JS> If you have access to the National Geographics CD set, got to the
JS> January 1918 issue. The whole issue is WW I air operations. RAF,
JS> French, Italian, US and Russia.
 
I have drooled over them, but my wife hasn't taken the hint yet!
 
JS> Freddy Raynham said they would not let him fly combat in WW I. Said
JS> he was too valuable as a test pilot. He said he did make a trip to
JS> Russia to make some tests or do some instructions over there. He was
JS> given credit fro being first to spin and EXPLAIN HOW TO RECOVER. I
JS> listened to lots of Freddy's tales. We did not have tape recorders
JS> in those day.  I had a WIRE recorder but it was too large and
JS> tempermental to haul around. I enjoyed a lot of his 16 mm movies.
JS> Taken back in the 20s. When mapping India and later the Dutch East
JS> Indies. I believe he was awarded the George Medal for the mapping of
JS> Imperial Airways routes in India.
 
probably not the George Medal" I don't _think_ that was around until
WWII, and then was a civilian decoration that approximated to the VC.
But early pilots? I was taught to fly on open cockpit Tiger Moths by an
ex-RFC pilot. The then head of the Hamble airline school near
Southampton used to come over and I would get freebie flights in the
back seat as they did dog-fights over Langston Harbour just east of
Portsmouth. Great stuff: we had a sailplane instructor as well who used
to wear his old RFC wings.
 
Bruce
 
 
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 # RM 1.31 2016 # "Naturam expellas furca licet, usque recurret."--Horace
 # PDQWK 1.2 #53
 
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