Airborne cleric's topsy-turvy day at Wolverhampton

This Tiger Moth biplane with a clerical moniker – you can see it on the engine cowling, but you'll have to turn your Star upside down to read it – came to grief at an air show at Wolverhampton airport at Pendeford in the 1960s.

The airport closed 50 years ago this December, and this photo was emailed in by Ron Leach, from Hurst Hill, Sedgley, one of a number of enthusiasts who want to ensure the city's old aerodrome is remembered.

Ron thinks the photo was taken at the air show at Pendeford of Saturday, June 20, 1964, which was the second consecutive year that the Royal Air Forces Association had chosen Wolverhampton as the venue for its air display.

Around 10,000 people flocked to see the aerial action on that day.

"The programme was supported mainly by C Nepean Bishop's Tiger Club from Thruxton, with the usual RAF and USAF fly-bys. The day turned out very windy and, so the PA told us, was causing some concern," said Ron, who was there.

"Late in the day, the Tiger Club's Dennis Hartas decided that he would proceed with his 'crazy flying' demonstration despite the conditions and carried out most of his entertaining turn. Alas, even Hartas' skill proved unequal to the strong gusts.

"I was looking down for a moment and heard the crowd gasp. I looked up to see that the Tiger Moth had nosed in and was slowly completing its ground loop. After a moment, Hartas crawled out apparently unhurt.

"I have no idea whether your reporter saw the accident. It was, as I say, late in the day and those concerned obviously opted to leave the aircraft where it was until, presumably the following day, righting it and carrying out repairs."

Ron says the picture comes from the Air-Britain J M Gradidge Collection.

If 1964 is the correct year, our Star reporter can't have seen the incident, as there is no mention of it in the report carried the following Monday, although it did say that there were aerobatics in Tiger Moths by members of the Tiger Club.

Nor was there anything said in the account by the reporter from the Wolverhampton Chronicle.

Other aircraft mentioned as being in the 1964 display included a Hurricane and a Spitfire, a Hawker Hunter, flypasts by Argosy, Britannia and Comet aircraft, a short take off and landing demonstration by a Beverley transport, and noisy passes by a Vulcan bomber.

Reports of the displays in 1963 and 1965 don't mention the incident with the Tiger Moth either, although it may or may not be relevant that it was so windy for the 1965 show that a parachute demonstration went wrong.

Out of a stick of six jumpers from a de Havilland Rapide flying at 3,500ft only one landed on the airfield. Two landed on properties in Fordhouses, one landed by a canal bank, another at a school, and the last is thought to have landed on an Army radio set, putting it out of action.

Three of the parachutists were taken to hospital.