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Post by lordevanelpuss on Jan 30, 2015 20:06:52 GMT
Where did it take place, When was it, what was it in? Here's my tale. My first ever flight was from Blackbushe and was in February 1973 and the trusty steed was PA28 G-AXSH. A few others that I remember seeing at 'the bushe' that day were A61s G-ARZT, AYDW; Auster G-AIGT; Tipsy Junior G-AMVP (in a hanger as we taxied down, so must have been a 08 departure) WA41 G-ATZS (Still going strong & seen at Popham a few years ago) and PA28 G-BAHE. I was to have another flight in *SH later that year. Other aircraft that I've flown from Blackbushe in are:
1974 Ce172 G-AWEG
1979 Ce150 G-BBNX (may have been *NY)
1979 Ce 206 G-BGWR
1991 DH89 G-AIYR
2000 Ce172 G-SEXI (BBS-GWD-SHM & ret)
2000 Ce150 G-ATEF (BBS-Thruxton & ret) The first of many flights in *EF. Most recent being last year. Nice to see her fly over my house recently.
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Post by billsamuels on Jan 30, 2015 21:03:20 GMT
Well my first flight was from Ramsgate on a pleasure flight in about 1959, don't really remember much of it but my mum told me about it.... might have been a Dragon Rapid, but who knows, and mum has been gone for years now!
When I started to log things down my second flight was on G-AMWW DC-3 Skyways, which was another pleasure flight, from Biggin Hill at the 1965 Air Fair...
Almost 60 years on and I've flown on 59 aircraft types, almost 700 flights, 130 plus round trips across the North Atlantic and I'm well over a million miles flown...
I'm sure there are others who have flown more, and further, but this is my story...
Managed to log 95% of all flights....
Bill
Only managed one flight from BBS, G-RATE Cheetah on a jaunt on 23 April 1995....
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Post by Jeff on Jan 30, 2015 21:06:03 GMT
G-ATPL BAC1-11 LGW-JER
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Post by lordevanelpuss on Jan 30, 2015 21:38:26 GMT
My first airliner flight was our first family holiday abroad and was in September 1976 when we flew LGW - YVR on CP Air DC8 CF-CPT. Returning on the same aircraft four weeks later. There was also an internal flight from Vancouver to Penticton (in BC) Sadly couldn't ID this B737 of Pacific Western. I had noticed such things as fleet numbers in time for the occasion of the return Penticton - Vancouver flight therefore my third Jet airliner flight was on Pacific Western's C-GCPW. Then our return to LGW on CF-CPT. While we were away, the famous heatwave summer of 1976 had well & truly broken down and the brown, parched, seemingly dead lawn we had left behind had become lush, green and looked like it hadn't been touched for much longer than the four weeks we had been away!
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Post by filair on Jan 30, 2015 21:44:31 GMT
Re the Ramsgate flght,there used to be a Piper TriPacer doing pleasure flights there,probably late '50's
I can probably dig out the reg number if required.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2015 0:54:42 GMT
G-AYVG 707-321 Donaldson LGW-Athens 1971
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Post by petervine on Jan 31, 2015 7:56:12 GMT
Nice to know others remember Ramsgate. I visited a number of
times in the mid-50's and fairly sure there would have been
Dragon Rapide(s)there. Think Air Kruise was the operator.
Alas Ramsgate has gone the way of many other fields familiar in
those days such as Portsmouth and Christchurch...........
Peter V.
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Post by graham on Jan 31, 2015 8:37:34 GMT
First ever flight was in a friend of my aunt's light aircraft from Blackbushe, probably around 1970 or so. Pretty certain it was a PA28 and I recall being enthralled. This fellow also owned a tandem two seater glider at Lasham and he took me up in that too later on that same year. Growing up in Basingstoke and Reading meant both fields were within easy distance.
First commercial flight would have been to Washington in 1972 with keithh and daveallum on the forums here, as we grew up together and went to the 1972 EXPO held at Dulles. BCAL B707 if I recall, and no doubt one or both Keith and Dave will know the reg.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2015 10:18:56 GMT
 First flight around 1955 aged 4- my Dad was in the Army stationed in Libya- me and my Mum flew from Blackbushe on an Eagle Airways DC6 I believe to Lyon and then onto Benghazi where we stayed for a few months before moving onto Homs which was near Tripoli. All I remember is my parents mentioning the flight before ours crashed. Whilst en-route our plane got hit by lightning. We flew to Tripoli on an RAF Hastings. Numerous flights since -must be over or very close to a 100. Happy Days Bob 
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Post by graham on Jan 31, 2015 10:36:25 GMT
That's a good question Bob, I wonder how many flights we have all been on and the types of aircraft involved? I certainly won't hijack Lord Evan's thread here but it would be a good question to ask on anew thread.
