Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2020 13:19:06 GMT 1
A year before Cliff Richard decided to borrow a London bus and drive around the Continent (from the film Summer Holiday for our younger readers 
), a group of us from MGAE decided to rent a much smaller version and see if we could drive to Switzerland and back in about two weeks. On the way out, we went straight through France, (for which for some unaccountable reason there are no photos), and returned via Belgium (for which there is just one mystery photo - the others probably lost in one of my many moves). However, I found these a few years ago after a sort out from moving house. The scanner I had at the time could not process the negatives, but with the kind assistance of Beemer, we were able to digitise them. They were then mislaid again until recently, when I came across them whilst looking for something else. I have few details other than the types (which may or may not be correct), but I thought they might be worth sharing, so here goes:
This was our transport for the trip, which never let us down - fortunately.
D-ECOL Piper P-18 Super Cub
Beech 18 in a typically Swiss setting
This, apparently, is a Comte Alfred AC 12E, though I confess that I had to look this up after all this time! I think some of these images are from Dubendorf, near Zurich.
This one was much easier - a Cessna 185 of course.
HB-UTN Bucker Bu-131B Jungmann
HB-RAA 1931 Dewoitine D.26, already 30 years old when this was taken, but in 'Swiss Condition'.
HB-EZC L 60 Brigadyr, built in what was then Czechoslovakia by the Aero company. Note the skis fitted, no doubt ready for the coming winter.
I was tempted to run a quiz on this one, but in these days of the internet, it wouldn't take too long to find it! Apparently, it's an EKW 3603, originally built as a combat aircraft by a Swiss government company. There was a machine-gun fitted in the rear cockpit. It never saw service as such of course, and was relegated to the job of target-towing when we saw it.
No doubt visiting from nearby Italy was this, though I confess to not being able to identify it. Any suggestions appreciated.
Zurich Kloten of course, an apron you could eat off, and two easily identifiable aircraft here. The Convair 440 ended up with North East Bolivian Airways, via SAHSA Honduras, so it no doubt ended it's life ignominiously carrying fresh meat from the Bolivian hinterland into La Paz.
You know you're in Switzerland when...
...there is a huge mountain next to the airfield and yes, that really is a river on the right hand side of the picture - more of a mini-waterfall really. I think this is Stans airfield, home of Pilatus. It looks like the runway was undergoing repairs at the time, hence the lack of aircraft.
Last, but not least, can anyone identify this? Perhaps the remains of a Harvard? I think it was taken at Antwerp, where we stopped on our way back. There was no-one about so we just wandered around taking photos - as you could in those days, but a guy suddenly appeared from around a corner and told us in no uncertain (Franch) terms to leave the premises!
Once again, many thanks to Beemer for indulging me with the digitisation of these, which were not on 35mm format. Sadly some of the others had not stood the test of time as well as these.
), a group of us from MGAE decided to rent a much smaller version and see if we could drive to Switzerland and back in about two weeks. On the way out, we went straight through France, (for which for some unaccountable reason there are no photos), and returned via Belgium (for which there is just one mystery photo - the others probably lost in one of my many moves). However, I found these a few years ago after a sort out from moving house. The scanner I had at the time could not process the negatives, but with the kind assistance of Beemer, we were able to digitise them. They were then mislaid again until recently, when I came across them whilst looking for something else. I have few details other than the types (which may or may not be correct), but I thought they might be worth sharing, so here goes:This was our transport for the trip, which never let us down - fortunately.
D-ECOL Piper P-18 Super Cub
Beech 18 in a typically Swiss setting
This, apparently, is a Comte Alfred AC 12E, though I confess that I had to look this up after all this time! I think some of these images are from Dubendorf, near Zurich.
This one was much easier - a Cessna 185 of course.
HB-UTN Bucker Bu-131B Jungmann
HB-RAA 1931 Dewoitine D.26, already 30 years old when this was taken, but in 'Swiss Condition'.
HB-EZC L 60 Brigadyr, built in what was then Czechoslovakia by the Aero company. Note the skis fitted, no doubt ready for the coming winter.
I was tempted to run a quiz on this one, but in these days of the internet, it wouldn't take too long to find it! Apparently, it's an EKW 3603, originally built as a combat aircraft by a Swiss government company. There was a machine-gun fitted in the rear cockpit. It never saw service as such of course, and was relegated to the job of target-towing when we saw it.
No doubt visiting from nearby Italy was this, though I confess to not being able to identify it. Any suggestions appreciated.
Zurich Kloten of course, an apron you could eat off, and two easily identifiable aircraft here. The Convair 440 ended up with North East Bolivian Airways, via SAHSA Honduras, so it no doubt ended it's life ignominiously carrying fresh meat from the Bolivian hinterland into La Paz.
You know you're in Switzerland when...
...there is a huge mountain next to the airfield and yes, that really is a river on the right hand side of the picture - more of a mini-waterfall really. I think this is Stans airfield, home of Pilatus. It looks like the runway was undergoing repairs at the time, hence the lack of aircraft.
Last, but not least, can anyone identify this? Perhaps the remains of a Harvard? I think it was taken at Antwerp, where we stopped on our way back. There was no-one about so we just wandered around taking photos - as you could in those days, but a guy suddenly appeared from around a corner and told us in no uncertain (Franch) terms to leave the premises!
Once again, many thanks to Beemer for indulging me with the digitisation of these, which were not on 35mm format. Sadly some of the others had not stood the test of time as well as these.
