Page 9 - issue03.05.2019
P. 9
Royal Air Force News Friday, May 3, 2019 P9
News
Para-Rangers
News bulletin
Simon Mander
DAREDEVIL PILOTS are celebrating
completing a 265-mile cross country
paramotor marathon taking in 44 current
and historic air bases.
Flt Lt Giles Fowler and Paul Mockford
flew into RAF Halton having completed
their daring stunt to raise funds for the Royal
Air Forces Association.
ON THE RUN: Athlete Alex with daughter The duo, supported by fellow aviators
Evelyn during a training session. and ground support staff Katie Pagett and
Andy Greaves, flew for 10 hours over two
RAF mum Alex’s days starting in Humberside and finishing
at the Buckinghamshire station.
London pramathon adventure. Conditions were very rough but
Flt Lt Fowler said: “This has been a real
AIR FORCE mum Cpl Alexandra we pressed on and we were warmly greeted
Brown got in shape for the London at all the airfields we needed to land at”.
Marathon - by pushing her three- Giles and Paul launched their engine-
year-old daughter Evelyn along in her powered paragliders from the old RAF
buggy during training sessions. Boxhill Bomber Command airfield and flew
The super fit air woman completed over Humberside airport before their first
20 mile runs with Evelyn ahead of the refuelling stop at Scampton, only minutes
annual road race after finishing her before the Red Arrows took off.
shifts as a deputy mess manager at The rest of the day took them
RAF Waddington. through busy Lincolnshire airspace over
Waddington, Cranwell, and Barkston
Heath, before landing at Buckminster
Gliding Club at Saltby.
Flt Lt Fowler said: “The first day finished
after our longest leg of nearly 50 miles
landing at Sywell aerodrome, with only
five minutes to spare before the Air Traffic
Control Tower closed, having flown for
nearly six hours that day in some very rough
air.
“The second day brought different
flying weather and stronger winds, but we
pressed on and overflew Santa pod raceway,
Silverstone race circuit and eventually
landed at Turweston airport. “
The penultimate leg saw them over
She said: “Runs are squeezed in Upper Heyford, the location for many
around my shift pattern at work and major block buster films including Wonder
Evelyn’s needs. She’s my little training Woman, World War Z and Octopussy,
partner. I strap her in to her buggy before landing at Bicester Gliding Club.
and she’ll snuggle down and come Flt Lt Fowler said: “The final leg was the
with me on even my longest runs. hardest as the friendly tail winds were now
The furthest we’ve done together is headwinds. The 40-mile route became a slog
22.9 miles.” to get to our last destination, RAF Halton.”
Alex was the first woman RAFA40 has raised over £2200 for the
to complete last year’s Port RAF Association.
Stanley half marathon during lTo donate go to https://www.
her tour in the Falklands justgiving.com/fundraising/rafa40.
Islands, with a winning time of
1 hour 34 secs.
Revamped museum nets a million Vickers fires BSB salvo
NEARLY A MILLION visitors made in the redevelopment of our for coming season
stepped through the doors of the London site and a reflection on the
revamped RAF Museum according public’s support for the RAF during
to latest figures. its centenary year.
In total, 989,593 people enjoyed “It also reflects how the museum’s
its exhibits in the year to the end of new vision of inspiring everyone
March – an increase of 39 per cent with the Royal Air Force story has
on the last 12 months. struck a chord with longstanding
The Museum’s London site and new visitors. l Sport
recorded 544,628 visitors up 59 per “We are sharing these stories
cent, while its Cosford collection through our collections in new
in the West Midlands welcomed immersive ways, with inspiring p26
444,965 visitors, a leap of 20 per cent. exhibitions, in landscaping that
Museum CEO Maggie Appleton recalls our aviation heritage, and
said: “This growth is a fabulous across our event and activity
response to the huge investment programmes. “