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Post by PB on May 13, 2020 10:13:39 GMT
Thanks Rocky14, yours is the first response to the idea and one I am most grateful for..In addition to our membership there are many others on social media outlets focused on Blackbushe, and together I'm convinced we could come up with a valuable contribution toward a memorial laid down with our own small sacrifice for the mighty ones that so many Blackbushe aircrew made for our freedom and security. I would be proud to feel a little bit of me was given to remember them. I do hope we get some further support from our membership..I'll mention the idea again on tomorrow's POTD especially significant being VE Day "75"... Hi Peter, great idea time to act. I will start the ball rolling, I and my business will donate £100-00 towards this worthwhile cause. When life has returned to normal (if that will ever be the case) happy to meet at the Bushe cafe, form a plan with you and others as to how and what form the memorial should take. With various building trades at my disposal and other skill sets I think we can look to constructing something quite impressive, a permanent reminder for future generations of the sacrifices made by those who served, flew and were lost from this airfield. Regards to all, keep safe and well
A HUGE THANK YOU to "springer123" for such a generous offer toward the suggestion of a permanent memorial structure remembering the Hartford Bridge crews who gave their all.. WE have a way to go before such structure is approached with absolute intent, the Airport has to overcome bureaucratic adversity for starters.. Judging by the very positive responses from Facebook's "Yateley Community" after I placed some photos/comment regarding RAF Hartford Bridge at war I feel there would be considerable local interest in supporting the idea.. A gathering in the Bushe Cafe to discuss with interested parties would be a welcome move. To be able to visit the Bushe Cafe would be a welcome move at this time, and naturally further discussions with the Airport owner/management would be an essential for setting out a definite framework as to the feasibility of the proposal. Regards to all PB
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Post by rocky14 on May 13, 2020 11:57:10 GMT
I also remember flying in Air Rhodesia Viscounts into places like Vic Falls, Wankie Game reserve, etc during the troubles. Approach and departure would be at tree-top height to avoid the SAM's, with great views of the local wildlife. Embarking and disembarking was done with engines running so the aircraft was only on the ground for minutes at these locations. Air Rhodesia was probably the only airline where the pilot (usually WW2 type with handlebar) was served his G&T before the passengers. I flew from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg at the time Zimbabwe's inflation was at its peak. The passenger lounge was bereft of refreshments - not even a tea bag! A concern at the time was the unpredictable nature of the head man who had, at a whim, a propensity to commandeer commercial aircraft for his own use regardless of passengers waiting to embark! Anyhow, I survived and can still put my hat on!
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Post by PB on May 13, 2020 19:13:25 GMT
I also remember flying in Air Rhodesia Viscounts into places like Vic Falls, Wankie Game reserve, etc during the troubles. Approach and departure would be at tree-top height to avoid the SAM's, with great views of the local wildlife. Embarking and disembarking was done with engines running so the aircraft was only on the ground for minutes at these locations. Air Rhodesia was probably the only airline where the pilot (usually WW2 type with handlebar) was served his G&T before the passengers. I flew from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg at the time Zimbabwe's inflation was at its peak. The passenger lounge was bereft of refreshments - not even a tea bag! A concern at the time was the unpredictable nature of the head man who had, at a whim, a propensity to commandeer commercial aircraft for his own use regardless of passengers waiting to embark! Anyhow, I survived and can still put my hat on! So many memories. Victoria Falls and the forest growing opposite fed by the spray. Walked through the forest and enjoyed the moisture but can't remember the name of this woody bit?? Took an Apache ride from Sprayview Airport over the Falls managing quite a few what I thought were good photos..Location of photos now uncertain, but wonderful views as we orbitted the Falls. Well recall the huge railway bridge linking Rhodesia and Zambia with the train halted half way across due to political, military or economic reasons. I am going back to 1972!! The Viscount proved a wonderful aeroplane thanks to her large windows and comfort. Flew on Air Malawi Viscount from Blantyre to Salisbury. Escaped Rhodesia on a TAP 707 to Lisbon via lovely Luanda, Angola. Flying across Africa by Viscount remains very memorable amid the hundreds of log book entries..many of which involved 350 or above where the views are usually a little less exciting. Happy days..
