In this months edition:
- Photos of Palmers Farm Fly-in by Dave Websdale
- Memories of Peter Harrison by Tony Palmer
- Headcorn Doing Serious Promotion
- From the Archive: Maurice White’s report on the Strut’s Shoreham Fly-in August 1988
Palmers Farm Fly-in 1st August 2020
Photographs by Dave Websdale.
Memories of Peter Harrison: Born 1946 died 2 August 2020
My personal memories of Peter Harrison.
Everyone who knew him will have their own, like the very dead Golden Eagle out of Stockholm (Mike!!) Just remember him and keep his memory alive.
Although Peter’s Parkinson’s caused him so much inconvenience he never complained about any of it. On the occasions when his medicine allowed it and his speech was understandable you see a little of what he was like before this terrible affliction got to him.
I first met him in 2006 at the LAA rally held that year at Kemble. Peter had ground looped his Tiger at Swanborough Farm and Paul Reilly had taken him in his Jabiru. We met in a pub in the town centre and he fell over a couple of times in the bar and outside. I did not know that he had any medical problems so at first assumed he was drunk as did passers-by, I felt very foolish afterwards.
When he was in Southlands Hospital with a broken back after a fall down some stairs I visited him a few times on behalf of the LAA Southern Strut as I was the co-ordinator and we struck up a friendship. Later I purchased a Canadian Tiger Moth project from a guy in the USA and Peter offered help and answered many questions and was always available for information, he came over many times and when it came to rigging the wings he excelled.
I was picking up some propellers from Mike Souch of Aero Antiques near Southampton last week and we talked about Peter. When Peter was well he used to do the test flying of the completed planes when Ron Souch was alive and he was known by all as “Peter the pilot” I think that says it all.
When he was a kid he lived in a house that backed onto Plymouth Airport. He was the kid that wanted to wash the planes and just be close to planes, he was allowed to taxi the planes and fuel them up when he was 14 of 15 years old. When he was 17 years old he soloed in a Tiger Moth. He also learnt a lot about what made them tick when he was there, which gave a good schooling for later when he owned his own Tiger. He gladly shared his engineering ability with others by being an LAA inspector for many years; in fact he was the first inspector on the Klemm project that I am building at present.
Later on he flew the De Havilland Rapide for Jersey Airlines which was taken over by British Airways eventually; he proudly told me he was the first pilot to land a Rapide at Woburn Abbey in August 1986 when the Moth Club held their Rally there. He was at one time a member of the Tiger Moth Aeronautical display team which performed at Air shows around the country.
He never missed going to the Southern Strut club nights unless there was a good reason and we would go to all the Moth club events together at Henlow and Woburn Abbey normally in his Jaguar XJR. I regret not knowing him when he was free of the Parkinson’s but I am proud to have been a friend. I and all his friends in The Southern Strut, the Moth club and the LAA will miss him and remember him.
Tony Palmer
Peter’s daughter, Jo Wilding has put a picture on Twitter of Peter’s coffin painted in the colours of his first Tiger Moth at: https://twitter.com/JoWilding1/status/1298557538896683008
A video of his funeral service van be viewed for the next 28 days at: Website: https://www.obitus.com/ Username: Heza0674 Password: 609370
Headcorn Doing Serious Promotion
A really well produced promotional video for Headcorn Airfield. A good model for others to follow perhaps.
From the Archive: Maurice White’s report on the Strut’s Shoreham Fly-in August 1988
From Dave Websdale: The following copy is taken from the Strut Newsletter of August 1988.
What a super little rally we had. Thanks almost entirely to Jeanie and Tom Knight who saw it through from start to finish even though they were leaving for a trip to India the next morning.!!
After helping to mark out the aircraft park in the rain on Saturday in the north-east corner of the airfield, I was surprised when Joan and I arrived on Sunday morning to find the site changed to the eastern boundary. A much better arrangement.
Colin Tuckley’s trailer tent and awning was up and Jeanie Knight was already taking money for the tombola. I bought some tickets and sheltered from the rain with the gathering Strut.
The Frenchman Nicolas Kuchto had arrived in his two- seat homebuilt Flying Flea type F-PYFV the previous afternoon and camped the night.
Will Greenwood had got up early and managed to fly his nice little Taylor monoplane G-BDAD in from Bradley’s lawn near Heathfield in less than ideal conditions to be the first arrival of the day.
Quite soon Vic Davies brought his little Sonnerai II over from the North Hangar and gradually Strut aeroplanes including Adrian Brook’s Beagle Pup 100 were brought to our enclosure to provide some interest for the quite large number of people arriving with binoculars and cameras.
A weather report was sent over to us from the tower (thank you) showing that the forecast improvement was already at Bournemouth and we all felt better for that. Quite soon the improvement was apparent to us and the wind, although quite fresh, was steady down the grass runway 25 and so we were positioned ideally for what was in store.
A steady stream of arrivals was punctuated early on by a Mustang in American military marking that touched down in front of our cameras in immaculate style, but alas not for our rally. It had called in for fuel and customs and departed later for France before an appreciative throng, including two local based aeroplanes that asked specially to delay their take-offs in order not to miss seeing it depart.
