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| Lysander Mk III |
The volunteer staff are former RAF personnel and appear older than many exhibits; elderly gentlemen whose active careers are over yet still with the desire, and memories, to speak to the next generation. It was a quiet day and we were probably lucky, but all were ready to reminisce. There was the Canberra navigator who spoke of travelling long distances in the cramped cockpit, the ground engineer who proudly patted one of the planes he had cared for during service life then pointed to himself in a faded photograph of his former squadron. We discussed Cold War politics with another and were shown around the cockpit of a Hunter by someone who truly knew. The atmosphere was that of a convivial gentlemen’s club and we learned so much.
Work is well advanced on the next
Fighting Sail instalment; I’m currently about a quarter of the way through the
first draft and am aiming for a late autumn release. Meanwhile I am also hoping
to add to the Coastal Forces series and, to this end, recently paid a visit to Tangmere
Military Aviation Museum. This was partly for research – I had heard there was
an informative air-sea rescue display – and partly pleasure. And it was
excellent, with a good range of aircraft, displays and memorabilia. But the
true magic of Tangmere lies in its attendants.
But there was
one short incident that will always stay with me. Tangmere has a fast jet
simulator; the cockpit of a Lightning having been wired up with screens and
sound to allow amateurs some sensation of being in control while a patient
former fighter pilot gives guidance. We enjoyed our twenty minutes and moved on
to other exhibits, then the peace of a quiet afternoon was broken by the
“engines” of the simulator roaring into life once more.
I quietly
returned to the room; another elderly man was at the Lightning’s controls and
‘flying’ it expertly. I think the term is “stooging about at nought feet” but
his level would have aroused an angry response from local residents had it been
for real, while the speed at which he tree-hopped and banked was truly
breath-taking. I watched, transfixed, while this elderly gentleman handled his
terrible machine in the way young men have been encouraged to since chariots
were invented. He wore glasses and a hearing aid, but neither were needed for
the simulator was now a time machine. In my former life I mixed with some top
musicians (makes me sound like a drummer) and was fortunate to be present when
they practised or improvised; it was a similar sensation: he played that
aircraft with an innate talent that surpassed age and I felt honoured to be a
silent witness.
Should you find
yourself in the South East of England (and when the current crisis is over) do
come to Tangmere. It’s a brilliant museum and a great day out; the kids will
love it. And there is more; oh, so much more.
https://www.tangmere-museum.org.uk/
