I too flew in them at Oakington. I was in 204 sqdn ATC. That was my first ever flight. I went on to get a PPL, but the best flying I ever did was 6500 ft on my hang glider...

@@clive373 Thats interesting Clive, i was 1371 sqn air cadets. Flew in Chipmunks, Sedberg gliders, English Electric Canbera at RAF Laarbruch Germany summer camp,,,amongst others. I too got my ppl and worked for CAA/NATS in Air Traffic Control for 40 years. Air Cadets can really give a young person a leg up toward a career, a good thing to have on your CV..

I only got a cockpit tour of one in the hangar at RAF Newton in 1970 when we were on AEF in the Chipmunks. I noticed bits of tape with writing on stuck on the Rev counters at slightly different values. We were just told that the engines gave different power in the cruise and the tape just saved pilots the trouble of working it out for themselves. Very high tech way of syncing the engines 😉

@@MrSamFerguson from age 8 I wanted to be a pilot, by about 10 I wanted to be a lightning pilot! That flight in the varsity was perfect in as much as it was a day of towering cumulus, we flew past majestic clouds, then through them, and out again. It allowed me to sense how fast we were going. It must have been a nav exersise, we did a touch and go at Leconfield, and somewhere else. The RAF broke my heart so I joined the met office. There I blagged a few chipmunk rides, a three hour x country in a Hastings, and twice in a Canberra. We were intercepted by Lightnings over the N Sea on the first trip, on the second we lost our radio, so ended up following a chase plane, which dived pretty much vertically through cloud at 9000ft, when we broke cloud we had lost him, and our way. I was a staff cadet at 643 GS RAF Hemswell, which was in the distance, I knew we were, and was able to direct the pilot to follow the A15, back to Scampton. Later I worked for blue circle cement in Africa, and got my PPL, heading towards the flying instructor, 700 hrs then CPL etc when other stuff happened. Glad I did it though, something you can never loose! Many thanks for the ATC stuff, I was always very impressed with ATC, except for Upper Heyford, who once got me lost. Told me I had left their airspace when I hadn't....

Hi Keith. Were you with 28 at Sek kong? I was there at Sek Kong between 1980 to 1983. Alan

True. LAC Nanik Agnani, a frustrated would-be pilot, stole one from RAF Thorney Island, 25th April, 1955. He crashed on the village of Onnaing, killing himself, three on the ground and injuring three others

How about Westland wasp? Is it good too?

One door open I fancy. On the starboard side plus the cockpit windows.

@@compaq609 Yes, that’s what I meant.. I was based in Stanley Fort we used choppers every time we needed to get to the New Territories quickly.. We didn’t care about safety either, being in my early 20s...Yahoo.

Amazing story , this one is still capable of ground running , but unfortunately its not allowed to by the airport regulations

You still have them ?? Do they still work

Mark Lindsey yes we still have them they need a bit of TLC to get them airworthy

Did you manage to get many pictures of the aircraft ?

Hi glad you like it ! I managed to get an invite into the base and watch the days flying ! I was restoring a MK2 wessex so was given chance to film the last display

You need to go to spec savers idiot, you don’t know history in the making, stick to your PlayStation, leave aircraft appreciation to those that know history

I "ran up" Varsity and Valetta aircraft along with the Avro Anson at Bishops Court N Ireland (early 1950s ) I dont remember them being "smokey" but of course they were in daily use. They were kitted out for navigator training. I was an engine fitter and and was always amazed that only four bolts held those huge radial engines in situ "they were pretty big bolts !!!"

It does not.

yeah it does but doesn't run

Where was it based