Flying The Westland Lysander 

My grandfather was pickt up twice during war by it, as he was working for the resistence in Belgium.

Wow, what a fantastic experience you have captured for us all! My father flew in these as an R/T operator and was shot down over Dieppe in 1942. He survived but spent the rest of the war in POW camp. He never spoke too much about his experiences, understandably I suppose. Your filming of this flight is the closest thing I've seen to "being there" ever and I suspect many aviation enthusiasts around the world have marvelled at your honest "first person" footage of this extraordinary aeroplane. Many thanks again for sharing this with the world. ;-)

Lot of comments about the operations with agents, which is what this aircraft is known for, but let's not forget the pilots who flew it in combat during the defence of France and Belgium in 1940, when it was used for reconnaissance, army co-operation and even as a light bomber, suffering horrendous losses, 118 lost out of 175. Not as celebrated as Battle of Britain pilots, but surely as brave.

My Father worked at Westland from 1939 until his retirement in 1985, I too worked there from 1973. We were aircraft nuts! I remember him telling me that as he left work to go for lunch one day, a Lysander was hovering into the wind at about 50 ft over the airfield at Yeovil, the engine at barely tick over speed. When he returned from lunch it was still just hovering in the same place as before. It had most remarkable low speed handling characteristics

35yrs ago when I was a teenager I met a guy who'd flown these in WW2. In his words he'd 'lost his bottle' after being shot down in his Hurricane and so ended up flying these. He made 13 return flights into France and 1 single trip which ended with him being downed and captured. I wish I'd known then what I know now so I could have talked with him much longer. His stories must have been incredible if only I'd known enough to ask!

Amazing video thanks! Imagine the skill it took to fly this into a field in France in darkness considering all the Lysander quirks.

I've been lucky enough to see two Lysanders flying together here in the UK. An aircraft with so much history behind it. Great video - really enjoyed it. :)

Love that aircraft. My first 'Airfix' model kit as a kid. Obviously a few pitfalls for a Cessna pilot who imagines he could just jump out of a 182 and straight into a Lysander.

Amazing video.The people who flew these in ww2 had balls .Imagine trying to find a small field in France at night landing and taking off again

As a child 60 years ago I lived near Tempsford Airfield where the SOE flew out of. Friends and I used to sneak onto the airfield and play. The ghosts of the men and machines were very much there. If I could own and fly one aircraft in my life It would be a Lysander.

I live a stone throw away from where this was built, I can see the airfield from my window it originally took off from. We also have a road named here in my town named after this plane.

I live about 20 mins from that field on the Ottawa side. Worked for the feds in Gatineau for years. My father was a career R.C.A.F. man and at his request I read "High Flight" at his funeral. Thanks, Dave for a nice piece on the Lysander. Hard to believe they actually sneaked in and out of occupied France in something that loud but they did, often!

It's really great to see these old warbirds being maintained and flown still. A 'living' memorial to the brave aircrews and SOE agents (men and women) who flew to and from war in them. Great work.

Amazing to be able to watch this with POV... My grandad worked for Westland in Yeovil for 40 years, and my other grandad worked a similar time for Martin Baker in Denham.. They both passed 20 years ago.. I would dearly love to talk again with both about their experiences..

In 2000, I've been convited to made a flight on a Lysander by the Sabena Old Tilers in Belgium. I'll never forget it.

Brilliant film of a firm favourite that captured this small lad’s imagination with tales of daring pilots and SOE agents. Like others, I remember the Airfix kit. I coveted the one my friend built, but I always managed to make a smeary mess of canopies and windows so steered clear of the Lysander, Anson and most bombers. Made a good job of a Hawker Typhoon though!

Great looking old ‘Tin Lizzie’. Fantastic flight and well explained the quirks and eccentricities of the amazing aircraft. I would imagine in the depths of winter dropping into enemy occupied France as was commonplace for the Lysander, you’d be grateful for the toasty oil tank pipe work!

Great video and very informative - thanks for posting. Like many of the less glamorous airframes, the Lysander nonetheless had a vital role in helping to win the war, in particular its use by the RAF Special Operations squadrons that supported the SOE. Long may this particular example fill the skies.

