6, Knightwood Close
Reigate, Surrey
RH2 8BE
01737 221814
ICARUS NEWSLETTER Spring 2005
Website
Chairman’s Jottings:
Amongst the “Absent Friends” notified in the last two editions of Touchdown Magazine, and by word-of-mouth, are:
Gerry Brown John Butcher John Cox Peter Edwards Roger Hayes Tony Kimmins Brian Long John Luxton Ron Plowman Harry Randall-Cutler Ian Rowley Jack Tanner Norman Todd Alan Voak
We will miss them and send condolences to their families. Our meetings will not seem the same without Brian Long, who was one of our most regular attendees.
Although Ian Harvey’s death was notified in our last newsletter, you may have seen that his Viking bomb-explosion incident on April 13th 1950 warranted a full-page report in some of the broadsheet newspapers recently, following the release of the secret papers from the National Archives, which related to the subsequent MI5 and MI6 inquiries. Norman Todd, himself a well-decorated pilot, as was Ian Harvey, in both military and civil operations, will be remembered as the Commander of the first commercial
Concorde flight to Bahrain in 1976.
Another two of our late colleagues who have been in the news recently are WallyDurward and Stan Kemp who died, together with two ground engineers, when Viscount G-AOHI crashed on Ben More in the Highlands in January 1973 during an air test. I well remember the event, having been posted to the Viscount at Glasgow as a new command about a month earlier! David Whittick, engineer Bob Elrick and Wally’s son Mike organised, and held, a service at,CrianlarachChurch on January 19th 2005 to dedicate an inscribed cairn, which has been installed in the churchyard in memory of the crew. The service was attended by more than seventy ex-colleagues and family members, who subsequently retired to the local village hall to exchange some memories and to enjoy some Scottish largesse. A picture of the memorial will be on view at our next meeting.
Gatwick based imbibers at The Three Horseshoes north of the airport will be sorry to learn of the recent death of the landlord, Brian Ridge, who was himself a pilot. He started on Vikings with Invicta in the mid 1960s and flew most of Dan-Air’s aircraft types before ending his flying career on the 737 with GB Airways in 1996, becoming a full-time publican having run the pub in his spare time for 16 years!
How time flies when one is involved in the busiest occupation of all (aka retirement!).
It seems no time at all since we were contemplating the millennium celebrations and yet, here we are, already halfway through the subsequent decade. The world has evolved in many ways, some good, some bad, during that time.and sSimilarly, our Airline has had to change to remain in business. Thank goodness those ghastly tails have more or less disappeared and the aircraft now look smart and standardised when lined up at the terminals following their early morning arrivals from all points of the globe. On the short-haul side the most obvious change is the move from a predominantly Boeing fleet to a predominantly Airbus fleet and the flexibility that the A319/320/321 mix allows must bring benefits, both commercially and operationally, in this cut-throat business. If you’ve driven past the west side of Heathrow you will have seen that Terminal 5 is advancing well and will certainly improve the operation if plans to combine all BA services into the one terminal come to fruition in 2008.
Thanks to all of you that managed to respond to my request for a large turnout at our meeting in October last. Terry Lakin and Dennis Southgate were appropriately rewarded for their many years of service with the presentation of a case of wine each, and it was good to have Peter McKeown in attendance to do the honours.
On the committee we have been fortunate to have enjoyed the services of Ken Byatt but he has recently been finding the journey from Hythe, on the far side of Southampton Water, rather tiresome and has asked to step down from the position.
We are therefore looking for a stalwart to replace Ken and look forward to someone volunteering to take his place. It really only involves assisting with occasional mail shots and helping out at the members meetings twice per year. It does mean free beer for the evening, so it is not all bad! If you feel that you could help out please contact me (contact details above) and you will be made most welcome by the other committee members.
Ex-Hamble members, don’t forget the reunion on 29th April at BAe social club, Hamble. If you haven’t already notified your intention to attend to the organiser (Phil Nelson) just let me know and I’ll pass the information to him on your behalf.
Hopefully we will see many old faces at the next meeting on Thursday April 14th , not the 15th, which my lack of IT skills inadvertently told “Touchdown”!
Steve Wand
On behalf of the Icarus Committee
People News compiled by Keith Lakin
One of the first e-mails we received following the last Newsletter was from Pat Russell who, like many others, wanted to add his thanks to Terry and Dennis for the sterling job they have done over the years. He also confirmed the story regarding his old friend Ian Bashall’srepeated exits from crashed Argosiey’s, adding that yes he really did say after one such incident, “Follow me chaps, I know the way!”
