News
March 2, 2010 - Monthly Update
It has been another busy month in the Classic Flight hangar at Coventry and our plans to turn Hangar 7 into our AI
RBASE visitors centre continue apace. On Friday we took delivery of a wonderful photograph of East Berlin taken from our Pembroke during its service with 60Sqn at RAF Wildenrath in West Germany. The image, along with a variety of other material, has been donated to AIRBASE by the Medmenham Club and was delivered by Peter Jefferies and Mike Mockford. They were joined at Coventry by fellow members Chris and Christine Halsall and presented the image to Classic Flight’s new CEO Trevor Bailey. It will form a fascinating display alongside Pembroke XL954 in the AIRBASE centre – telling the little-told story of how this communications aircraft served as a secret ‘spyplane’ for many years.
Elsewhere in the hangar the restoration of Proctor G-AKIU is coming on leap-and-bounds. The aircraft now has its cowlings, propeller and spinner fitted and is fully painted. The British weather has kept the fleet mostly grounded this month although we have been busy at work in the hangar. Rapide G-AGTM is approaching the end of its Star Annual check, the Chipmunk is now ready to undergo its CofA Renewal Air Test and the Prentice has been undergoing high-power engine runs in readiness for its first flight of the year. The Devon has also just entered the hangar for its scheduled maintenance in readiness for the year ahead.
It is now looking unlikely that we will be able to fly the DC-6 in 2010 due to the cost of the repairs necessary to the corrosion found last winter. However, the aircraft is now ensconced in Hangar 7 (right) and undergoing work to fit seats and a cabin interior. It is our intention to make the aeroplane available for ‘1950s experience’ taxi-rides at Coventry as part of the attractions on offer at AIRBASE. More details will be available soon, along with the details of the discount Classic Flight Club members will receive off these unusual rides. Please contact the office to reserve a place on the first rides of the year – which we plan for early May.
This week we have flown the Chipmunk (left) and Prentice for the first time this year. Rapide G-AIDL is also due to take to the skies on a crew training sortie or two and Venom G-VENM has just departed to North Weald (below).
Although work continues on our 2010 Dragon Rapide tour we can now confirm the first pleasure flying dates for the year. We will have the Dragon Rapide at Kemble on May 8-9 for the Great Vintage Flying Weekend event and three weeks later we will be spending the Spring Bank Holiday weekend (May 29-31) at Blackpool. The following weekend the Rapide will be pleasure flying from Perth, Scotland for the ‘Heart of Scotland’ airshow on June 5-6 and we hope to visit a couple of other Scottish airfields whilst we are north of the border.
On June 19-20 the Rapide will be pleasure flying at the Cotswold Airshow at Kemble and the following weekend Rapide G-AIDL will (subject to serviceability) be pleasure flying at the 100th anniversary of Halfpenny Green airfield celebrations. ‘Delta Lima’ has been chosen especially as she operated from Halfpenny Green during the 1960s and the Prentice will be on static display. On July 24-25 we will be at Swansea and on July 31 & August 1 we will have both Rapides flying from Shoreham to mark their centenary. A fortnight later, on August 21-22, we will be pleasure flying from the Sywell Airshow and we will then be despatching a Rapide to Jersey from September 8-11 and Guernsey from September 11-12. Finally, for now, we will be at the Battle of Britain airshow at Kemble on September 18-19.
Of course we will be adding many more dates to the calendar as year progresses and we hope to start pleasure flying in mid-April. Don’t forget that members of the Classic Flight Club get 25% discount on these flights – including those flights they book for family and friends.
We will also have pleasure flying opportunities at AIRBASE as soon as the centre is c
ompleted and the airport fully licensed and your discount will apply here too.
We also have our first airshow bookings of the year with the Anson displaying at Perth on June 5-6 and the Anson and Dakota displaying at Sywell on August 22. We will also have a special enclosure at Sywell for Classic Flight Club members to enjoy what is becoming one of the best and most relaxed airshows on the circuit. We will also have our enclosure at Kemble again for the Cotswold Airshow on June 19-20 and hope to see as many of your as we did last year (or even more!). This will provide a good opportunity to see our jets in action as the airshow has booked our Vampire, two Venoms, Meteor and Jet Provost to display alongside the Anson.
There has been significant interest in our aeroplanes from airshow organisers and we are quietly optimistic that it will be a busy year for us.
As well as booking airshows and pleasure flying venues as well as planning AIRBASE the office staff are also keeping busy in other ways. We now have a Standing Order system in place for Classic Flight Club members who want to renew their membership in monthly instalments rather than in a lump sum. Commercial Manager Steve Bridgewater has also re-written the ‘Aircraft of the Classic Flight’ book project and it will shortly be despatched to the printers. It is expected to be available on or around May 1.
Finally artist Jonathan Margetts has generously produced another wonderful painting of our aeroplanes – in this case the two Dragon Rapides in formation. This will shortly be available as a print from the Classic Flight Club online shop, along with the other paintings he has produced for us to date.
February 11, 2010 - Classic Flight takes to the skies
As the weather starts to improve the Classic Flight aircraft are beginning to flex their muscles and take to the skies.