Love the Lysander and it’s mission. Thanks for taking us along for a ride. 👍

Great and very informative video! It's so cool to see this airplane flying, as back in the early 70s on a trip to the Moose Jaw Airshow with my Dad in his Harvard and we landed at their home strip across the gravel road from the Assiniboia airstrip and overnighted at Anne & Harry's place. Along with his Hurricane, we saw this airplane in a very large number of pieces in one of the farm shop buildings. As I recall, it was first on Harry's list for restoration after he finished the in-progress Tiger Moth...the wings for which were in their dining room, much to Anne's displeasure hahaha.

These flew extensively unarmed into occupied France dropping off resistance operators and picking up American flyers. They were on the ground for minutes and rarely shut down their engines. This flying aircraft represents a lot of devotion and hard work making it air worthy again. Thank you.

One of my favorite designs, but it’s such a quirky rattle box I’ll just enjoy at a distance.

Many times it's been said that when you stop learning you're dead. Thanks Dave for the education.

Wonderful to get a pilots eye view of this iconic aircraft. Most of the comments concern the Lizzie's famous role as a spy taxi. But after getting chopped up badly during the Battle of France (nearly 70% of the Lysanders sent to France were lost!) the aircraft was also relegated to more prosaic roles. My dad, F/Sgt Nick Carter, flew around 400 hours on ASR and target Towing duties in the south west of England. After 18 months he finally got to where he really wanted to be - in the seat of a Spit Vb. He rarely talked about his experiences and I only got to see his log book after he'd passed away. He was one of the many unsung heroes of the RAF who just 'did his bit' for five long years. Never forget them.

What a fabulously insightful journey you have carried us on. Plus what a cool old plane.

My grandpa, RCAF F/O Norman Folkersen flew 416 twice while stationed with 122 Squadron, Patricia Bay. Although paint job was not this factory paint. Coded TM-A while at Pat Bay! He logged time in a few Lysanders. New appreciation for he small, loud and hot that cockpit is! Great video. Thanks.

My grandfather built these planes during the war, he regretted not actually serving in the military but his contribution to the war effort was massive, so his field was specialized engineering, he was involved in the Spitfire, the Lysander and the X-Class midget submarines. Even after the war he was uncomfortable talking about what could still be potentially secret.He started as an apprentice in the Cardiff docks along with his cousin, you might have heard Neil Williams? He had a stunt trophy named after him, the trophy is his Zlinn stunt aircraft scraping the field of wheat that he passed over just before landing after his wing folded during a rehearsal for a stunt competition, Google him for more info

Imagine a moonless, stormy night in 1941, heading over the English Channel at 2am in your trusty Lysander. No nav aids, just the faint red glow of your panel showing your heading. After a couple of years finally crossing the French coast, to then start looking for an Aldis lamplight signalling your destination, while all the time trying to stay the right way up using that panel. What an incredibly brave generation of people. The whole lot of 'em.

Fascinating video. Thank you and the ground crew for producing this.

What a fascinating aircraft Dave ! to think these flew night sorties across the channel dropping spies off in fields in France,thats a workmanlike cockpit with a lot going on,great explanation of a fine Westland product.

How else would I EVER go for a ride in a Lizzie?? From the PIC’s POV no less! ThNk you Dave!

very well done...very informative without being boring at any point. I visited a flying day at the Shuttleworth Collection, Bedfordshire, England two years ago and their black SOE Lysander was flown to the delight of the crowd.

I love the landing lights in those big ass wheel fairings, what a great looking airplane.

That great ground visibility must have been a major plus when landing in French pastures at night during WWII.

Very beautiful airplane. Very, very beautiful.

That's a tricky aircraft! You are living the dream! Thank you for the video!

That was great Dave For us pilots that will never get a chance, it's the next best thing Thankyou

Fabulous video - 62 people were obviously not a fan of Westland's amazing engineering prowess.