Patwas setting off on a ‘World Tour’ withplans to visit relatives and friends along the way. After touring the Caribbean, the US and Hawaii he hoped to visit NZ and then, over the Christmas period, share a glass or two of champers with Mike Taylor (Crew Admin Supt BHX) and his family in Australia. Equipped only with an amazing ‘dongle’ (youwere always a man to be envied Pat!) which is a USB Flash Drive gizmo the size of a cigarette lighter, he can keep in email contact with friends on
Recently returned, Pat tells us that in fact hurricane Ivan had caused a little rescheduling!
Also last autumn, we heard from Stan Sickelmore, who finds the Newsletter interesting but often sad when he reads of the loss of dear friends like Ross Pleasance, who with Tony Allenby helped him run Gibraltar Airways, during the time the new runway at Tangiers was being built. They were chosen because they still had valid Dakota endorsements on their licences. He mentioned that he attended Johnnie John’s funeral with Tony Angus, Tommy Quirke, Sammy Baker and Frank Warren.
On a more cheerful note he reports that in his 83rd year he is quite well (apart from a bit of arthritis) and spends quite a lot of time in Australia with his son and family and NZ with his grandson and great grandson. Stan used to stop off in Sydney to visit his wartime Wop/Ag. who was with his crew throughout his operations with 138 Squadron during 1944. Sadly he has now died, but he still visits his Rear Gunner who lives near his son in Queensland. He was hoping to see his old Navigator, Bomb Aimer and Engineer, for their annual weekend get together, near their old base at Tempsford Airfield, and feel the strong bond they formed all those years ago.
As a member of the British Airlift Association (226 flights from Wunsdorf to Gatow and back in 1948/9) he and was invited to join No. 10 Squadron on a flight refuelling exercise. This is usually a 4 hour trip with the chance to take photos and admire the precision flying while refuelling Jaguars and Tornados. Yes, he’s been several times before! Stan would be happy to hear from old colleagues who can email him at
Terry Buckland who retired from the B777 in July ‘04 e-mailed to say that after two weeks he had joined the CAA as a Flight Ops Inspector. Being a trainee aged 55 aint easy he reckons but after a 13 week course and then an A320 conversion he found it ‘good stuff’. He now just needs to get used to the joys of shorthaul!
Colin Wright, like several others, wrote to say that the last Icarus meeting had clashed with the GAPAN Awards dinner at the Guildhall. (Yes Colin, the Guild is hoping that it can be avoided in future as it reduces their numbers! Too! Ed.)Colin not only finds the Newsletter of interest, but is amazed to see that so many of the old hands are still alive… including him!
Keen sailorIan Hannaye-mailed to say that over the last 3½ years he has done 20,000 miles in his 40’ schooner Melina. Starting up the west coast of Scotland then down the Irish west coast to Cornwall, before crossing to Brittany and south to Spain, Portugal and Gib. From there down to Morocco, the Canaries and on to Senegal and the Gambia before sailing to the Caribbean with stops at Porto Rico and Cuba. After the intercostal waterway to Maine via Norfolk and Long Island they returned to the Virgin Islands. In Anguilla he found Charm III, a schooner that he had owned with his brother Alastair, years before and which is now one of the leading yachts at the annual Antigua Classic Regatta. He sailed on her in the races, 40 years after last sailing her over to Norway. Last May they set off back across the Atlantic, calling at Bermuda the Azores and Brittany, and is now back on the Hamble for a refit, before more adventures.
Alan Bailey was sorry to miss to the last meeting as he was at his apartment in Arosa, Switzerland, where he spends much of the skiing season. Although he recently flew a Super Cub he has decided to give up light aircraft flying and has sold his share in a Tiger Moth. He hopes to join us in April.
Steve received a message from Brian Weaver who he’s known since they flew the Comet together… some time ago. Brian left BA in 1982 and went to TheologicalCollege, followed by 3 years Curacy at Nailsea and 10 years as Rector of Nettlebed, Bix, Highmoor and Pishill. Several pilots have been part of his ‘flock’ and while at Nettlebed he saw a few BA folk who came to die at the Terminal Cancer Home. He also buried Capt Nick Carter of Vanguard fame. He is now happily retired in Warfield where he helps out at the local church, and where he conducted the funeral of Jimmy Thain’s wife Ruby. It took him back to Feb 1958 and the Munich disaster.
Brian enjoys his golf and can be seen at The Berkshire, where, being a Clergyman, he has membership. Just one of the perks of wearing a dog collar! He sends his blessings.
Pat Bryiant sent news of his sailing exploits. In 2001 he sailed across the Atlantic in his Prout 38 catamaran Catspaw but was forbidden by his wife Liz, to go through the Panama Canal! They now spend about 7 months on the boat each year, ranging the east coast of the US and Canada with forays to the southern tip of the Bahamas. On a recent trip, they left their chilly Beaufort NC berth and hurried south to Florida, where Steveand MaggieWhite joined them for a month, before ‘jumping ship’ in the Bahamas. They continued south to the Jumentos, which apart from Duncan Town, 60 miles north of Cuba, are uninhabited and offer idyllic and deserted anchorages. Sadly they had to head back to MarshHarbour in the Abacos where various family members for some unknown reason wanted to join them for the ‘holidays’. While there, they bumped into Jim and Joyce Munro on their cat. ‘Flying Fortress’. Jim is well and when not sailing plays tennis and organises gigs at the local watering hole, singing and playing his ukulele!