Two of our DC-3s have been flying within the last week. Jon Corley and crew took the radome equipped G-ANAF over to Northamptonshire yesterday for trials work and last week Jon flew G-AMPY across to East Midlands Airport. He was joined by Dakota ‘expert’ Kath Burnham and took the opportunity to undertake some pre-season training, including a couple of ILS approaches. ‘PY looked resplendent in the winter sun as she climbed away from Coventry – despite a false start due to winter blues Mag drops!
Dragon Rapide G-AIDL fared less well however. She was due to undertake a training sortie and pilot rating renewal with Ben Cox but suffered an incurable Mag drop whilst at the hold. She had to return to the hangar and is being worked on as these words are written.
This morning Jon Corley blasted off into the blue yonder yet again – this time at the controls of de Havilland Venom G-DHVM. He was delivering it to North Weald for maintenance and will be returning later having collected our other Venom (G-VENM) from the same airfield.
The hangar is now a hive of activity with both Rapides undergoing work in preparation for the season. Our DHC-1 Chipmunk has also been undertaking engine runs this week in preparation for its first flight of the 2010 season. It may be cold outside, but things are hotting up at Classic Flight HQ!
January 28, 2010 - January update
Well, we’re rapidly approaching the end of another month here at the Classic Flight.
Much of our time since Christmas has been spent liaising with airshow organisers around Europe negotiating bookings for the 2010 
season. If we can turn just a fraction of the quotes into firm bookings we are facing a busy year – so fingers crossed.
Yesterday saw Shackleton WR963 fire into life for a scheduled engine run – and we’re grateful for the attached photographs provided by Karl Drage from Global Aviation Review.
Coventry Airport is now open, but remains unlicensed until a deal is finally signed between the airport owners (Coventry City Council) and a new operator. This means we can now fly but cannot carry passengers – but then again, we had no plans to do so until April at the earliest!
We were snowbound for a few days – which did make for some very spectacular photo opportunities. 
Luckily most of our aeroplanes were tucked away in the hangar though. Speaking of the hangar... Despite the bitterly cold weather the engineers have been working their socks off to ensure the fleet are in tip-top condition for the year ahead.
Major work has included an annual check on the Prentice which required new fuel prime hoses. The Pembroke has also been stripped down for a major check and was found to be in mostly good health, despite a few minor issues with the engines and propellers. The major problem we have had is the availability of replacement tailplane attachment bolts and we are still searching the globe (quite literally) for replacements...
Late last year we suffered an engine problem on DC-3 G-AMPY and an engine was ‘borrowed’ from G-AMRA to keep her flying. A spare engine has now been sourced in the USA (at a cost of $60,000!) and was put into a container last week. Other ongoing DC-3 work involves check and undercarriage swap on G-ANAF.
The Dove is serviceable and the Anson has just been the recipient of a replacement pneumatic accumulator to return it to airworthy condition. Rapide G-AGTM began her Star Annual last week and the x-rays on DC-6 G-APSA have now been conducted. These have revealed the extent of the corrosion repairs necessary and we have now asked several companies to quote on the work required to return the ‘Cloudmaster’ to the skies. We will update more when the quotes come in and a decision is made.
The Jet Provost T.3 flew up to Harwarden today for its scheduled maintenance – with Jon Corley and John Dodd at the controls. They are due to fly back in later today in another ‘JP’.
Plans for the Visitor Centre (working name now “AIRBASE”) continue apace and a fence is currently being constructed outside the CFC office, this making Hangar 7 ‘landside’ (and easier to access). We have recently been offered some very interesting artefacts for inclusion in the centre and we remain on the look-out for suitable objects (and aircraft?) to furnish the hangar.
Further plans are in place but our hands are tied until a deal is signed with the new airport operator. As soon as we know who to negotiate with we should be able to move forward. We still anticipate an opening date in April...
April should also see the first of our pleasure flying weekends take place, with an event pencilled in for April 17-18.
This evening Steve Bridgewater, our Commercial Manager, is lecturing about the Classic Flight at the Solent Aviation Society in Southampton. We do have limited availability for evening lectures so if you know of a group or organisation that would benefit from a guest speaker please do drop us a line.
Finally, we recently bid farewell to Alistair Rivers, who departs the Classic Flight for ‘pastures new’. We wish Alistair well for the future and hope we will still see him at events during the season.
As ever, we’re always on the end of e-mail or the telephone if you would like to make contact with us. We hope to see you at Coventry at some point during 2010.
January 8, 2010 - Happy New Year from the Classic Flight Club
Happy New Year to you all. We trust you had an enjoyable Christmas and are looking forward to 2010.
The Classic Flight team returned to work on Monday January 4th but the inclement weather at Coventry has restricted our operations somewhat – although we have managed to keep the office open all week with skeletal staff.
Even today the airport remains closed with several inches of snow on the taxiways and main runway – but at least it makes an attractive backdrop for photographs!
Consequently there’s not much to report at this stage, with our Cessna 152 G-HART being the only aeroplane to venture skywards so far this year (with our intrepid cadet pilot Paul Myers at the he
lm).
Elsewhere on site plans for our Visitor Centre in Hangar 7 continue apace and we think you’ll be as excited as us when you next walk into the hangar.
We’d also like to thank those Classic Flight Club members who have rejoined so far – your ongoing support is so vital to what we are trying to achieve here at Coventry. If you are not a member yet, and feel like doing a ‘good turn’ as part of your New Year Resolution why not give us a try in 2010?
