NEWS IN BRIEF

March 2019 News

LAST FLIGHT FOR NF METEOR

The ex-Air Atlantique Classic Flight Gloster Meteor NF11 WM167/G-LOSM made its final flight from Coventry to Bruntingthorpe on 5 January, with Dan Griffith at the controls. In the back was new owner Dave Thomas, who plans to keep the Baginton-built machine in taxiing condition as part of ‘Brunty’s’ Cold War Jets collection.

INVADER TO GERMANY

Douglas A-26B Invader 44-34769/N500MR, previously part of the Athenian Aviators Collection and based at Tatoi near the Greek capital, has been acquired by German operator Tina Fly. It is due to be ferried to MeierMotors’ facility at Bremgarten, south-western Germany. Another new arrival there is ex-Iraqi Air Force Hawker Fury ISS N97SF, purchased by Italian display pilot Stefano Landi. BEN DUNNELL

VISCOUNT REPAINTED

The Duxford Aviation Society repainted its Vickers Viscount 701, G-ALWF (above), in IWM Duxford’s AirSpace building during the second week of January. Hawker Siddeley Trident 2E G-AVFB is due to follow suit on 10 February.

DEREK PIGGOTT 1922-2019

Famed glider pilot and instructor Derek Piggott died on 6 January, aged 96. The chief instructor at Lasham Gliding Club from 1953-59, the former RAF pilot held numerous gliding records, and continued flying into his 90s. His extensive powered aircraft experience included film flying for such productions as The Blue Max and Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines (see pages 30-35). Piggott also piloted the SUMPAC man-powered aircraft. A fuller appreciation will appear in next month’s magazine. BEN DUNNELL

XP-82 FLIES

North American XP-82 Twin Mustang 44-83887 made its first post-restoration flight at Douglas, Georgia, on 28 January following a mammoth, 207,000-hour, 10-plus-year restoration by Tom Reilly and his team.

HADRIAN ARRIVES AT DUMFRIES

The Waco CG-4A Hadrian troop-carrying glider that was formerly owned by the Assault Glider Trust, and was acquired by the Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum, arrived at its new home at the former RAF Dumfries in late November last year after a road journey from RAF Cosford. BEN DUNNELL

FILTON HANGAR SAVED

A £547,000 Biffa Award grant has been allocated to Aerospace Bristol to conserve the 103-year-old Hangar 16M at the Filton site. The hangar is now scheduled to house the museum’s Bristol Bolingbroke and Freighter as they are brought up to display condition.