>If you are interested in aircraft, it may be worth your while to be near the airport at 7pm tonight. Can’t tell you why!
It looks like Skea Brae is on tomorrow (thursday), provisional times between 0900-1030
All the best
Neil
>Just a quick post to let you know that all the money that has been pledged has now been paid so we can finalise things tomorrow. Thank you everyone, it’s been hectic but hopefully will be worth every minute.
I will try and update the blog with the ETA of the Spitfire. the Pitts Special will be landing at 1300 local time on Thursday and all intend to depart by 1945 at the latest on thursday so here’s hoping all goes to plan.
Can I again remind people not to park at the Loganair hangar as there is not enough parking and we need to keep it clear as possible for our special guest to arrive.
If you want any further information contact me at anytime.
Best wishes and thanks again
Neil
>We still have not received all the pledges yet, so if you can iplease drop past tomorrow so we can pay everyone!
The timings for Wednesday are as follows:
pm Arrival of Spitfire and Pitts
Private viewing 1800-1900 at the Loganair hangar. Please do not park at the hangar as there is limited space. If you park at the terminal, Craigie’s have offered their services to shuttle everyone to the venue so please aim to be at the terminal between 1730 and 1745 so we can kick off on time as there may be a surprise at the ened!
Thursday is more informal.
The Spitfire will be parked up at the terminal all day. Glaitness School will be visiting at 11am, and at 12pm the vintage vehicles will arrive for the photo shoot.
am arrival of SE5A at Lamb Holm
Evening, is as published already:
1840 SE5A display
1850 Pitts display
1900 Spitfire display
Regards for now
Neil
PS May have found a Spitfire pilot in Orkney, will let you know tomorrow
>This is a very late post as my router died tonight and i had to find another one and rebuild all the settings. Plans are almost finalised and I am delighted to confirm the attendance of John Moffat on Wednesday night. This has been made possible by a very generous donation from Jonathan Hinkles, Commercial Director of Loganair who provided the air ticket from Edinburgh to Kirkwall and return.
Time is starting to run short and we need to finalise the finance by friday, if possible. Can I please ask that all pledges are paid by friday at the latest so we can go firm with all the displays.
For those of you who have already paid, many thanks, I will receipt each and every one as soon as I can.
I am at the airport 0830-1630 tomorrow and 0630-1430 on friday. Outside these times, envelopes can be left with the information desk staff.
If you want your pledges collected, please let me know and I will drop by after work.
Can I also ask everyone who wants to attend on wednesday night to drop a quick line, again allowing me to confirm numbers for the private viewing. Please indicate wheteher you are taking a partner.
Next wednesday and thursday will certainly be 2 days to remember for a very long time and we thank all of you for making it possible.
Regards for now
Neil
>It never ceases to amaze me how things evolve from inception to reality. A very generous donation from Highlands and Islands Airports limited changed next weeks format. This was followed quickly by another generous offer of funding by Billy McEwen of J&M McEwens.
At first, we were not sure if it was appropriate to accept the funds, however a few phone calls later, ideas started to come together.
I also received a phone call today from Alan Gorn in Stromness and it transpires his father, Billy Gorn from Towerhill in Holm, was an engineer in the Fleet Air Arm working on Spitfires at Twatt.
Our other guest, Sheena Taylor of Stenness and Aberdeenshire is the daughter of a pilot who served in Orkney with Fleet Air Arm Sqn 894 at HMS Sparrowhawk and HMS Illustrious and other Orkney airfields.
Her father, Douglas Robertson, came from Longhope. Much more information to come from Sheena.
With the extra funding we are working hard to bring up one last surprise. Many will have heard of John Moffat, who was credited with taking out the rudder of the Bismarck allowing her to be sunk. Many of his exploits are available online. Here is the reference for Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Moffat_(pilot)
And here is a link to the Mail online
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1191813/Pilot-sank-Bismarck-tells-tale-70-years.html
For those of you who have just found the blog, apologies, if you have not been updated, as it appears not all the e-mail addresses are accurate.
