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Post by ikarusc42 on Mar 11, 2015 21:18:47 GMT
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Post by a30yoyo on Mar 16, 2015 18:38:48 GMT
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Post by PB on Mar 16, 2015 21:22:52 GMT
Good evening a30yoyo..
The answer to your question is "Yes", that's AVM Don Bennett. The man who founded the Pathfinders and improved our wartime bombing accuracy dramatically, pioneered long haul air routes and saved Blackbushe. The books "Pathfinder Bennett - Airman Extraordinary" by A.S. Jackson or "The RAF Pathfinders" by Martyn Chorlton make excellent reading and provide an insight into what made Bennett tick.
Thanks for your continued support of the Blackbushe forum. Very much appreciated!!
PB
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Post by a30yoyo on Mar 18, 2015 16:29:59 GMT
Thank you, PB....The E-pics Zurich photo-site had the aircraft as a Miles Monarch with unknown person (actually quite similar to a Proctor) and they responded immediately to my correction. Excellent site for Swiss, Swissair and inter-war German aircraft photos. Did you meet Bennett? I always find it curious that BOAC fragmented in 1945 into BOAC, BEA and BSAA and suspect it was all about personal empire building?
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Post by PB on Mar 18, 2015 19:33:16 GMT
Hi A30...
You're right about the Monarch and the Proctor having similar appearances. Having flown in both I would say that the Monarch is a more relaxed aeroplane, she kinda purred along while the Proctor was a beefier affair. Love 'em both!
Yes, I met the AVM.. I worked for him for around three or four years so got to know him quite well! I was sixteen when I met him first. The sad days after the destruction of Blackbushe lead me to cycle up to the old place and ride the length of her now silent runways. On one such occasion, the summer of '61 I should think, I was riding along 26 when a blue sports car pulled up alongside me. The driver wound down his window and in a very polite way asked if I would take care as aircraft might land. This was the AVM and I recall a brief conversation ensued about the airfield's future. A few years later I joined his very small Blackbushe team as the Airport Operations Clerk in hopes that the Airport would grow as hoped by the new owner. As we know, planning was and is a big issue with respect to aviation at Blackbushe. As the planning prospects showed little sign of improving I jumped ship and steered my life away from Blackbushe from a career point of view. However, I still seem to be under the airfield's influence one way - or another...Hopefully that will continue for a few years yet.
With regard to the BOAC, BSAA story, perhaps I can throw a little light on the scenario. As early as 1944, before the Allied invasion of Europe, thought was being given to British airlines flying to South America. Bennett with his exemplary flying career and outstanding achievements in pioneering long haul navigation was looked upon as the ideal person to head up a new airline serving South America, in fact it was the Chairman of the General Council of British Shipping who supported air activity on these potential new routes. Following his release from the RAF in 1945 Bennett with his aviation experience was given a free hand in setting up the new airline. Remember that Bennett was an ex employee of Imperial Airways and he was offended by the fact that they had been merged with an airline that operated foreign aircraft, and he had no plans to operate any other than British aircraft which, lets face it, was a commendable outlook. For better, or for worse, the Lancastrian, York and later the Tudor flew for this new airline despite there being Skymasters and Constellations on the market if the government were willing to make dollars available. There was a great supply of experienced aircrew available post war, funnily enough with many hours on multi engined types. Bennett hand picked the most experienced while many others went to BOAC. Thus British South American Airlines came to being. Post war the Labour party came into power and brought problems with them. The Ministry of Civil Aviation was created, BOAC was divided and had to live alongside BEA. Constant ministerial interference infuriated Bennett as civil servants shadowed every move the air corporations made. They agreed that BSAA should operate as a nationilised concern and Bennett would be the Chief executive.
As some of us who are still around and worked for Bennett will know, he was a fastidious person who demanded the best from his employees at all times, usually employing 'cost effective techniques' requiring a degree of 'flexibility' from one and all. He ran BSAA as a profit making operation and developed its south Atlantic network with great effect, his crews being required to pass the First Class Navigators exams. Smoking and drinking were totally 100% not permitted, even in the terminal during transits aircrew were not permitted a puff...but Bennett was nevertheless held to high esteem. Always opposed to government interference and 'socialist strangulation' Bennett was never slow at speaking his mind.
