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Cadets recreate WW2 aircraft photo for VE Day

Neve Gordon-Farleigh
BBC News, Bedfordshire
London Luton Airport The Miles Magister yellow plane on the forecourt at Luton Airport. A group of eight cadets wearing their purple and black uniform and caps stand behind the left wing, with one sitting in the cockpit and two standing behind him. The pilot wears a green uniform and stands behind the cockpit. The airport control tower is in the background and you can see the orange tail of an easyJet plane.London Luton Airport
Cadets from the 10F Luton Squadron Air Training Corps gathered at Luton Airport to recreate a photo originally taken during WW2

An aircraft built to train pilots before World War Two has once again flown over its hometown skies.

Nicknamed the "Maggie", the Miles Magister was originally built in Luton and is now part of the Shuttleworth collection in Bedfordshire.

The aircraft flew into London Luton Airport on Wednesday as part of a series of VE Day celebrations.

Local cadets recreated a photo taken with the Maggie in the 1940s, and pilot Scott Butler said: "The opportunity to fly the Miles Magister was simply too good to miss."

Mr Butler, now an easyJet pilot based at Luton and a volunteer pilot at Shuttleworth, started flying as an air cadet before serving in the Royal Air Force.

"Flying the Maggie has many links for me," he said.

"We were thrilled that the cadets were all as enthusiastic about the aircraft as their predecessors from all those years ago."

Culture Trust Luton A black and white image showing the same Miles Magister plane with a cluster of 8 cadets standing by the left wing and around the cockpit. A pilot sits in the cockpit. The plane has a number 3 on the side. In the background are large hangers which are painted in camouflage. Culture Trust Luton
Cadets admire the "Maggie" at Luton Airport in the 1940s, which was a Royal Air Force base during the Second World War

Production of the two-seater aircraft began in October 1937, with more than 700 of them entering service in RAF training schools.

It said to have a wingspan of 33ft 10in (10.31m) and can fly at speeds of 132mph (212km).

After the war, the aircraft were converted for civilian use and re-designed as the Hawk Trainer III.

The Miles Magister is now housed near Biggleswade at Shuttleworth, and will be on display at the Shuttleworth Military Air Show on 31 May.

Charlemagne Kirk, one of the visiting cadets, said: "We all feel immensely privileged to have been invited to get a close look at a working Miles Magister... and recreate such an important moment."

Neil Thompson, chief operations officer at London Luton Airport, commented: "We are extremely proud of the airport's past and it was an honour to have this opportunity to pay tribute to the Second World War generation in this way."

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