Full details are on this website but feel free to call the team on 02476 882616 with any queries... 2010 looks like being a very interesting and fun year for all involved – we’d love to have you along for the journey!
December 24, 2009 - Merry Christmas from the Classic Flight Club
On behalf of the entire Classic Flight Club team - Mike, Alistair, Steve, Debi & Sue - we'd like to wish all members a very Merry Christmas. It's been an eventful year and we look forward to seeing you all again at some point in 2010. Thank you for your ongoing support. The Classic Flight Club office is now closed until 09.00 on Monday January 4th.
Best wishes from everyone at CFC.
December 23, 2009 - Dak Home to Roost - Farewell John Reeve
Today we 
welcomed back an old friend and said farewell to another. Douglas Dakota G-AMPY / KK116 flew back to CFC HQ today after a few weeks enforced absence due to Coventry Airport whilst was closed.
The aeroplane had been kept at nearby Wellesbourne Mountford aerodrome but flew home to the roost today with Jon Corley and Ben Cox at the controls. En route they formatted on our Cessna 152 ‘hack’ (ably flown by Ca.JPG)
det Pilot Paul Myers) and Steve Bridgewater snapped the accompanying photos over the wintery Warwickshire countryside.
‘Papa Yankee’s’ return to Coventry
John has bee
n with us for nearly fourteen and a half years and has finally given into the temptation of retirement.
We’re not sure how we’ll cope without him but as these words are typed the office is awash with food, drink and merriment as we bid him a fond farewell.
Congratulations on your retirement John – we’ll miss you.
December 22, 2009 - Exclusive Book Offer for CFC Members
Classic Flight Club member [and respected aviation author] is offering fellow members a special discount on his latest book.
Says Peter: “I have written and will shortly be publishing a new 128-page hardback book, with over 80 colour and black & white photographs, to mark the centenary of Sir George White forming what was to become the Bristol Aeroplane Company on 19 February 1910. ‘Boxkite to Concorde - One Hundred Years of Bristol Aircraft’ recounts the Bristol story from the flimsy biplanes at the dawn of British aviation, distinctive fighters and bombers in two World Wars, piston and jet aero-engine development, helicopters, transports, airliners, guided missiles and space satellites, culminating in the supersonic Concorde.
“Over the past 50 years I consider myself privileged to have seen, photographed and written about many of the amazing types of aircraft that have carried the Bristol/BAC name, from the Boxkite, through the M1C, F2B Fighter, Bulldog, Blenheim, Beaufort, Beaufighter, Brigand, Buckmaster, Freighter, Sycamore, Brabazon, Britannia, Types 173, 188, 192, 221 to the Concorde. And I am not forgetting the superb engines like the Jupiter, Mercury, Hercules, Centaurus, Proteus, Olympus and revolutionary Pegasus.
“It was therefore inevitable that my 70th aviation book should be this ‘Bristol Story’ - a reflection in words and pictures of the aircraft and aero-engines that have put Filton and Bristol on the world aviation map since the great entrepreneur and visionary Sir George White first established the British and Colonial Aircraft Company. ‘Boxkite to Concorde’ will go on sale (RRP £9.99) towards the end of February. I am pleased to make a special pre-publication discount offer to fellow members of the Classic Flight Club. If you place an order before the end of January 2010 you can obtain your copy for £8.99 POST FREE. Just send a crossed cheque for £8.99 per copy to PRM Aviation, 25 Sabrina Way, Bristol BS9 1ST.”
December 21, 2009 - It's cold in Coventry!
It’s freezing again at Coventry 
ering of snow over the weekend and the apron looks like a winter wonderland.
Luckily most of the Classic Flight aeroplanes are tucked up in the warm hangar but the larger machines, such as the DC-6, are braving the worst of the weather out on the ramp. We thought you’d appreciate a few wintery photos this morning.
In the hangar
this morning there was an unrivalled opportunity to peruse a plethora of pleasant Percivals. The Percival Proctor now has her cowlings fitted [and looks simply gorgeous] and she has been joined in Hangar 7 by the Percival Proctor, Percival Pembroke and the [Hunting] Percival Jet Provost.
The latest update on the airport situation is that the runway is now open but unlicensed. There have been a number of General Aviation aircraft movements this morning but we currently have no plans to fly any Classic Flight aircraft between now and the end of the year [but if this changes we will endeavour to update this site with news as it happens].
If required we can now conduct test flights or crew currency trips but we are still unable to carry passengers. Luckily our 2009 pleasure flying calendar is now complete and the airport limitations meant we lost just two days worth of fare paying passengers. Had this happened in the height of summer it might have been different story… We await future developments at the airport but are pressing on with the redevelopment of Hangar 7 into our new Visitors Centre.
The CFC office will be open until 17.00 on December 23rd and then re-opens at 09.00 on Monday January 4th.
