Aviation fans mark 70th anniversary of Bristol Britannia

Aviation fans have been celebrating the 70th anniversary of the world's first long-range airliner powered by turboprop engines.

Guests rode vintage buses and cars made in Bristol to see the Bristol Britannia at Cotswold Airport.

The iconic aircraft began service in 1957 and was nicknamed "The Giant Whisperer" because it was so quiet.

Organiser Peter Gibbs said the plane "probably introduced the public to the package holiday in the '60s and '70s".

"For a lot of people their first look at the Mediterranean was after getting out of a Bristol Britannia," he added.

Retired pilot Malcolm Bradford captained the aircraft from its early days until the 1970s.

"The last time I flew this lovely girl was on 2 October 1971.

"It could be a little bit difficult towards the last stage of the landing," he added.

Peter Gibbs, from the Bristol Aero Collection Trust, organised Bristol-made buses and cars to take fans to see the last Britannia to fly.

They were able to look inside and hear from members of the Bristol Britannia XM496 Preservation Society who looked after the aircraft.

The plane was the second the government commissioned to be made at Filton post World War Two after the Brabazon was unsuccessful.

On its maiden voyage there was smoke in the cockpit of the Britannia and the landing gear stuck, thankfully, only for a short time.

The daughters of its test pilot, Walter Gibbs, attended the celebrations to honour their father's achievement.

"I think his most memorable incident was once at 10,000 ft. It flipped and dropped 5,000 ft," Charlotte Gibb said.

"So he took what he had done and reversed it, flipped the plane back up the right way, and then it turned out that an obsolete part had been fitted and that's why it happened, so that was quite an event."

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