This will test the PH knowledge
Discussion
You may or may not know about this photo.
Well basically my grandfather went out to take a photo of the plane passing as a close friend was ment to be flying and this is the photo he took. It has been widley published and sort after.
Anyhow it is his 80th soon and the 50th aniversary of the photo, I have been tracking down the location of the 2 glass plate negatives to present to him.
Now, I was wondering whom to contact to find out about what happened to the wreckage of the lightning (XG332) when the MOD cleared it up. It would be great to present the slides back to him with a small piece of the aircraft.
But who do I ask? Afterall if you don't ask you will never know.
Oli
(excuse any spellings ect as it is 01:18 and I am on my iPhone in bed)
Well basically my grandfather went out to take a photo of the plane passing as a close friend was ment to be flying and this is the photo he took. It has been widley published and sort after.
Anyhow it is his 80th soon and the 50th aniversary of the photo, I have been tracking down the location of the 2 glass plate negatives to present to him.
Now, I was wondering whom to contact to find out about what happened to the wreckage of the lightning (XG332) when the MOD cleared it up. It would be great to present the slides back to him with a small piece of the aircraft.
But who do I ask? Afterall if you don't ask you will never know.
Oli
(excuse any spellings ect as it is 01:18 and I am on my iPhone in bed)
Edited by olimeads on Friday 9th April 01:22
I always understood that the photographer was taking a photo of the tractor and happened to be in the right place at the right time for the lightning bang-out.
(as a photographer, I'll endorse that by saying that the tractor is pin sharp...)
(as a photographer, I'll endorse that by saying that the tractor is pin sharp...)
Edited by Famous Graham on Friday 9th April 02:09
)It's a very well known photo. The picture shows English Electric test pilot George Aird ejecting out of an early Lightning pre-production aircraft. He survived (obviously as he is to be celebrating his 80th soon - as mentioned by the OP).
The picture was taken by a photographer who was shooting the tractor as part of a feature for an agricultural magazine. I think it won numerous press awards.
The picture was taken by a photographer who was shooting the tractor as part of a feature for an agricultural magazine. I think it won numerous press awards.
Edited by Eric Mc on Friday 9th April 07:43
The story goes my grandfathers next door neigbour has an RAF test pilot and had told jim that he would be flying that day. he went down with his to kids (my dad and uncle, 4 and 5 yo) he saw the plane pitch up and the pilot eject, but because he only had 2 shots on a reversable glass plate slide, he waited until the plane was had gone virticle and was coming back down. He was intact trespassing on the airfield and wasn't shooting the tracter, just happened to be there.
it turned out that his neighbour wasn't flying as he had allowed his 2nd (george) to fly.
This is the true story straight from the horses mouth. And if anybody has
any questions I will go ask him as he is in his bedroom in the next room.
(It looks like I have managed to change my username)
it turned out that his neighbour wasn't flying as he had allowed his 2nd (george) to fly.
This is the true story straight from the horses mouth. And if anybody has
any questions I will go ask him as he is in his bedroom in the next room.
(It looks like I have managed to change my username)
Edited by XG332 on Friday 9th April 08:38
At the time an amature with interests in planes and trains. The money he recieved from this (£1000 in 1962) allowed him to become a pro photog. Now he shoots fox hunts on foot, running with the hounds using 3 canon T90's film cameras. He has had 5? Books published with his 6th and final book expected for 2012.
And he says...It was an MOD Aircraft so probably went back to Farnborough or Boscombe. He had made a aircraft telemetry pack for Firestreak that was fitted in the gun bay and had removed it the day before and was rather happy it was on his bench rather than in the hole in the ground! He says the aircraft had a tail fire and, as it was an all moving tail structure, lost all control.
tonyvid said:
And he says...It was an MOD Aircraft so probably went back to Farnborough or Boscombe. He had made a aircraft telemetry pack for Firestreak that was fitted in the gun bay and had removed it the day before and was rather happy it was on his bench rather than in the hole in the ground! He says the aircraft had a tail fire and, as it was an all moving tail structure, lost all control.
IIRC it was the same sort of thing that happened to ZU-BEX in SA and probably quite a few other Lightnings.Chris71 said:
There's a print of his hanging up in the gents in Panshanger airfield near Hatfield. I don't know if Panshanger has a direct association with the event or if it's just nearby?
The Aircraft was involved in trials at De Havillands at Hatfield and crashed at the greenhouses at the western end at Smallford.XG332 said:
At the time an amature with interests in planes and trains. The money he recieved from this (£1000 in 1962) allowed him to become a pro photog. Now he shoots fox hunts on foot, running with the hounds using 3 canon T90's film cameras. He has had 5? Books published with his 6th and final book expected for 2012.
At 80yrs old? Good on the man!
Jib of the highest quality. Must be a really interesting chap.
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