P
eter Teichman is,
understandably, in
reflective mood as he sits
alongside his immaculate North
American P-51D Mustang in a
purpose-built hangar on the former
Battle of Britain airfield at North
Weald, Essex.
He fondly recalls that a decision
to purchase a house under the
flight path of Elstree aerodrome in
Hertfordshire provided inspiration
to dive into the aviation world. “I
was drawn there like a magnet,”
he muses.
Thinking back to the start of the
journey that resulted in his owning
and flying a Mustang, Supermarine
Spitfire PR.XI, Hawker Hurricane
Mk.IIb and Curtiss P-40
Kittyhawk, he
remembers his first
aircraft – a Grumman
Traveller purchased for
£4,500 in 1980.
“It was in that aircraft that
I built many flying
hours before
acquiring aPiper Arrow II in 1984. Five years
later, I invested in a Beech Baron
that I’d use to travel around Europe
as part of developing my business.
That’s what provided me with the
means to create Hangar 11.”Building a
collection
Like many pilots with a keen
interest in history, owning a vintage
aircraft was something that really
appealed to Peter. “A Beechcraft
Staggerwing visited North Weald
in the late 1990s and it caught my
eye,” he admits. “I instantly fell
in love with the type and became
aware that an example was for sale- Staggerwing G-BRVE, which
was owned by Pink Floyd guitarist
David Gilmour. A deal was done,
and I had my first classic aircraft.”
Peter used the Beechcraft to gain
valuable taildragger experience.
Flying this aircraft, he received his
Display Authorisation (DA) from
the CAA in 2000.
Now keen to add another machine
to the stable, Peter built his hangar
at North Weald in 2004, leasing a
plot of land on the Essex airfield.
He was
also becoming a familiar face within
the airshow community and quickly
networked with other vintage
aircraft owners.
“Among my contacts were Maurice
Hammond and Rob Davies, who
both had Mustangs,” he explains.
“The more I watched these aircraft,
the more I desired one. After some
searching with many a lead that
didn’t progress, it was a P-51D built
at North American’s Inglewood
factory in 1944 that I set my sights
on. It was based in France and
operated by Jacques Bourret from
Saint-Rambert. Jacques had applied
the rather striking World War Two
paint scheme of Philippines-based
‘Jumpin’ Jacques’ – a 3rd Fighter
Group (FG) aircraft flown by Lt
Jacques E Young.
“I loved the fact that ‘JJ’, as she
became known, had seen little in
the way of rebuild since 1944 and
had genuine wartime history. She
still carries evidence of her battle
scars with repairs just behind the
pilot’s position on both sides
of the fuselage, andpuncture
repairs to the fin.”
In 2002 the Mustang was
flown across the English
Channel to join the fledgling
Hangar 11 Collection. It was
ferried by Lee Proudfoot, with Peter
occupying the rear passenger seat.and flying a Mustang, Supermarine
Spitfire PR.XI, Hawker Hurricane
and Curtiss P-40
Kittyhawk, he
remembers his first
aircraft – a Grumman
Traveller purchased for
£4,500 in 1980.
“It was in that aircraft that
I built many flying
hours before
acquiring aaware that an example was for sale- Staggerwing G-BRVE, which
was owned by Pink Floyd guitarist
David Gilmour. A deal was done,
and I had my first classic aircraft.”
Peter used the Beechcraft to gain
valuable taildragger experience.
Flying this aircraft, he received his
Display Authorisation (DA) from
the CAA in 2000.
Now keen to add another machine
to the stable, Peter built his hangar
at North Weald in 2004, leasing a
plot of land on the Essex airfield.
He was
paint scheme of Philippines-based
‘Jumpin’ Jacques’ – a 3rd Fighter
Group (FG) aircraft flown by Lt
Jacques E Young.
“I loved the fact that ‘JJ’, as she
became known, had seen little in
the way of rebuild since 1944 and
had genuine wartime history. She
still carries evidence of her battle
scars with repairs just behind the
pilot’s position on both sides
of the fuselage, andrepairs to the fin.”
In 2002 the Mustang was
flown across the English
Channel to join the fledgling
Hangar 11 Collection. It was
ferried by Lee Proudfoot, with Peter
occupying the rear passenger seat.52 FLYPAST November 2018
Quartet
Warbird collector Peter Teichman was determined to own examples
of the four most important Allied fighters of World War Two.
Objective achieved, he’s now decided to retire from display flying.
Here, he discusses his stellar career with Darren HarbarWARBIRDS HANGAR 11 COLLECTION
Below
The skull-adorned P-40
was a common sight
on the hardstanding
in front of the Hangar
11 Collection building
at North Weald. It’s
pictured here on the
day of her roll-out as
‘Lulu Belle’ in 2013. ALL
DARREN HARBAR