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Great picture Chulla, it's the only one I've ever come across that was taken that day, have you any more of the event?

I remember the airshow well, it was actually Whitsun 1972, 43 years ago, why I didn't take any pictures is a long and sad story, as I'm re-potting plants at the moment I'll leave it for another day.

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My father was in the Auxiliary Air Force 504 Sqdn in the 30s which I think was based at Hucknall, since it was the county of Nottingham squadron. He did weekend training as an airframe rigger. They ha

It certainly does not seem it but it is now 42 years since the last Whitsun air display at Hucknall. The highlight of that show was the U S Navy's Blue Angels formation aerobatic team with their Phant

As you asked so nicely, and as I remembered that I do still have a Photobucket account...

The last air display at Hucknall was on 28 May 1973. Pics below taken on that date show Rolls-Royce's Spitfire, a Gnat of the Red Arrows, the Blue Angles' support C-130 Hercules, and one of the team's F-4 Phantoms.

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Could it have been something to do with it being Arnold Festival ?

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A few pictures taken at Hucknall Air Display c. 1966/7. 120 roll film on an Agfa Isolette

#1 Red Arrows Gnat, #2 & 3 Fairey Swordfish, #4 5 & 6, deHavilland Mosquito, #7 Dakota

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  • 3 weeks later...

A small Polish training unit was formed within 18 OTU at RAF Hucknall in March of 1940. Consisting of 40 flying and ground personnel, work commenced on 1st April. The intention was that they would become the nucleus for the formation of 300 (Polish) Squadron. In late June they left for Bramcote, Warks, for final training. 18 OTU/Bramcote became the main training centre for Polish Bomber crews.

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Polish servicing crew of 18 OTU loading practice bombs at RAF Hucknall.

In January 1941 No. 1 Polish Flying Training School was established at Hucknall. It was composed of an Elementary Flying Training Squadron, an Intermediate Training Squadron and a grading and testing flight. To begin with only candidates with flying experience were admitted. Proficiency was tested in the EFT squadron with two to three hours flying Tiger Moths and a theoretical examination. Results determined whether the student was sent on to the IT squadron or to the grading and testing flight. Only pilots previously fully trained in Poland were directed to this flight. Initially it was equipped with Fairey Battles and then from April 1941 also Airspeed Oxfords. After a conversion course on these aircraft, about 10 hours, flying time, students were posted to an OTU. Courses for those sent to the IT squadron lasted for four months. Along with 50 hours of flying instruction the course included theoretical and practical instruction in airmanship, navigation, meteorology, and armament. At the beginning all the commanders of the Polish school were British with Polish understudies. Some of the instructors, who had completed special short refresher instructor courses at 15 EFTS near Carlisle, were Polish. More Poles were gradually appointed.

During the first half of 1941 150 pupils passed out from the grading and testing flight and 47 received their pilots wings. Having completed intermediate training. However the capacity of the school was seriously inadequate to meet the pilot requirements of the rapidly expanding PAF. As a result, in June 1941, a major organisation of PAF training was undertaken. On 15th June the school's grading and testing was taken over by a new No. 16 (Polish) SFTS formed at Hucknall to train pilots to the “wings” standard. The new school was to be transferred to Newton make room for No 25 (Polish) EFTS which was organised on the equivalent RAF model for training new recruits, manned by an all polish staff. It began to function in May 1941 at Peterborough and moved to Hucknall on 17th July replacing the EFT squadron of the former No 1 Polish School. It consisted of two squadron of two flights operating Tiger Moth trainers, later supplemented by Avro Ansons.

On 15th July 16 SFTS, composed of two squadrons of four flights, moved to Newton with an auxiliary landing ground at Orston but winter conditions caused problems and various other airfields had to be used.

In December 1942 special instructors' courses for the needs of the EFTS were started at Hucknall that eventually provided 49 instructors in 12 successive courses that ran until November 1945. Expansion of the school eventually made it necessary to take over an auxiliary airfield at Firbeck in February 1943.

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http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o31/alachetta/IMG_0007_zpstwvzgnpg.jpg[/img]

Flying over Newstead Abbey.

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Group of instructors in front of Tiger Moth trainer. On the left S/Ldr Jan Czerny, 302 Squadron BoB participant. Second from right F/Lt Edmund Jereczek who fought in BoB with 43 and 229 squadrons. Third from right W/O Mirosław Wojciechowski, 303 fighter pilot during 1940-1941.

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Group of instructors in front of Tiger Moth trainer. On the left S/Ldr Jan Czerny, 302 Squadron BoB participant. Second from right F/Lt Edmund Jereczek who fought in BoB with 43 and 229 squadrons. Third from right W/O Mirosław Wojciechowski, 303 fighter pilot during 1940-1941.

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Very good. My Father used to ride his bike around Hucknall Airfield during wartime and had told me about those Fairey Battles (first picture) parked around. Apparently there was quite a lot of them. I didn't know they were Polski Dywyzyon!

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Living in Hucknall all my life I enjoyed the air displays of years gone by but as our house lay almost in a direct line with the runway we got a look at all the planes arriving in advance of the display. This meant a lot of noise at times, especially when the Vulcan came over (painted white in those days) and we always had a Red Arrow at low level when they performed the bomb burst manoeuvre .

The biggest fright we got was when a fuel tank that had detached itself from an English Electric Lightening landed in the middle of the road near our gate and drenched everywhere in kerosene. This must have been around 1960 or 61. Fortunately nobody got hurt and damage was limited but it could have been a lot worse. Things quietened down for a while after that, but test flights got under way again and plane spotting was on the menu again. It wasn't the same when the test beds were built, not enough planes about to keep the interest going.

Now the houses are going up the runway has been invaded by off road bikers, unthinkable in years gone by if only by the presence of Rolls Royce security. Another part of Hucknall's history committed to the scrap heap, seems sad that we won't be able to enjoy the sight of a Spitfire or Hurricane giving a disp.lay over the runway again

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Hi

I have a photo of  the Rolls Royce Spitfire with the master sitting at the controls but I think that this was the R/R Spitfire that crashed?  Do any members recall the crash?

Off the subject

What happened to "Morgreen Show" used to live in Hucknall 70s and my two boys always used to get in to see it.

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The remains of the aeroplane still exist. They are *supposed* to be going to rebuild it but due to money shortages it hasn't got very far. RR still own another Spitfire that is now with the BBMF. That is the PRU blue PRXIX.

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