I also had the Airfix kit but despite living between a couple of active small airfields with manufacturers (Handley Page at Woodley and Fairey Aviation at White Waltham) in the 1950’s and 1960’s where there were plenty of Ansons, Chipmunks, Provosts etc I never saw a Lysander -I imagine they were mostly gone even then. (I did see a Fieseler Storch in German colours landing at Shobdon near Leominster a few years ago and that was a treat!) However there is no experience like having the prototype Fairey Rotodyne fly low overhead.....All great those British aeroplanes - we really have lost something.

Dave Hadfield is a great teacher!

Thank you for the narration, and all the extra fascinating information about the Lysander.

Now that's an plane you strap on! Plane today are so refined they fly them self's almost, glade to see that this one is old school. Great video, thanks.

Spectacular! Congratulations, what a delightful channel.

Thoroughly enjoyed this one! I really love the detailed pilot point of view through the checklist and flight. Thanks for sharing all the little interesting details!

Man that thing is a beast. What an interesting design. Thanks for posting.

Really enjoying these videos! Please keep them coming!

In the top five favourite aeroplanes for this ex-RAF Airframe Fitter. Thanks so much for the video!

The wheel spats are where the pilot stored his balls. They had to be big to land in Occupied France in WW2.

Shes a beauty. I had an Airfix model of the Lysander when I was maybe 10 or 11 which is why I still love this aircraft. Also, I live less than 20 miles from the Westland plant in Yeovil

This is a very good video, really well done and absolutely fascinating to watch. Another great and iconic aircraft, immortalised by war. Evidently in knowledgeable and competent hands.✌️

Great video. I had never realized what a complex airplane the Lysander is.

Truely excellent video and narrated with clarity. Thanks.

I love the view from the cockpit.

Thank you so much for posting this video, I have always been interested in the fixed wing aircraft that Westland Aircraft manufactured, Lysander, Whirlwind & Seafire. I was an employee at Westlands for fourty three years starting in 1973 at age sixteen on August 20th and retiring on December 21st 2016. I did a four year apprenticeship qualifying as an airframe fitter working on rotary wing aircraft such as Seaking, Lynx & WG30 as well as PP1 & PP2.

THX Dave for the insight, heard plenty references to this small aircraft in books about SOE operations in WW2

Really enjoyed this, it was as if I were flying it with you, thanks for explaining things so well 😀

Great to see it flying! One off my favorite aero planes of all time. Used to sit in a complete but derelict one all the time as a kid

When I was a kid, we rented a field for our horses next to a house owned by a lovely old gentleman who we knew as Mr Hodges, he'd talk with us every now and then and we gave him some manure for the beautiful roses he grew in his garden. Many years later, after we'd long since moved away, Mr Hodges sadly passed away, and my father sent me a link to his obituary. At this point I found out that Mr Hodges was in fact, Air Chief Marshall Sir Lewis Hodges, who flew for the SOE and was later NATO Deputy Commander in chief Allied Air forces in Central Europe. To say I was stunned was an understatement, but I'm glad to have known him, he was a lovely man, may he rest in peace.

Awesome machine..! Million thanks for sharing this great video...

One of my all-time favourite aircraft. Great video - I felt like it was my own maiden flight in her! What a beautiful plane, such elegant lines and refined slat/flap mechanism designed to be safe doing STOL work. Had exactly the same thoughts as @stu marsh in the comments. Some courageous airmen and agents flew in them.

First time seeing this aircraft, it is beautiful.

A fascinating insight into a very interesting aircraft. Thank You.

One of my favourite aircraft of WW2. Thank you for the video.

Movie "Allied" comes to my mind...fantastic bird...many thanks for your share.

THAT WAS AMAZING! Thank you for the very detailed flight.

What excellent narration. Fascinating. Thank you!

This one of my favorite airplanes. Nice video!

Many years ago there was a Lysander kept at Blackbushe airfield, not far from Farnborough. I was a mad keen aircraft spotter and it was always worth a visit when I had the chance, particularly Franborough airshow week as it was the overflow airfield. Great video.

