Discussion
Display pilot Ray Hanna died today. 
www.ofmc.co.uk
A true legend, no one could fly the Spitfire like him.
www.ofmc.co.uk
A true legend, no one could fly the Spitfire like him.
I have the book 'How they made Piece of Cake' and there's photo of Ray flying under the bridge - about 7 feet off the water (Winston Bridge in County Durham, a 100-foot wide semicircle).
Ray is one of the few who could actually say:
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
Ray is one of the few who could actually say:
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
Saw him display a Spit at Fairoaks airstrip many years ago. He always arrives over a display at exactly the scheduled time and we were told he would appear flying from right to left.
Over to the right was a line of poplar trees. One tree was missing from the line so that was where Ray emerged, on a knife-edge, with the upper wing tip well below the tops of the other trees. This was no controlled, slow, barely above the stall, pass this was almost flat out with a flip onto the other edge half way across the field. He said later this was so everybody could see both the bottom and the top of the plane rather than just the side.
A great loss.
Steve
Over to the right was a line of poplar trees. One tree was missing from the line so that was where Ray emerged, on a knife-edge, with the upper wing tip well below the tops of the other trees. This was no controlled, slow, barely above the stall, pass this was almost flat out with a flip onto the other edge half way across the field. He said later this was so everybody could see both the bottom and the top of the plane rather than just the side.
A great loss.
Steve
And who could ever forget this clip of Ray in his Spitfire 
www.killsometime.com/Video/video.asp?ID=319
www.killsometime.com/Video/video.asp?ID=319
simpo two said:
I have the book 'How they made Piece of Cake' and there's photo of Ray flying under the bridge - about 7 feet off the water (Winston Bridge in County Durham, a 100-foot wide semicircle).
Ray is one of the few who could actually say:
Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.
I have this book too. Shall go and dig it out right now.
I will genuinely never forget his Goodwood displays during the cricket match (as private displays the normal rules went out the window). This year the low cloud forced him to scratch the usual rolls, and stick to low passes. A Spitfire at full chat, wing dipped, at 20' is a life-affirming experience. Especially if you're underneath it...
Thanks Ray
Thanks Ray
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