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Post by keithh on Feb 1, 2015 20:52:41 GMT
Graham's 707 was G-AWWD B707-349C
As for me it was BAC 1 11 509. G-AXYD on a day trip to the Hanover Air Show in May 1970. My first light flight was Cessna172B G-ARLU from Hurn to Compton Abbas in August of the same year.
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Post by zz on Feb 1, 2015 20:58:00 GMT
G-AYVG 707-321 Donaldson LGW-Athens 1971
You've deleted the rest of that... I enjoyed that post, and was considering how my totals measured up... (Mine were lower!) You said 59 different types... How strict are you on a different type? ie. would all 737 models count separately, or as just one type? |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2015 21:02:14 GMT
G-AYVG 707-321 Donaldson LGW-Athens 1971
You've deleted the rest of that... I enjoyed that post, and was considering how my totals measured up... (Mine were lower!) You said 59 different types... How strict are you on a different type? ie. would all 737 models count separately, or as just one type?
You Mean Bills Post...... Im Not that old.......would someone take the spade off me with the hole im digging......
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Post by keithh on Feb 1, 2015 21:02:52 GMT
Graham's 707 was G-AWWD B707-349C As for me it was BAC 1 11 509. G-AXYD on a day trip to the Hanover Air Show in May 1970. My first light flight was Cessna172B G-ARLU from Hurn to Compton Abbas in August of the same year. Counting up I've flown on over fifty types but it depends on how much detail you take into account. For example is a Lindstrand one type or would a 56 and a 77 be count as two. Similarly would you count a BAC 1 11 400 and 1 11 500 as one or two types. If you take the latter then it's much more. Everyone would be different I guess. |
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Post by keithh on Feb 1, 2015 21:04:20 GMT
Graham's 707 was G-AWWD B707-349C As for me it was BAC 1 11 509. G-AXYD on a day trip to the Hanover Air Show in May 1970. My first light flight was Cessna172B G-ARLU from Hurn to Compton Abbas in August of the same year. Counting up I've flown on over fifty types but it depends on how much detail you take into account. For example is a Lindstrand one type or would a 56 and a 77 be count as two. Similarly would you count a BAC 1 11 400 and 1 11 500 as one or two types. If you take the latter then it's much more. Everyone would be different I guess. Great minds think alike zz! |
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Post by keithh on Feb 1, 2015 21:07:55 GMT
Graham's 707 was G-AWWD B707-349C As for me it was BAC 1 11 509. G-AXYD on a day trip to the Hanover Air Show in May 1970. My first light flight was Cessna172B G-ARLU from Hurn to Compton Abbas in August of the same year. 217 flights in all |
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Post by zz on Feb 1, 2015 21:15:59 GMT
Ah sorry, going mental! Was sure it was yours!
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Post by billsamuels on Feb 1, 2015 21:27:15 GMT
Graham's 707 was G-AWWD B707-349C As for me it was BAC 1 11 509. G-AXYD on a day trip to the Hanover Air Show in May 1970. My first light flight was Cessna172B G-ARLU from Hurn to Compton Abbas in August of the same year. 217 flights in all Thats altogether scary, just checked my log and I flew to the Hannover Air Show on May 3rd 1970 from Gatwick and guess what on.... British Caledonian BAC 1-11 G-AXYD.... How scary is that.... I've still got a couple of queries on my log... Bill |
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Post by lordevanelpuss on Feb 1, 2015 21:31:44 GMT
Graham's 707 was G-AWWD B707-349C As for me it was BAC 1 11 509. G-AXYD on a day trip to the Hanover Air Show in May 1970. My first light flight was Cessna172B G-ARLU from Hurn to Compton Abbas in August of the same year. 217 flights in all If you count the unidentified Pacific Western B737 from 1976, then it's a round 100. Of course this is individual flights rather than individual aircraft. E.g. I've had several flights in Ce 150 G-ATEF (Blackbushe based) & Ce172 G-AXBH (former Popham resident - Sadly since written off) in the 2000s. |
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Post by keithh on Feb 1, 2015 21:48:55 GMT
Thats altogether scary, just checked my log and I flew to the Hannover Air Show on May 3rd 1970 from Gatwick and guess what on.... British Caledonian BAC 1-11 G-AXYD.... How scary is that.... I've still got a couple of queries on my log... Bill What a coincidence, if I remember I think it organised by Pettit and Thompson air tours. I count every sector as a flight even if it is in the same aeroplane. So a return flight is two flights etc |
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Post by keithh on Feb 1, 2015 21:52:13 GMT
I've kept a log of nearly every flight I've made with the exception of a couple of jollies in the dim and distant. Perhaps we could have a section for people to list the types that they have flown on, would be quite interesting to see what others have done, especially the older members.
