Dragon Rapide - Heathrow Flypast 1996
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- Between 1994 and 2001 I flew around 500 hours in Dragon Rapide G-AIDL. One of the highlights of that flying was taking part in the 50th anniversary flypast at Heathrow. This is my story of that day. Participants were: Avro Lancaster, 2 x Rapide, Bristol 170, DH Dove, DH Heron, 2 x DC3, DC4, DC6, Viscount, Herald, Comet, DC8, BAC 1-11, B727, B737, B747, B767, MD-11, A340, Concorde, 9 x Hawk (Red Arrows), B777.
Music: ‘Honeysuckle’ by Honeyroot.
Maps: , Sky Demon, National Library Of Scotland and my own collection.
Photos: Air-Britain, Rod Bearden, Steve Sharpe, Jack Meaden, Dave Welch, Peter Fitzmaurice, Peter Davis, Erik Frikke, Ian Frimston and others. I try to contact photographers where possible but this is not always successful. Please contact me if you would like a credit in the description and your name will be added. These films are made for interest, not profit, and any revenue is used to make more content.
Video content: BBC
#rapide #dhrapide #duxford #heathrow #flyingforfun #aeronca #aeroncac2 #aeroncac3 #aeronica #airknocker #flyingbathtub #douglasdc3 #douglasc47 #spitfire #hurricane #worldwar2 #ww2 #ww1 #airport #airstrip #automobileassociation #rac #aa #vintagesportscarclub #vintageaircraft #vintageaeroplane #vintageairplane #aeroplane #plane #flying #aerodrome #england #praga #oldengine #microlight #cornwall #thrustertst #vauxhall1440 #vauxhall #airplane #magneto #lathe #railway #propeller #makingapropeller #pietenpol #fordmodela
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Beautiful video. Thank you for posting
7:02 my old house is down there!
The Rapide, to me, is beautiful. It is so exotic. If I were a man of independent means, I would love to own one.
@@kirbyn2010 Me too, a wonderful machine.
Lovely stuff,
Thank you for flying it and thank you for giving us this wonderful piece!
Informative and entertaining with insights from someone who actually participated. Thank you for creating this excellent video.
Rearly nice brings back lots of memories, thank you. M
The first passenger aircraft to kand in Orkeny.
I remember a Rapide flight at a PFA rally in the late 80s. Cost me 8 quid! Wonderful experience for a young chap besotted with old biplanes.
What a privilege! Awesome!!
I count myself lucky having crossed NZ's Southern Alps from Hokitika to Christchurch in a Dragon way back 1980's as the sole passenger. The sky was clear, the views terrific.
It was my pleasure to watch, many thanks.
Flew in G-AMPZ from Bristol on a short charter pleasure flight, and G-AMSV from Coventry to Filton on a charter flight, and a (can't remember offhand which) DC3 and Rapide at one of the sadly-missed Coventry Air shows.
I grew up in Stanstead, Quebec. (Canada)
When I flew from Heathrow in 1959 (then called London Airport, destination Nairobi, a/c Britannia 312 G-AOVR) the North Side terminal was still marquees.
I believe I might have flown in your Rapide, at Duxford around 2010.
During the late 80s you could have a ‘scenic flight’ in a Fox Moth. I’ve regretted not going ever since.
What a marvelous old treasure The DH Rapide which perhaps was used in the early 30s to transport the well to do around the UK.
A flight video suffices to give one a close up personal experience. Out at Oshkosh in Wisconsin there is a museum dedicated to that era and I actually was taken up in an old machine that used from time to time at our local airport.
G'day,
Yay Team !
I can recall walking around one, inspecting it minutely, and climbing inside and up to the Pointy-end to sit and fantasize there for a moment...
Back in 1979, at Bankstown Aerodrome at Sydney... It was in Sid Marshall's Hangar, at the same time when his Me-109f (or was it a "g"?) was being taken down from the Ceiling and dissassembled for Containerised transport overseas... (It got duly publicly stopped and embargoed on the Wharves, as I recall it - due to paperwork which reputedly took years to "sort out").
So, probably not a lot of people ever ticked that particular pair off their little Bucket-List of
"Exotic Cockpits", in which to have sat, inhaled, smelled the
History, and fantasised
Gloriously...(?).
In the one day, in 1979,
On the Continent of Oz (!).
I envy you your time flying the Rapide, it struck me as being
"Quite the Gentlemanly Conveyance"..., style of a thing ; a twin-engined Hornet Moth on Steroids,
Kind of...(?).
And, that
Overtaking
Underpass
Flown by the late-running
Lancaster...
Filmed from above in realtime -
Yikes !
You lucky privileged person, what a gloriously momentous memory to be able to look back on and cherish !!!
Such is life,
Have a good one...
Stay safe.
;-p
Ciao !
Fascinating - thanks.
