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Pilots Mr Geoge LeMay(left) and Mr Alf Bicknell discussing the flight plan to Canada
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Pilots Mr Geoge LeMay(left) and Mr Alf Bicknell discussing the flight plan to Canada
Pilots Mr Geoge LeMay(left) and Mr Alf Bicknell discussing the flight plan to Canada from Coventrys Baginton airport.
Two Canadian aircraft enthusiasts are setting off from Coventry airport on Thursday on the adventure of a lifetime. George LeMay (54) and Alf Bicknell (49) will be flying a 32-year-old museum piece, a Dragon Rapide not designed for long-distance travel, 5, 000 miles across the Atlantic to Calgary, Alberta. For the past two weeks Mr LeMay, a part-time farmer, and Mr Bicknell, a commercial pilot, have been checking and adapting the silver and blue Dragon Rapide, the latest edition to their collection of vintage aircraft. " I started looking for a Rapide about 16 years ago, " said Mr LeMay, who already owns 2 Tiger Moths, a Staggering Beech and a single-seater " Flybaby." " My neighbours were over here on holiday and they phoned to say there was one at Baginton." It was a bit like buying a dark horse, we hadn t seen it and we had to take the words of a man I spoke to on the telephone." said Mr LeMay who bought the eight-seater plane for £ 2, 500 four weeks ago. They have had to fit extra fuel tanks for their 60-hour flight, which includes one " leg" of 1, 000 miles across the ocean from Greenland to Laborador. " We have installed transistors and have all the navigational aids." explained Mr LeMay, a former stunt-car driver who now flies for a hobby. " There are always things that can happen but we are taking all the necessary precautions. We have self-inflatable rafts aboard and so on and the aircraft is single-engine operable so if one fails she ll maintain flight. " I believe in those Gipsy engines, they re very dependable." The Rapide - used in Britain for passenger trips - was once used for freight by the Canadian Pacific Airways, but Mr LeMay and Mr Bicknell believe that the Coventry plane will be the only Dragon Rapide in Canada. " They ll be green with envy when we take this one back, " said Mr Bicknell.
26th July 1976
Coventry Telegraph Archive
Mirrorpix
Coventry
England
Media ID 21375766
© Mirrorpix
Canada Civilian Coventry Pilots Vintage 1976 Owners
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this photo print, pilots Mr George LeMay and Mr Alf Bicknell can be seen deep in discussion as they meticulously plan their flight to Canada from Coventry's Baginton airport. The two Canadian aircraft enthusiasts are embarking on an extraordinary adventure, flying a 32-year-old museum piece, the Dragon Rapide, across the Atlantic to Calgary, Alberta. George LeMay, a part-time farmer with an impressive collection of vintage aircraft including Tiger Moths and a Staggering Beech, had been searching for a Rapide for over 16 years. When he received news of one available at Baginton airport through his neighbors' phone call while on holiday, it was like finding a hidden gem. To prepare for their 60-hour journey spanning 5,000 miles and involving a challenging leg from Greenland to Labrador over the ocean, LeMay and Bicknell have made several modifications to the Dragon Rapide. Extra fuel tanks were installed along with navigational aids and transistors. They have also taken all necessary precautions by equipping self-inflatable rafts aboard the plane. The Coventry plane they acquired will become the only Dragon Rapide in Canada once they successfully complete their voyage. With unwavering confidence in their Gipsy engines' reliability and single-engine operability ensuring flight continuation even if one engine fails, both pilots are ready to conquer this daring feat. As they discuss every detail of their flight plan in this photograph captured on July 26th, 1976 by Mirrorpix from Memory Lane Prints, anticipation fills the air. Their determination is palpable as they embark on what promises to be an unforgettable journey that will leave aviation enthusiasts green with envy upon witnessing its triumphant return home.
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