FLIGHTPATH | 11News
The Flying Lady
Hugh Bickle of Hollister California pur-
chased NC-149M ‘The Flying Lady’, a 1930
New Standard Model D-25 in 1991, which
had previously resided at a restaurant and
Golf Course of the same name. A five-seat
aircraft, this plane was sold in 1930 and
used for hauling contraband (probably alco-
hol) into the USA from Canada until it was
seized by the U.S. Customs in January of
- Purchased again in 1934 it carried
passengers on scenic flights until W.W.II in - After the war it was purchased and
used as a crop duster until sometime prior
to 1970 when she was converted back to her
original factory condition. Jan and Irv Perch
(pronounced ‘Perlich’) bought it in 1970 and
flew it to Morgan Hill in northern California
where it became the centrepiece for their
Flying Lady Restaurant, receiving an artis-
tic white and gold paint scheme.
After Bickle bought the aircraft, he flew it
carrying friends for pleasure flights until
2006 when it was disassembled and complete-
ly rebuilt to better-than-new standards by
Vintage Wings and Wheels at Hollister Cali-
fornia. In June 2014 it took to the air again,
with its original Wright J-5 220 horsepower
engine. With less than a dozen New Standards
flying today, Bickle’s is particularly notable as
the only one with the original engine, cowling,
wooden spinner, propeller and 30 x 5 inch (
x 13 cm) wheels. Roger CainI
n RAF Bomber Command
‘pressing on’ meant going on
to the target in bad weather
through enemy defences, and
when at the target going on for
those extra seconds to put the
bombs onto the target, rather
than releasing them at the clos-
est edge of the activity.Squadron Leader Frank
Lawrence DFC DFM RAAF
enlisted in 1941, was a
Sergeant Pilot in 1942, flew
his first tour of operations in
1943, and by 1945 was a
flight commander on 460
Squadron RAAF.This is an account of the
flying career, not only of Frank
Lawrence, but of men who
trained with him and flew
Lancasters against
Nazi Germany.The book is in two parts.
First, enlistment, training
and an operational tour
from March to August 1943,
followed by time at 27 O.T.U.
and a second tour in 1945, on
both 467 and 460 Squadrons,
including food drops in Holland
and flying home released
prisoners of war. In this Part,
when a crew fails to return, as
in 1943, they cease to be part
of the life of the Squadron.The approach paths of the
bomber streams are provided,
to illustrate the level of skill
in night flying required and of
the navigator in each aircraft.
Details of the experiences of
crews are included, plus of
the destruction inflicted on
the targets, and 460 Squadron
‘Line Book’ entries add to the
human side of squadron life.Part Two presents what
became known post-war
of the circumstances of each
aircraft loss and the fate of
the crew. In some instances
the German night-fighter pilot
can be identified. Details are
included of the service of each
man, whether he survived
or where he is buried or
commemorated.This is a detailed account
of what was required of a
bomber crew 1943-45.
There is also a section on the
Service career of each of the
men who trained with Frank
Lawrence on No.19 Pilot’s
course at 8SFTS, Bundaberg.‘PRESS ON’ was a highly valued spirit
in the RAF and RAAF 1939-45.
‘PRESS ON’ is available on • CD, $22.00 including postage within Aust
- Book, $55.00 including postage within Aust
- Amazon-Kindle, $7.
Banner Books
122 Walker St,
Maryborough QLD 4650
Phone: 07-4123-
[email protected]For your own security,
please telephone your
card details. We do not enter
this in the computer.Hugh Bickle’s
colourful 1930 New
Standard Model
D-25, ‘The Flying
Lady’ back in the air
again. [Roger Cain]
The Newark Air Museum in the UK recently
purchased Hawker Siddeley Dominie T1 XS
from Everett Aero of Sproughton, Suffolk.
Funding for the acquisition was provided
thanks to the generosity of two long-standing
museum members, Mike and Kathy Smith. On
Wednesday 24 September 2014 the airframe
was delivered to the museum in eastern Not-
tinghamshire by a team from Everett Aero, and
who also refitted the wings. The Dominie fills
an important gap in the museum’s themed dis-
play of training aircraft. T1 XS726 was deliv-
ered to the RAF on 25 October 1965 and served
at RAF Cranwell and with both 3 and 6 Flying
Training Schools. Dominies were retired from
RAF service in early 2011 and XS726’s final
training role was as an instructional airframe
(9273M) at RAF Cosford. Howard HeeleyDominie
to Newark
The Hawker Siddeley Dominie T1 XS726 was delivered to
the museum by a team from Everett Aero, and who also
refitted the wings.