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By: - 2nd February 2004 at 15:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yup, well known incident. It reasonably well covered in several of the Lightning books, can't remember of top of my head which ones.
I do remember that he did have some limited flying experience in the past (which is why he was able to make a damn good job of getting back on the ground again)but not in anything like a Lightning.....!!!
By: - 2nd February 2004 at 17:48 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The tale of Taff Holden piloting the Lightning features in a book called 'Drama in the Air' by John Beattie (No, not THAT John Beattie!) published in 1989 by Robson Books Ltd. It gets 10 pages out of 223 and describes the incident fairly well..
ISBN Number is 0-86051-564-8
By: - 2nd February 2004 at 18:11 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
its also in a flypast mag. quite a few years ago though.
By: - 2nd February 2004 at 22:26 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Thanks for the info, but is there anything worthwhile on the 'net re this incident?
Geoff.
By: - 3rd February 2004 at 14:44 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
There is also a really good bit(p126 127) on the subject in AIRCRASH by Andrew Brookes. Some excellent quotes from Taffy Holden.
By: - 3rd February 2004 at 17:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi All
Ok heres a bit about said incedent.
It happened on July 22nd 1966 while XM135 was at 33 MU at Lyneham. The aircraft had a persistant electrical problem that only showed itself under aceleration. So Wg Cdr Walter "Taff" Holden decided to undertake some ground tests to see if he could find the problem. The canopy was removed and the ground locks were in place Taff had a set of pilots notes with him in the cockpit he was strapped in but the safty pins were in. A couple of short bursts down the run way showed nothing so taff decided to give it a bit more speed. As he opened the throttels he accidentally pushed them through the gate into reheat. At first he thought the trottles had jammed but by the time he figured out what was happeneing he was out of runway and was left with only one choice to take XM135 for a quick spin round the airfield. This wouldnt be too much of a problem except that Taff had only done a few hours on a tiger moth. He couldnt call the tower as he only had on ear defenders and he couldnt eject as the seat was safe. After a couple of failed attempts after 12 minutes he landed.
Scott C
By: - 3rd February 2004 at 18:20 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
i wonder if theirs any pictures of it?
By: - 3rd February 2004 at 18:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Needless to say:
All flight sims seemed tame to him after that...
The 'persistant electrical fault' failed to show on W/C Holden's flight, but no doubt after the a/c was back in service!
Cheers
By: - 4th February 2004 at 10:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi JDK
Yep your right it went back into service and the fault came back again.
Scott C
By: - 4th February 2004 at 12:27 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Oh. its those green little men I tell you, they did it....
(thinks to myself - what a wonderful tale!)
By: - 30th April 2005 at 12:29 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Lightning XM135 Flight
To the person enquiring about the above subject title,
I am willing to add full facts about the inadvertent flight of XM135 Lightning by Wg. Cdr. W.V.Holden. I am that same person! Taffy Holden, Nantwich, Cheshire
By: - 30th April 2005 at 13:02 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
WOW a real life Lightning legend on here!
Walter, any truth in the story that you did a few extra circuits because you were having such a good time! :D
By: - 30th April 2005 at 13:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Welcome aboard the forum Sir !
It's a story that has facinated Lightning fans for years (me included)
I suspect you are about to be bombarded with questions :D
best regards,
Phil.
By: - 30th April 2005 at 17:25 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
i do work at duxford every wednesday and i've sat in that lightening and on the panel there's a little plaque commerating what happened.
By: - 30th April 2005 at 18:17 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
To the person enquiring about the above subject title,
I am willing to add full facts about the inadvertent flight of XM135 Lightning by Wg. Cdr. W.V.Holden. I am that same person! Taffy Holden, Nantwich, Cheshire
Welcome to the Forum. I guess this is what many of come here for. Historical events and the people that made them.
I take it that OC Lyneham was either very impressed or understanding. Is there such a charge as taking and flying away?
By: - 30th April 2005 at 20:14 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Blimey! I'd forgotten all about this thread.
Walter, many thanks for responding to the thread. Anything you have to say about this incident will be most welcome.
Do you ever get down to Duxford to see 'your' Lightning? I'm sure you would be most welcome at one of our occaisional forum meets, especially if it was at Duxford. Now wouldn't that make a great group photo in front of XM135.
Geoff.
By: - 30th April 2005 at 23:39 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Kudos to you sir, for getting yourself down from a predicament in which many others would most likely have perished! One heck of a story for when you're sitting around the campfire with your kids...
Mark
By: - 2nd May 2005 at 06:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Hi Walter
Welcome to the forum
As a Lightning owner id love to hear your own side of the story.
Scott C
By: - 2nd May 2005 at 10:09 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
To the person enquiring about the above subject title,
I am willing to add full facts about the inadvertent flight of XM135 Lightning by Wg. Cdr. W.V.Holden. I am that same person! Taffy Holden, Nantwich, Cheshire
Welcome to the forum.
This story is of Lightning and R.A.F Legend now but at the time it must have been as scary as hell.
I would love to hear the story from your side also and i wonder if you have flown anything else jet wise since.
By: - 2nd May 2005 at 12:03 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
welcome to the forum - id love to hear this story as well. Thanx
Posts: 1,442
By: von Perthes - 2nd February 2004 at 14:33
Does anyone have any information re this incident, when W/Cdr Walter Holden, whilst carrying out engines runs to trace a fault in XM135, found himself in full reheat running allong a runway at Lynham. Forced to lift it off the ground, without canopy or flying equipment (to avoid a fuel tanker I think), he managed to put it down after four attempts, with only minor damage to the tail.
XM135 is of course the EE Lightning at Duxford.
I read about this incident sometime in the early eighties in a copy of 'Mayfair', the well-know adult art magazine - I bought it for the Lightning article honest!!
I mentioned this incident to Steve Young at Hendon yesterday, & he'd never heard of it.
I tried a spot of Googling, without much luck. All I could find was this http://www.lightning.org.uk/archive/0303.php .
Geoff.