De Havilland Mosquito - First Flights - Wycombe Air Park, UK 

I watched 633 Squadron q4 times as a kid, fell in love with this plywood beauty! Wondrous machine!

The Mosquito was literally in a class by itself. What a unique design and plane. One of my favorites. Thanks for the wonderful video.

None of us know just how much we owe the old geezers! You owe them everything and more. Bless em.

Fantastic archive!! So glad to be able to see this. Let's get a flying Mosquito back here in the UK!!

Memories. Far more years ago than I can believe I was instructing on power and gliders and flying glider tugs at Wycombe. On one occasion I allowed myself to do a glider tow to a particularly juicy cumulous. I did it against my better judgement, becauseI I was low on fuel. Full power up to four thousand feet. The fuel gauge was now reading empty. On the way down I was over ambitious with the side slip and stopped the engine. Wycombe field was out of gliding distance for the Supercub, but a large field, recently cleared from hay was do-able. A few minutes later I was safely on the ground there. It was suddenly very quiet except for the ticking of a cooling lycombing. Now what? Paperwork - explaining - having the wingss removed by Bianchi's boys - embarrassment all round. The fuel gauge was a small glass tube. Now that the Supercub was level there was fuel showing. Wiggling my body I could hear fuel sloshing around in the tank just above my head. Should I break every rule in the book? Try to start the engine? Attempt to get airborne? A quick hop and back to the gliding field? As my hand moved towards the starter I knew that if I thought about it I would not go. The engine sprung into life, throttle wide open the hedge was getting closer. This could be even worse if I tangled with the hedge. Just a slight back pressure on the stick and we were airborne, clear of the hedge. There on my left, not more than two miles away was my runway. An easy right base join, Perfect touch down and a leisurely taxi to the fuel pumps. No one was any the wiser for many, many years. Until you and I, right now.

I was mentored by a Canadian surveyor when I started work. He was a pathfinder navigator in mosquitoes during WW2 based in E. Anglia. Lovely gentle man came to England as a flyer and never went home

I remember after 633 squadron was filmed, 3 or 4 of the Mosquitos displayed together at the Biggin Hill air display. Tailchasing around the airfield. That was amazing!

Crazy to think that this magnificent machine was built only forty odd years after man first learned to fly.

I would have been 15 when this was filmed.. Crazy to think that the filming of this Mossie was almost (bar 6 years) as close to the end of WW2 as it is to todays date! I also lived in High Wycombe, and worked just a few miles away from the Mosquito museum in London Colney. Thanks for the memories Kermit.

A trip down memory lane that's for sure. What a beautiful aircraft! 👍🏻

Proud of the fact it was there for some time - as one of the ‘newer’ generation I came to learn Wycombe had a large role in manufacturing this aircraft since it was a furniture town. Geoffrey de Havilland, the designer, was also from here. Shame that you could walk through the town now and none of that history is recognised really. I did a radio interview with the local station to remind the people of the town what an important role it contributed through this aircraft during WW2.

As a kid we used to watch the British Aerospace Mosquito flying over the fields near where I lived in North Wales. It was an amazing aircraft with an incredible sound from the twin Merlins. What an aircraft, thanks for sharing. Best wishes

Fascinating Kermit thank you for sharing this.. I had the pleasure to have the BAe Hurricane almost the year to the day earlier before she was lost fly down towards me. I was in the RAF at the time I was an electronics tech working at an HF radio Transmitter site for our maritime aircraft and it was an old Coastal command station that closed in 59 with lancasters and the MKIII Shackleton, converted into a radio site. Well I was installing an intercom cable from the entrance gate at the end of the old 08 runway to the transmitter building. I heard what I thought was the sound of Merlin’s and was amazed to see the last serviceable (at the time) Mozzy E HT flying over on a transverse path to the runway and me!!! Naturally I waved and to my amazement he flew down towards me and then over me head at about 200 foot. I was worried in case they hadn’t noticed our antenna masts which were not only 68 foot hazards but also had a conical shape antenna attached, the wires being hard to see. But all was well and I so wished I had a camera in those days, no mobile phones existed that were of any use. My own personal air display I will never forget. And many years earlier around 78 I was lucky enough as an air cadet of 13 years old to be allowed to “guard this same aircraft at the Liverpool Speke Airport (now John Lennon) whilst the crew went for their lunch.. also did the same with the BBMF Lancaster too, remember the thrill,of touching her starboard tail… 😂

I was an old EEAer back in the day and I remember Kermit flying this bird into Oshkosh back in the day. It is still on loan to the EAA Museum and is not airworthy at the moment. Jerry Yagin is flying their out of Virginia Beach and with 2 screaming Merlin’s it is wonderful to see in person

oh my god, he actualy had hair on top.. The Mossy is an awesome plane. beautifull.