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Post by alanjohnlew on May 14, 2020 10:04:18 GMT
I flew from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg at the time Zimbabwe's inflation was at its peak. The passenger lounge was bereft of refreshments - not even a tea bag! A concern at the time was the unpredictable nature of the head man who had, at a whim, a propensity to commandeer commercial aircraft for his own use regardless of passengers waiting to embark! Anyhow, I survived and can still put my hat on! So many memories. Victoria Falls and the forest growing opposite fed by the spray. Walked through the forest and enjoyed the moisture but can't remember the name of this woody bit?? Took an Apache ride from Sprayview Airport over the Falls managing quite a few what I thought were good photos..Location of photos now uncertain, but wonderful views as we orbitted the Falls. Well recall the huge railway bridge linking Rhodesia and Zambia with the train halted half way across due to political, military or economic reasons. I am going back to 1972!! The Viscount proved a wonderful aeroplane thanks to her large windows and comfort. Flew on Air Malawi Viscount from Blantyre to Salisbury. Escaped Rhodesia on a TAP 707 to Lisbon via lovely Luanda, Angola. Flying across Africa by Viscount remains very memorable amid the hundreds of log book entries..many of which involved 350 or above where the views are usually a little less exciting. Happy days.. My most vivid memory of visiting Victoria Falls was videoing a troop of baboons destroying the visitors information board. I heard a hiss and snarl, lowered the camera and saw two large males bearing their teeth a few feet from me. I shouted to the small group who'd been with me (including my dear Wife), only to discover they'd all legged it without warning me. I walked slowly away, not daring to turn my back on the b++++rs. Sad to see how little water is passing over the Falls now.
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Post by rocky14 on May 14, 2020 11:34:31 GMT
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Post by alanjohnlew on May 15, 2020 10:04:27 GMT
My father, God rest his soul, became an enthusiastic car booter towards the end of his life,being an electronics engineer, forever coming home with electrical things to fix up. He acquired a brand new, non working, travel iron. He fixed it up, gave it to my wife. She plugged it in and, as it smoked, gave it back to Dad. He had another go and demonstrated it to us, fully functioning. So, there we are in the Victoria Falls Hotel,having travelled up from Bulawayo on a steam special, my wife decides it's time to iron some clothes. Plugs in iron, great burst of flames and all power out. We hid the iron and phoned reception asking if there was a problem with the electricity? The iron had blown the main fuse to a whole wing of the hotel! We got home, gave the iron back to Dad who said he'd have another go at fixing it! We took it back and threw it away. Dad was the man head hunted by Decca Navigator to oversee the production of the Loran C project.
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Post by PB on May 15, 2020 15:41:48 GMT
Thanks Alan, amazing what our Dad's achieved..thereby hangs another story.
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Post by rocky14 on May 15, 2020 18:13:56 GMT
My father, God rest his soul, became an enthusiastic car booter towards the end of his life,being an electronics engineer, forever coming home with electrical things to fix up. He acquired a brand new, non working, travel iron. He fixed it up, gave it to my wife. She plugged it in and, as it smoked, gave it back to Dad. He had another go and demonstrated it to us, fully functioning. So, there we are in the Victoria Falls Hotel,having travelled up from Bulawayo on a steam special, my wife decides it's time to iron some clothes. Plugs in iron, great burst of flames and all power out. We hid the iron and phoned reception asking if there was a problem with the electricity? The iron had blown the main fuse to a whole wing of the hotel! We got home, gave the iron back to Dad who said he'd have another go at fixing it! We took it back and threw it away. Dad was the man head hunted by Decca Navigator to oversee the production of the Loran C project. My wife and I travelled by train from Pretoria to said hotel at the height of the hyper-inflation epidemic. You have to have an 'emic' these days! The locals at 'The Falls', especially the kids were desperate for US dollars, our clothes; anything tangible they could get their hands on. It starkly brought home to us how well off some of us are compared to others suffering despotic regimes. Mind you...these days!! Anyhow, this company does an interesting trip.https://www.rovos.com/ It also has two CV440s and Dak for the wealthy! Now that we are back in business - sort of - I guess this kind of chat should go to the C-19 channel. The police helicopter has been hovering over the Bristol Downs for at least thirty minutes - that's expensive!
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Post by rocky14 on May 15, 2020 18:21:35 GMT
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Post by davidallum on May 16, 2020 13:09:01 GMT
Hi Peter,with regards to this morning's POTD,it never ceases to amaze me that people buy a house close to an airfield/airport and then moan about the noise,I could comment further but I want to keep this forum decent.
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