FlyPast 08.2018

Br itain’s top-selling aviation monthly

EDITORIAL:

Deputy Editor – Steve Beebee

Contributing Editors - Ken Ellis and Dave Unwin

Group Editor - Stuart Qualtrough

With thanks to – Chris Clifford

General enquiries to:

Editor’s Secretary: Tuesday Osborne

FlyPast, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK

Tel: 01780 755131 Fax: 01780 757261

E-mail: [email protected]

http://www.flypast.com

DESIGN:

Art Editor – Mike Carr

PRODUCTION:

Production Editor – Sue Blunt

Deputy Production Editor – Carol Randall

Sub Editor - Norman Wells

Production Manager – Janet Watkins

ADVERTISING AND COMMERCIAL:

Commercial Director – Ann Saundry

Group Advertisement Manager – Brodie Baxter

Advertisement Manager – Alison Sanders

E-mail: [email protected]

Sales Executive - Susan Scott

Ad Production Manager – Debi McGowan

Ad Production Controller - Cheryl Plant

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Marketing Manager – Shaun Binnington

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FlyPast (ISSN 0262-6950), August, is published

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ISSN 0262-

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Welcome

E

very time I see our cover star, Supermarine
Spit re Mk.IX MH434, I experience the same
pleasant thrill of recognition you get when you
greet an old friend, or hear a song you loved as a
teenager. The Old Flying Machine Company (OFMC)
 ghter became a legend, largely thanks to Ray
Hanna’s beautiful displays through the 1980s and
’90s. To mark its 75th anniversary, we’re delighted to publish a re ection
on this lauded machine from the respected pen of Ken Ellis, with brand new
air-to-air images by Darren Harbar.
It’s no secret this Spit re has special resonance for me. My  rst venture
into aviation was as a volunteer for the OFMC Tiger Squadron enthusiast
group. During my involvement, the Spit re was part of the Breitling
Fighters Team, a quartet of OFMC aircraft sponsored by the prestigious
Swiss watch company. In 2001 alone, the team  ew more than 400 sorties
in  ve months, visiting nine countries. It’s also alleged they consumed 600
jam doughnuts, a statistic that has proved harder to verify.
A documentary for the Discovery Wings channel featured some
remarkable air-to-air and in-cockpit footage of the  ghters over Switzerland.
A rear-mounted camera on MH434 gave a tremendous impression of speed
and power as pilot Lee Proudfoot completed a low-level run over a river,
pulling up hard to leave the waterway rapidly receding in his wake. An

earlier ‘wow’ moment came when Ray famously  ew the Spit re under a

bridge for LWT’s 1988 drama ‘Piece of Cake’.

One of the hardest days I’ve had in my aviation life came in December

2005, when I phoned the members of Tiger Squadron’s team to inform them

of Ray’s sudden death, at the age of 77. But his was an extraordinary life,

and a life well lived. He spent it doing the things he loved, and when it

came to displaying the Spit re as a solo act, he was incomparable.

Something else you’ll notice in this issue is the return of our popular

Spotlight section, a collection of new articles and exclusive artwork

focusing on one type. Over the coming months we’ll revisit many of historic

aviation’s most popular subjects, with new content dedicated to each, and

in future we’ll no doubt scrutinize some aircraft we haven’t featured before.

We begin with the remarkable Short Sunderland  ying-boat, an elegant

creation to whom many owe their lives. We hope you enjoy our new-look

Spotlight and the rest of this issue.

Below

Short Sunderland Mk.I L2158 on the River Medway in

1938. Our Spotlight section begins on page 81. KEY

Steve Beebee

Deputy Editor