Fly Past

14 FLYPAST April 2018

briefi ngs

NEWS THE LATEST IN AVIATION HERITAGE

Flying museum announces weekend of events

to mark RAF centenary

Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome in

Maldon, Essex is set to host a one-day

conference on March 31, followed

by a special open day on April 1, to

celebrate 100 years of the RAF.

The Saturday will be hosted by

Air Cdre Barry Dickens, one of the

attraction’s trustees, and will include

two talks – the fi rst on the Royal Flying

Corps and the Battle of the Somme from

IWM historian Peter Hart, and the second

on the evolution of the RAF by author

and FlyPast contributor Air Cdre Graham

Pitchfork.

On the Sunday a parade will

conclude in a symbolic lowering of

the RFC ensign and raising of its RAF

equivalent. Costumed re-enactors and

the RAF Honington band will also be

entertaining the public on the day.

Tickets for the conference, which

includes lunch and a guided tour, cost

£40 – to book a place please e-mail

[email protected]

Jonathon Whaley fl ying Sopwith Camel

reproduction N6377 at Stow Maries.

COURTESY STOW MARIES

Convair 580 ZS-LYL has been acquired

by the Wijnland Auto Museum, near

Cape Town. It is the museum’s fi rst

aircraft as they look to add further

attractions to the 200 vehicles on

display.

The Convair was built as a 340-

version in 1952 and completed its fi rst

fl ight on December 24 of that year.

Originally registered N4803C, it fl ew

with Delta Airlines before being sold to

North Central Airlines in March 1962.

After being upgraded to 580 standard it

was sold to the Bolivian Air Force with

which it served from the end of 1974.

After being withdrawn from military

use in 1979, it re-entered commercial

hands, fi rstly fl ying with Gulf Air as

N511GA. In April 1988 it was acquired by

Air Cape, a regional carrier operating

out of Cape Town, and joined the South

African register as ZS-LYL.

Air Cape was taken over by Safair

in October 1988 with Yankee-Lima

remaining a familiar sight on regional

routes along the South African

coast. Its last operator was the Titan

Helicopter Group, from December

1993. After fi nal retirement, it was
      acquired by the museum for static
      display. STEVE McLEAN

South African

museum

launches

aviation

collection

with Convair

Convair 580 ZS-LYL is the fi rst aircraft to

be displayed at the Wijnland Auto Museum.

STEVE McLEAN

In our January issue we featured a superb

image of a pair of Mustangs operated by

Florida’s Stallion 51. The company was

refl ecting on a particularly successful season.

Sadly, we omitted to credit the photographer

of this fi ne picture. Our apologies to Alastair

Robertson, whose shot we are pleased to

publish again here. PHOTO-ALASTAIR ROBERTSON

Previously a resident at the Vliegend

Museum Seppe, Tipsy T.66S Nipper 2 OO-LEO

has been sold to a new owner in Italy. The

unusual single-seater had been based at the

museum, at Breda International Airport in the

Netherlands, for several years. Maintained in

airworthy condition, Yellowbird is believed to

be the only one of its type in Italy. ROGER SOUPART