Great video Kermit. Nice to see it flying. Wonderful memories of that aircraft from its days. Thanks Kermit. Retired Air Force veteran.

Man I love the sounds of them engine's WW2 aircraft are amazing I'm just glad there's historians out there who love keeping these aircraft still alive and flyable for people to enjoy thanks for sharing kermit 🙂

I love this plane, built out of necessity and it performed outside its weight literally. I would sell a kidney to see an original Mossie, Lancaster, Hurricane and Spitfire flying in formation.

My dad and I were at Oshkosh in 1988. I was in the 1989 EAA Air Academy. I recall a Mosquito on the flight line and was wondering if it was yours. Being 16 years old at the time it such a privilege and amazing experience just to see one in the flesh. The bonus was to see it in the air. We had also been to Fantasy of Flight a couple of years earlier...I think. It's difficult to remember the year but I will NEVER forget the experience. I wish I could have actually met you and also wish you could meet my son. He's 12 and can quote you chapter and verse of all things aviation from 1903 forward. He lives it in his mind way beyond his years. It is people like him who will bear the torch for the future generations. It is my hope there will be people with whom he can have a conversation when he's older. What you have done to preserve these wonderful works of engineering is priceless. They are history and treasure. Thank you

What a gorgeous flying machine, engines sound fabulous, and yes 633 squadron is my all time favourite, thank you guys for rebuilding absolutely beauty ❤

Such a beautiful aircraft. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day.🙂🙂

What a fascinatingly beautiful bird...

Ha! I was a 20 yr old USAF MP stationed at High Wycombe Air Station in May 1987. Would loved to have seen this Mosquito take off and land!

I recall shortly after this, probably early June '87, she made an appearance at the Biggin Hill Air Fair along with the much missed BAe Mossie - wonderful sight and sound! Great video, thanks!

You are a man of immense privilege to be involved with these aircraft... although, perhaps, that privilege is hard-won through hard work! Still....the sound and beauty of the Mosquito seems to be timeless.... 🇨🇦🐻

Thank you Kermit. As a kid growing up, living up the road from Broughton, I used to see RR299 being displayed at weekends, when she came back from airshows, In the 1970's, probably by George Aird and later by Tony Craig, both Test Pilots at DeHav's/British Aerospace. Impressive wing overs to be visible from Hawarden village! I worked at Broughton as a fitter through the 80's and early 90's and as an Apprentice I was lucky enough to get to do small jobs on "The Mossie" (RR299) when she was at 3 Site. A perk of this was being allowed in the cockpit. The smell inside of wood, leather and oil, will stay with me. I just have to close my eyes..... Later in life, I've managed to get a few visits to Ardmore, New Zealand, to see the fantastic restoration work of Avspecs and get a look, over a few years, at three of their Mosquitos. It was a privilege to get in the cockpit of KA114, the first one to be restored. If I had one small disappointment, it was the lack of a smell. I guess, 50 year old aircraft, need that amount of time to smell that good. Please keep putting stuff up on here, it's very welcome and great to see that you have documented all this history. I visited Fantasy of Flight at Polk City in I think 2003 or 4, a great place. Would love to know if RS712 could ever be airworthy or if you have plans to fly her again. Best Regards, Pat

Great britain should still have one of these aeroplanes flying . My favourite aircraft of all time .

Tractors were used for towing aircraft in Britain during WW2. Had to laugh at 'Serf's up!'. Thanks for the video, Kermit. 🙂👍

I was taking flying lessons at Booker in 1987, Cessna 152. One day, behind me, I heard the awesome sound of two Merlin's not quite synchronised, throbbing, and had the honour of being a bystander, by chance, on what they told me was the first day you took her into the skies again.

It was a pleasure to know World War Two veterans when I was younger. They were teachers, co-workers from most branches of service; Air Corps, Infantry, Marines and Navy. Any fighter or bomber fit with Rolls-Royce Merlins, I loved watching and hearing those engines.

Absolutely bloody marvellous, thanks for sharing.

Wow I had no idea you had your mosquito there back then! It would have been amazing to come and see it as I went to WAP many times when I was young. Dad worked for BA and was a member of the flying club and it was great to see the spitfires based there. A mosquito would have been really cool!

OMG, One your best. Those English flyers are superb. The Lightning photo is unforgettable.

