Flight Lieutenant Colin Bell DFC, Part 1

I’m sorry dear listener but the logbook stories continue unabated with the next instalment. I had been inducted into Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd and, after completing the type rating technical exam we were dispatched to the heart of Airbussery, Toulouse in France, to undergo their simulator training course. There were about 10 of us but, other than our sim partner, we didn’t have a lot of time to get to know each other with our busy month long schedule.   The SAAB 340... a little smaller than the A340!   Lufthansa A340, the A340 launch customer.   The World Ranger paintwork   A340 Sim   Cordes, France   Door training   Pool training   First time in the Black Pyjamas for real!   Taking G-VSKY into the air for the first time   Circuits at Manston   Job done! Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Ronnie Robertson, MarcelX42, Simaero, Clément Gruin and Nick Anderson.

In earlier decades, the early demise of pilots was mainly based on empirical evidence and based on the well publicised news of an ex colleague’s early death. However, in 1992, the time when I was putting in my papers to leave the RAF to pursue a life as an airline pilot, the Flight Safety Foundation published a study which seemed to confirm that pilots died at a younger age than the general population. The oft quoted statistics that a retiring pilot would only have 5 years to enjoy their pensions was quoted... BUT WAS IT TRUE!   Early pilot death has been assigned to the myth that, as a work group we are prone to a tragically short retirement down to ‘flight line talk’ and that each time an airline pilot dies shortly after retiring the hypothesis of early death is reborn and reinforced in this weak minded group of grounded gossipers! (I said that last bit)   The 1992 study which expressed mortality data as percentages is now considered an “interesting” method and apparently, dare I say it, “inappropriate”!   This information is quoted by a large fiduciary investment company based in Dubai. They quote a Boeing Aerospace actuarial study of life span based on age at retirement. Boeing deny ever producing this study.   The Flight Safety Foundation later published this study by, amont others, the Wright State University School of Aerospace Medicine and the US Federal Aviation Administration Civil Aeromedical Institute   The comparison group of the general population used was that of US white males.   Please feel free to discus   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the Flight Safety Foundation and AI generated images.

So the logbook tales continue. I am out of the RAF and seeking an airline job but in the downturn there are few available. In the meantime I am working for British Aerospace flying Tornado F3s on trials flights. I had also been given the chance to deliver a Hawk 100 series trainer to the Royal Malaysian Air Force. I left you at Bangkok having turned a brand new aircraft into a blow torch and nearly cooking an inquisitive guard.   Flying the last leg to RMAS Butterworth   We complete our 7,000 NM to Malaysia   Chasing the towed decoy trials   Some of Hoppy's aircraft had parted company   We soon passed 600 knots and slipped through the sound barrier without a ripple   I went off to a little commercial uniform shop to pick up my first of the 4 different Virgin Atlantic uniforms I would wear over the next 25 years.   The Flight Crew Operating Manuals, from which they picked facts at random to put into the question paper.   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to Mid Journey AI and Nick Anderson.

Colin will be visiting California in a few weeks and will speak at the Voices of Valor Gala Dinner, A Tribute to the Greatest Generation, to be held at the Palm Springs Air Museum California Gala Dinner on the 8th of February 2025. https://palmspringsairmuseum.org/gala/   Colin Bell telling us his story   The cockpit of a Mosquito   The Canadian Mosquito factory at Downsview, near Toronto, Ontario   RAF bomber crews eating their traditional breakfast after a mission   One of Chilon of Sparta's famous quotes   Colin beside a painting of his Mosquito   Female German Army personnel and an AA gun battery   The dreaded white light indicating the presence of a Luftwaffe Me262 night fighter   Colin standing by an Me262 jet fighter showing us what he thought of being chased by one   The book of their exploits written by Colin's navigator's son   Images shown under a Creative Commons licence with thanks to Fotoafdrukken Koninklijke Luchtmacht, the Royal Air Force, the IWM and images in the Public Domain.

This Tale is a continuation of the interview of World War II pilot Flight Lieutenant Colin Bell DFC. At the age of 103, Colin recalls with perfect clarity what it was like to fly his De Havilland DH 98 Mosquito bomber into action as part of a Pathfinder Squadron. This Tale is the second part of the interview with Colin, the opportunity for which I have to thank my old friend Bob Judson. Having had a high ranking career in the RAF, Bob is now a consultant in the field of psychological, life and executive coaching and has a podcast, Leading 4 Life, which explores leadership in the stories of his own life and those told by his many illustrious guests, such as Colin. Bob was kind enough to allow me to share in this opportunity to interview Colin. If you want to take advantage of Bob’s services or listen to his free podcast then check out his website, here: https://www.leading4life.co.uk/ and his great podcast here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2227500   The Nissen Hut was wartime emergency accommodation with a single coal burning heater. It was notoriously cold in the winter.   A No 608 Squadron Mosquito, B Baker March, takes off from RAF Downham Market   Bomber Command aircrew mission briefings   RAF Bombers attacking Berlin with Pathfinder flares below them   Most of Colin's bombing attacks were made as individual aircraft   Colin Bell talking to us during his interview   Hanover under attack from US forces during a daylight raid   Germani Anti Aircraft Artillery   A Mosquito formation   A period description of how OBOE functioned   The bar of the Crown Hotel Downham Market   A Focke Wolf FW190A similar to the type that employed the Wild Boar tactic   Jimmy Stewart who flew the B17 and B24 in operational missions and became a Brigadier General in the USAF   Colin stands beside one of the few remaining Mosquitos   Images shown under a Creative Commons Licence with thanks to Mark Vickers, Colin Bell, the RAF, Bert Verhoeff, the Australian War Memorial collection, the IWM, RAF Bomber Command, German Federal Archives, the USAF and the USAAF.

