Tower Bridge, Stunts and Jets

I came upon an interesting story today, purely by chance. What I cannot understand is why I don't remember it. It was such a memorable event to a Londoner and is, I believe the only time it has happened during my lifetime. I would have been coming up to my fourteenth birthday so I can't blame extreme infancy. I delivered newpapers in the mornings and it was in all the papers. So why don't I remember it? It's not even as if I vaguely remember something about it which the article bought back into conscienceness; as far as I am concerned, it never happened and the only way I know it did is because of the article I read.

Of course, it may be a spoof, the internet is full of such stuff, fantasy masquerading as truth but I have now checked with my mother and she remembers it!

Why don't I? It would be truly a wonderous coincidence if that particular memory track, that particular firing of neurons, just happened to be starved of oxygen in the 'great aphasia attack' two months ago, wouldn't it?

So what was the story?

On 1 April 1968, the Royal Air Force celebrated it's 50th anniversary. (And before you all start shouting about British aircraft shooting down planes in the first world war, Sopwith Camels, Pups mixing it with von Richthofen's Flying Circus, Biggles, that was the Royal Flying Corps!)

Now you'd think that one of the things the Government of the day would have arranged, given that it was the Royal AIR Force, would have been a 'fly past' over central London to celebrate. But no. The mood in Whitehall at the time was very anti-RAF, they'd just cancelled the TRS2 project (low level, high speed strike aircraft, an embryonic F-22 Raptor without the stealth technolgy) because the 'future lay in missiles'. Needless to say, the RAF was in general a bit miffed at attempts being made to sideline it as a major component of Britain's Armed Forces, quite justifiably as it turned out.

Well, one RAF pilot decided to have a little protest at the decisions, all on his own. Using a few of million quid's worth of jet fighter-bomber technology.

Ducking out of a routine flight back to his aerodrome, he proceeded to fly at low level (around 200 feet) up the Thames from the west. (Reassuringly considerate, his lowered his speed from 400+ knots to 210 knots to avoid complaints about the noise from Londoners. Interestingly his flight path was, in effect, over my school, the river was only about 100 yards away, and I still don't remember it!)

He then proceeded the circle the Houses of Parliment at low level! But that's not the best bit!

He then flew off eastwards down the Thames, still at low level, and then flew at speed between Tower Bridge's 'towers' (a horizontal distance of 200 feet) and the roadway and walkway (a vertical distance of about 100-120 feet). Not satisfied with that, he then proceeded to 'buzz' (high speed, low level pass) a few airfields on the way home! Including an American one!

You'll not be surprised that there was a nice little 'cover up'. Rather then hold a court martial, at which embarrassing publicity may have come out in the press about how the RAF was perceived to be being 'run down' by the Government, they invalided him out the service on 'health grounds'.

You can get the pilot's full story here as well as an artist's impression of the 'stunt'.

Still don't know why I don't remember it.