I was there (well, in Osterley Park), what a fabulous flypast it was. Flew in 'IDL with Mike Hood from Biggin Hill in 1984 - Air Atlantique was a wonderful outfit and I just managed to fit in a DC-3 flight with them before that particular avenue pleasure was curtailed post 9/11; had a Rapide ride with them out of Shoreham in 2010 - just talking about that flight with a fellow passenger and enthusiast earlier this evening (we also saw the RAF VC-10 fly low overhead from the Biggin Air Fair on the way back to our homes, a last glimpse of one airborne)... Watching the DC-6 cavort at Biggin on several occasions was another joy, sadly now no more. Lovely video, lovely aeroplanes. Thanks!
AA was a wonderful outfit. I only applied for their cadet scheme as I wanted to fly the Dakota. All turned out rather well!
Amazing…
Thank you for another great video. When your Aeronca was based at Southend, there were two Dragon Rapides also based there at the time. They belonged to East Anglian Flying Services. Of course with your Aeronca there were also the Bristol Mk31 and 32 freighters.
@@raymondhoward1581 I didn’t mention it in the film, but I bought the Aeronca C3 and flew it home on the Tuesday before the Heathrow Flypast. Quite a week, really!
I remember flying down to Compton Abbas in the Stampe sv with father, I believe he was going to be checked out in the Rapide that was use for as a drop aircraft ...its all a bit vague now , I was just a lad . I’m involved with a dc 3 and a c47/here in Ontario just wonderful
I saw the photos of your dad in his Stampe and with the Turbulent (in Jersey!) on your FB page.
Remember the day. Was one of P Meesons minions for some years. Saw ‘your’ Rapide flying on Monday last, visible from the Henry Moore foundation gardens. Keep up the good work.
It is very fortunate that the history side of aviation is so alive in Britain.
It's something to look up to elsewhere.
Do you have more materials on your time in the Dragon Rapide?
I definitely would watch that.
I'll try to conjure up a bit more in a while.
Aha, so that's why you wanted to use the snap. Fortuitous timing! I must look up my footage of the event taken from the BA museum on the N side. I'm so glad we made the effort to go, an event never to be repeated.
@@pfield39.. and to refute accusations of gingerness!
Fascinating tale. Thanks!
I have an irrational fascination with that beast. Biplane, Huge, Taildragger, Gypsy engines... the list goes on!
I would *LOVE* to have a flight in one!! Thanks, Nick!! ❤
@@kbjerke It’s a particularly delightful and practical aeroplane.
@@FlyingForFunTrecanair Nothing, nothing, nothing Purrs, like a Gypsy Queen!
@@av8bvma513 On one flight an exhaust valve failed; the head disintegrated and disappeared out of the exhaust. the rpm dropped by about 100 and there was a small amount of throttle stagger (levers not being aligned) but STILL the Gipsy Six purred along like a well fed pussycat!
A lovely flight in the Rapide now at Duxford, with my father and kids, was marred only by a small voice, in the back of my head, wondering if Darwin would have anything to say about 3 generations being up in the same wood and cloth biplane simultaneously!
I think Darwin would approve of the Rapide; it’s well built from sensible materials. A composite, fly-by-wire, modern contraption on the other hand……..?
@@FlyingForFunTrecanair LOL, as someone who used to work with composites, I'd be more comfortable with those than wood and cloth but wrt aircraft cable vs fly-by-wire, you may have a point! :-)
Huge thank you for such a beautiful portrayal of the United Kingdom at its best - also linked to my potted personal history, 1st flight was a Rapide pleasure flight out of Portsmouth in mid 50's, watched stream take-off of Lightnings at Farnborough finale, levelling out at 32k, flying Concorde out of CDG to LHR in 91! Sorry for today's kids, they will not know or miss!
Beautiful nostalgic. Great video. 👍
I love your videos.
@@JustPrinted3D You get a ❤️ for saying that!
As a young lad I used to see the Bristol Freighters flying out of Lydd whilst sitting on the beach at Broadstairs, loverly days, sun and fantastic aircraft.
@@stevenashby8268 The Bristol Hercules engines made a particularly pleasing noise as well.
A lovely snippet of history and a fascinating career. I didn't realise it at the time I was so lucky to have flown in some wonderful aircraft that no longer grace the skies. I will never forget the pilot of the Rapide on my first flight as a child, a Capt Frank Spencer.
I was watching the jet flypast at Duxford which was really impressive. Then saw the 747 several miles to the south and guessed he'd made a navigation error. Joins the B-52 flypast at Farnborough that actually flew over Blackbushe.
I didn’t know about the B-52 over Blackbushe 🤣
You must have overflown our house a few times when based at EGCK & I remember the Rapide with fondness. What a beautiful aircraft. You'll be pleased to know that Caernarfon is still an active GA, Coastguard & Air Ambulance 'drome, with a very good cafe I'm told, although all I seem to do is fly in to refuel.
I last visited Caernarfon in 1999, in the Aeronca C3.
Wonderful, lovely to see these old piston bangers jollying around the south of the UK. They must have seemed fairly mature in terms of length of service even thirty odd years ago! Small world innit, in a previous life trying to find oil rigs in the North Sea for a living thirty+ years ago, I saw your Air Atlantique chaps in Sumburgh spray most of the Shetland Islands with oil dispersant. They quite often hit the target too, the oil tanker MV Braer who had run aground on the southern tip of the islands. Always remember being impressed with those DC3 chaps, battling howling (normal!) North Sea winds around Sumburgh Head in an attempt to contain the pollution damage.
