WITH its four Rolls Royce Merlin engines creating that distinctive roar, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Avro Lancaster has thrilled crowds across the UK.

The Avro Lancaster was the iconic RAF heavy bomber of WWII and is probably best remembered for the successful raid on the dams in the Ruhr Valley Germany by 19 Lancasters of 617 Squadron on May 16/17, 1943. The raid was led by Wing Commander Guy Gibson; interestingly he married a Penarth girl – Eve Moore at All Saints Church; they lived for a while lived in Archer Road.

Penarth Aviation Society hosts Flt. Lt Richard Gibby who, until a recent posting, was a navigator with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) having completed three seasons with this section of the Royal Air Force No 1 Group.

Richard was the navigator for the Canadian Lancaster coded VR-A (‘VERA’), that joined the BBMF Lancaster last summer to give air show spectators a double bill. He will give an account of the epic 3,700-mile flight from VERA’s base in Canada to RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. The North Atlantic crossing included en-route stops at Goose Bay in Canada, Narsarsuag in Greenland, and Keflavik in Iceland, before arriving at RAF Coningsby,

Flt Lt Richard Gibby is only the second navigator to have flown on both the RAF and Canadian Lancasters.

He will also recall some of his other experiences in the Royal Air Force, including flying fast jets such as the Tornado GR1and the Tornado GR4. He instructed on the Low Level Training Squadron at RAF Cranwell and joined the RAF Central Flying School as the Fast Jet Navigator Examiner.

The Aviation Society’s meeting takes place on Friday, March 6, 7.45 for 8pm at the Conservative Club, Stanwell Road, Penarth.

Visitors are welcome to attend the presentation (a donation of £2 is requested). This will be followed by a business session for members only. Following this there is a social to which visitors are welcome.

Please contact the Hon. Secretary of Penarth Aviation Society, Mike Duxbury, to ensure seating availability. Tel: 01446 711 482 Mobile: 07829 124 353

Further details can be seen on the society’s website and on facebook.