Maurice's Boeing Stearman
A Day With Janie the P-51D Mustang, Hardwick Airfield, Norfolk - 17th July 2005
The day after a 40s dance at Hardwick Airfield, which Nosher missed due to band commitments, there's a chance to make up for it by turning up for a "secret" open day. It's a gorgeous day, and several aircraft are parked up ready to go: a North American P-51D Mustang, an AT6 Harvard, a Boeing Stearman and a Cessna. All are owned by Maurice Hammond, and are due up for rides and, for the Mustang and the Harvard, an airshow near Bury St Edmunds. Before they can even take off, however, a car which has been erroneously parked right in the middle of the grass-strip runway has to be towed away. Unlike regular airshows, where there are ropes and security, this is an informal affair and it's great to be able to get right up to the planes. Sitting in the prop-wash of the Mustang "Janie" as she fires up her 27-litre Merlin is an experience in itself. Later on, after Maurice returns for an hour-or-so whilst in-between gigs, Nosher and DH use the starboard wing as a sunshade.
next album: Borough Market and North Clapham Tapas, London - 23rd July 2005
previous album: Steve Ives' Leaving Lunch, Science Park, Cambridge - 11th July 2005
DH inspects the Stearman in the morning
The Harvard is covered up
The Cessna in the hangar
The Auster
Janie the Mustang
An inconsiderate car, right on the runway
The Cessna is pushed out of the hangar
A miscreant 406 is hauled out of the way
The Harvard is fueled up
Maurice Hammond peers over the wing
Maurice fuels Janie up
It's DH's turn to peer over the wing
Maurice finishes up
Maurice puts the pump back
Janie's nose
Inside the cockpit
Visitors arrive at the hangar
A rear view of Janie - tail number 414419
Maurice gets a paying passenger in
Maurice looks up
The 9-cylinnder radial fires up on the Stearman
Maurice in Janie
The propwash and noise are incredible
The Harvard is ready and taxis around
The Harvard is in the air
Janie takes off, with a roar from the Merlin engine
The Stearman pilot gets a handshake
Splattered bugs are cleaned off the Stearman's propeller
A pile of oil drums
DH in the hangar kitchen
DH checks his picnic backpack out
One of the veterans returns for a visit
Janie returns after nearly three hours
414419 Janie lands
DH takes a touristy photo by the Mustang
The Harvard gets a windscreen clean
DH sneaks a few photos of the cockpit
The veteran describes flying the Mustang in the war
The Harvard takes off to do Thurston airshow
The Harvard is off
Janie's off again to do an airshow display
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Maurice's Boeing Stearman
Maurice's Boeing Stearman
DH inspects the Stearman in the morning
The Harvard is covered up
The Cessna in the hangar
The Auster
Janie the Mustang
An inconsiderate car, right on the runway
The Cessna is pushed out of the hangar
A miscreant 406 is hauled out of the way
The Harvard is fueled up
Maurice Hammond peers over the wing
Maurice fuels Janie up
It's DH's turn to peer over the wing
Maurice finishes up
Maurice puts the pump back
Janie's nose
Inside the cockpit
Visitors arrive at the hangar
A rear view of Janie - tail number 414419
Maurice gets a paying passenger in
Maurice looks up
The 9-cylinnder radial fires up on the Stearman
Maurice in Janie
The propwash and noise are incredible
The Harvard is ready and taxis around
The Harvard is in the air
Janie takes off, with a roar from the Merlin engine
The Stearman pilot gets a handshake
Splattered bugs are cleaned off the Stearman's propeller
A pile of oil drums
DH in the hangar kitchen
DH checks his picnic backpack out
One of the veterans returns for a visit
Janie returns after nearly three hours
414419 Janie lands
DH takes a touristy photo by the Mustang
The Harvard gets a windscreen clean
DH sneaks a few photos of the cockpit
The veteran describes flying the Mustang in the war
The Harvard takes off to do Thurston airshow
The Harvard is off
Janie's off again to do an airshow display