CLASSIC WINGS HARVARD FLIGHT
126 FLYPAST September 2018
as a memorable birthday treat from
my wife. So, the opportunity to
return to Duxford and step into
the company’s latest addition was
taken enthusiastically.
My pilot, Craig Brierley, is a high-
time civilian aviator with various
types in his logbook, including
the Learjet and Islander. Craig’s
colleagues have cheekily nicknamed
him ‘Araldite A***’ (you can guess
the rest) because once he gets in
Pussy Cat’s front cockpit, he never
wants to leave it!
After the mandatory safety briefing
in the flight office and cockpit
proper, Craig explains the start-up
procedure, calling out pressures,
temperatures and the like.
As the big radial barks
into life there’s a blast
of wind through the
open hood, and the cockpit gets
noisier as the engine warms up. The
control column and rudder pedals
move to their full extent, as Craig
tests the flying surfaces.
My excitement builds, then it’s
time to taxi and hold for permission
to make the take-off run. This
happens very quickly... testament
to the engine’s sheer ‘grunt’.
Ironically, despite the 1976-like
summer we’ve had so far, FlyPast’s
trip is being made under leaden
skies, with the cloud base at around
1,300ft (396m). No matter though- there’s still enough
sky for me to take control, make
some turns left and right and get
a sense of how the aircraft feels.
There is a substantial jump in
horsepower between the two
aircraft, the Moth’s 130hp
being greatly overshadowed by the
thumping 600hp generated by Pussy
Cat’s Pratt & Whitney 1340 AN1
powerplant. It’s sturdy, smoothing
out any bumps as we go. It was
a windy day when I flew in the
Tiger Moth, and anyone familiar
with the type will appreciate it has
very delicate controls, and it’s easy
to over compensate... just slight
inputs are all that is necessary to get
the job done. Not so with this big
yellow beast, which is very forgiving,
offering a ‘solid’ ride and with a
slightly nose-down attitude
in the cruise. Throughout
the flight I was conscious
I was following the route
of a wartime pilot’s order
of training on type, the
Tiger Moth being the basic
trainer, and the Harvard
the more advanced and
powerful follow-on.
Five miles from
Duxford, it was time for
some extra fun as Craigexecuted a perfect aileron
roll, involving a slight dive
to gain speed, then climbing- the earth moving quickly,
yet serenely, over the canopy.
It’s hugely exhilarating. All too
soon, it’s time to head back
to Duxford, and Craig aligns
the Harvard for a run-in and
break. The g-force from the latter
catches me out in the climbing turn
to the right, as I enjoy the left-side
view of the tower, and warbirds
gathered for the weekend’s Flying
Legends airshow. We align for the
grass and Craig makes a smooth
three-pointer before we taxi to
park, then the necessary checks are
performed before cutting the engine
(such as closing those all-important
propeller counterbalances).
The thrill of the flight still swirls
in my head during the sudden quiet,
but it doesn’t prevent me from
thanking my pilot and babbling
about how cool it all was. I’m elated
by the experience, and Craig’s wry
smile seems to acknowledge the fact.
He’s seen it all before...“The thrill of the fl ight still swirls in my
head during the sudden quiet, but it doesn’t
prevent me from thanking my pilot and
babbling about how cool it all was”
Clockwise
from top right
FlyPast’s Chris
Clifford gets to know
‘Pussy Cat’. The type
would have been the
next step for many
World War Two Allied
fi ghter pilots, after
basic fl ying training
in a Tiger Moth.
MATTHEW ROBERTSPilot Craig helps
Chris Clifford with the
strapping in.
MATTHEW ROBERTS‘Pussy Cat’ poses for
the camera during a
recent photo session
over Clacton-on-Sea,
Essex, near Classic
Wings’ fl ying school
base. PILOTPIX LTDThis Duxford-based
Harvard’s cockpit is
pure 1940s, apart
from the modern
radio unit on the
right-hand
side console.
MATTHEW ROBERTS