Always  is a 1989 American romantic comedy-drama  film  directed by Steven Spielberg, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, Brad Johnson and Audrey Hepburn in her final  film. A brilliant film recommended for the acting and superb flying scenes. If for nothing else, watch it for the stunning start sequence.

Time to stop the P&W noise, tie up, and have a break for a few days.

                                       Beautiful Portofino, best first seen, arriving by boat. This view captivates, compelling you to return time and time again.

It was April 1975 and I had just left the club and joined Intra, a change from instructing on the Cessna 150 to the DC-3, quite a change, but the 3 was quite an aircraft as I soon found out. It seemed huge to me, and those massive throttles and pitch levers. The smell was just intoxicating and the noise of squealing brakes on taxi, not to mention that cacophony of   P&W 1830 engine noise during start and take off, just sublime.   This trip was my first on G-ALWC a DC-3 that Intra was leasing from Clyde Surveys and had only recently been ferried up from Tamanrasset to Jersey by the boss Bernard and Richard chief pilot. The aircraft was freight-only as she (funny how good aircraft are always referred to as she) had been used for freight and survey work by Clyde. This trip was to ferry WC to Shannon pick up a load of freshwater eels, Elvers, apparently a delicacy in Holland, and deliver them to Amsterdam Schiphol. Take off Jersey late afternoon, overnight flight to Sc...

Howard 500, N500LN stored for 10 years at Exeter UK. The Lockheed heritage is evident, almost a mini Connie.

The Story of Constellation L1049 N11SR The Lockheed L1049 Constellation, one of, if not the, most iconic and beautiful aircraft of all time. Commissioned by the legendary Howard Hughes, for his airline TWA to meet the need for long-haul worldwide operations. The design evolved in the late 1940s and 1950s, notably its ‘Dolphin’ fuselage that curves upward at the rear to raise the triple tail (chosen to fit in hangars of the day) out of the prop wash, and slightly downward at the front, and with those long spindly gear legs, needed for ground clearance due to the large propellers, resulted in one of the best performing and beautiful aircraft of the time. N11SR was manufactured by Lockheed in 1955 for Qantas Empire Airways, it was registered as VH-EAB and given the name ‘Southern Horizon’ by Qantas. Up until 1963, VH-EAB operated passenger and freight services throughout the world for Qantas. During this time with Qantas VH-EAB carried the Olympic Flame from Athens ...