Thank you to you and all the team for preserving all these wonderful aircraft over the years .....not sure how were going to educate the next generation on how to acquire the knowledge. Hats of to you all

Trivia: In Galland's autobiography, 'Die Ersten und die Letzten' (The first and the last), he writes that aside from being difficult to catch because it was so fast, due to its wood construction the Mosquito was more difficult to detect on radar than all-metal planes.

Thanks Kermit, barely recognized you! Always wondered what became of George Aird. Had several visits to see and hear the Lightning at Binbrook and to see the LPG fast runs at Bruntigthorpe. Some American outfit now lease that venue and effectively closed what was for many years a thriving collection of Cold War jets. A very shabby situation, ruining what had developed into tremendous display of British aviation heritage. Just shows how quickly things can change.

Incredible - just noticed I'm still a boy when it comes to airplanes! thx for showing! Cheers

that could be the coolest photograph i've seen

Great old bird. Recently went to see the mozzy taxi run at East Kirkby alongside the Lancaster.... Epic site. As I child I would cycle from my Village near maidenhead over to look at the aircraft at Wycombe. Great days!

Really interesting, the Mossie is an icon. Thanks to you and many others for preserving it.

Just reminded me that we have been organising monthly Winter Talks at Oaksey Park Airfield and last week was a talk on Cotswold Airfields up to 1950. One of the slides was a picture of the tower and South Cerney back in the day of the aerobatic championships and on top of the control tower clutching a megaphone was mister Weeks himself !

This is amazing. I used to know a guy who had been a navigator on mosquito night intruder ops.

Great old film ! Kermie needs to get that old Mossie back in the sky👍

Such a sweet machine! Love the tour video you also did about 10 years ago.

Ah, at the time this was filmed I had arrived at George AFB and was in MAT training on the F-4E and G Phantom. Four great years, but not this good! Mossie magic - great stuff Mr. Weeks.

Gives me goosebumps the sound of 2 Merlin engines @ speed

Fantastic footage. Twin Merlins are musical magic! Thanks for posting Kermit!👍

It sure was nice to see Harry and George again. They used to be well known faces at Strathallan back in the good old days.

Wonderful design and sound! Thank you for sharing Kermit!

Lotsa fun. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for showing me this. The timing was perfect since after 60 years I'm finally doing a model of the mosquito

Thanks Kermit for showing home movies of the Mosquito...That must have been a hell of lot of fun..... Shoe🇺🇸

When the Pilot says "Its been a long time" and everyone puts on parachutes, its going to be a fun ride.

A most magnificent aircraft if ever, and a terror in the skies, thanks for this.

A superb moment in time, Kermit. Thanks for sharing. We hope to be there 'in the air' after a few more years!

Good on you for filming everything. It's documented history.

Wow - seeing Toni Bianchi again still looking as he did back then! Nice guy. I was standing by the clipped wingtip of his Spitfire 9 when they did the engine runup - unforgettable. 1981 or 1982 I think it was. That was at Booker too.

That is very, very cool, Wycombe Air Park in 1987 the way it was...

They sold them for the equivalent of maybe 5 000 dollars in my home town in 1946 (in Australia). I used to play in the wreck of one. Unfortunately the ones that I know of were all destroyed for scrap. Others were recycled when materials were short after the war.

De Havilland Mosquito the wooden wonder with exceptional trees with faster 500mph combat planes.

Great video Kermit, wycombe air park is 5 minutes from me, it looks busier back then at wycombe air park than it does now sadly. Love the mosquito ❤

I was held at the end of Luton's runway as this and the BAe Mosquito flew over headed north on is delivery flight! Probably the last Mosquito formation in the UK!

Nice 30th Birthday present, I wish!!

Thanks for sharing this.

Thanks Kermit. Love the Mossie!

We owe Kermit a debt for looking after this fantastic machine. If I'm not mistaken it's the only one in original condition left in the world. It's almost worth keeping it as it is, now that there are flying restorations/rebuilds around.

This Mossie must feel right at home on a day like this.

Beautiful design, beautiful sound!.... Love those Merlins going flat chat!.

Wow amazing post! Such a jaw droppingly beautiful aeroplane, my favourite of it’s era🤩 Incredibly gorgeous lines and so functionally varied, it’s brilliance enabling it to be used in very daring tasks.Would love to have created this beauty, seems like a flying woman😍 Thanks for this video.

I remember when you came in to Oshkosh with it! Such a beautiful A/C. Great video Mr. Kermit.......🙃

Love it nonchalantly taxiing past a Vauxhall Cavalier (a British made GM vehicle)

I live 5 mins away from Wycombe air park :) still a good airfield to visit and watch all the aircraft from the restaurant !!!