It has been another busy month in the Classic Flight hangar at Coventry and our plans to turn Hangar 7 into our AIRBASE visitors centre continue apace. On Friday we took delivery of a wonderful photograph of East Berlin taken from our Pembroke during its service with 60Sqn at RAF Wildenrath in West Germany. The image, along with a variety of other material, has been donated to AIRBASE by the Medmenham Club and was delivered by Peter Jefferies and Mike Mockford. They were joined at Coventry by fellow members Chris and Christine Halsall and presented the image to Classic Flight’s new CEO Trevor Bailey. It will form a fascinating display alongside Pembroke XL954 in the AIRBASE centre – telling the little-told story of how this communications aircraft served as a secret ‘spyplane’ for many years.
Elsewhere in the hangar the restoration of Proctor G-AKIU is coming on leap-and-bounds. The aircraft now has its cowlings, propeller and spinner fitted and is fully painted. The British weather has kept the fleet mostly grounded this month although we have been busy at work in the hangar. Rapide G-AGTM is approaching the end of its Star Annual check, the Chipmunk is now ready to undergo its CofA Renewal Air Test and the Prentice has been undergoing high-power engine runs in readiness for its first flight of the year. The Devon has also just entered the hangar for its scheduled maintenance in readiness for the year ahead.
It is now looking unlikely that we will be able to fly the DC-6 in 2010 due to the cost of the repairs necessary to the corrosion found last winter. However, the aircraft is now ensconced in Hangar 7 (right) and undergoing work to fit seats and a cabin interior. It is our intention to make the aeroplane available for ‘1950s experience’ taxi-rides at Coventry as part of the attractions on offer at AIRBASE. More details will be available soon, along with the details of the discount Classic Flight Club members will receive off these unusual rides. Please contact the office to reserve a place on the first rides of the year – which we plan for early May.
This week we have flown the Chipmunk (left) and Prentice for the first time this year. Rapide G-AIDL is also due to take to the skies on a crew training sortie or two and Venom G-VENM has just departed to North Weald (below).
Although work continues on our 2010 Dragon Rapide tour we can now confirm the first pleasure flying dates for the year. We will have the Dragon Rapide at Kemble on May 8-9 for the Great Vintage Flying Weekend event and three weeks later we will be spending the Spring Bank Holiday weekend (May 29-31) at Blackpool. The following weekend the Rapide will be pleasure flying from Perth, Scotland for the ‘Heart of Scotland’ airshow on June 5-6 and we hope to visit a couple of other Scottish airfields whilst we are north of the border.
On June 19-20 the Rapide will be pleasure flying at the Cotswold Airshow at Kemble and the following weekend Rapide G-AIDL will (subject to serviceability) be pleasure flying at the 100th anniversary of Halfpenny Green airfield celebrations. ‘Delta Lima’ has been chosen especially as she operated from Halfpenny Green during the 1960s and the Prentice will be on static display. On July 24-25 we will be at Swansea and on July 31 & August 1 we will have both Rapides flying from Shoreham to mark their centenary. A fortnight later, on August 21-22, we will be pleasure flying from the Sywell Airshow and we will then be despatching a Rapide to Jersey from September 8-11 and Guernsey from September 11-12. Finally, for now, we will be at the Battle of Britain airshow at Kemble on September 18-19.
Of course we will be adding many more dates to the calendar as year progresses and we hope to start pleasure flying in mid-April. Don’t forget that members of the Classic Flight Club get 25% discount on these flights – including those flights they book for family and friends.
We will also have pleasure flying opportunities at AIRBASE as soon as the centre is completed and the airport fully licensed and your discount will apply here too.
We also have our first airshow bookings of the year with the Anson displaying at Perth on June 5-6 and the Anson and Dakota displaying at Sywell on August 22. We will also have a special enclosure at Sywell for Classic Flight Club members to enjoy what is becoming one of the best and most relaxed airshows on the circuit. We will also have our enclosure at Kemble again for the Cotswold Airshow on June 19-20 and hope to see as many of your as we did last year (or even more!). This will provide a good opportunity to see our jets in action as the airshow has booked our Vampire, two Venoms, Meteor and Jet Provost to display alongside the Anson.
There has been significant interest in our aeroplanes from airshow organisers and we are quietly optimistic that it will be a busy year for us.
As well as booking airshows and pleasure flying venues as well as planning AIRBASE the office staff are also keeping busy in other ways. We now have a Standing Order system in place for Classic Flight Club members who want to renew their membership in monthly instalments rather than in a lump sum. Commercial Manager Steve Bridgewater has also re-written the ‘Aircraft of the Classic Flight’ book project and it will shortly be despatched to the printers. It is expected to be available on or around May 1.
Finally artist Jonathan Margetts has generously produced another wonderful painting of our aeroplanes – in this case the two Dragon Rapides in formation. This will shortly be available as a print from the Classic Flight Club online shop, along with the other paintings he has produced for us to date.
It has been another busy month in the Classic Flight hangar at Coventry and our plans to turn Hangar 7 into our AIRBASE visitors centre continue apace. On Friday we took delivery of a wonderful photograph of East Berlin taken from our Pembroke during its service with 60Sqn at RAF Wildenrath in West Germany. The image, along with a variety of other material, has been donated to AIRBASE by the Medmenham Club and was delivered by Peter Jefferies and Mike Mockford. They were joined at Coventry by fellow members Chris and Christine Halsall and presented the image to Classic Flight’s new CEO Trevor Bailey. It will form a fascinating display alongside Pembroke XL954 in the AIRBASE centre – telling the little-told story of how this communications aircraft served as a secret ‘spyplane’ for many years.
