Peter Davies RIP
Feb 15, 2022 10:13:03 GMT
Post by tonydoyle on Feb 15, 2022 10:13:03 GMT
I am sad to report the passing of an early Air Britain member and friend, Peter Davies, who died on the 9th February. Peter, whose Air Britain number is 00378, was a member for over 70 years right up to his death.
Peter was one of a number of schoolboys who gathered regularly at Ringway Airport on their bikes and formed a club in 1948/49. We had an interesting mixture of aircraft to view with Fairey Aviation, 613 Squadron Spitfires, the civil side and Avro at Woodford was also local.
Members of the Group, including Peter, used to help one of the local pleasure flying outfits, Airviews, by enplaning passengers and organising bookings at weekends, payment was usually tea in the Airport café plus spare seats on the Rapides. Later, Peter wrote about a flight he made in a Finglands Anson, G-AKFM, as a ‘passenger’ from Ringway to Belfast carrying newspapers and how part of the return load of mushrooms fell on him. Survivors of that Group have kept in touch and many lunches and reminiscences have been enjoyed over the years although time is now taking its toll.
Peter maintained his enthusiasm for aviation throughout his life, he wrote a number of articles for Air Britain and other magazines. He was also involved in helping authors of a number of Air Britain books, in particular the late Derek King. In recent years Peter has been housebound in Lytham and, since he was not into IT, he passed his log books to me and I have been able to continue his work.
One aspect of Peter’s logging of aircraft has proved particularly useful because he used to write down details of the colour schemes carried on many aircraft. In those days nearly all photographs were black and white so his notes have proved valuable to many current researchers and aircraft owners.
Peter was one of a number of schoolboys who gathered regularly at Ringway Airport on their bikes and formed a club in 1948/49. We had an interesting mixture of aircraft to view with Fairey Aviation, 613 Squadron Spitfires, the civil side and Avro at Woodford was also local.
Members of the Group, including Peter, used to help one of the local pleasure flying outfits, Airviews, by enplaning passengers and organising bookings at weekends, payment was usually tea in the Airport café plus spare seats on the Rapides. Later, Peter wrote about a flight he made in a Finglands Anson, G-AKFM, as a ‘passenger’ from Ringway to Belfast carrying newspapers and how part of the return load of mushrooms fell on him. Survivors of that Group have kept in touch and many lunches and reminiscences have been enjoyed over the years although time is now taking its toll.
Peter maintained his enthusiasm for aviation throughout his life, he wrote a number of articles for Air Britain and other magazines. He was also involved in helping authors of a number of Air Britain books, in particular the late Derek King. In recent years Peter has been housebound in Lytham and, since he was not into IT, he passed his log books to me and I have been able to continue his work.
One aspect of Peter’s logging of aircraft has proved particularly useful because he used to write down details of the colour schemes carried on many aircraft. In those days nearly all photographs were black and white so his notes have proved valuable to many current researchers and aircraft owners.