Thank you all again for you interest and generous contributions. I hope to make another announcement tomorrow.
All the best
Neil
>I have been asked loads of questions about the Spitfire and its history so I have listed below the answers (based on my research) to the most common ones.
The first and main question I am asked is regarding the number of flying Spitfires in the UK.
As far as I can see there are around 25 of which 6 are 2 seaters.
Here is a potted history of TP462
Built Castle Bromwich in July 1944, delivered to 39 Maintenance Unit.
Shipped to Mediterranean Allied Air Force with 215 Maintenance Unit
Served with 253 Sqn during 1945 with markings ‘SW-A’.
Transferred to Italian Air Force as ‘MM4100’
Then to Israeli Air Force as ‘0607’
Then ‘2067’ in 1952.
It was found partially buried on a Kibbutz by Rob Lamplough and sent back to England in May 1983.
Charles Church took ownership in 1985 and then restored and converted it to a Supermarine Type 509 Mk IX Spitfire Trainer configuration.
It was registered as G-CTIX it flew on July 25th 1987.
After Charles Church died it was sold to Jetcap Aviation in Florida as N462JC ‘SW-A’
The current owner, Anthony Hodgson bought it and brought it back to the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARC) of Duxford, UK.
Anthony keeps it at a private strip in Wales.
Find more information here and here
We have just over half the pledges received to date, could you please try and have all pledges paid by friday of this week. If, for any reason you are unable to fulfil your pledge, please let me know as asap.
Final bit of news. I can now confim that Richard and William Shearer and Walter Scott have been given permission to take their historical cars on the airfield to have a period photograph taken with the Spitfire.
Glaitness School will be taking Class 7 at 11am to visit the aircraft as part of their project on WW2. KGS have asked to do the same.
That’s all for now and thanks for reading
Neil
>
Further pledges are:
Colin Gregg Cars £100
Munro’s Garage £100
JG Shearer & Sons £100
J&W Tait £100
Walter Scott £50
Many thanks to you all and of course Eddie for his hard work
Providing all pledges are met, I am delighted to say we can now complete all our plans. I will get the invitations out to the private viewing beginning of next week as I have to give numbers.
It was suggested to me tonight that we should have collection tins around the viewing areas on the night. The question is, if we did, do we have any volunteers to assist and where would be donate any money raised. RAF charities would be the natural choice but willing to listen. let us know what you think.
Finally a photo of what this is all about, many thanks Derek!
If you want to e-mail me, please use this address.
Thanks
>Hello again
Just to let you know that the SE5 is now confirmed. We had to find an alternative solution to ensure getting it here so due to the assistance of Tommy Sinclair, who has the private grass airstrip on Lamb Holm we can now confirm its attendance.
The pilot has organised a visit to Kirkwall airport to check the posibility of landing but it looks like it will only be arriving on the 3rd, prior to the display.
Just to let you see what we have in store here are some links
SE5A is owned and flown by Neil Geddes, further information can be found here
You can view photographs at the bottom of the page
The Pitts Special is owned and flown by Dai Heather Hayes
who can also be found here
And the Spitfire owned and flown by Anthony Hodgson
who can also be found here
After the event I will publish my own photographs here but will also welcome pictures from anyone.
The timetable will most likely be:
3rd June
1840 SE5A display over Kirkwall Bay
1850 Pitts Special display over Kirkwall Bay
1900 Spitfire display over Kirkwall Bay
I will try and give you as much warning as I can regarding the low approach to Skea Brae.
There are a few more thank you’s to add to the list:
Norman Brass Car Hire has donated a car to the pilots while they are in Orkney
Liz Melvin and Ivan Stevenson have donated the wine for the private viewing on the 3rd.
David Blackman, Kirkwall Airport Manager, has confirmed that the aircraft can be parked in front of the terminal on the day, meaning all can see it clearly. Many thanks to the Loganair Pilots for their assistance on this one.
Can I please ask all who have pledged to have all payments to me asap and in any event by next friday, 28th May.