Elsewhere in the hangar the restoration of Proctor G-AKIU is coming on leap-and-bounds. The aircraft now has its cowlings, propeller and spinner fitted and is fully painted. The British weather has kept the fleet mostly grounded this month although we have been busy at work in the hangar. Rapide G-AGTM is approaching the end of its Star Annual check, the Chipmunk is now ready to undergo its CofA Renewal Air Test and the Prentice has been undergoing high-power engine runs in readiness for its first flight of the year. The Devon has also just entered the hangar for its scheduled maintenance in readiness for the year ahead.
It is now looking unlikely that we will be able to fly the DC-6 in 2010 due to the cost of the repairs necessary to the corrosion found last winter. However, the aircraft is now ensconced in Hangar 7 (right) and undergoing work to fit seats and a cabin interior. It is our intention to make the aeroplane available for ‘1950s experience’ taxi-rides at Coventry as part of the attractions on offer at AIRBASE. More details will be available soon, along with the details of the discount Classic Flight Club members will receive off these unusual rides. Please contact the office to reserve a place on the first rides of the year – which we plan for early May.
This week we have flown the Chipmunk (left) and Prentice for the first time this year. Rapide G-AIDL is also due to take to the skies on a crew training sortie or two and Venom G-VENM has just departed to North Weald (below).
Although work continues on our 2010 Dragon Rapide tour we can now confirm the first pleasure flying dates for the year. We will have the Dragon Rapide at Kemble on May 8-9 for the Great Vintage Flying Weekend event and three weeks later we will be spending the Spring Bank Holiday weekend (May 29-31) at Blackpool. The following weekend the Rapide will be pleasure flying from Perth, Scotland for the ‘Heart of Scotland’ airshow on June 5-6 and we hope to visit a couple of other Scottish airfields whilst we are north of the border.
On June 19-20 the Rapide will be pleasure flying at the Cotswold Airshow at Kemble and the following weekend Rapide G-AIDL will (subject to serviceability) be pleasure flying at the 100th anniversary of Halfpenny Green airfield celebrations. ‘Delta Lima’ has been chosen especially as she operated from Halfpenny Green during the 1960s and the Prentice will be on static display. On July 24-25 we will be at Swansea and on July 31 & August 1 we will have both Rapides flying from Shoreham to mark their centenary. A fortnight later, on August 21-22, we will be pleasure flying from the Sywell Airshow and we will then be despatching a Rapide to Jersey from September 8-11 and Guernsey from September 11-12. Finally, for now, we will be at the Battle of Britain airshow at Kemble on September 18-19.
We will also have pleasure flying opportunities at AIRBASE as soon as the centre is completed and the airport fully licensed and your discount will apply here too.
We also have our first airshow bookings of the year with the Anson displaying at Perth on June 5-6 and the Anson and Dakota displaying at Sywell on August 22. We will also have a special enclosure at Sywell for Classic Flight Club members to enjoy what is becoming one of the best and most relaxed airshows on the circuit. We will also have our enclosure at Kemble again for the Cotswold Airshow on June 19-20 and hope to see as many of your as we did last year (or even more!). This will provide a good opportunity to see our jets in action as the airshow has booked our Vampire, two Venoms, Meteor and Jet Provost to display alongside the Anson.
As well as booking airshows and pleasure flying venues as well as planning AIRBASE the office staff are also keeping busy in other ways. We now have a Standing Order system in place for Classic Flight Club members who want to renew their membership in monthly instalments rather than in a lump sum. Commercial Manager Steve Bridgewater has also re-written the ‘Aircraft of the Classic Flight’ book project and it will shortly be despatched to the printers. It is expected to be available on or around May 1.
February 11, 2010 - Classic Flight takes to the skies
As the weather starts to improve the Classic Flight aircraft are beginning to flex their muscles and take to the skies.
Two of our DC-3s have been flying within the last week. Jon Corley and crew took the radome equipped G-ANAF over to Northamptonshire yesterday for trials work and last week Jon flew G-AMPY across to East Midlands Airport. He was joined by Dakota ‘expert’ Kath Burnham and took the opportunity to undertake some pre-season training, including a couple of ILS approaches. ‘PY looked resplendent in the winter sun as she climbed away from Coventry – despite a false start due to winter blues Mag drops!
Dragon Rapide G-AIDL fared less well however. She was due to undertake a training sortie and pilot rating renewal with Ben Cox but suffered an incurable Mag drop whilst at the hold. She had to return to the hangar and is being worked on as these words are written.
This morning Jon Corley blasted off into the blue yonder yet again – this time at the controls of de Havilland Venom G-DHVM. He was delivering it to North Weald for maintenance and will be returning later having collected our other Venom (G-VENM) from the same airfield.
The hangar is now a hive of activity with both Rapides undergoing work in preparation for the season. Our DHC-1 Chipmunk has also been undertaking engine runs this week in preparation for its first flight of the 2010 season. It may be cold outside, but things are hotting up at Classic Flight HQ!
As the weather starts to improve the Classic Flight aircraft are beginning to flex their muscles and take to the skies.
