This must be a world first.
I’d contacted a local man for a story for the June issue of your digital Blackmore Vale Magazine.
David Morgan, who lives near Shaftesbury, was the top scoring fighter pilot in the Falklands Conflict – and that’s far from his only claim to fame (see the full article on David here).
David, 74, is often seen in his conspicuous yellow Tiger Moth bi-plane performing aerobatic stunts above the Blackmore Vale.
He wrote a widely acclaimed book ‘Hostile Skies’ about his experiences when flying off a carrier plunging in heavy seas in the south Atlantic during that war.
After interviewing him I ordered his book. Couldn’t put it down.
I was halfway through it on the day it arrived when I heard a buzzing sound outside.
I ignored the noise as I’d got to a particularly exciting chapter.
But the buzzing outside continued.
I continued to ignore it.
The buzzing went on. And it got closer. And louder.
Finally, I went outside to see who was disturbing my reading.
Well, it was the author of the actual book I was reading that was disturbing me.
David’s yellow Tiger Moth was circling above my cottage in Mappowder.
He never does aerobatics this far south in the Vale. He was doing it simply to amuse me. What a treat!
I went outside and waved. He performed a few stunts, circled the village, waggled his wings then headed back to the airfield 15 miles away.
At the end of our interview, a few days previously, I had told him where I lived and challenged him to give me a personal aerobatics show.
And he did!
And what’s more, I had a feeling that he would take me up on my challenge (fighter pilots are famous for their mischievous sense of humour – they can’t resist a dare).
I couldn’t stop laughing at his sense of fun and skill.
When my wife returned I told her we’d had a visitor.
‘Was it that fighter pilot,’ she asked, with uncanny perception.
‘It certainly was,’ I replied.
‘Did he come in for a coffee,’ she asked.
‘No,’ I said, ‘must have been in a hurry. He had to fly.’
(see Andy’s full story on David Morgan in the magazine below:)
