OPS BOARD
April 4, Sywell – Sywell Aviation
Museum special open day, Sywell
Aerodrome, Northants – http://www.
sywellaerodrome.co.uk/museum.
phpApril 4, 5 and 9, Bentwaters- Bentwaters Cold War Museum
open days, Building 134,
Bentwaters Parks, Rendlesham,
Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 2TW –
07588 877020 http://www.bcwm.org.uk
April 8, London – ‘Why a Spartan
7W Executive’, a talk by Nigel
Pickard, London Society of Air-
Britain, The Victory Services Club,
63-79 Seymour Street, London.
E-mail: [email protected]April 10, Martlesham Heath- ‘The History of the 100th
Air refueling Wing and RAF
Mildenhall’, a talk by Marl
Howell, Martlesham Heath
Aviation Society, The Main Hall,
Martlesham Heath Community
Centre, Old Felixstowe Road
(behind Tesco), Martlesham Heath,
near Ipswich, IP12 4PB – http://www.
mhas.org.uk
April 11, Elvington – ‘Rolling
Thunder Day’, fast jet taxi runs,
Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington,
near York – 01904 608595
http://www.yorkshireairmuseum.orgApril 11, Romney Marsh –
Brenzett Aerojumble (formerly
the Aerojumble event held at
Shoreham), Brenzett Aeronautical
Museum, Ivychurch Road,
Brenzett, Romney Marsh, Kent
TN29 0EE – 01424 753356
http://www.brenzettaero.co.ukApril 14, Milton Keynes – ‘Marshall
of Cambridge: past, Present and
Future’, a talk by Terry Holloway,
Milton Keynes Aviation Society,
Kents Hill Community Centre,
Milton Keynes –
http://www.mkas.co.ukApril 19, Crawley – Gatwick
International Aircraft Enthusiasts’
Fair, Gatwick Aviation Society,
K2 Crawley, Pease Pottage Hall,
Crawley, RH11 9BQ – 01403 252628
http://www.gatwickaviationsociety.org.ukApril 22, Metheringham –
‘The History of 8 Squadron’,
a talk by Christopher Dean,
Metheringham Airfield Visitor
Centre, Westmoor Farm, Martin
Moor, Metheringham, Lincoln
LN4 2WF – 01526 378270April 25, Bruntingthorpe- Buccaneer sunset photo
shoot, Buccaneer Aviation
Group, Bruntingthorpe Airfield,
Leicestershire - ht tp: //
thebuccaneeraviationgroup.com
April 26, Southend - Avro
Vulcan XL426 Open Day, Vulcan
Restoration Trust, Southend
Airport, Essex -
http://www.avrovulcan.comMay 3-4, Metheringham –
Wartime Weekend special event,
Metheringham Airfield Visitor
Centre, Westmoor Farm, Martin
Moor, Metheringham, Lincoln –
01526 378270May 13, London – Sopwith
aircraft and the First World
War, a talk by David Hassard,
London Society of Air-Britain,
The Victory Services Club, 63-79
Seymour Street, London.May 16, Old Sarum – Aerobilia
buy and sell event, Boscombe
Down Aviation Collection, Old
Sarum Airfield, Salisbury, SP4
6DZ – 01980 863062May 16-17, Newark – Tribute
to the training aircraft special
event, Newark Air Museum,
Drove Lane, Winthorpe, Newark,
Notts – 01636 707170 http://www.
newarkairmuseum.orgMay 19, Old Sarum – ‘Research
Aircraft at RAE Bedford in the
1960s’, a talk by Alan Goode,
Boscombe Down Aviation
Collection, Old Sarum Airfield,
Salisbury – 01722 323636 http://www.
boscombedownaviation
collection.co.ukMay 31, Lavenham – Guided
walk of Lavenham Airfield, the
USAAF’s Station 137 - 01787
248207While we endeavour to include as many
contributions as we can, we apologise to all those
readers who have taken the time to write in but
didn’t get into print.Jottings...
Letters in BriefMay 2015 FLYPAST 119The CO’s Devon
I was interested to see on page 6 of the March issue the photograph of
de Havilland DH.104 Dove 8 G-DHDV, known to me as Devon C.1 VP981,
and pleased to read that this aircraft is flying again. The caption under
the photo refers to the fact that at one point VP981 was used by Air
Chief Marshal Sir Basil Embry as his personal transport. In July 1953
Sir Basil succeeded USAF General Lauris Norstad as Commander of
Allied Air Forces Central Europe, with its headquarters located at
Fontainebleau, France. He had the use of VP981, based with the RAF
Communications Flight at Melun Villaroche, until about a year later
when it was replaced by Percival Pembroke WV729. The latter was
collected from Luton Airport by his personal pilot, Sqn Ldr Paston-
Williams in June 1954.
During most of the period mentioned, I had the great good fortune
as a teenage RAF national serviceman to be employed as a senior
aircraftman shorthand-typist on Sir Basil’s personal staff. This led to
my enjoying a number of flights to and from the UK in both aircraft,
sometimes piloted by Sir Basil, as well as one overnight trip to Nice in
the Devon with one of his sons as a fellow passenger travelling to join
his father on holiday. The Devon was a lovely aircraft in which to fly
(except on the occasion when we flew across Paris in the midst of a
violent thunderstorm) and I was delighted to see the photograph and
learn that the aircraft is flying again.
At some later stage VP981 was used by the Battle of Britain
Memorial Flight and rumour had it that it had been flown by HRH The
Duke of Edinburgh.
TED CATO N
CHELMSFORD, ESSEXJet noise mystery solved
In the April issue, Ian Gilbert wonders if he might have heard a
Gloster Javelin firing up its engines at Leeming one summer night
in 1952. The most likely candidate is a Gloster Meteor of 228 OCU,
which was active at RAF Leeming during that time. It could not have
been a Javelin as production of those started in 1953, and the first
operational squadron was No.46 at Odiham in 1956. Javelins were
based at Leeming from 1959 with 228 OCU. Interestingly, XH767
photographed in the same issue on page 110 is now on static display at
the Yorkshire Air Museum. I hope this is of interest, and thanks for a
great read.
GEOFFREY A HALL (ex-FAA)
ALWOODLEY, LEEDSArmstrong Whitworth-built Gloster Meteor
NF.14 WS776, which served on 228 OCU
during its lengthy RAF service. KEY118-119_Flypost_fpNP.indd 119 17/03/2015 09:10