Two of our DC-3s have been flying within the last week. Jon Corley and crew took the radome equipped G-ANAF over to Northamptonshire yesterday for trials work and last week Jon flew G-AMPY across to East Midlands Airport. He was joined by Dakota ‘expert’ Kath Burnham and took the opportunity to undertake some pre-season training, including a couple of ILS approaches. ‘PY looked resplendent in the winter sun as she climbed away from Coventry – despite a false start due to winter blues Mag drops!
Dragon Rapide G-AIDL fared less well however. She was due to undertake a training sortie and pilot rating renewal with Ben Cox but suffered an incurable Mag drop whilst at the hold. She had to return to the hangar and is being worked on as these words are written.
This morning Jon Corley blasted off into the blue yonder yet again – this time at the controls of de Havilland Venom G-DHVM. He was delivering it to North Weald for maintenance and will be returning later having collected our other Venom (G-VENM) from the same airfield.
The hangar is now a hive of activity with both Rapides undergoing work in preparation for the season. Our DHC-1 Chipmunk has also been undertaking engine runs this week in preparation for its first flight of the 2010 season. It may be cold outside, but things are hotting up at Classic Flight HQ!
January 28, 2010 - January update
Well, we’re rapidly approaching the end of another month here at the Classic Flight.
Much of our time since Christmas has been spent liaising with airshow organisers around Europe negotiating bookings for the 2010 season. If we can turn just a fraction of the quotes into firm bookings we are facing a busy year – so fingers crossed.
Yesterday saw Shackleton WR963 fire into life for a scheduled engine run – and we’re grateful for the attached photographs provided by Karl Drage from Global Aviation Review.
Coventry Airport is now open, but remains unlicensed until a deal is finally signed between the airport owners (Coventry City Council) and a new operator. This means we can now fly but cannot carry passengers – but then again, we had no plans to do so until April at the earliest!
We were snowbound for a few days – which did make for some very spectacular photo opportunities. Luckily most of our aeroplanes were tucked away in the hangar though. Speaking of the hangar... Despite the bitterly cold weather the engineers have been working their socks off to ensure the fleet are in tip-top condition for the year ahead.
Major work has included an annual check on the Prentice which required new fuel prime hoses. The Pembroke has also been stripped down for a major check and was found to be in mostly good health, despite a few minor issues with the engines and propellers. The major problem we have had is the availability of replacement tailplane attachment bolts and we are still searching the globe (quite literally) for replacements...
Late last year we suffered an engine problem on DC-3 G-AMPY and an engine was ‘borrowed’ from G-AMRA to keep her flying. A spare engine has now been sourced in the USA (at a cost of $60,000!) and was put into a container last week. Other ongoing DC-3 work involves check and undercarriage swap on G-ANAF.
The Dove is serviceable and the Anson has just been the recipient of a replacement pneumatic accumulator to return it to airworthy condition. Rapide G-AGTM began her Star Annual last week and the x-rays on DC-6 G-APSA have now been conducted. These have revealed the extent of the corrosion repairs necessary and we have now asked several companies to quote on the work required to return the ‘Cloudmaster’ to the skies. We will update more when the quotes come in and a decision is made.
The Jet Provost T.3 flew up to Harwarden today for its scheduled maintenance – with Jon Corley and John Dodd at the controls. They are due to fly back in later today in another ‘JP’.
Plans for the Visitor Centre (working name now “AIRBASE”) continue apace and a fence is currently being constructed outside the CFC office, this making Hangar 7 ‘landside’ (and easier to access). We have recently been offered some very interesting artefacts for inclusion in the centre and we remain on the look-out for suitable objects (and aircraft?) to furnish the hangar.
Further plans are in place but our hands are tied until a deal is signed with the new airport operator. As soon as we know who to negotiate with we should be able to move forward. We still anticipate an opening date in April...
April should also see the first of our pleasure flying weekends take place, with an event pencilled in for April 17-18.
This evening Steve Bridgewater, our Commercial Manager, is lecturing about the Classic Flight at the Solent Aviation Society in Southampton. We do have limited availability for evening lectures so if you know of a group or organisation that would benefit from a guest speaker please do drop us a line.
Finally, we recently bid farewell to Alistair Rivers, who departs the Classic Flight for ‘pastures new’. We wish Alistair well for the future and hope we will still see him at events during the season.
As ever, we’re always on the end of e-mail or the telephone if you would like to make contact with us. We hope to see you at Coventry at some point during 2010.
Well, we’re rapidly approaching the end of another month here at the Classic Flight.
season. If we can turn just a fraction of the quotes into firm bookings we are facing a busy year – so fingers crossed.Yesterday saw Shackleton WR963 fire into life for a scheduled engine run – and we’re grateful for the attached photographs provided by Karl Drage from Global Aviation Review.
We were snowbound for a few days – which did make for some very spectacular photo opportunities. Luckily most of our aeroplanes were tucked away in the hangar though. Speaking of the hangar... Despite the bitterly cold weather the engineers have been working their socks off to ensure the fleet are in tip-top condition for the year ahead.
Major work has included an annual check on the Prentice which required new fuel prime hoses. The Pembroke has also been stripped down for a major check and was found to be in mostly good health, despite a few minor issues with the engines and propellers. The major problem we have had is the availability of replacement tailplane attachment bolts and we are still searching the globe (quite literally) for replacements...
