Interesting oddments

By Allan Jackson - January 2010

My informant Gerry Muller submitted some very interesting items including information that confirmed a story I heard quite some time ago, but never thought might be true. It went that Sir Frank Whittle, the inventor of the jet engine, had visited Durban and that, while practicing aerobatics over the beachfront in a Tiger Moth, he had lost a pencil. It apparently dropped out of his pocket while he was flying inverted. My orginal informant (I forget exactly who that was) told me Sir Frank had then organised the children of the town into a search party and that the pencil had been found and returned to him.

I have Gerry to thank for confirming that Sir Frank actually did visit Durban, that he did practice aerobatics and that he did lose his silver pencil. The episode was even more exciting than I supposed because his aircraft, a Tiger Moth, apparently suffered engine failure and he had to glide in and land at the airport (Stamford Hill Aeordrome). Sadly, we are so far unable to confirm if Sir Frank's pencil was ever found.

Gerry provided the following links to archive pages of Flight magazine which mention the incident.

• Flight: May 4, 1951.
• Flight: May 18, 1951.

The magazine mentions that the incident occurred on the Saturday previous to May 4, which would make it April 28, if I have my calculations correct. The magazine quotes Sir Frank as having commented that the engine failure was a case of piston engines getting their own back on him.

Picture courtesy Gerry Muller

Sir Frank Whittle practices aerobatics over Durban's beachfront in a Tiger Moth. According to Gerry Muller, this picture was taken by D. John Lucey, who apparently had a photographic studio in Gillespie Street. <==Click to view enlargement.

Gerry was at school when the above incident took place and he went on to learn to fly himself. The following are some pictures he took while a member of the Durban Wings Club in the early 1960s.

Picture courtesy Gerry Muller	East London Airshow circa 1962 - Gerry Muller, Dan McGregor, Allen Williams, John Foaden, Hugh Brown, Noel Batstone, Allen's aunt; front sitting down, Eric Watkinson. <==Click image to view enlargement.
Picture courtesy Gerry Muller	Reg "Scotty" Osborn at the Manzini airshow. Standing on left, I believe was Brigadier Ross who managed Virginia airfield at that time. About 1961 or 1962 <== Click on the image to view an enlargement.
Picture courtesy Gerry Muller	Hugh Brown talking to John Foaden in rear cockpit. Alex de Wit [pilot],  and Peter Riley getting ready to swing the prop. about 1962 - Virginia Airport.   <== Click on the images to view enlargements.
Picture courtesy Gerry Muller	Dennis Bishop had landing problem with this Tiger. On right is Allen Williams handing something to Mike Hartley. Arthur Morris who was a flying instructor at Natal Aviation once commented about the arrow painted on the aircraft; "This is the direction you are supposed to fly it in."   <== Click on the image to view an enlargement.
Picture courtesy Gerry Muller	The Tiger with the 'landing probelm'.   <== Click on the image to view an enlargement.
Picture courtesy Gerry Muller	Noel Batstone at the 1962 Airshow at Virginia Airport.   <== Click on the image to view an enlargement.
Picture courtesy Gerry Muller	Noel Batstone at the 1962 Airshow at Virginia Airport.   <== Click on the image to view an enlargement.