The hurricane season then forced them north and into the heart of WashingtonDC anchoring for free on the Potomac, just 30 mins walk from the White House.
He recommends the new (& free!) SmithsonianAerospaceMuseum at Dulles.
Since then these lucky adventurers have spent October camping in Southern Africa.
Olly Pickmere, who left BA in ‘81 after flying Vanguards & Tridents as a copilot and then Viscounts & 1-11’s as a captain, recently updated us on his post BA career. He initially joined British Air Ferries flying surplus BA Viscounts, out of Ghardaya, a large oasis in the Algerian Sahara. After an interesting year improving his French while flying around the oases he tired of the low safety margins and joined Air Malawi on 1-11’s. Based in Blantyre, the good country and enjoyable flying made up for the poor pay, but he had to leave when all European and S African pilots were replaced with local people. Back in the UK he started up a Courier Company and joined Air Bridge Carriers on Argosies, at East Midlands, flying from there to Shannon and Cologne. That became rather tiring so after 9 months he went to Air Cymru and back on the 1-11 for the summer of ’86, flying charters and helping out B Midland between Leeds & London. Thinking that his flying days were over he was surprised to be asked by a friend, to be the personal pilot of the 5th richest man in the world, a Kuwatii on his 1-11 300.This was good fun, except Kuwait was rather dull and ‘dry’! He was employed by Aravco, a small outfit at LHR south side and they converted him onto the HS125, which he can recommend to anyone. He also carried members of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family. His Arab customers may have keptep them waiting for hours (there were no FTL’s!) but after a win at the Casinos, they would come into the flight deck and give them $1000.
Despite this, when the opportunity arrived, to join Aer Lingus as a First Officer on
1-11 200’s he jumped at it and had 2 happy years (89-91) with them, living in a seaside suburb of Dublin. The Irish, he recalls, had funny ways. Instrument Ratings were done on the a/c under the hood, and on one occasion flying his manual let down into Amsterdam, the Check Captain said why don’t you put the autopilot in. After asking if that was allowed, he was told, ‘Of course, many people have failed using the autopilot’!
He finally retired in his 65th year and has learned not only to speak Thaibut also to read and write the language to keep his brain active! He’s looking forward to seeing everyone on April 14th. Likewise Olly.(My 4 a/c & 1 outfit career now seems quite ordinary! Ed.)
We had a brief ‘where are they now’ update from John Richards, who tells us that he has now retired from Korean Air and is ‘enjoying the fruits of his labours’! He mentioned that a 1/36 scale, die cast model of a Hamble Chipmunk is about to be made, in fine detail. It will be based on G-ARMG, about which he has commented before!
We seldom have ads. in the Newsletter, but we understand that Keith Godfreyhas not only written about people’s fear of flying, but he also has a very interesting website at: Another website you may be interested in is one which caters for airline folk looking for holiday accommodation from Anguilla to Zimbabwe. Owned by two ex BA staff and one BA wife, it can provide direct contact to the properties and offers discounts to retired staff. It can be found on
From websites to our own web master Alan Marshall, who would like to suggest to any of you who receive a Newsletter unexpectedly by post, that it is probably because youthey have not updated us with youtheir new e-mail address. Yet.
We have had an amusing e-mail from Bernard Taylor recalling an incident from his first year in BEA when, as a Pionair (DC3) co-pilot, he was flying with Capt NoelClark, on a 6 day ‘Irish Sea Tour’. This involved 4 to 6 sector days, flying between Belfast,
The Isle of Man, Liverpool and Glasgow before returning to London. The airport at Belfast in those days was Nutts Corner and their schedule called for them to take lunch there. The woman who ran the bookstall near the ‘dining area’ used to let crews borrow magazines to read while they waited for their meals.
On this occasion, Bernard’s magazine happened to have on the back cover, an advertisement featuring ‘Noddy’, the character in the series of children’s stories. Noel saw this and remarked that he really must buy some new Noddy books for his young son because not only did his son know all the books by heart… but so did he! Accepting a challenge to prove it, Noel started on the story about Noddy, Big Ears and Mr Wobblewhere a bad fairy put a spell on Noddy’s little red car, which then squeaked so much that no one would ride with him… Half way through this sad tale, they looked up to see a stunned waitress with a tray of food, looking down at a BEA Captain telling his attentive crew a Noddy story…
Finally for those of you who have happy memories of flying Harvards in days gone by, or indeed for anyone who would like to get their hands on one, I bring good news.