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Happy Landings PDF

265 Pages·2012·6.73 MB·English
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HAPPY LANDINGS **—CROUP CfiPTMNEDWftRDMOLE^f Happy Landings Born three years after the Wright brothers made their first historic flight, Edward Mole has lived through and taken an active part in aviation from the early pioneering days. His career as a pilot spans some 50 years, during which time he has flown 148 different types of aircraft from World War I vintage, through World War II and into the jet age. The author was one of the pioneers of the British gliding movement, holding Certificate No. 6, and the story describes the efforts of early enthusiasts with their primitive equipment and limited knowledge who, although they made no outstanding flights, did contribute towards the present development of the sport. He was also a founder member and former chairman of the Popular Flying Association and gives an interesting history of the first few years of the P.P.A. which led up to its rapid growth and present success. During World War II the author was closely connected with the technical development of military gliders which were used so successfully by our Airborne Forces. After D- Day he was seconded to B.O.A.C. as manager of their Development Flight, newly established to test the planned range of post­ war civil airliners on their routes. He later joined the National Gas Turbine Establishment at Farnborough as R.A.F. representative responsible for liaison between technical staff and R.A.F. Squadrons then becoming equipped with jet engined aircraft. After retirement from the R.A.F., he was appointed Director of Civil Aviation in the Bahamas in charge of Nassau International Airport, and he relates various interesting and amusing incidents of life in that 'tourist paradise'. Subsequently he started his own aviation consultancy business in London. The author vividly describes the carefree life in the pre-war R.A.F., the traumatic war years and the post-war era of great development in aviation. It is a nostalgic story enriched with many amusing anecdotes of incidents and personalities encountered. HAPPY LANDINGS is a cheerful book which should appeal to everyone interested in the sport of flying and the development of aviation since the early days. £10.9f ttotn flj? gliding JHBrattg of HAPPY LANDINGS Happy Landings The recollections of a light-hearted Airman Group Captain Edward Mole, B.Sc., F.R.Ae.S. Airlife England Copyright © Group Captain Edward Mole, 1984. ISBN 0 906393 43 9 First published 1984 by Airlife Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing. Printed in England by Livesey Ltd., Shrewsbury. Airlife Publishing Ltd. 7 St. John's Hill, Shrewsbury, England. Contents Preface Chapter 1 My Early Years ................ 1 2 Farnborough .................. 12 3 Digby ...................... 17 4 Manston ..................... 25 5 Henlow ..................... 39 6 The Birth of British Gliding ........ 47 7 Halton ...................... 57 8 The Sudan ................... 66 9 Aboukir ..................... 74 10 Abu Sueir .................... 79 11 Gliding and Soaring Flight in Egypt ... 84 12 Andover ..................... 90 13 France ...................... 97 14 Wartime London ............... 104 15 U.S.A. ...................... 115 16 London Again and the Military Gliders . 123 17 BOAC ...................... 138 18 Transport Command ............. 145 19 Farnborough Again ............. 157 20 Jamaican Interlude .............. 164 21 The Bahamas ................. 169 22 On Final Approach .............. 184 Epilogue ........................ 203 Appendix I Gliders at War ................... 205 Appendix II The Birth of the Popular Flying Association 211 Index ................................ 218 Acknowledgements I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to the following: — Air Commodore 'Rod1 Banks and 'Bunny' Bramson for their encouragement which enabled this book to be published. — Peggy & Phyllis for their loyal support in editing the script. — 'Mick' in the hope he will forgive me for taking the mickey out of him. — and finally to my dear wife Liz for her tolerance in accepting the awful reminiscences of my wayward past. Preface I was born three years after the Wright Brothers in America made their first historic flights in a powered aeroplane, and two years before Colonel Cody made the first sustained aeroplane flight in Britain. Consequently, I am fortunate to have lived throughout the whole era of powered flight and to have witnessed the development of the aeroplane from its very earliest days. As an active pilot for some fifty years, I have flown 148 different types of aircraft starting with the Avro 504 and Bristol Fighter of World War I vintage, right through the Golden Age of Flying in the 1930's, to Spitfires, Hurricanes and other aircraft of the World War II period, and thence into the jet age. My earlier reminiscences as a young man as described in this story, may be thought to be rather too light-hearted — especially some of the flying incidents. I do hope, however, that I have been able to convey some idea of the cheerful life in the pre-war RAF when flying was fun and we did not seem to have a care in the world. With the advent of years and the weight of responsibilities, the story naturally becomes more serious. Before starting on the flying experiences, I would crave my reader's patience to allow me to start these reminiscences from the beginning, from early boyhood through the stage of a wild and rather wayward youth, until events steered me into aviation as a career. E.M. Chapter 1 My Early Years My father was a manufacturing jeweller in Birmingham, of rigid Victorian upbringing and a strict Protestant. My mother's conversion to the Catholic faith caused violent disagreements between them, after one of which she walked out of the house, never to return; 'Without even her hat,' as a shocked neighbour exclaimed. With her, she took me, then a small baby, and my sister Barbara, some three years old. She stayed with friends for a while and then settled in London where, in a large house in Hampstead, she founded an institution called St. Mary's Nursery College. The College was organised to train some thirty resident 'nice young Catholic girls' as children's nannies. They were trained to care for children who were largely the offspring of British officials based abroad in the Empire, and who were boarded at the College until old enough to join their parents. The College was highly successful and in due course was honoured by an official visit from Queen Mary herself. My mother must have been a remarkably resourceful woman to have been able to establish such an organisation while lumbered with two small children and without any previous business experience, at a time when it was not the done thing for ladies to work. I was brought up at the College until my seventh birthday when, according to the terms of the legal separation, I was duly delivered to my father. In a state of complete bewilderment, I arrived by cab at a large and rather gloomy-looking house in Meadow Road, Edgbaston — a residential suburb of Birmingham. Here my father lived with my elder brother and other sister, both ten or more years older than myself and grown up. The house was run with rigid efficiency by an elderly lady housekeeper aided by a cook and housemaid, who must have resented the upheaval caused by the arrival of a small child. I felt completely lost for a while and badly missed my mother's affection. Twelve months later World War I was declared, at the outset of which my brother, Kenneth, joined the army with a commission in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. For years he underwent all the miseries and horrors of trench warfare in France, until severely wounded and repatriated. My elder sister had taken up a teaching

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The recollections of a light-hearted Airman. Group Captain Edward Mole,. B.Sc. with the Avro 504 and Bristol Fighter of World War I vintage, right through the Golden Age of Flying in the so that we boys were coached with set answers to these questions, which seemingly useless information we had
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