De Havilland Dove/Devon

DH 104 De Havilland Devon/Dove G-HBBC RAF: VP961 c/n 04211 History 1948 to 2014

This aircraft was built at Hawarden Cheshire UK in 1948 for the De Havilland company.
Initially it was delivered to the Air Ministry and then the Royal Air Force. It spent some
time with the Air Attach with the British Embassy in Jakarta Indonesia. It was taken into
the Queens Flight shortly after her accession to the throne. 1n 1952 was designated the
personal aircraft of His Royal Highness Prince Philip who learned to fly in this aircraft at
RAF White Waltham and flew it subsequently on 67 occasions.

Whilst with the RAF it was placed with 207 Squadron at RAF Northolt and RAF Wildenrath.
It was acquired by Roger Byron-Collins of Welbeck Estate Group in 1996 whose father as
a Master Navigator served with 207 squadron in the early 1950s at RAF Waddington on
Avro Lincolns and RAF Marham on B29 Washington. He rejoined 207 squadron at RAF
Northolt in the 1960s and flew VP961 with 207 Met Comm squadron.

After it was decommissioned in 1986 it was bought by a group of 3 enthusiasts registered
as G-ALFM and based at North Weald. After it's sale in 1996 it was reregistered as G-HBBC
to be operated by the Welbeck company BBC Air. It underwent a GBP 300,000 overhaul
resulting in it being acknowledged by the aviation community at that time as being the best
presented Dove in the world. It was initially based for 6 years at Bristol Filton and from 2003
to 2011 at Compton Abbas It won many trophies since it was discharged from the RAF and
civilianised in 1986. It travelled on a multitude of occasions to Fornebu Norway and the south
of France. HRH Prince Philip revisited his former aircraft at RAF Northolt in 1999 and was
delighted as it's restoration and condition.

In 2011 it was sold to a Norfolk busiman Roger Gawn the owner of the former technical and
domestic site at RAF Sculthorpe. The aircraft was removed by road from Compton Abbas
to RAF Sculthorpe where it is undergoing checks so hopefully it will be airborne once again.

[IMG]/community/148059=17352-1 aa.jpg[/img]

This image is hidden for guests.
Please log in or register to see it.

Unbelievable , I used to be friends with the guys who owned the aeroplane in the early 90's
let me fly this aircraft out of North Weald for £100 per hour. With 10 seats in the back in turned out to be some very cheap flying
Got a lot of memories ie doing a fly past at Hatfield for its closing down party.
Great aeroplane very easy to fly
Will try to find some photos

Small world, George or Chaz! as I new him was the good friend who let me fly the Devon.
I was an instructor with his son Tommy at the time.
What's your interest in this aircraft?
On checking my log books, the last time I flew it was on11/9/93.
I remember it used take about an hour to get the covers of and to tow it out on to the taxi way way before starting the engines.
Even that was an experience. Because we had to prime INVERTED engines, some had to stand in front with a fire extinguisher just in case of fire.
Our Trolley ACC was two 12v batteries once again handled by the chap with the fire extinguisher
Happy days
Wil try to find photos but it was along time ago

Given this aircrafts pedigree with the RAF Im surprised it wasnt placed in the RAF museum rather than being sold off.

Splitting hairs, Prince Philip "learned to fly" in Chipmunk WP861 at White Waltham late in 1952. I expect the Devon would have been used, thereafter, for twin conversion.

It would be good to get the two aircraft together.... but difficult. WP861 is now in New Zealand, US-registered as N861WP.

Hi W: I note that you took G-RNAS to North Coates for use as spares. Did G-HBBC ever fly in/out of North Coates or was it ever hangared there? Brian Stafford at the Flying Club would be most interested to hear.

I watched the New Avengers last night , there were a lot of shots of Northolt and quite a few Devons. This got me thinking; in the mid seventies just which Squadrons flew the Devon?

G-HBBC flew regularly in and out of North Coates from both Filton and Compton Abbas between 1995 and 1998 when it's owner Roger Byron-Collins' company Welbeck Estate Group were dealing with the airfield, tech site and married quarters which they bought in 1992. Attached is a hilarious photo of Roger Byron-Collins, Richard Lake of Eastern Airways and the pilot Clive Hughes the owner of Compton Abbas airfield in front of RAF North Coates sign wearing lampshades taken from the ceiling lights in the NCO married quarters. Also attached is an extract of an article from an edition of Pilot magazine in 2005 about
Roger and his Dove G-HBBC. Also another article from 1999 showing Prince Philip meeting Roger Byron-Collins with G-HBBC at RAF Northolt when Roger reunited HRH with the Dove in which he learned to fly twins at White Waltham.

RAF Devons were consolidated in March 1976 when No. 21 Squadron disbanded at Andover and No. 26 ditto at Wyton, leaving just No. 207 at Northolt.

My notes show the position of the remaining aircraft in June 1977 as
No. 207 Squadron: VP952, VP955, VP958, VP962, VP965, VP968, VP971, VP976, VP977, VP981, WB530, WB531, WB533, WB534. And VP957 passed to Culdrose Station Flight by 1978.
RAE Farnborough: VP959/L, VP975/M, XG496/K, XM223/J
No.5 MU, Kemble: VP961 (for RAF Museum)

Kevin wrote:

RAF Devons were consolidated in March 1976 when No. 21 Squadron disbanded at Andover and No. 26 ditto at Wyton, leaving just No. 207 at Northolt.

My notes show the position of the remaining aircraft in June 1977 as
No. 207 Squadron: VP952, VP955, VP958, VP962, VP965, VP968, VP971, VP976, VP977, VP981, WB530, WB531, WB533, WB534. And VP957 passed to Culdrose Station Flight by 1978.
RAE Farnborough: VP959/L, VP975/M, XG496/K, XM223/J
No.5 MU, Kemble: VP961 (for RAF Museum)

I flew in VP 958 at Bovingdon on 13 Jul 1965 when it was operated by Southern Communications Squadron which amalgamated with Metropolitan Communications Squadron at Northolt when Bovingdon closed. Dunno what happened to the Bassets when that happened, they certainly weren't well liked at Bovingdon. It was found that on Bovingdon's undulating runway, the prop tips contacted the surface under heavy braking and word was they filed an inch or so off of them.
The reason Farnborough Devons were lettered was for their 'overseas' callsigns eg VP959 was MPDXL, '975 was MPDXM etc.
When transport flight got the Dakota KG661/ZA947 from West Freugh it was allocated (rather appropriately) 'Y'