also note that one of the Navy Wings Sea Furys is in maintenance at North Weald at the moment. I am going to pop down there tomorrow to have a look. Pre Christmas week, very little going on work wise. Will see if I can get a shot of the beast. :-bd

Caco

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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#14 Post by Cacophonix » Sun Dec 16, 2018 12:43 pm

There's an article in the Navy Wings newsletter about this chap who I had never heard of before.

Crash Site of WW2 HellCat Pilot Found 74 Years on....

Lieutenant Commander Ron Richardson RNZNVR was listed 'missing presumed killed' after returning from an attack on the Tirpitz in a Norwegian fjord on 24 August 1944.
The family of a Second World War pilot who vanished during a bombing raid have finally found out what happened to him 74 years later - after they discovered the wreckage of his plane preserve in ice.

The remains of Lieutenant Commander Ron Richardson's Hellcat fighter bomber were found in snow and ice 3,000ft up a mountain in Norway - where they have been since 1944.

Next to the wreckage was an empty shallow grave where the pilot's body was hastily buried by German troops, before later being exhumed and placed in an unmarked grave in a military cemetery.

Ron's wife Shelia, now 95, and son Alistair, now 75, have long wondered what happened to him, with the 27-year-old pilot listed as missing presumed killed after he failed to return from a daring bombing assault on the fearsome German battleship Tirpitz in a Norwegian fjord.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... olved.html

Ron Richardson.jpg
From the newsletter...

As narrated by his grandson Commander Phil Richardson OBE

"My grandfather was last seen taking-out a German radar station, sweeping low over the facility with his arrestor gear down, deliberately ripping our aerials. It was an incredibly daring attack but, sadly, as he climbed away he was hit by anti-aircraft fire and then lost in cloud".

Extraordinary bravery.

Caco

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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#15 Post by CharlieOneSix » Sun Dec 16, 2018 3:12 pm

Well, well, what a coincidence! I know Phil Richardson quite well. He was the 815 Squadron Commanding Officer when we had our final Squadron reunion in 2016, 50 years after we disbanded with the venerable Wessex. We invited Phil to come to our dinner and he gave an inspiring talk about the current Squadron at Yeovilton.

The following day he invited all of us to visit the current 815 and it was a splendid day, the highlight of which was being shown around the cockpit of the then brand new Wildcat helicopter. At one point during the 'follow my leader' car journey around Yeovilton we 'mislaid' one of our number. Phil threw his car keys at a junior Lieutenant pilot and said go and find him. We remarked he was very trusting, letting a junior officer drive his car. Phil said, "Well, if I can trust him to fly a £40m Wildcat I think I can trust him with my car".

Phil will be the first Commander Air on the new carrier HMS Prince of Wales. For a change that Daily Mail article is an excellent one!
phil.JPG
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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#16 Post by FD2 » Sun Dec 16, 2018 6:02 pm

Is it just me or is there a remarkable likeness through those three generations?

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Re: The Royal Navy Historic Flight and Navy Wings

#17 Post by Cacophonix » Sun Dec 16, 2018 6:38 pm

FD2 wrote:
Sun Dec 16, 2018 6:02 pm
Is it just me or is there a remarkable likeness through those three generations?
Exactly what I thought about those good men, past and present, FD2. It gives one hope!

Goodness and familial similarity abides across the generations and, also memories and understanding, that hopefully, will inspire others, men and women, in the future too.

In the face of such men I understand how small and mean my silly travails have been. People such as these are a marker, the beacon to which we should all aspire to.


Caco

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