HAPPY CHRISTMAS & NEW YEAR to all my Aviation Friends on FLICKR :)

The old geezer when a lot younger (aged 20) posing with my very short-lived beard!

Behind me is the mighty fine Short S.25 Sandringham (Sunderland MR5) flying boat G-BJHS which was moored for a few days on the River Thames next to Tower Bridge in London.

The Short S.25 Sandringham was a British civilian flying boat produced during the Second World War by the demilitarised conversions of Short Sunderland military flying boats previously operated by the Royal Air Force. This was the very last airworthy Short Sandringham, which made a rare visit to London before it flew over the pond to Fantasy of Flight in Florida, US.

And I had no idea it was there! I just happened to be walking around the Old Smoke just after becoming an undergraduate at Kingston Polytechnic :)

Wishing you all a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS

and

a

much improved

NEW YEAR

to you all

in

2021 :)

The Short S.25 Sunderland was a British flying boat patrol bomber, developed and constructed by Short Brothers for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Developed in parallel with the civilian S.23 Empire flying boat, the flagship of Imperial Airways, the Sunderland was developed specifically to conform to the requirements of British Air Ministry Specification R.2/33 for a long-range patrol/reconnaissance flying boat to serve with the RAF.

During the post-war era, use of the Sunderland throughout Europe rapidly declined, while greater numbers remained in service in the Far East, where large developed runways were less prevalent. The RAF continued to use the Sunderland in a military capacity up to 1959, and the type also remained in service with the RNZAF up to 1967, when they were replaced by the land-based Lockheed P-3 Orion.

Several examples were preserved, including a single airworthy Sunderland which has been placed on display in Florida at Fantasy of Flight - this being G-BJHS, now registered N814ML. Fantasy of Flight is an aviation-related attraction in Polk City, Florida, United States that takes visitors back to the pioneering days of early flight, as well as the First and Second World Wars and beyond. The attraction opened in Nov 1995, and houses the world's largest private aircraft collection on display. [Wiki]

G-BJHS c/n SH.974b Ex-Ansett Sandringham (RAF Serial ML814 Short Sunderland MR5) . To RNZAF No.5 Squadron 1953 Fiji and became NZ4108. Hobsonville, New Zealand 1956–1963. Sold 1963 to Airlines of New South Wales. Converted to passenger configuration and registered VH-BRF and named Islander. To Antilles Air Boats, Virgin Island as N158J in 1974. To Edward Hulton in the UK in 1979 as G-BJHS Spirit of Foynes. Storm damaged and repaired. Sold to Kermit Weeks in 1992 and re-registered N158J. On display at the Fantasy of Flight museum in Polk City, Florida, USA with Kermit Weeks and registered as N814ML on 16 Sep 1993. More info on the Short Sandringham here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Sandringham

You can browse through a random selection of my aviation photos here: flickriver.com/photos/heathrowjunkie/random/

Taken in: UK / England / Tower Hamlets / Tower of London (show map)

Taken on: October 15, 1982

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