Dam fine views
MICROLIGHT PILOTS GO ON A JOURNEY INTO THE PAST, FOLLOWING SAME FLIGHT PATH AS LANCASTER BOMBERS
TWO microlight pilots from Burton have shared stunning footage of their Dambusters adventure when they took to the air and filmed their trip.
The two friends, instructor Nick Barnett and photographer Graham Marshment, shot the footage before lockdown.
Mr Marshment is best known for being the founder of the Burton Venture Trust. The have shared the breathtaking footage and say it brings back happy memories of the time when they could take to the skies before the coronavirus pandemic kicked in; something they cannot wait to be doing again.
While they are currently unable to fly due to the coronavirus restrictions, the duo decided to share flight video
Nick was one of the team of instructors at Roddige Airfield, near Lichfield, where Mr Marshment was a student and was where he learned to fly in the past few years.
As the leader of the Burton Venture Trust, Mr Marshment took adults and youngsters for trial flights at the airfield and Nick was one of the pilots who took them up into the air to give them an unforgettable experience of the joy of flight.
Shortly before lockdown they planned and took a flight down the Howden and Derwent reservoirs in the Peak District, following the route taken by the World War Two Lancaster bombers from the famous 617 Squadron, as they trained for the Dambusters raid on Germany.
The RAF’S celebrated 617 Squadron flew practice flights along the River Derwent with their revolutionary ‘bouncing bombs,’ in preparation their epic 1943 raid on the dams of the German Ruhr in the fight to defeat the Nazis.
Modest by comparison, Nick and Graham’s flight in a microlight took three-and-a-half hours and included a route over Thorpe Cloud in Dovedale, Chatsworth House and Birchens Edge at Baslow; a place where Mr Marshment and the venture staff frequently took youngsters rock climbing with the trust.
The journey down from the Howden and then the Derwent Dam enabled the intrepid flyers to take lots of stunning pictures and videos as they flew over the reservoirs, loudly together humming the Dambusters tune over their headphones and enjoying the experience.
On the return journey they passed over the JCB factory and Uttoxeter Racecourse, as well as various parts of Burton. Both said they enjoyed what they recognised as a truly memorable flight and they have shared their reminiscences and the fun they had together.
They both are now optimistic that they may soon be able to fly together again and enjoy their sport as Covid restrictions across the country are eased.
As they flew over the reservoirs the pair hummed the Dambusters tune over their headphones