Late last year we suffered an engine problem on DC-3 G-AMPY and an engine was ‘borrowed’ from G-AMRA to keep her flying. A spare engine has now been sourced in the USA (at a cost of $60,000!) and was put into a container last week. Other ongoing DC-3 work involves check and undercarriage swap on G-ANAF.
The Jet Provost T.3 flew up to Harwarden today for its scheduled maintenance – with Jon Corley and John Dodd at the controls. They are due to fly back in later today in another ‘JP’.
Further plans are in place but our hands are tied until a deal is signed with the new airport operator. As soon as we know who to negotiate with we should be able to move forward. We still anticipate an opening date in April...
April should also see the first of our pleasure flying weekends take place, with an event pencilled in for April 17-18.
This evening Steve Bridgewater, our Commercial Manager, is lecturing about the Classic Flight at the Solent Aviation Society in Southampton. We do have limited availability for evening lectures so if you know of a group or organisation that would benefit from a guest speaker please do drop us a line.
As ever, we’re always on the end of e-mail or the telephone if you would like to make contact with us. We hope to see you at Coventry at some point during 2010.
January 8, 2010 - Happy New Year from the Classic Flight Club
Happy New Year to you all. We trust you had an enjoyable Christmas and are looking forward to 2010.
The Classic Flight team returned to work on Monday January 4th but the inclement weather at Coventry has restricted our operations somewhat – although we have managed to keep the office open all week with skeletal staff.
Even today the airport remains closed with several inches of snow on the taxiways and main runway – but at least it makes an attractive backdrop for photographs!
Consequently there’s not much to report at this stage, with our Cessna 152 G-HART being the only aeroplane to venture skywards so far this year (with our intrepid cadet pilot Paul Myers at the helm).
Elsewhere on site plans for our Visitor Centre in Hangar 7 continue apace and we think you’ll be as excited as us when you next walk into the hangar.
We’d also like to thank those Classic Flight Club members who have rejoined so far – your ongoing support is so vital to what we are trying to achieve here at Coventry. If you are not a member yet, and feel like doing a ‘good turn’ as part of your New Year Resolution why not give us a try in 2010?
Full details are on this website but feel free to call the team on 02476 882616 with any queries... 2010 looks like being a very interesting and fun year for all involved – we’d love to have you along for the journey!
Today we welcomed back an old friend and said farewell to another. Douglas Dakota G-AMPY / KK116 flew back to CFC HQ today after a few weeks enforced absence due to Coventry Airport whilst was closed.
The aeroplane had been kept at nearby Wellesbourne Mountford aerodrome but flew home to the roost today with Jon Corley and Ben Cox at the controls. En route they formatted on our Cessna 152 ‘hack’ (ably flown by Cadet Pilot Paul Myers) and Steve Bridgewater snapped the accompanying photos over the wintery Warwickshire countryside.
‘Papa Yankee’s’ return to
John has been with us for nearly fourteen and a half years and has finally given into the temptation of retirement.
We’re not sure how we’ll cope without him but as these words are typed the office is awash with food, drink and merriment as we bid him a fond farewell.
Congratulations on your retirement John – we’ll miss you.
Classic Flight Club member [and respected aviation author] is offering fellow members a special discount on his latest book.
Says Peter: “I have written and will shortly be publishing a new 128-page hardback book, with over 80 colour and black & white photographs, to mark the centenary of Sir George White forming what was to become the Bristol Aeroplane Company on 19 February 1910. ‘Boxkite to Concorde - One Hundred Years of Bristol Aircraft’ recounts the Bristol story from the flimsy biplanes at the dawn of British aviation, distinctive fighters and bombers in two World Wars, piston and jet aero-engine development, helicopters, transports, airliners, guided missiles and space satellites, culminating in the supersonic Concorde.
“Over the past 50 years I consider myself privileged to have seen, photographed and written about many of the amazing types of aircraft that have carried the Bristol/BAC name, from the Boxkite, through the M1C, F2B Fighter, Bulldog, Blenheim, Beaufort, Beaufighter, Brigand, Buckmaster, Freighter, Sycamore, Brabazon, Britannia, Types 173, 188, 192, 221 to the Concorde. And I am not forgetting the superb engines like the Jupiter, Mercury, Hercules, Centaurus, Proteus, Olympus and revolutionary Pegasus.
“It was therefore inevitable that my 70th aviation book should be this ‘Bristol Story’ - a reflection in words and pictures of the aircraft and aero-engines that have put Filton and Bristol on the world aviation map since the great entrepreneur and visionary Sir George White first established the British and Colonial Aircraft Company. ‘Boxkite to Concorde’ will go on sale (RRP £9.99) towards the end of February. I am pleased to make a special pre-publication discount offer to fellow members of the Classic Flight Club. If you place an order before the end of January 2010 you can obtain your copy for £8.99 POST FREE. Just send a crossed cheque for £8.99 per copy to PRM Aviation, 25 Sabrina Way, Bristol BS9 1ST.”
ering of snow over the weekend and the apron looks like a winter wonderland. this morning there was an unrivalled opportunity to peruse a plethora of pleasant Percivals. The Percival Proctor now has her cowlings fitted [and looks simply gorgeous] and she has been joined in Hangar 7 by the Percival Proctor, Percival Pembroke and the [Hunting] Percival Jet Provost. December 17, 2009 - Engineering Update
You will no doubt have heard about the [hopefully] temporary restrictions in place at our Coventry base. The airport operating company has been wound up resulting in a short period when the airport was completely closed. Coventry is now open again for unlicensed operations
Although we have completed our flying schedule for 2009 the hangar remains busy as our engineering staff work on the fleet. This morning our Percival Prentice was dragged out into the cold for an engine test. Hopefully the Chipmunk will have an engine run this afternoon.
