Jets Magazine Jets December 2011 Back Issue

This month I really have been
walking in the footsteps of
giants and I’ve met some truly
remarkable individuals.
In mid October Richard Hale (our
proof reader) and I attended the Historic
Aircraft Association’s annual symposium
at the RAF Museum at Hendon, where
I was lucky to meet a number of Jets
Monthly readers. I’m sure those of
you who were there will attest to the
standard of the speakers at this year’s
event – ranging from Captain Terence
Henderson, who spoke about flying both
the Comet and Concorde, to Nigel
Walpole offering a firsthand account of
flying the Supermarine Swift, through to
Ian Whittle speaking about his father, Sir
Frank Whittle’s, career and life.
Jet Pioneer
The theme of this year’s HAA
symposium was the early years of the
jet age so it was fitting (no, exciting!)
to hear keynote lecturer Captain Eric
‘Winkle’ Brown speak candidly about
his experiences flying the pioneering
aircraft. To sit for more than an hour
and hear his vivid memories of flying
the Gloster E.28/39 and Messerschmitt
Me262 was an absolute joy.
I spoke to Captain Brown at lunch
and I have to admit to being awestruck.
It was one of the most memorable ten
minute conversations I think I shall ever
enjoy and I was impressed with both
his power of recollection and dry sense
of humour. As we parted I had to ask
one final, perhaps obvious, question…
If he could go back and fly any one of
the 487 distinct aircraft types in his log
book one final time, which would it be?
A f ter a short moment of
contemplation he looked me in the
eye, smiled widely and said “I’m terribly
sorry Steve but it’s not a jet. Without
a doubt it’s the de Havilland Hornet, it
had so much power. You can never have
enough power in an aeroplane!”
It’s not an aeroplane I’ve ever studied
in any detail, but I shall now. If Eric
Brown says it tops his wish list after 92
years and nearly 500 aeroplanes then
it’s good enough for me!