( This may be my last tale & I hope may be considered worth telling).
A Day to Remember.
In the late 1950s I was involved with RNAS Peregrine, Sussex, an All-Weather Fighter Station, in making an instructional film for the Navy & featuring pilots & their work. Suddenly an opportunity occured to acquire air to air coverage of a completely new aircraft visiting the airfield, the Scimitar. I would get about 15 - 20 minutes of his time if the authorities could provide me with a suitable plane ( + pilot ) to film from. A marvellous coincidence occurs, one of our Hawker Hunters is due down the coast for a rebuild. I'll have use of the plane plus the civilian pilot whilst on his way.
15 - 20 minutes variety of dives, climbs, twists & turns was not helped by absence of radio contact between us - it had already been stripped out. Anyway much of this is fairly routine. Bid farewell to Scimitar & pilot.
Just as well. as we are now into thick cloud.
Flying at varying heights & directions provides no break, visibility remains at nil. Eventually a warning comes from the pilot, who is sitting just ahead of me, to indicate that we are now almost without fuel. The pilot checks me on my training for ' baling out.). I tell him that after he jettisons the canopy I'll pull down the face mask & be projected at high velocity with my seat out of the aircraft --- NO WAY !!!
" This plane has been stripped of all such equipment. You'll have to jump. Press the correct button to leave the seat behind. Make sure it is the correct button - the other is your parachute ! that you DO take with you ! Crouch down upon the seat as soon as I offload the canopy. I'll then tilt the plane over on it's side, onto one wingtip , & then give it a 'flip' to help tip you out. You'd better push yourself out as fast as as you can as I'll be right behind you. Also remember we shall be travelling at an extremely high speed, so protect your face. Also remember to keep your head down to avoid it being hit by the wing !
Google Hawker Hunter for some pix of the plane - very impressive !
( to be continued ).
A Day to Remember.
In the late 1950s I was involved with RNAS Peregrine, Sussex, an All-Weather Fighter Station, in making an instructional film for the Navy & featuring pilots & their work. Suddenly an opportunity occured to acquire air to air coverage of a completely new aircraft visiting the airfield, the Scimitar. I would get about 15 - 20 minutes of his time if the authorities could provide me with a suitable plane ( + pilot ) to film from. A marvellous coincidence occurs, one of our Hawker Hunters is due down the coast for a rebuild. I'll have use of the plane plus the civilian pilot whilst on his way.
15 - 20 minutes variety of dives, climbs, twists & turns was not helped by absence of radio contact between us - it had already been stripped out. Anyway much of this is fairly routine. Bid farewell to Scimitar & pilot.
Just as well. as we are now into thick cloud.
Flying at varying heights & directions provides no break, visibility remains at nil. Eventually a warning comes from the pilot, who is sitting just ahead of me, to indicate that we are now almost without fuel. The pilot checks me on my training for ' baling out.). I tell him that after he jettisons the canopy I'll pull down the face mask & be projected at high velocity with my seat out of the aircraft --- NO WAY !!!
" This plane has been stripped of all such equipment. You'll have to jump. Press the correct button to leave the seat behind. Make sure it is the correct button - the other is your parachute ! that you DO take with you ! Crouch down upon the seat as soon as I offload the canopy. I'll then tilt the plane over on it's side, onto one wingtip , & then give it a 'flip' to help tip you out. You'd better push yourself out as fast as as you can as I'll be right behind you. Also remember we shall be travelling at an extremely high speed, so protect your face. Also remember to keep your head down to avoid it being hit by the wing !
Google Hawker Hunter for some pix of the plane - very impressive !
( to be continued ).
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