Elsewhere in the hangar the major check on the Pembroke continues. Engineers are studying the results of x-rays conducted on DC-6 G-APSA to determine what work needs to be done to return her to the air for 2010. Further good news is that a replacement engine has been found for the DC-3 and we are confident she will be back in the air very soon.
Tomorrow we will be dispatching engineers to Exeter to work on Duncan Baker's very rare Howard 500 (N500LN). This highly modified Lockheed Ventura has not flown for some time but we hope that situation is about to change.
106 years ago today Orville Wright made history when he became the first person to fly a powered aeroplane. More than a century later we at the Classic Flight Club remain focused on preserving some of the most important and charistmatic flying machines that have graced our skies.
December 14, 2009 - Night Runs a Success
Although we have completed our flying schedule for 2009 the hangar remains busy as our engineering staff work on the fleet. This morning our Percival Prentice was dragged out into the cold for an engine test. Hopefully the Chipmunk will have an engine run this afternoon.
Elsewhere in the hangar the major check on the Pembroke continues. Engineers are studying the results of x-rays conducted on DC-6 G-APSA to determine what work needs to be done to return her to the air for 2010. Further good news is that a replacement engine has been found for the DC-3 and we are confident she will be back in the air very soon.
Tomorrow we will be dispatching engineers to Exeter to work on Duncan Baker's very rare Howard 500 (N500LN). This highly modified Lockheed Ventura has not flown for some time but we hope that situation is about to change.
106 years ago today Orville Wright made history when he became the first person to fly a powered aeroplane. More than a century later we at the Classic Flight Club remain focused on preserving some of the most important and charistmatic flying machines that have graced our skies.
December 14, 2009 - Night Runs a Success
The long awaited 2009 Classic Flight Night Run event went ahead at Coventry yesterday, despite the current restrictions in place at the airport.
Nearly 70 people braved the cold drizzle and were treated to some wonderful photographic opportunities. Chief Pilot Jon Corley kicked events off at 16.15 with a dramatic cartridge start in one of our de Havilland Venoms - complete with jet of flame from the tailpipe! Ben Cox and Al Walker then took centre stage in DC-3 Dakota G-ANAF, the big red aeroplane lit to great effect by a series of floodlights.
As the evening progressed visitors got the opportunity to see, hear and smell a variety of aeroplanes running at very close quarters. These ranged from the humble Auster to the magnificent Gloster Meteor NF.11 night fighter. Other 'stars' included the Anson, Dragon Rapide, Heron, Chipmunk and Jet Provost T.5.
The Classic Flight Club would like to extend this opportunity to thank everybody who helped make the event a success - our engineering staff who pulled out all the stops to ensure the aeroplanes were serviceable, our Ground Support Team (GST) volunteers who ensured the event ran smoothly and, most importantly, to those of you who turned out to support us. Thank you one and all.
December 12, 2009 - Leonides Donation
We'd like to extend o
ur grateful thanks to Geoff Lowe and his son Chris who today drove all the way from North Wales to deliver an Alvis Leonides engine to CFC HQ at Coventry.
Geoff visited our stand at The Flying Show at the NEC in late November and told us about the Leonides 'project' he had acquired some years ago. He kindly offered to donate the engine, and its stand, to the Classic Flight so loaded it on a trailor and set off from 'Cymru' early this morning.
Geoff and Chris are seen here, with our Commercial Manager Steve Bridgewater, on a bitterly cold Coventry Airport. Thanks Chris!
ur grateful thanks to Geoff Lowe and his son Chris who today drove all the way from North Wales to deliver an Alvis Leonides engine to CFC HQ at Coventry. December 8, 2009 - Meteor Taxi Test Due this afternoon
CFC Heads Up! In preparation for Sunday's upcoming Night Run event our Chief Pilot, Jon Corley, is due to conduct engine tests and taxi trials on our Gloster Meteor NF.11 this afternoon.
Those of you in the Coventry area at around 14.00 today (Tuesday December 8) will hear the airport echoing to the sounds of G-LOSM's Rolls Royce Derwent engines. Back in 1952 G-LOSM was built by Armstrong Whitworth here at Baginton airfield under licence from Gloster Aircraft.
The Meteor is set to be one of the stars of our Night Run event on Sunday and one of our main airshow aircraft in 2010.
Meteor T7
The Meteor T7 which is based at Kemble and currenlty undergoing restoration, is available for viewing via a prearranged visit, every Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Before going along please ensure you have contacted Hal Taylor on 01491 872205 to arrange your visit.
Find out the lastest about the Meteor T7 by clicking here
With effect from the 1st August 2009, the Classic Flight Club telephone number will change to 024 7688 2616.
The old 08703 number will no longer be available after this time.
22nd July 2009
