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Week Four Video Update



The team have been stuck for a couple of days in Fairbanks, Alaska, awaiting a weather improvement for the next sector to Nome.

Week Five Video Update
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Thanks C16 - what amazing scenery and hospitality. Hope the Russian weather clears soon. I expect there will be a good reception there too as they operated Spitfires too during the WW2. Here are some being prepared at Abadan for transfer:

Week 7 Update:
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Just glanced through the week five update. They o/nighted in Whitehorse, that young lady in the T-shirt - Sara Kay - and her husband own the hangar. That husky's one of their two hounds.

Having repositioned in Japan to avoid the last typhoon, the Spitfire has this time repositioned to Nagoya to avoid Typhoon Hagibis.

GIRTY has started the second half of her round the world trip - left Nagoya for Kagoshima today. Taiwan next?

Seem to be stuck, weather bound, in Jap Land watching Rugger.

I wonder how often they polish the aircraft. The Queen's Fight Andovers were originally silver. They were polished so often that the rivets were wearing away so they decided to paint them. After positioning in some far flung outpost it had to be polished before a Royal flight. The practice was that everyone mucked in including the ADC. Officers got to choose which bit to do. I did under the wings in the shade or dry as the case may be.

After a night in Taiwan GIRTY arrived in Hong Kong today.
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And, Capt Slasher is not there to give it a few bashes around the circuit.

They've made it to Da Nang.

Silver Spitfire on Facebook

After the weather delays in Japan they are really pushing on - following a refuelling stop in Ubon, Thailand, they arrived in Bangkok 15 minutes ago.

Landed at Mandalay about 10 hours ago. Weeks 8 and 9 video report here:
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Ex-Ascot wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 25, 2019 6:29 am

And, Capt Slasher is not there to give it a few bashes around the circuit.

Yes sah I was a tad pissed off about that, but Ap came first.

Couldn’t get to Ubon either.

I see in the letters page of Pilot Magazine this month that K C Moore has noted that the Union Flag on G-IRTY is painted upside down and is requesting that somebody request that it is repainted tout de suite. Quite right too if it is upside down!

I suppose that if Mr Moore is right then they might fly the aircraft inverted but that might play havoc with the lubrication system and Miss Shilling's orifice.

Are they in distress or is this a case of "lese Majeste"?

Perhaps they heard Mr Moore or 60 years of flying hypoxia has somewhat addled the good chap's brain because G-IRTY looks fine to me..

The starboard side flag does look upside down but at least the one on the port side is okay....

Yes C16, as you so kindly point out, Mr Moore is quite correct. I looked one side (or starboard actually) only. It is quite jarring to see the flag upside down. Shame on me for doubting one of the many excellent commentators in Pilot magazine.

Since when has a flag flown against the airflow? We had this incorrect criticism on 10 Sqn. On the port side the flag pole should be imagined left of the Union Flag. On the starboard to the right. They are quite correct. Don't know who this Moore chap is but he can wind his neck in. Used to piss me off when folk came up with this crap.

Ex-Ascot wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 07, 2019 8:38 am

Since when has a flag flown against the airflow? We had this incorrect criticism on 10 Sqn. On the port side the flag pole should be imagined left of the Union Flag. On the starboard to the right. They are quite correct. Don't know who this Moore chap is but he can wind his neck in. Used to piss me off when folk came up with this crap.

I suggest you write him an outraged of Tunbridge Wells (or Maun) kind of letter care of:

Pilot Magazine, Archant Specialist, Evolution House, 2-6 Eashampstead Road, Wolkingham RG40 2EG or e-mail at airmail@pilotweb.co.uk stating town

Ex-Ascot wrote: ↑

Thu Nov 07, 2019 8:38 am

Since when has a flag flown against the airflow? We had this incorrect criticism on 10 Sqn. On the port side the flag pole should be imagined left of the Union Flag. On the starboard to the right. They are quite correct. Don't know who this Moore chap is but he can wind his neck in. Used to piss me off when folk came up with this crap.

You might accuse me of being an agent provocateur here but what about the case where a chap wants to do some aero's and includes a tail slide in his routine? It is not like he can hop out mid air and change the orientation of one flag mid air before the tail slide?