de Havilland Aeronautical Technical School Association

News: Pylon 80 Progress

Published: 26 Mar 08

Pylon 80 has been published! Copies were distributed to those present at our Anniversary Dinner on 14th June. Other members will receive their copy by post.

A number of group photographs are included, as usual - some with unidentified students yet to be named. Ken Watkins is keen to expand further our growing collection of these group photos. Either send Ken a good copy (or an original if you are prepared to lend it to him) or a scan at 600 dpi, with all photos scanned in grayscale, please. Scanned files too large to be emailed can be sent on a CD. In whatever format, please send your photos to:
 

Ken Watkins, 2 Rue de Songeons, 60220 Campeaux, France. Email: braynord@orange.fr

 

Comments

06 Jul 08 12:05   Mike Greenaway from East Grinstead
Many thanks for the latest Pylon and congratulations to all who contributed and compiled it. It evokes so many memories. Have not read all yet but particularly liked the Duncan Simpson and Dave Sparrow articles. Remember being posted to AFDS West Raynham just after the first Hunters arrived and working on the large defence excercises with rapid four minute turn-rounds on the Hunters (re-fuel, re-arm etc). Still have some old photos of a group of pilots in front of their tent and with their cars in the background. Also one of we erks sitting on a bomb trolly. Well remember Wingco Bird-Wilson and him ferrying a Venom without canopy back to West Raynham. Recently heard that he was Guinea Pig Nr2 at the famous McIndoe burns unit at Queen Victoria Hospital which is just along our road. One pilot on the photo was USAF Captain Beck who later had a miraculous escape when his Hunter2 collided with another one. He lost his stbd tailplane and tailcone and the other aircraft lost a wingtip and pitot head. Another aircraft guided it to landing due to lack of ASI. Dave Sparrow's experiences mirror my own in many respects-SDCR Leavesden-Heron spar mods in Jersey with apprentice Ray Pigott-Dove canopy change with John Liddington (first job there-is he still about?) Memories too of Morton's and Leavesden Air Services and the various work he describes. People who work this way are sometimes termed gypsy fitters but we also doubled as GIPSY fitters! Have belatedly joined the net and reget not having done it much earlier.

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