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Day out 10th April 2011. Had a good day yesterday at a little place near Mold called Rhydymwyn as guests at an open day held by the local historical society. The actual site is managed by DEFRA and has been the home to many projects most of them secret since WWII. Now a wild life haven with many of the old buildings gone and the future any bodies guess as government spending tightens the belt on maintaining sites like this. There are other open days planned and I will post the dates when I get them. The pictures show an overview of the site and XE584 in compnay with Terry Parkers Venom outside one of the larger empty buildings. News Update, 13 March 2011 Not been around much just recently so a quick update on what has been going on. Much of my time over the winter months has been centered around grant work for Hooton Park and I hope to be able to post news very soon of signifigant works due to take place this summer. As for the Hawker cockpits the gathering of missing parts and items is still on going and I hope with the clocks going forward and the weather improving to get the covers off and get some work done to the Sea Hawk airframe. Despite all efforts the identity of this airframe remains a mystery and its supposed tenure at the Wales Aircraft Museum is still unconfirmed. I have collected an impressive photo library of Sea Hawk pictures thanks in the main to Jon Howard who is looking to sell on his Sea Hawk cockpit, in order to progress other projects he has. The most signifigant purchase over the winter has been the purchase of a pair of 20mm Hispano cannon form a Sea Hawk with a first refusal on the 2nd pair. Fully certificated and declassified as weapons these will make a great if some what heavy addition to the cockpit. Hi and welcome to my ( Graham Sparkes) Hawker Cockpits web site. I am fortunate enough to have acquired two cockpits from the early days of jet fighter era. The first one is a life time favorite the Hawker Hunter, I remember seeing these great machines flying over North Devon as I was growing up, and now wish I had been a photographer when I attended the Chivenor at home days with Dad and my twin brother. My machine XE584 was built as an F.6 eventually ending its service life as an interim FGA.9. For my restoration I have gone back to its F6 layout. My second cockpit which will be at Newark for its first public outing in over 20 years is the lovely Hawker Sea Hawk. Recovered last November 2008 data plates have her as being an F Mk IV but to date, May 2009 I have yet to establish its serial number.
  Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th were the dates for the now annual Aviation Fair hosted by The Avaition Society (TAS) at Manchester Airports viewing park. Being just 10 minutes down the road this was an ideal event event for me to attend which I did with the Sea Hawk cockpit. After a dull start the day just got better and better and visitor numbers just kept growing. With just myself and Lakeside Lightnings in attendance on the Saturday we were kept busy by a constant flow of visitors of all ages. Sunday after promising to be even better was disappointing with a couple of heavy showers passing across the site. Two more cockpits arrived on Sunday Simon Pulford with his Tornado simulator and Jason Allen with the superb FGA9 XE597 which went home with the best cockpit award from TAS. The Aviation Fair held in the Concorde Hangar was well attended but was bisaed towards collectables with very little in the way of parts that would benefit restoration projects. If the event continues to grow the aerojumble side of it will hopefully expand as there a big gap in the region for this type of event. The two pictures below were taken on Saturday 9th July. My Sea Hawk, Lakeside Lighnings and Mike Eastman comprised the Saturday element. The magnificent A380 attracted large numbers on both the Saturday and Sunday and presented a good photo opportunity on both days getting airbourne from the new runway just opposite the viewing park.
  A recent addition to the calendar has been the Museum of Sience and Industries transport week. Aviation was featured on 2 days the 2nd and 3rd of August. Wednesday was a great day nice weather and lots of visitors, but Thursday was a wash out. Apart from the Aviation gallery itself there was little to distinguish this from any other day, with only TAC's Dragon microlight, Peter Rolfe's wonderful Sea Venom cockpit and my Sea Hawk cockpit on display on the upper car park. A damper was put on the event for us all when the MOSI health and safety people decreed that no should be allowed to climb in and out of any of the 3 exhibits. A further restiction over concerns about radiation emmissions from instrumentation was lifted after all 3 exhibits received a clean bill of health from the site radiation officer. This has the opportunity to be a really good show case but requires much better organisation and clearer defination in what is and is not acceptable.
  RENO and TUCSON September 13th - 23rd 2011 Its a couple of weeks now since my return from the States for what should have been my 4th trip of a life time to the wonderful airaces at Reno Stead Airfield. As you know the races were terminated on Friday 16th September 2011 after Jimmy Leewards P-51 Mustang 'Galloping Ghost' was destroyed when it crashed into spectators after pulling out of the race. In the 3 days prior to the tragic crash in the last race of that 3rd day Reno was just as I remembered it from before, wall to wall aeroplanes. The pictures posted are all from day 1, Wednesday 14th Sept a relatively quite mid week day where the remaining qualifying and testing takes place along with arrivals for the static coming in and last minute practise for the display teams. In the first shot we have Grumman F3F-2, N20FG with the Stead Control Tower providing the back drop. The grandstand to the right is one of the stands that was just in front of where Jimmy Leeward's Galloping Ghost impacted late on Friday afternoon. Second shot is taken from the Jet pits looking past L-29 Delfin NX81637 to taxing P-51C-10 NX4651C 'Polar Bear'. The race course for all the classes is against the back drop of the Nevada hills seen behind Polar Bear. Third picture is of the ill fated P-51D NX79111 'Galloping Ghost' ex 44-15651 as you can see the aircraft was in fantastic shape for this its second appearance after a lengthy five year rebuild. The Jeep in the back ground is the tow wagon and is typical of the detail that goes into the presentation these dedicated race enthusiasts make. I have put this picture on in memory of Jimmy Leeward and all those who lost their lives or were injured. Forth picture shows one of the many immaculate Harvard class racer's. The sound of these babies motors bouncing of the hills as they race around the 5.06 mile T-6 course is unbelievable. The racing is usually pretty close and very spectacular to watch as they round the no9 pylon and briefly straighten out pass the home pylon at centre of crowd line. My picture has N2757 NA. AT-6C 'Midnight Rendezvous' in the T-6 pits ready for action. Picture 5 is of one of the Sports class condenters a new one to me N364R listed in the FAA data base as a Radial Rocket. This is another fasinating race class with some great aeroplanes putting in some good racing. The penulitimate shot is taken in the Bi-Plane hangar and shows N8903A a Pitts S1. This area right at the far end of the pits is always worth spending time in and its well worth making the effort to stop and chat to the crews and pilots who enthusiasim knows no bounds when it comes to getting these sleek bi-planes on the line. The aerodynamic effect of duc tape was probably inspired in places like this as its used by the mile. The final picture shows one of the Thunderbirds aerobatic display team posing nicely for the camera's as it makes a pass along the crowd line. Reno always has a full display programme each of the four race days to ensure that if there are no races happening there is always something to watch in the air and if that gets to much a walk around the Rolls Royce sponsered Classic Aviation Park after strolling through the hundred or more concession stands can see time slip away very quickly. Reno 2011 will always be remembered for Galloping Ghost my sincere hope is that from this disaster a way forward will emerge as I like many of the thousands of spectators and enthusiast's who decend on Reno to be a part of this unique sport think the aviation calender will be a poorer place without this event.
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