Did you ever know that you're my hero ?

[venta]

Why is it that some vehicles - usually the strange, or ugly ones - can occasionally inspire great affection ? The Routemaster, the Morris Minor, the Mini Cooper, the Gresley A4 Pacific[*]...

I am, in general, completely indifferent to aircraft. Sure, they're useful and all that, but they're functional beasts not likely to be loved for themselves.

Except... except for one, which I took to at a very early age. A friend of my parents flew one, and it was the only silhouette I could ever reliably recognise in the sky. I was sad the day they were decommissioned, and delighted to hear a few years ago that there was a project on to restore one.

Go, go, XH558!

[*] That's a steam loco, of which the most famous example is Mallard.

Comments

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

A friend of my parents flew one

When I read that I thought you meant as private transport. Then I saw the video and thought "WTF?! They had their own Vulcan?!".

[venta.livejournal.com]

Sadly, no, he was in the RAF :)

However, at age 3-ish, I'm not sure I comprehended that, and habitually waved and called hello to him whenever a Vulcan went over our house.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

My favourite plane is the Fokker DrI, which certainly fits the strange/ugly criteria! The Vulcan isn't really my era but is undeniably gorgeous and I can't wait to see it flying again.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Actually... when I said that people wouldn't love planes for themselves I was thinking entirely of modern-era planes. Back in the days of the Baron when planes appear to have been made of string, cardboard and frantic hope they were much more lovable.

Last year I went to New Zealand and after a calm and punctual flight from Heathrow to Auckland, we had hell and all trouble with what was supposed to be a 40 minute hop to Queenstown. Some five hours later, having been shuttled round the landscape we got on a plane flying from somewhere we didn't intend to be to somewhere we didn't want to go - yet my grumpiness was somewhat mitigated when I realised the plane had propellors. Planes only really become unexciting when they lost all visible means of support.

[huskyteer.livejournal.com]

I remember my mum being alarmed that the plane we were taking to Jersey had props. I wish I'd been as aviation-minded then as I am now.

Modern fighters are all a bit samey, but I do like the Viggen - technically a biplane!

[broadmeadow.livejournal.com]

Used to fly on those regularly. The last people to get their in-flight drinks had to be quick because the flight was so short.

You should try the ones between Jersey/Guernsey/Alderney. I don't know what they're like now but when I used them one of the passengers sat next to the pilot. With a full set of controls in front of them.

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

A friend of my parents flew one

I set fire to one once.

[venta.livejournal.com]

!
?

[elethiomel.livejournal.com]

Hurrah, glad to see one flying again! Wouldn't call it my favourite aircraft (that would probably have to be the A-10), but that said, Operation Black Buck One was rather special.

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

I talked to an A-10 pilot once, and he told me about the way the plane slows when that nose cannon is fired. That's what I can emergency braking. And what's not to love about a titanium bath?

[edling.livejournal.com]

They are one of the better looking ones. Just read that because the cockpit had no rearward visibility they had built-in periscopes, which seems like a brilliantly English solution to the problem of finding out what's behind you...

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

'fraid not. The first ever operational jet bomber, which was German, had a periscope.

[waistcoatmark.livejournal.com]

Not even the Concorde?

[eviltwinemma.livejournal.com]

Totally agree about the Morris Minor; the Morris Minor Traveller is the ultimate in rickety style. In terms of planes, I'll always have a soft spot for the Lancaster Bomber.