Following the mysterious loss of Tudor "Star Tiger" - as unsolved as more recent missing Malaysian 777 - the Minister for Civil Aviation stated that the type should be grounded, and the order was carried out. Bennett was incensed and gave an interview with the "Daily Express" without consultation with his Board. As the Chief exec of BSAA he claimed it was his decision as to whether an aircraft should be grounded, not that of a government minister who knew little about aviation. His interview with the paper went, "There are two outstanding forces at work in civil aviation today..those who are openly anti British, and those who entered it either for selfish reasons or for other reasons - but are totally ignorant of aviation...interference with management has now reached such a degree that it has been increasingly difficult for an airline executive to be held responsible for the results he achieves." Bennett was asked to retract his statement or resign...he did neither. Bennett departed the airline along with hopes for the future that included the Comet.
One can but applaud his opposition to ministerial meddling, as Flight magazine at the time said, "Bennett would have been the right man in the right job had the corporation not been a socialised concern". He drove himself and others very hard, and was far from being universally popular, but it may well be true to say that a wider spread of his ideals would do our nation no harm.
Hopefully that gives a fractional look at a complex subject? I don't think 'empire building' was in Bennett's mind, he was not that kind of person. A devout supporter of the British aircraft industry and an enemy of socialist dictates he was certainly a force to be reckoned with. His BSAA objective was an efficient British airline with British aircraft that flew unhindered by the grey men of government. Blackbushe played its part in Bennett's airline careers with BSAA crew training using Yorks and when Fairflight was set up using Tudors.
No doubt the purchase of Blackbushe Airport by the AVM following its destruction by ministerial decision was spurred by an opportunity to right the government's decision to destroy Blackbushe following their investment in the little aerodrome known as Gatwick.
PB
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Post by ikarusc42 on Mar 22, 2015 20:36:00 GMT
to compliment Peter's potd today sbac visitor 13/9/70 DC3 PH-MAG  PH-MAG by spider5522, on Flickr |
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Post by PB on Mar 22, 2015 21:39:19 GMT
Splendid!!
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Post by poswolf on Apr 1, 2015 13:04:56 GMT
Peter
I have some slides which I would happily contribute if I knew how. Is there an OAP/childs guide om the internet vast number of pages which explains what I need and how I would use it to get slides on the web(what the heck is flikr) and thence onto this splendid site.
Why do some pix show not available ? Were they censored ?
Oh to be young again - I might have some idea how this all works.
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Post by PB on Apr 1, 2015 14:36:49 GMT
Hi Poswolf.. Thanks for your message. Dealing with your second question first re some pix not showing. This is usually due to the person who presented the photo in the first place either removing it by choice, or moving it or re uploading it to his/her medium from whence it is stored. No censorship applied here unless the material is offensive, happily that day hasn't yet arrived! The route I take from colour slide to Forum is as follows.. Scan the slide so as to convert to a JPG photo to keep in your PC's 'Pictures' folder. Register with somebody like "Photobucket" to where you would then upload your new photo. s831.photobucket.comHaving secured your photo with "Photobucket" you area almost home! Running your cursor over the photo you wish to transport to the Forum you will see an asterisk. From there a drop down menu offers various options, you want to select "share links". This produces a drop down with four choices, you want to left click in the IMG box. This copies the 'coded' format of your picture which you will now be able to paste into the forum..it just leaves a line of coded stuff, but when you post your message the photo will appear as if by magic..if not, err, oh dear... The procedure is easy when you get used to it, I've had to do it hundreds of times to keep POTD going...and if I can do it, anybody can!! Hope you find that helpful?? Peter |
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Post by poswolf on Apr 1, 2015 17:31:54 GMT
Thanks Peter I will put my brain into gear over the holiday and see what happens,what I really need I guess is a posgrandcub. Ours must be the first generation ever when the very young know more than their elders. Very humbling
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IMG_20150311_0002 by spider5522, on Flickr
IMG_20150311_0003 by spider5522, on Flickr
