Aviation Meeting Thur 25th, June 2015

[johnhowe]

What an interesting lecture The Waterbird Project turned out to be, the speaker Ian Gee, enthralled us with the
background to the project.

In 1909 Captain E W Wakefield a Barrister who lived in Kendal was the brains behind the project, after visiting an
Airshow in Blackpool and seeing several landbased crashes he decided that flying from water may be a safer option.

THe culmination of all Wakefields efforts were realised on the 25th, November, 1911, when a Herbert Stanley
Adams made the first successful flight from water in Britains first Hydroplane.

See this link for further details.
http://waterbirdproject.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.wickenbyairfield.com/news/?p=663" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[johnhowe]

Just waiting for final comfirmation of this month's (September) Speaker.

[johnhowe]

It has now been been comfirmed that our speaker on Thursday the 27th, September 2012, is John Hurrell who flew Hawks
at Warton. John is a former RAF Pilot who flew with 15 Squadron on Tornados in Germany.

[johnhowe]

Yesterday lecture by John Hurrell was what Denis Morley, would say was a "Tour De Force," John has now retired from BAE where he was
Chief Instructor on The Hawk.

John told us that after training in The RAF he was posted to Germany to fly the most outstanding low level attack bomber the Blackburn
Buccaneer, he later converted onto Tornado and on leaving The RAF Joined Warton to continue his flying career.

John's theme for last night lecture was aircraft through the ages and how each particular aircraft was a quantum leap in design an development, starting with the Wright Flyer at the beginning and ending up with Typhoon & JSF.

A fuller report will appear in our Avro Lancashire Newsletter which can be seen on Line later.

[johnhowe]

On Thursday the 28th, October, 2012 another Ex RAF Pilot Philip Spencer is giving a lecture to our society entitled "How I ended The Cold War Almost Singled Handed."
Philip has had a distinguised career in The RAF, on Phantoms Hawks Tornados. for further info look at http://www.pilotwise.co.uk/about-us/who-we-are" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and click on Philip Spencer another familiar name from Warton's recent past is Phil Dye.

[johnhowe]

Yesterday lecture by Wg Comd Phillip Spencer reminded me of the good old days when Jimmy Dell and Keith Hartley came to our society
to tell us about their respective flying careers.

Philip, started by mentioning how as a young airman he was at Linton on Ouse, when unexpectedly Keith Hartley attended a graduation in
a Lightning, flying between the hangars, something which he emulated on his final flight on the Richthoven Wing in Germany.

The lecture was crammed full of anecdote after anecdote mostly during his RAF Career but some in his career whilst attached to the
Royal Navy he temporarily served on Frigates and one notable occasion on a one of the navy latest submarines there are some stories that
should never go in print this is one of them.

Philip started on MK 5 Jet Provosts moved on to Hunters, Phantoms in the RAF, intercepted Bears TU 95s entering UK Airspace He flew F4s
in Germany, later returning to the UK to fly Hawks at RAF Brawdy as a QI at RAF Brawdy.

Philip, left the RAF and joined British Aerospace and was involved with all the companys frontline aircraft both in the UK and abroad.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9Yso73uIG4" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I wonder if this was the final flight in the phantom.

He has promised that he will return to the Society and tell us about his experiences of flying the F 104 Starfighter.

Some of the low flying sequences on the you-tube thread are amazing.

[johnhowe]

The year 2012 will probably be remembered for The London Olympics up here at Warton it will be remembered for the absolutely superb
lectures given by our various speakers.

We end the year with the November Presentation by Wing Commander RAF(RTD) Drew Steel, Drew was the overseeing manager on the ill fated Nimrod Project. His lecture will be on his 35 year career in the RAF but taken from an Humourus angle. this is one lecture not to be missed. No meeting in December.

[johnhowe]

The calibre of our speakers is second to none, in September we had John Hurrell The Warton Ch Inst on Hawk, in October
Wing Commander Philip Spencer, both were former RAF Pilots. On Thursday night we had Sq Ld Drew Steele a former RAF
Navigator/Mission Commander on Nimrod. Drew gave us an insight into the various operations that Nimrods were engaged
in during the cold war, he produced photos of various Russian Naval Forces from Destroyers to Submarines which had been
taken at very low level.

Drew is an accomplished speaker which has been recognised as he now speaks to schools and other groups on behalf of BAE Systems. Thanks again Drew for coming to speak to our society.

[johnhowe]

A happy new year to everybody.

2013, promises to be another interesting year for our society, our first speaker is Stephen Halstead, one of our own
members, Stephen will be giving a film show on United States Airforce/Navy Airshows he visited in 2012.

Throughout 2013 we have an exciting number of speakers which include 2/3 Ex RAF Pilots who will be giving their
incite into present military flying.

As Mr Paxman might say "Here is a brief reminder of the rules." "The Society meets at the BAE Systems Social Club
(Lightning Club) on the last Thursday of the month at 20.00pm."

[johnhowe]

This is a post report on what turned out be an absolutely fantastic lecture by Sq Leader Roger Vincent RAF Rtd.
Roger is one of those larger than life characters that helps to make the world go round.