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Post by lordevanelpuss on Feb 1, 2015 21:59:19 GMT
That's a good question Bob, I wonder how many flights we have all been on and the types of aircraft involved? I certainly won't hijack Lord Evan's thread here but it would be a good question to ask on anew thread. Don't worry about that Graham. I'm pleased to have started something people want to discuss. |
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Post by zz on Feb 1, 2015 22:17:13 GMT
First flight G-AWN- B747 to the States in 1975. I was less than a year old!
First and only Blackbushe flight in Pa28 G-ATOP probably around 1980.
EDIT - finally counted - total 351 flights
Flown in 42 different fixed-wing types (NOT counting different versions of the same type.)
Flown in 3 different helicopter types.
Flown in 3 different balloon types.
So 48 different types in total.
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Post by billsamuels on Feb 1, 2015 22:21:40 GMT
Thats altogether scary, just checked my log and I flew to the Hannover Air Show on May 3rd 1970 from Gatwick and guess what on.... British Caledonian BAC 1-11 G-AXYD.... How scary is that.... I've still got a couple of queries on my log... Bill What a coincidence, if I remember I think it organised by Pettit and Thompson air tours. I count every sector as a flight even if it is in the same aeroplane. So a return flight is two flights etc A mate of mine booked it, I just gave him the dosh... I'll try to get my log out, I know I have a few gaps in it (reggies/no type) so would be good to compare... Cheers. Bill |
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Post by davebasing on Feb 1, 2015 22:50:17 GMT
As one of the "oldies", my first flight was a BEA DC3 G-ALTT Heathrow-Jersey in 1956 (back to LHR in G-AGIP)with parents & grandparents. Fortunately as a mere child I ended up with (and still have) the Flight Bulletins on my first 4 BEA Dak flights that the crew would pass around the cabin in the days before cabin announcements (the Bulletin on G-AGIP included the Test Match cricket score). These gave the name of the individual aircraft and hence the registrations could be traced. Now my tally is up to 722 different aircraft registered in 48 countries; 89 basic types (i.e. a 737 is a 737); to/from 252 airfields in 72 countries (about to become 73). Total flights in 4 figures. Some that come to mind as perhaps slightly out of the everyday (at least these days) would be An2 (nice & docile to handle after the start up smoke clears), An 24, An124 (climbs like a brick), Jet Provost (best fun you can have with your clothes on), LET410, Ju52, Grumman Goose (on water), CL44, Convair 990, DC6 & 8, Gulfstream 4, Challenger, Lear Jet (climbs amazingly fast on one engine), TU154, HS125, Cessna 208 (around Somalia where you keep willing the single engine to keep going), all sorts of King Airs, Airspeed Ambassador(will passengers make their way to the front seats as its prone to tip on its tail if first boarders sit at the back), Beech 99 (got nicely iced up) & 1900 and a Chinese microlight (to do aerial shots of the fabulous museum at Datangshan - cost to hire $5 in 2004). First time in a helicopter was Bell 47 PT-HAS in Brazil in 1982.
My first mount, G-ALTT, sadly crashed fatally as ET-ABI in Ethiopia in 1965.
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Post by zz on Feb 2, 2015 6:42:48 GMT
Ha ha brilliant Dave. I knew yours would make interesting and impressive reading !!
Pleased to hear you kept your clothes on in the JP too!
Some very interesting types listed.
My most interesting/unusual/memorable would be a Waco biplane, a Yemen registered 125, IL-96, Concorde and C.208 floatplane.
My first heli ride was also a Bell 47.
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Post by graham on Feb 2, 2015 7:01:17 GMT
An observation for Keithh - you have made 217 flights, so from that, can we deduce that you went somewhere and never came back? ;0)
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Post by davebasing on Feb 2, 2015 12:40:22 GMT
Hi ZZ. Glad it was of some interest. In the family, my late mother's first flight was a pleasure trip in Westland Wessex (the fixed wing variety) G-ABVB. It was sometime between 1932 (when it was registered) and 1936 (when it was written off). Only know because someone took a picture. My grandfather was in the Royal Naval Air Service (merged into the RAF) in the UK and Zanzibar in WW1 (died just days before the armistice in 1918) The family tradition continues as my son is a 737 captain and also has a share in a 150 at Popham.
Had to keep my clothes on in the JP otherwise where do you put your pen? Also a good idea to do so, as the ejection handle is between your legs and pulling the wrong handle could spoil your whole day!
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Post by keithh on Feb 2, 2015 20:22:30 GMT
An observation for Keithh - you have made 217 flights, so from that, can we deduce that you went somewhere and never came back? ;0) Comet LGW to LGW Rapide Biggin to Biggin Tri Pacer Old Sarum to Old Sarum etc etc. In other words, many flights that weren't A to B if you se what I mean. |
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Post by keithh on Feb 2, 2015 20:28:15 GMT
I guess the more unusual types on my list are Grumman Goose, Tu154, An2, Argosy and a homebuilt gyro. I have quite a few older types too, eg B720, Viscount, Herald, Britannia, Comet, Dak etc. You forget how much you've done until you look at your log.
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