In the words of Hannibal Hayes ” I love it when a plan comes together”
All the best
Neil
>Derek Mowat, Dunstane House Hotel……….£1000
Lawrie &Maggie Mitchell, Setter, Firth…..….£200
Anonymous………………………………………………..£100
Andrew Brown……………………………………………£200
Ian Thain……………………………………………………..£ 50
Jim and Jean Thompson…………………………….£200
Myself………………………………………………………..£200
Eddie Ratter, Scapa Garage………………………. £200
Norman Brass, Blue Star garage, Stromness £200
R Clouston, Kirkwall…………………………………… £100
DS Nicloson Rendall ……………………………………£100
Donald Mowat, St Margerets Hope …………..£100
Olly Sinclair, Royal Hotel, Stromness ………….£100
Jim Nicolson Rendall …………………………………..£50
MT Austin…………………………………………………….£100
Kirkwall Hotel……………………………………………….£200
Airfayre………………………………………………………..£50
G&A Barnie…………………………………………………..£100
RAFA matched by Colin Wylie………………………£100
Gwenda Shearer…………………………………………..£100
William Shearer, Victoria St…………………………..£150
Chris Wild, Craigie’s Taxis………………………………£100
Clouston Lodges, Orphir……………………………….£100
Alan Peace, JD Peace……………………………………£350
Original total…………………………………………………£4150
New contributors
Andy Newlands…………………………………………… £200
Charlie Kemp……………………………………………….£200
Michael Shearer……………………………………………£50
Leslie Alexander…………………………………………..£100
Sandy Thomson…………………………………………….£100
Bruce and Kirsty Mainland…………………………….£200
Ken Amer………………………………………………………£100
Hopefully final 2 pledges will be confirmed tomorrow allowing us to finalise things and work out any shortfall for small function on evening of 2nd. We have had kind offers of assistance for a mini buffet or wine, we may have to take you up on that offer yet, watch this space.
We are having to be very flexible on the last aircraft as the SE5 needs grass to land, so working hard on a solution. Final prices will be confirmed tomorrow but I can confirm some times now.
Wednesday 2nd June
If Spitfire arrives in good time, low tribute approach to Skea Brae
Pm Spitfire arrives and hangared by 1730.
1800 Private viewing in Loganair hangar courtesy of Loganair Engineering for contributors, meet the pilot and the aircraft.
Thursday
Pitts Special arrives
SE5 or alternative arrives
Spitfire at Kirkwall Airport, all things going well and subject to approval, parked up at terminal. All who have been unable to contribute but who have offered assistance will be able to enjoy private viewing with times to be confirmed.
11am Time available for KGS pupils, separate contact and arrangements to be made.
2pm Glaitness School TBC
Alternate time for Skea Brae approach
Exact times TBC
1830 Pitts display Kirkwall Bay
1900 Spitfire display
That’s as much as I can tell you just now. If you intend to visit the private viewing on the 2nd, can you please e-mail me asap so I can finalise numbers. There are some who cannot attend who I already know about, if you are taking a partner, please let me know.
Next news shortly. I can’t say thank you enough to you all. Lets just hope we get a bonny summers evening
All the best
Neil
>Hello all
What a difference a few days make. While driving south last Thursday, I got a phone call from Eddie Ratter telling me he had raised a further £700. I had a quick chat with Derek in Edinburgh and he informed me that Leslie Alexander had raised a further £500. This together with an offer of £200 from Charlie Kemp changed the ball game considerably.
We now have arranged another surprise. A Pitts Special Aerobatic aircraft has been added to the display and all things going well we will have an SE5 in RAF colours from WW1.
We will also potentially have a special guest. The daughter of a pilot who was based at Twatt, Skea Brae, HMS Robin and Sparrowhawk. I won’t say too much but the history is fascinating.
Just to remind you, please drop your pledge for the Spitfire to me at Kirkwall Airport. Cheques should be made payable to A Hodgson. I will receipt by e-mail if required.
Will confirm venue and time shortly
Best wishes
Neil
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