The critical viewers were treated to as good a set of demonstrated landings as one is ever likely to see, as our flight line was gradually marshalled by Tony Collyer and his pals. An early arrival was G-BAAY, the Viima bi-plane from White Waltham in company with an old pal and regular visitor to our fly-ins, Alan Bailey in his Jodel 117 G-BAKR. John Turner flew in the impressively camouflaged Fairchild Argus from the nearby Truleigh strip and Chis Foss (who hasn’t bought another Piper Cub all week ) very sportingly went up to the Parham gliding site to bring down to us the Piper Pawnee G-ASKV. From Goodwood came a smart little Tipsy Nipper G-ENIE and from Fairoaks came the award winning British built Fly Baby G-BNPV.
During the course of the day there was much coming and going and I managed to give rides to five Strutters and take a turn in the booking in tent as well as take part in Malcolm Blows suddenly arranged “fly around” of most of the Strut aeroplanes. By the time the tower realised what was happening it was too late!! It provided a bit of fun that will bring smiles to our faces when remembering in years to come, and at the same time proved that when left to their own devices, our Strut pilots can get eight aeroplanes together — even if we did effectively close the airfield while. Oscar Mike led us around. “Good fun, good fun” as Malcolm says. Twenty visitors and ten home based aeroplanes gave a varied and interesting days sport.
Three Cubs and the Beagle Pup escorted Richard Ball’s Cub back to Slinfold where the Cub pack landed and the Pup, not wanting to play gooseberry, circled and returned.
Old acquaintances with people and machines were renewed. Ron Beecham travelled up from his new home in Dorset to be with us and tell us that he is keeping his licence current and intending to do more flying now he is retired. Mike Harrington, who was a very active member a few years ago was at the rally looking for Toon Ghose to help him renew his PPL. Paul Penn-Sayer our chairman had his pretty little Piper Vagabond at the rally and during the afternoon managed to visit the strip at Ellens Green in co with the Fly Baby. It’s nice to see Yankee Lady about the countryside again and it has arrived back at Chiddingfold for supper one nice evening since.
My Emeraude was not at the rally because it was having new aileron and flap hinges fitted by SAS and as I write this it has been sold to Peter and Fiona Morris of Aberdeen.
The happiest memory of the rally for me will be of Peter Woodman flying his Auster again after a longish lay-up. It was Peter’s first flight in CK for along time, it was at our rally… and with his grandson.
You will all be pleased to know that thanks to Link Miles sponsorship, Jeanies tombola and temporary membership at the gate (I sold two) the rally actually MADE MONEY.
Grateful thanks to those who helped to make our rally the success it undoubtedly was..
Yours is the true spirit of the Southern Strut of the Popular Flying Association.
F-PYFV N.Kuchto Lille France Flying Flea derivative
G-BDAD Will Greenwood Bradley’s Lawn Taylor Mono
G-AMYL P. Penn-Sayers Bradley’s Lawn Vagabond
G-BMPV J Day Fairoaks Fly-Baby
G-BAAY P. McConnel White Waltham Viims Bi Plane
G-BAKR Alan Bailey White Waltham Jodel 117
G-AXLS E. Gee Bournemouth Jodel 1050
G-BNIK Smeaton Popham Robin HR 200
G-BPYN Stubbs White Waltham J3 Piper Cub
G-AYYT Mead Sandown IOW Jodel Sicile Record 1050M
G-BKGB Watling-Greenwood Deanland Jodel D120
G-AXCY C. Smith Seddlescombe Jodel 117
G-BDCD R. Ball Slinfold J3 Cub
G-BCBL J. Turner Truleigh Fairchild Argus
G-ARVZ K.Jarrett Seddlescome Condor
G-BIOU Howlett Booker Jodel 117
G-AXMN Phillips Farley Farm Auster J5B
G-ASXS Hunter Rochester DR 1050
G-ENIE Weale Goodwood Tipsy Nipper
G-ASKV Chris Foss Parham Piper Pawnee
G-AYMU Mike Baker Shoreham Jodel D 112
G-BAUD Alan Dunn Shoreham Robin DR 400/160
G-BDOL Una Allman Shoreham Piper J3 Cub
G-BBMW Alex Howard Shoreham Chipmunk
G-BDKY Bodo Kaldenberg Shoreham Jodel D120
G-AHCK Pete Woodman Shoreham Jodel D120
G-OCUB P. Ansel! Shoreham L3 Cub (C90)
G-BHZG Vic Davies Shoreham Sonerai II
G-CWOT Don Lord Shoreham Currie Wot
G-AWKO Adrian Brook Shoreham Beagle Pup 100
G-BCOM Malcolm Blows Shoreham Piper J3 CubMaurice White
Events
Corona Virus Restrictions There will be no club nights for the foreseeable future; we will inform you once the restrictions are lifted.
For the latest list of events, go to the Events page on the Strut website.
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