The Aviation Historian — Issue 21 (October 2017)

6 THE AVIATION HISTORIAN Issue No 21

AIR CORRESPONDENCE

Letters to the Editor

The joy of Junkers
SIR — I have just been reading TA HTA HTA H issues 17 issues 17
and 19; what joy! There are several items of
particular interest.
The Editor’s account of John Stroud’s flight in
BEA’s Jupiter-Class Junkers Ju 52/3m G-AHOF
from Croydon to Belfast in March 1947 (To Belfast
by Jupiter, TAH17) was of prime interest because
my dad, E.J. Riding, took a similar trip in
company with historian A.J. Jackson a few days
earlier, on February 21. They too flew with Capt
Moynihan but in BEA Junkers Ju 52/3m
G-AHOG, the first of the ten Jupiter-Class Ju 52s
to enter service with the Scottish Division of
BEA. Instead of flying direct from Croydon to
Nutts Corner, a stop was made at Speke,
Liverpool, the flights taking 1hr 25min and 1hr
15min respectively. This once-daily service began
on November 18, 1946, departing Croydon at

0945hr, arriving Speke 1130hr, departing at

1155hr to arrive at Belfast at 1325hr. The

reciprocal service departed Belfast at 0900hr,

arrived at Speke at 1030hr, and departed at

1055hr to arrive Croydon at 1240hr.

On my dad’s flight the 12-seater G-AHOG

departed snow-laden Croydon at 0950hr and

flew blind at 2,000ft on a course of 340°, cruising

at 130 m.p.h. They began letting down between

Nantwich and Frodsham and landed at Speke

in 2–3 miles visibility at 1115hr. At 1205hr

G-AHOG took off and encountered^101010 ⁄⁄⁄⁄ 1010 ths cloud

and snow all the way to Nutts Corner, passing

Ronaldsway, Isle of Man, at 1247hr before

landing at 1330hr. My dad returned the

following day in Daks G-AIOF and G-AGZF.

Short Bros’ conversion of the Ju 52s was

considered by the aviation press at the time to be

extremely good. One fact not mentioned in the

Looking ahead to next year...

WITH 2018 FAST approaching, it’s time to begin

planning for the new year — so here is a choice of

aviation calendars to provide aid and adornment. The

two larger ones (20in x 14in) are the famous GHOSTS

calendars created by veteran air-to-air photographer

Philip Makanna; they feature various World War One

and World War Two subjects respectively. Order them

for $14.99 + p&p apiece from http://www.ghosts.com or

GHOSTS, 665 Arkansas Street, San Francisco, CA

94107, USA. The smaller one (8¼in x 11¾in) is the

Cross & Cockade International calendar, featuring

paintings of World War One subjects by 12 different

artists. It is yours for £11 inc p&p (UK), £12.50 Europe

and £13.50 RoW, from http://www.crossandcockade.com or

by post from Cross & Cockade International, Hamilton

House, Church Street, Wadenhoe, Peterborough PE

5ST. Profits from this once again support the upkeep

of the British Air Services Memorial at St Omer.