www.davidcookaviator.com

DAVID COOK

AVIATOR

DAWN TO DUSK

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Regarding the 2 items above. There is a 1/2 million scale Aeronautical Map of the route flown in Shadow 02, and the Flight summary, giving details of Flight Times, Speeds, and fuel consumption. They both formed part of our submission to the competition organisers. The route in Blue,  (which was very roughly clockwise) started and finished at Bassingbourn, and I know that it looks like a fly has crawled over a map of East Anglia. Why we took the route shown is explained by the rules which stated that any change of course must involve a turn of more than 15 degrees. This was quite difficult to achieve because of the proximity of a lot of the airfields we were trying to visit. On the day before the event I positioned fuel supplies at Panshanger, and Sibson, the refuelling stops at Eye, Shipdham and Framlingham were dealt with by CFM.   On the day after I had to go back to 'my 2' airfields to retrieve my empty fuel cans. All in all it was a very busy 3 days both on the ground and in the air. My hearing returned to normal after 3 days. 9 hours in the back of a Shadow without a very good headset was, in retrospect, not too advisable.

© Copyright David Southwell

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A letter from David Southwell 12th December 2010

Covering the Dusk To Dawn event that took place 15th October 1989

 

Hi Terry

I did not realise that you were in regular contact with David until we had quite a long chat this morning. Whilst he was a little late joining the 21st century in getting e-mail etc he is obviously now fully au-fait with computers etc.

I have had a look at the DCAviator website which I must admit is very good. It occurs to me that there are perhaps a couple of things to add to 'Shadow' lore.

1.) It was my privilege to arrange and subsequently lead (in 02) the mass Shadow flight at Duxford on 15/10/89. David bringing up the rear in G-BONP. There were in fact 26 Shadows there on the day and my log book says that 21 took part. We had tried to do it on 17/9/89 as a fly-by at Duxford starting from Bassingbourn. The weather was lousy with very poor visibility. Knowing the area very well I stuck to the plan, flying thro mist and rain, following the roads, and when I got back to Bassingbourn everybody except Brian Johnson (who had managed to follow me) had given up and landed back at Bassingbourn. We then decided to do it based at Duxford.

2.) Prior to having a go at the D to D event we thought that we should have a trial to see if it was going to be possible. This was on 1/06/86 and we flew around East Anglia for a bit before landing at Eye Airfield. The Captain then said that, you (me) had better fly the Shadow (02) now. So I was briefed and took off to fly an extended circuit. During the Downwind leg it occurred to me that this was the first time for about 15 years I had actually been totally on my own flying an aircraft. (At this time I had about 400 hrs) So I was quite pleased with myself. (This was to change) I taxied in, opened the canopy and was greeted by the Captain with the statement;

THERE YOU ARE I TOLD YOU IT WAS CRETIN PROOF.  Still we are still friends and next year it will be an unbelievable quarter of a century since we won the D to D.

We were both 46 then and are 70 now. Very appropriately in the circumstances we have proved that Tempus does in fact Fugit.

Bye for now

© Copyright David Southwell