SPANISH CIVIL WAR VETERAN DIES
Miguel Ángel Sanz Bocos, the last known surviving Republican pilot who flew during the Spanish Civil War, died at the age of 100 on 13 August. He flew Polikarpov I-16 ‘Ratas’ in the conflict, and escaped to France after the Nationalist victory in April 1939.
VENOMS TO BRUNTINGTHORPE
Two former Swiss Air Force de Havilland Venom FB50s that had been kept airworthy with the Air Atlantique Classic Flight, G-DHVM and G-VENM, were moved from Coventry to Bruntingthorpe during September. Gloster Meteor NF11 WM167/G-LOSM is expected to be heading the same way soon.
YAK-9 TRAGEDY IN AUSTRALIA
Allison-powered Yakovlev Yak-9UM VH-YIX crashed into a farm paddock in Victoria, Australia on 7 September, killing the pilot. The aircraft was one of those built by Yakovlev in the early 1990s.
L-BIRDS BACK TO NORMANDY
The ‘L-Birds back to Normandy’ project now has more than 50 liaison aircraft from 13 countries signed up to gather in northern France for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion next June. A total of 23 UK-based aeroplanes are currently scheduled to take part.
METALPLANE TO HOOD RIVER
Latest arrival at the burgeoning Western Antique Aeroplane Museum at Hood River, Oregon is the world’s only airworthy Hamilton Metalplane, NC879H, on loan from its owner, Pole Pass Airways.
