Discovering the MacMillan Way by Keith Pauling

Author:Keith Pauling [Pauling, Keith]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Published: 2013-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

Rendcomb

Walking across the fields on my way towards Rendcomb I am spending more time watching the sky than I am the surrounding hills. Specifically I am looking out for biplanes. Just across the fields is a restored World War One airfield known as RFC Rendcomb. It is privately owned and is the home of the Aero Super Batics display team.

The team flies orange coloured Boeing Stearman biplanes, first produced in 1933. They were originally designed as a training plane and many of the World War Two pilots received their first instructions in these aircraft. These biplanes are a little bit different to those originals. They are supercharged with 450 horsepower radial engines instead of the original 220 horsepower, and the fuselage is steel tube and plastic covering, rather than wooden struts and varnished fabric.

All of the controls are in the rear cockpit from where the pilot flies the plane. The front cockpit is clear. This is because – and you have to believe this – during the aerobatic display a young lady will climb out of that front cockpit, climb onto the top wing and perform acrobatics. At the same time the planes will be looping, rolling and even flying upside down! The planes will reach speeds of 150mph and at times will be pulling up to 4G.

Wingwalking started in 1918 when a young American by the name of Ormer Locklear had a technical problem during a flight. Whereas any normal, sane person would have landed the plane to sort things out, young Ormer simply climbed out of the cockpit, wandered along the wing, fixed the problem then strolled back to complete the flight. All in mid-air! After the war he entertained crowds at air shows by walking between two airplanes. Since then there has been some added safety but it is still an incredible thing to do.

What is more, anyone can do it. All you have to do is go to www.aerosuperbatics.com and fill out a form, pay £399 (as of November 2012) and you can be a wingwalker too. A day training and a flight to show off what you have learned. Any takers?

What me? You must be kidding. I will happily walk these 290 miles to Chesil Beach but 10 foot along a biplane wing seems far too far to me; about 10 feet too far to be precise.

The small village of Rendcomb is the end of the walk for today. The village is dominated by the Italianate buildings of Rendcomb Court, now part of the Rendcomb College, a large day and boarding school. No doubt the school can boast great achievements, but as far as Rendcomb is concerned I have seen where the real high-flyers are.

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