FLYING

I took this picture while flying a North American Harvard fighter-trainer (left), built in 1945, over Kissimmee in Florida in 2004. It’s owned and operated by Warbird Adventures.

There’s not much in life that I’d say is worth every single penny but this was a dream come true, and it was indeed worth every last cent. If you ever get to that part of the world my advice is take a trip. You only live once!

Flying in the Harvard was pretty good but perhaps even better was a joyride in a B-17G Flying Fortress operated by the Collings Foundation in the United States. They have three main aircraft which anyone can book a flight on during their annual tour of the US. Current rates are $425 donations (about £220) a head for 30 minutes for the B-17 and B-24. They have recently added a two-seater P-51, and you can get an hour in one for $2000. Sounds a lot, but it’s a fraction of what it would cost in the UK EVEN if you could do it – which you can’t.

Given that these ancient bombers cost $9000 per hour to fly, all you’re paying is the fair cost of your ride. And I can tell you it is worth absolutely every penny ten times over. I took this picture from the top turret (you can climb all over the machine during the flight) as we cruised north along the shore of Lake Michigan with Chicago in the background in July 2007.

The B-17G carries the paint and markings of 42-31909, known as ‘Nine O Nine’, an aircraft with the 91^st Bombardment Group based at Bassingbourn in England with the Eighth Air Force. The original 42-31909 flew 140 missions without a single abort but was scrapped after the War. Today’s ‘Nine O Nine’ is in reality 44-83575, a B-17G that never saw war service – it has been performing its present role since 1987. I caught up with it while driving across the US in 2007. The aircraft were all at Palwaukee airport in Chicago – I had booked a couple of months before.

In July 2008 I returned, this time to Dupage Airport, Illinois, to catch up with them again, this time taking a fabulous flight on the B-24J Liberator (it poses as ‘Witchcraft’ of the 467^th Bombardment Group), but is in reality 44-44502, a B-24J that was allocated to RAF South-East Asia Command in 1944 and used in the Far East in the last year or so of WW2 as a Liberator GR.VI, serial KH191 with No. 8 Squadron. After the war it was taken over by the Indian Air Force and used till 1968. Following this it lay idle for several years before being transported to the US and restored to flying condition.

Picture shows the remarkable view to be had from the front turret of the The Collings Foundation's Liberator on 26 July 2008. You can enjoy my take-off here: B-24 take-off and the landing here: B-24 landing

AVIATION ARCHAEOLOGY

The activities, controversies and interests surrounding the excavation of World War 2 aircraft intrigue me, though I don’t excavate them myself. I have taken part in three Time Team programmes that followed digs: a USAAF B17 (Flying Fortress) in Reedham Marsh (filmed 1998, transmitted in 1999), an RAF Spitfire Mk. I from the Battle of France (filmed 1999, transmitted 2000), and a USAAF A-26 Douglas Invader (filmed 2004, transmitted 2005). In 2004 I co-presented the excavation of a Spitfire XIV in Germany for a Channel 5 live broadcast that was mainly centred around the excavation of a Hurricane in Buckingham Palace Road in London. Technical problems in Germany didn’t make that an entirely enjoyable experience but it was very interesting to watch the German archaeologists operate a highly competent and considered excavation of the wreckage.

I took the propeller picture at Calais in 1999 during the Spitfire shoot. It’s BM597, a Spitfire Mk V that was used for a flypast sequence over the excavation site a few miles to the south at Wierre-Effroy. It was one of those lucky shots and shows just how beautiful even parts of the Spitfire can be.

I’ve written two books on the subject: Aviation Archaeology in Britain for Shire Publications (2001), and Battles over Britain. The Archaeology of the Air War for Tempus (2000). See Books

If you fancy an unusual afternoon out, why not head to East Kirkby in Lincolnshire to see one of only three functioning Lancaster bombers left in the world. NX611 Just Jane can’t fly (only because she’s not allowed to), but is otherwise in complete working order and used for frequent taxi-runs with all four engines running just yards from spectators. Check their website here (the photograph used for the animation on the website is one I took in November 2005).

PILOT’S LICENCE

In 2000 I passed my private pilot’s licence (PPL) exam at Biggin Hill in Kent. This picture shows me after my first solo flight in a Cessna 152 in the summer of 1999.

Learning to fly was very expensive but a fascinating experience and I’m very pleased I did it. It’s virtually impossible to maintain the licence in the UK though. Airspace is ram-packed which means an inordinate amount of time is wasted taxi-ing around the airfield or listening to radio traffic. Since I’m over 40 that also means regular and expensive medicals to fly solo. An hour’s flying cost £125 back in 2000, so it simply isn’t an affordable hobby unless you have vast quantities of spare cash!

If you like model aircraft TRICATUS is an outstanding website illustrating the Corgi Aviation Archive. If you want to buy models, I’d recommend AWDIECAST for price and service.

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