This is going to be good Kermit., just comments on the first 10 seconds. Tony Bianchi - Managing Director of PPS Tony joined PPS at white Waltham in 1961 after leaving school, working as an apprentice engineer gaining valuable experience on the wide variety of aircraft and engines handled by the company at the time. He learned to fly in 1964 with Airways Aero Club which enabled him by the late '60s to combine his engineering background with flight-testing, airshows and film flying. Since then he has flown 2800 hours on 200 types of aircraft including WWI & WW2 fighters and, of course, the Spitfire. The late Neil Willams introduced him to Aerobatic competition flying in 1970 which kick started a flying passion that continues today, Tony flew competitively for 25 years & as a member of the British Aerobatic Team in UK, World & European Championships for much of that time, he always had the benefit of a dedicated sponsor. In 1977, after the death of his father, Tony took control of PPS and all its engineering and flying activities in order to retain Doug Bianchi's unique successful "Personal" approach to the business, which he and the PPS team continue to do to this day with the philosophy of finding the right owner to be owned by the right aircraft.

So much fanfare for the Mossie, back in WW2 they were building them as fast as they could and pilots were figuring them out in combat, it all seems surreal

what a great plane my dad found some remains of a crashed mosquito parts now at Sywell airfield museum the door with small glass window that you climb into aircraft and other parts ,i travel to Hatfield industrial estate and always think of the great things that De Haviland achieved now all gone ,what a loss

A fantastic plane, thanks for posting your excellent "home videos",

The Mosquito just the best

Where I learnt to fly. Will have to check my log book for May 87, as I remember seeing this beautiful aircraft.

Very cool watching this video, especially after having seen it in person at Oshkosh a few months back! Hope it will fly again one day.

Love the mosquito! Great airplane!!

Outstanding video!

Man that thing sounds good flying past!

I was brought up in Speke,Liverpool during the 60s/70s/80s.....in a little house😅 under the flight aproach path into Speke Airport ....I remember the Huey helicopter flying over and so many other aircraft types coming into land on a daily basis.......The noise of an Airline jet taking off,usually a BAC 1-11 would always stop us playing in the close(Culdesac) ..and the smell of the jet fuel... .i can still smell it to this day!!!..and the noise.x

I started to laugh of the text comment, when he pump fuel in engine number two. Prime of his life duh.. 😂😂 Thanks Kermit, for all the nice videos.. You are the best.

Another super cool video. Thanks for sharing your most excellent life experiences. Blue Skies Sir.

On my god what a video perhaps the only time I have ever seen a B35 model of this aircraft outside of a film thank you

Get this airplane flying again!!!!!

When I lived just near Abbotsford, B.C. I was invited over to see a Mosquito that was being restored in a hangar not far from Abbotsford Airport. It was pretty cool, got lots of pictures. They had her at the Abbotsford Airshow not that long ago, just rolled out and airworthy, some 40 years later! Patience is the name of the game I guess.

Great to see this, I live 5 minutes from this airfield.

Молодцы Англичане,прекрасный и удивительный самолёт!

The day you upload your last home video it’s going to be a sad day for all of us. Thank you for sharing Mr. W.

What a coincidence, the first shot inside the plane highlights one of the 'personality' features of the Mossie - the fuelselector panel placed right behind the pilot's seat. It's being said that a very prominent pilot died because of that on the famous 'prison' raid - he had to change tanks when having turned from the target while doing AA evading escapades,, selecting the 'off' position which turned out to be fatal. The airplane looks very heavy for it's size and with 10 tons (all bombed up) it's (clean) stalling speed was beyond 200 km/h, that also gave this Mark quite a high single engine limit speed. Another interesting 'personality' feature is the non locking tailwheel which together with the tiny rudder requires fine riding of the throttles - certainly a challenging aircraft.

Whilst I love the Mozzie my favourite is the EE Lightning never forget seeing that photo as a child in the RAF Museum Hendon

Glad to have seen this, I was lucky enough to be at the Mosquito museum when yours and RR299 did a formation fly bye Magical

1 hour ago landed at wycombe been flying there for 8 years now. never knew a mosquito was there ! great video

24 Minutes in and we have a great shot " Well looks like we are socked in , let's head to the bar' LOVED these old ex RAF Pilots and Ground crew, you were getting a cultural lesson ! How lucky you were.

Very awesome sir thank you, I Got to see one up close in 1974 on Logan Airport tarmac. that was pretty cool. it also had patch bullet holes in it.🤔😎

Great stuff!

Always loved the mud flaps, such a British thing!

Very cool!