You are sitting in your airliner and the handsome, pretty or in a non-binary sense cute, elegant, lovely or in a non exclusive way charming, fine, interesting or personable flight attendant is standing in front of you to demonstrate the safety features of your aircraft. Hopefully if you enjoy the airline pilot guy enough to be listening to this you might have more than just a passing interest in what safety equipment there is onboard the average big, well equipped, airliner. Most airlines show the gender-specific pronouns that are typically used to refer to people in the way they identify   Door Arming controls   Girt Bar system that can be found on older style aircraft   Steph beside 'her' emergency exit   Slide use in theory and in practice   Disobeying safety instructions can lead to increased danger and possible loss of life   The early days of air travel   Jack Grant, an Australian, who invented the modern inflatable slide and won the Cumberland trophy     Aircraft safety equipment Halon (halo-genated hydrocarbons) are the world's best fire extinguishing chemicals but banned from manufacture   Safety cards through the history of aviation   Images are used under a Creative Commons licence with thanks to Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, Airbus, Oleg Bkhambri (Voltmetro), Boeing, Dr Steph, Marc-Antony Payne, Qantas Airways Ltd, John Collier, the Library of Congress, The Museum of Civil Aviation and SOC.

It is rare to have the opportunity to meet one of the brave young men who flew and fought in the Second World War so I was delighted to be able to talk to Flight Lieutenant Colin Bell DFC. At the age of 103, Colin recalls with perfect clarity what it was like to fly his De Havilland DH 98 Mosquito bomber into action as part of a Pathfinder Squadron.  This Tale is just the first part of the interview with Colin, the opportunity for which I have to thank my old friend Bob Judson.  Having had a high ranking career in the RAF, Bob is now a consultant in the field of psychological, life and executive coaching and has a podcast, Leading 4 Life, which explores leadership in the stories of his own life and those told by his many illustrious guests, such as Colin.  Bob was kind enough to allow me to share in this opportunity to interview Colin.  If you want to take advantage of Bob's services or listen to his free podcast then check out his website, here: https://www.leading4life.co.uk/ and his great podcast here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2227500 Flt Lt Colin Bell DFC RAF   The lonely and dangerous job of a tail gunner   The PT17 Stearman   The Vultee BT-13A Valiant   The North American AT-6 Texan trainer AKA the Harvard.   The Bristol Blenheim   The de Havilland DH98 Mosquito   Colin with Bob (left) and myself (right) at the RAF Club in front of a painting of the Mosquito gifted to Colin and then presented to the RAF Club to display.   All images are shown with permission or under the Creative Commons licence with thanks to the RAF, the IWM, the USAAF, the National Museum of the USAF and Fotoafdrukken Koninklijke Luchtmacht.

I’m moving things on a bit in my logbook tales as it seems to be taking forever to get to the end so here’s the next one. I’d found a temporary job with the aircraft manufacturer British Aerospace flying Tornados and Hawks but now I was getting invitations to interview for jobs with a number of airlines. After months of drought, the flood gates seem to have opened and after wishing for just one offer I now had the opportunity to chose who I would go to. First, however, I needed to get through the interviews.   A Monarch A300   A Cathay Pacific Tristar   Virgin Megastores worldwide   RB's Manor House and the album cover for Tubular Bells   Richard Branson starts his own airline, Virgin Atlantic   Northwest Airlines put in a substantial order for Airbus A340s which were then flown by Virgin Atlantic   The BAe Hawk delivery team   One of the RMAS Hawk 108s   In formation and we're off to Malaysia   First stop Nice   Then on to Tanagra   Luxor   Dubai   Mumbai   A little 'hot start' in Bangkok       Images under creative commons licence with thanks to RHL images, Virgin, Jaco Ten, Northwest Airlines History Centre,

My logbook tales continue and after 5 months without an income the bucket of shekels I had to keep us afloat was starting to run dry... I could see glimpses of the bottom. Luckily the mortgage on our modest 2 up, 2 down, 250 year old, Scottish stone, terraced cottage at Leuchars wasn’t excessive and we had pared our living expenses down to the bone.  The sniff of some flying work for British Aerospace down at their factory at Warton, however, was very, very welcome.   RAF Warton during construction in 1938   The TSR2 and Panavia Tornado, both built at Warton   The Eurofighter Typhoon, soon to begin construction at Warton   The F3 Tornado in weather   The BAe Hawk   The Joint Tactical Information Display System   An F3 Tornado with a towed decoy   A Monarch Airways Airbus A300   Images shown under a Creative Commons licence with thanks to the RAF, the MOD, British Aerospace, British Aircraft Corporation, the USAF, the USN,  DoD and Monarch Airways.

Stories from my logbook continue with the last few weeks of my service career, which were a blur of form signing, return of equipment, formal dinners, informal parties, speeches and gifts, all accompanied by feelings of regret and excitement at to what my future held. I flew my last flight in an F3 leading a 3 ship out over the Scottish highlands and then, after everyone had landed, I beat up the squadron low and fast. I then planned to do a low, slow pass with a full burner pull-up into the vertical...   My full burner climb ended ignominiously when one reheat failed to light!   The mecca of all things truckie! Brize Norton.   The horrors of learning Morse Code!   The Campaign Against Aviation   The PA34 of British Aerospace which I flew at Prestwick   Finally, the proud holder of an ATPL   At last, the sniff of a job!   Images shown under creative commons licence with thanks to the MOD, the RAF, the CAA, Chris Lofting and BAe Systems.