Job well done I'd say, not to mention the many Shetland sheep farmers who became overnight wealthy chaps once the compensation payments arrived from the Braer's owners, having had their land covered in the oil spray from the disintegrating tanker.
The Braer incident happened just before I joined AA, so I was 'lucky' that the Sea Empress ran aground.
I assume Ray Blyth was the boss at Air Atlantique? He wrote a wonderful book about his adventures - his son flies with us at Felthorpe and I see both of them occasionally.
@@sloleydave Ray ran the operation at Caernarfon; he’d been inherited along with the Rapide. A very splendid bloke with an unquenchable thirst, Caernarfon parties were always good fun! Please give him my regards, not seen him in years.
What an entirely satisfying experience it is to sit here sipping a good London gin and watching this remembrance - not because it's a remembrance, but because it's a living history being lived up to this moment, with plans for the weekend! Congratulations on and thank you for another great YT offering.
Hi Jeff, I think you've hit the nail square on the head. This channel is largely living history, served up with a large bowl of nostalgia.
I remember a visit to Heathrow in about 1953. The highlight of the trip was a 10 minute flight in a Dragon Rapide - my first experience of flight. I think it cost about 10 shillings.
Wonderful stuff 👍
I did that same Rapide flight in about 1950 when Heathrow was simply called London Airport.
Awesome aircraft, the moderne jets & amazing antiques, the biplane twins, all just so very cool....
I must have flown on that very same Rapide out of Duxford sometime in the mid 1990's, unforgettable experience. I also remember well flying in an Indian Airlines DH Heron in the 70's as a youngster and on a DC-3 in Sri Lanka (during an airline strike my father organized an Sri Lanka Air Force plane for a flight from Trincomalee to Colombo - it only had a few seats installed up front. Unfortunately i was never able to get a pilot's license due to my eyes...
Great video, thanks👍 …..definitely not a ginger 😊
@@arimington-is7gv Thank heavens!
So many aircraft that I remember entering into service are now historic memories. I'm starting to feel old.
So many aircraft that I flew in my early career are now long gone. I share your pain!
My Uncle was the first RAF pilot to fly over the Andes, flying an RAF Dominie, (Dragon Rapide), taking off at Lima & landing at Moyobamba Peru.
"Suddenly we were completely surrounded by a sea of black-haired children who seemed to come out of nowhere". (They'd probably never seen an aircraft before, let alone a Rapide!) He made at least someone's day!
That's all amazing...More of Nicks flying life needed...You'll always have the memories of the Rapide...Any wish aircraft? Ones that got away or you'd like top have a twiddle of? (Another video)
@@Volksplane1 Not really; most of my wish list aircraft are extinct, hence the films. It’s not just the aircraft but the whole vintage scene. Grass airfields, no radio, proper cars, steam engines etc. The modern world is little charm by comparison.
@@FlyingForFunTrecanair www.google.com/search?q=Peter+jacvkson+ww12+aeroplanes&client=safari&sca_esv=3a7d1c546fe2a382&sca_upv=1&channel=mac_bm&ei=6MDUZqqgE-O2hbIPy7ezuQs&ved=0ahUKEwiqtKPkvaKIAxVjW0EAHcvbLLcQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=Peter+jacvkson+ww12+aeroplanes&gs_lp=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&sclient=gws-wiz-serp#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:176c0998,vid:7gmZ9X9Aplk,st:0
Absolutely brilliant. My father was in the RNZAF during WW2 and worked on Dominies.
Finding a pilot instructor to give tail wheel twin ratings today is becoming more difficult here in NZ. I went for joy ride some years ago in a restored Dominie, $20 for 20 minutes. However after getting airborne there was an incident on the airfield that required us to hold for 45 minutes. One of those bonus times. Great video, cheers.
I just love the old Rapide so elegant and gentle aircraft
It always looked so fragile to me. And underpowered.
It's an astonishing machine; were I a wealthy man I would own one.
Wonderful, what a day to remember!
@@loomisgruntfuttock Yes, I didn’t appreciate quite how special it was at the time. Hindsight has put it all in perspective; the modern airline world is dismally dull compared to 30 years ago.
@@FlyingForFunTrecanair Yes indeed. Notable that 1996 was the last year of Britannia as we knew it. Before the onset of TB.
What a gem of a video!
Thank you for putting it together, and for being there!
Please keep posting :-)
Thank you, I hope to keep posting stuff for years to come. Unless Beelzebub has other plans?!
An absolute joy to watch. Thank you for posting.
My pleasure. I'm astonished that it was all such a long time ago; feels like yesterday.
Very nice story. I flew in IDL age 3, it had no door or passenger seats and half way through the flight, my fellow passengers stood up and jumped out of the (missing) door. I decided to stay inside. When I mentioned my decision to my dad, as he picked me up on his way from the cockpit, he said it was a great decision. My mum wasn't very pleased when I told her!
Haha, great story!