The things we would do to get stick time in an aircraft like that, i was in awe at just how big it was when i first stood next to one

Beautiful bird. Saw one at CWHM in Hamilton, ON. Nice to see one still in flying condition. :)

Superb video! Thanks very much from 🇬🇧

I've seen the Shuttleworth Lysander during an airshow at Old Warden, where it was flown with panache and gave a great exhibition. What tickled me about your video is that it was really marvellous to be able to see inside your cockpit and imagine the difficulty of navigating across enemy territory at night looking for a faint signal, never really knowing if it was fake or not. That has got to be one of the most cramped and cluttered cockpits to be making long flights in, but I think they deliberately put all the hot oil equipment up front to help the pilot avoid freezing in the depths of winter in Europe. Thanks for a very interesting video Dave!

Excellent, well narrated video - I had heard they were tricky to land, and it was a good explanation/demonstration of how it was achieved.

Thanks for talking about the wing slats. Always been a mystery to me.

I bet those hot parts were welcomed by pilots in the winter.

Wicked cool bird. Never heard of them before. Thanks for the video.

Amazing that you can see the top of the parasol wings from the pilots position.

Absolutely magnificent aircraft, great "tutorial" on the Lysander, I feel I could fly one already :-) fascinating. One of a long list of my country's aircraft I love. Cheers and thank you from the UK.

Nice video, it's wonderful to learn so much rare information about flying the Lizzie.

Marvellous plane. Thank you!

By all accounts an excellent aircraft for what it was designed to do. Interesting video.

Thanks a lot for the video, it is very instructive.

what a great job you have !

We have one here at Old Warden airfield in England. I love it. One of my favourites.

Thanks for making the video...really enjoyed it.

Such a cool iconic airplane...might have to head up to Gatineau from Montreal to eyeball it someday!

If you forgot that elevator trimmer on approach, you could be in for a nasty surprise. Great video. Thanks.

A three-page preflight checklist? In the movies they turn the ignition and zoom off into the sky.

My grandfather told me often about working on the Lysander during WWII.

Sir Laurence Olivier , of the Royal Navy Reserve, was trained on the Lysander in WW2. He was taken off active duty as it was considered his status as an actor was more important for British moral than flying aeroplanes. Before he left, he did manage to bend three Lysanders!

What a beautiful airplane.

When I was in the UK fire brigade 20 or so years back, one afternoon I was fitting smoke detectors in the house of an elderly gentleman. While I was filling in the necessary "paperwork" I spotted the familiar blue and white diagonal ribbon of a "Distinguished Flying Cross" framed on a wall of his living room. When I asked him who the DFC had been awarded to, his eyes opened wide with surprise that I would know what it was. He then told me how in 1939 as a Lysander pilot in RAF No.2 Sqd, he had flown observation missions over the French/Belgian border during the 1939/40 "Phoney war". He then told me how in early june 1940 his squadron then got orders at short notice to evacuate to the UK. He said that the last 8 airworthy lysanders took off from north eastern France to hop over the channel, and that during the flight they had been attacked by Me109s. He had managed to evade multiple 109 attacks, and his rear gunner even managed to send one of the attackers banking away with smoke streaming from it. When they arrived in the UK only 4 of the aircraft had made it, the other 4 aircraft and their crews were lost in the channel. It is quite possible that that footage of the Lysander going down was one of his squadron mates. He said he later flew SOE operatives into and out of France during the German occupation and was awarded the DFC in 1944. Just a little white haired old man in his 80s.... and yet an outright absolute bloody HERO. God bless his memory.

A much more developed and sophistcated aircraft than meets the eye

Brilliant video of a truly quirky British classic 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Beautiful, Dave. That Slat-Flat systems was new for me. I knew about automatic Slats, like in the huge AN-2, which first versions also share the differential brakes system... At least in simulators this system is pretty comfortable, better than in the classical combined rudder-brake pedals. But is just an enthusiast opinion :) Anyway, I love the machine, thanks very much for detailed explanations and for showing us.

Bonjour de France 🇫🇷,merci pour cette excellente vidéo.👋👍👏😀

Neato thanks for the flight Capn

Nice to ride along. Thanks Dave

Amazing ....I had this as a model kit growing up in 50s

Very interesting... great videos...thank you