| I use to read Flypast but not anymore....
JP |
|
I've thumbed thru them in the magazine racks.
They've got some great piccies, but I can't read the words
as they seem to be printed in England,
so I've never bought them. |
I was one of the guys who bought & supported the magazine from it's very inception (& even bought the pre-pro' "pilot" magazine, now very collectible, from Holborn railway station, upon release).
Continued to do so for twelve-years, till it got to the point where one issue would cost almost 1/2 the price of a sensible-book !!!!!!!!
In those 12 years, I learned a fair amout about the currently existing/flying warbirds & through the magazine, got to meet Paddy Porter (one of F.P's Journo's) at North Weald, as well as famous
4th F.G. fighter-pilot/ 'ex'-RAF &
336th F.Squadron-Commander, James Goodson, who I was lucky enough to spend such a long time chatting to (both pleasant & V.interesting !)
I laughed when he told me....."I married an English-Girl, like you !" & when he handed me his business-card, I was amazed to see he lived in my neighbouring county (Kent), just south of the river (Thames) about 1/2 hours drive away.
I kept his card & address/phone No. in my copy of R.A. Freeman's "Mighty 8th War-Diary" (which after my move from London, I managed to 'mislay' (Bu**er) -
worse still, later that weekend, He was kind enough to sign a Line-Drawing/Image of him in USAAF uniform & his 'Razorback' Mustang (VF*T)........ when asked, "who do you want me to dedicate it to, I felt daft asking it "dedicated" to me, so I said......."erm, make it my Wife, Melanie" (= BIG MISTAKE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
Well, I've still got it - BUT, since got divorced (accrimoniously), so I cant get shot of it, but.......it's her name, Urgh.......!!!!!!!!!
Asked Jim & his wife, if they had a cardboard tube, or something to protect the signed print "no, sorry 'K' !"........well, it was a warm spring weekend & I'd travelled to North-Weald on my Suzuki GS.1000 (bike in my 'Avatar'), so it got slightly crumpled under my leather-bike-jacket on the way home.
I'd prob' never had met him, if it wasn't for Flypast - plus, due to being at one of their later weekend-events, I joined an a/c restoration Group at North-Weald, which gave me
regular access to the Airfield.
Within two years, I was standing on the 'film-set' of what became "Band Of Brothers" (the D-Day/C.47 episode, MEANT to represent RAF-Uppotery & the 9th A.F. T.C.G. involved)......again, without indirect involvement of Flypast, wouldn't have happened.
They had some great articles, from time to time - 'FW*K' "Shootin-In", the 387th's B.26 Marauder.......plus, they were THE FIRST, to show
the Actual Combat photo's of (Corgi's) forthcoming-release..... "Desert-Halifax" - DG.396.
The actual photo's showing the Halifax locked in real-life mortal-combat with Ju.88's from the attacking K.G.40 = REMARKABLE !!!!!!!!!
On a sour-note
I'm presuming the rodent is 'Hispanic' & crossed the border illegally, hence he can't read "English".......resorting to pix instead ?
AFAIK, Flypast was never printed in Latin, so we're safe !!!!!!!!!!
H.C. 'waving the flag for
English-speaking nations' Yay !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!