aviation - the past, present and future of flight

Anniversary Lanc Flight for Last British Dambuster

Sqn Ldr George ‘Johnny’ Johnson MBE DFM, the last British

Dambuster, flew on board the BBMF Avro Lancaster on May 17 for

an historic flight to mark the raid’s 75th anniversary. Johnny sat in

the bomb aimer’s position, the same station he occupied in 1943,

as the aircraft flew over the dams of the Derwent valley, just as he

did 75 years ago whilst training for the 617 Squadron raid on the

German dams.

Afterwards, Johnny declared: “It has been a wonderful trip and it’s

surprising how 75 years just disappear. Over the Derwent Dam, the

time was gone – just like that; I was back there ...thinking about the

times that we went there. I have to say the first time I noticed the

hilly area we were going to, I wondered what the hell we were doing

down at 60ft, but there it was, that was the job. And it all came back

just like that, it was wonderful. Thank you very much.”

Officer Commanding BBMF, Sqn Ldr Andy Millikin said: “We are

thrilled that we were able to finally mark this amazing anniversary in

such a poignant way.” He continued: “It was always our intent to pay

tribute to Johnny as the last British Dambuster by carrying out this

sortie on May 16, and we were bitterly disappointed that the weather

stopped us. “We seized the opportunity to complete this mission

today with Johnny on board, flying a shortened sortie. We felt it was

important to fly Johnny on this historic day.”

After nine hours of flight time, Friedrich Diehl

and Thomas Holz flew Klemm 35 SE-BGA

from Håtunaholm, northwest of Stockholm to

its new home at Siegerland, Germany, at the

end of April. The classic trainer will join two

Bücker 131 Jungmanns and a Focke-Wulf

Stieglitz operated by Sterntakt.

Klemm SE-BGA was built in 1941 in the

Böblingen Klemm factory with the serial

number 1983 for the Swedish Air Force,

which it operated with until 1948 as Fv5054.

Its last owner, Håkan Wijkander, restored the

machine a decade ago. Additionally, Friedrich

Diehl is restoring another Klemm 35 from

Sweden, Fv5012, to flight status in his private

workshop. Stefan Schmoll

A French-built Blériot XI replica was a surprise

visitor to the Shuttleworth Collection’s Premier

Air Show at Old Warden, Bedfordshire, on

May 6. It was built by the Club Aero des

Garrigues based at Nîmes, which spent

5,000 hours creating the aircraft from original

plans. The club’s honorary members included

Gérard Farman, great nephew of constructor

Henri Farman, and Nicole Sabbagh, the

grand-daughter of Louis Blériot.

The replica, which is fitted with an original

Anzani engine, has been constructed to an

airworthy standard, but the group does not

yet have the paperwork to fly it. Therefore,

it was transported to Old Warden by road.

Adrian M Balch

Klemm 35 SE-BGA showing its sleek lines in

the German sunshine. Stefan Schmoll

Klemm 35 to Germany

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UK Debut for French Blériot Replica

The Blériot replica at Old Warden on May 6. Adrian M Balch

Fishbed Goes

on Show

Mikoyan MiG-21 Fishbed ‘Red 13’ has

gone on show at the National Museum of

Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque,

New Mexico. The Cold War era fighter

was acquired from the 309th Aerospace

Maintenance and Regeneration Group in

Tucson, Arizona, earlier this year. It is the

only non-American jet on display within

the museum’s heritage park and will be

refurbished and repainted by volunteers

later this year.

Great War VC Honoured

A life-size statue of Sgt Thomas

Mottershead, the RFC pilot who was

posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross

for his actions over the Western Front in

World War One, has been unveiled in his

hometown of Widnes, Cheshire. The tribute

was revealed by his grandson, Colin, and

AM Sir Roger Austin. The statue’s design

was inspired by a photograph of Sgt

Mottershead posing in his new uniform for

his wife, Lilian. A blue plaque has also been

installed at his birthplace, 6 Vine Street.

Ark Royal Phantom

Phantom FG.1 XT864 has been unveiled

at the Ulster Aviation Society in Northern

Ireland after two years of restoration work.

Around 500 invited guests attended the

event on April 28. The jet, previously at

RAF Leuchars in Scotland, has been

returned to the colours it wore in the 1970s

with the Fleet Air Arm’s 892 Squadron

on HMS Ark Royal. Alan Jarden via

Stephen Riley

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