Roger after joining the RAF trained on JPs, Gnats, and Hunters, he particularly liked flying the Folland Gnat especially low level in Wales, in an area you may have heard of namely, The Mach Loop as well as The A5 Pass. although a picture paints a thousand words its even better to get the description of what the pilot is doing as he manouvres
his aircraft between the valleys and lakes.

Roger finished flying fast Jets and became an RAF Engineer, after he served several more years in the RAF, he
Joined BAE at Warton, where he was involved in several middle eastern countries becoming involved with Tornados and Hawks.

[johnhowe]

Our Speaker/Lecturer tonight will be one of our own members Stephen, who will be showing us slides and photographs of his recent visits to USAF bases in America. Good job he went last year before squestation takes
hold in 2013.

Advance warning for April, in that months lecture Ian Ferguson an ex RAF Pilot will be describing how
he ejected at a very low height from a Phantom.

Two Retired Phantom Pilots giving lectures this year, I wonder if a certain Typhoon Pilot will find time to
give us a lecture.

[johnhowe]

Due to a heavy cold that has left me somewhat incapacitated over the last few days, I was unable to see Stephen
Halstead's photographic slide show of his recent visits to various museums in The United States Of America. I have
been informed that Stephen put on a very interesting show. Thank you Stephen from all the Society Members you
obviously put in a lot of time and effort.

Our next speaker on Thursday the 25th, April, 2013, is Ian Ferguson (RAF RTd) his talk is entitled "Spared by Five
Seconds." Ian was I think flying an F4 Phantom when he had to eject and the ejection was the lowest and fastest
survivable ejection from a fast jet.

Possibly after going through that experience it was only natural on retiring from the RAF to take up a job in a different kind of ministry, Ian is The Pastor at The Grace Community Church in Blackburn.

[johnhowe]

If at first you don't succeed try try and try again or in the case of our speaker last night 6 times, on the sixth
occasion he was accepted into the RAF, but nothing was easy for Ian Ferguson although he wanted to fly fast jets,
he got chopped and was posted to Oakington to fly Transport Command Aircraft, he was there three weeks, and
the entire course was scrubbed.

Imagine his surprise when he was one of only 12 Pilots to be posted to Leeming to fly Fast Jets, JPs 3& 5s he became an Instructor, eventually he was posted to a Phantom Squadron flying FGR2 in both the UK and Germany

http://www.yorkshire-aircraft.co.uk/air ... xv434.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; THis tells the story of when Ian Ferguson
ejected from a Phantom.

[johnhowe]

Our Annual General Meeting takes place on the Thursday the 30th, May 2013, at 8.00pm in The Lightning Club at Warton, members will be able to put their views on how the society is run and how it can be improved if at all.

No speakers this month.

[johnhowe]

The speaker for Thursday the 27th, June, 2013, is one of our own members Ken Quick. Ken was formerly a Class One Warrant Officer in the RAF and one of his last posts was engineering officer on Snoopy The C130 Hercules used
for meteorlogical tests. Ken was seconded from The RAF to work on the ill fated Nimrod MRA4 Project.

At our AGM Ken was testing out his Laptop and produced some amazing film, ie A C130 flying on one engine, so Ken's Lecture on the 27th June, promises to be another night to remember.

http://www.avrolancashire.co.uk/Home.htm Some of our distinguised members and an insight into our society.

[johnhowe]

What a treat we had this evening, Ken Quick gave a fantastic account of his service in the RAF, which he joined in 1966 to train as an electrical engineer. Ken worked on Varsities, Beverleys, but most of his career was in C130 Hercules. In a talk with lots of anecdotes and laced with a over half a dozen films some promotional from Lockheed Martin, some service films we saw C130s landing on snow and ice others on desert type terrain and most amazingly a Hercules landing on the US Forrestal an Aircraft Carrier, this is on you-tube. altogether a fantastic performance for somebody who has never spoken in public before.

Ken has intimated that he has numerous films and will come and talk to the society again, thanks again well done.

[johnhowe]

One of our members John Wiseman will be giving a presentation of The Omaka Easter Show 2013 ( NZ ) here are some still images of the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic72Aopzx2Y

[johnhowe]

At our next meeting on Thursday the 29th, August, Alan Schofield will be giving a presentation on 613 City Of Manchester Squadron from 1939 through to 1957 Alan is an Aviation Historian and has recently appeared on National
Television.

As always our meetings start at 8.0pm prompt in The Lightning Club at Warton, where the drinks are very inexpensive.

[johnhowe]

This seems to be as good a place as any to inform the club that I won't be attending the August meeting due to a serious log in jury I sustained on the 21st, August at The
NRM at Shildon.

The fact that Mark Bowman cannot attend our September Meeting is even better news for me, as I am away on a Cruise in September for two weeks.

Carole our events co-ordinator is attempting to get another great speaker more about this in the Newsletter.

Frank.

[Mike]

"serious log in jury"

That sounds serious Frank - what happened?