WIth over 170 attendees, the Historic Aircraft Association 2009 Symposium on Sunday 15th November, took the lecture theatre of the RAF Museum at Hendon close to its capacity.

Through the day the guest speakers offered historic aircraft enthusiasts, pilots and engineers a unique perspective on naval aviation.

Speakers helping celebrate 100 Years of Navy Aviation, included Commander Sue Eagles, head of the Fly Navy 100 celebrations for the Royal Navy and de Havilland Sea Vixen test pilot Desmond Penrose. Meanwhile RAF pilot Tom Eeles’ highly entertaining talk explained how a ‘Crab’, (non sailor) went to sea with the Fleet Air Arm flying Buccaneers.

However all present would agree that John Moffat stole the show. The quiet, normally reticent Scot gave a riveting first hand, pilots-eye view account of how the 12 Swordfish flew from HMS Ark Royal in atrocious weather, to press home their attack on the battleship Bismarck.

The fact that the entire auditorium was held in a spell of rapt silence for the best part of an hour, followed by a standing ovation, says it all.

Now we have the challenge of finding a speaker ‘to beat that’, for 2010!

http://www.kingpinmedia.co.uk/HAA_SYMPOSIUM_2009.pdf