The Aircraft

This photo-index lists the aircraft which served with the club, listed alphabetically by registration.

 More images always welcome, please forward to Webmaster.

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In the early 1970's, the Luftwaffe was in the process of disposing of its fleet of DORNIER 27 liaison and communications aircraft. Club member and serving Luftwaffe Major Wulf Ehrhardt arranged for one of them to be released to the club at a knock-down price. Once given her German civil registration, he and John Bent flew her in from GAF Oldenburg on 20 Sept 1970.

The Dornier was a different order of business from the club's existing Auster and Bolkow aircraft. This was a real grown-up aeroplane and not really suitable for the basic training role, so instead she was kept busy earning her keep chucking out parachutists and as a chariot to and from UK.

This GRUMMAN YANKEE AA-1 was part-owned by club member Wulf Ehrhardt. He used her for commuting to and from Bonn Hangelar, where she was "dual-based."  A delight to fly, she was nevertheless something of a "hot ship." As such she was very popular with the club's more advanced pilots, but not really suitable for ab-initio training.

Affectionately known as the Yellow Peril, this TAYLORCRAFT AUSTER MK 3 was the club's first aircraft. Although shown in the club records as having been cannibalised circa 1969 to allow the rebuild of G-ATAX, her remains must have been salvaged, because she is alive and well and thriving, now owned by Gerard Bauer, who flies her out of Wickenby, resplendently restored to her original wartime colours. 60 years service and counting. Not bad for a genuine warbird, first built as an Army artillery spotter in 1943. (12 May 2006)

PIPER PA-22-150 CARIBBEAN  joined the club in March 1973 to provide 4-seat capability and is still current on the British register. An aviation magazine article in 2005 shows her as being back in the air after restoration, based at White Waltham. (1 June 2006)

This CESSNA 150 was acquired by the club around June of 1976. She clearly performed sterling service, amassing over 1600 hours on the airframe before disposal in 1982. Remarkably enough, she also appears to have joined G-ATVX in operating out of RAF Henlow. 'YP has her very own web-site listing her full history since she first left the Cessna factory in Wichita, Kansas, in 1964. Check it out via the link on our Links page. (1 Jan 2004)

The club's second aircraft, also a  TAYLORCRAFT AUSTER MK 3 ex-warbird. Rebuilt with parts from G-AREI circa 1969 following a ground-loop. Sold to Trago Mills,Cornwall,1972, but sometime in the late 1970's or early 1980's emigrated all the way out to Australia (albeit probably by sea). Flew in the Brisbane area in the early to mid 80's. Acquired by Don Mackintosh who flew her for about five years from a private strip north-west of Brisbane. Went into hangar storage in 1987, but she remains a long-term restoration to flying condition project for Don. (12 May 06)

News has been received of our first BOLKOW JUNIOR 208C, the fondly-remembered little workhorse which was the backbone of the club in its early years. Not only is she still flying 30 years later, but she has maintained her close links with the RAF. She is based at RAF Henlow where one of her joint owners is a serving Wing Commander. She was purchased in September 2003 from another RAF owner, a helicopter pilot serving with the Empire Test Pilot's School, who kept her at RAF Boscombe Down. (1 Jan 2004).

1969-1975?

CESSNA 150. Club service from the late 70's to the mid-1980's. Then sold on to a serving Flight Lieutenant who based her for a time at RAF Odiham. Now believed to be in service  with the Cheshire Air Training School at Liverpool (Speke). Info via Phil Mummery

PIPER CUB. Acquired mid-1975 but no other details known. Info via Arthur Thompson.

CESSNA 172. Acquired mid-1980's to replace the Club's first C172 G-LOOK. Served until the mid-1990's when she was written off in a no-injuries landing accident.

REIMS CESSNA 150 AEROBAT. Acquired late 1976 and still busily training students in the early 1980s. Info via Arthur Thompson and Phil Mummery.

CESSNA 152. Club service as a basic trainer in the mid - 1980's. Info via Chris Lazenby

Together with the other two aircraft from the RAF(G) FTC fleet, gifted to Pathfinders Flying Club, RAF Wyton, on closure of Laarbruch in 1999. Written off in crash landing in a Norfolk field, 2006, pilot unhurt.

SLINGSBY T67B.One of the two T67B's bought new from the manufacturer in the mid-1980's and which remained the backbone of the club through to the end in 1999. Sold in 1994 to finance purchase G-FTIL (see below) but bought back in 1996 with various modifications including, in the words of OIC Bob McCloud, her "bad taste respray."

The Club's last Chief Engineer Kevin O'Neill: "For the last few years she was bright canary yellow with royal blue piping on all control surfaces (YUK!) ".

Together with the other two aicraft from the RAF(G) FTC fleet, gifted  to Pathfinders Flying Club, RAF Wyton, on closure of Laarbruch in 1999. Still giving sterling service in 2007.

CESSNA 172. Club service early 1980's. Info via Phil Mummery

CESSNA 182 privately owned by club member Larry Browning, a US civilian tech rep, who left it with the club when he was posted home. Used for some months in the early 1970's until sold.