Congratulations Telegram from RAF Jever and 93 Squadron - 1Aug54.

Congratulations Telegram from RAF Wunstorf - 3Aug54.

Congratulations Telegram from Walton-on-Thames - 4Aug54.

Analysis Fuel and Oil for Outward Journey.
     I presume Brian had some sort of Shell BP credit card and this was his way of checking on what they were finally charged.   Note that they paid cash at Florence.   It would seem that on the way out they used 518.5 gallons of fuel with mixed octanes of 73, 80 or 100.   They also used 9.95 (I presume) pints of oil.   The cost of the fuel was £127-15s-2d (which at Nov09 prices would have been £2,647.)   This would make the price of aviation fuel as an average of 59 old pence per gallon (At Nov09 prices £5.09 a gallon).    The oil cost £5-6s-10d (Nov09 £110.67.Total cost, including servicing fees was £134-12s-0d (Noc09 prices: £2,789)    I estimate that the distance flown was about 6,300 statute miles and so their average was 12.2 m.p.g. and the cost was about 4.9 old pence per statute mile. (At Nov09 prices 42 new pence a mile).    Today a return flight from Bremen to Bulawayo would cost £1,005.   From Brian's logbook it appears that they were flying for 64 hours - so their average speed outbound was: 98 statute miles per hour.   Their flying costs work out at £2-2s-1d per hour (At Nov09 prices £43.57 per hour).

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Newspaper clipping from the Bulawayo Chronicle.

R.A.F. JET PILOTS ON FLYING LEAVE TO RHODESIA

Two Sabre jet pilots from 93 Fighter Squadron, R.A.F., based on Jever, arrived at Kumalo Airport from Western Germany yesterday evening.   Flying in a Miles M.18, they came out of the twilight skies to make a perfect landing as the daylight failed.

     One of the jet pilots is a young Rhodesian, 34-year-old Flying Officer Brian Sanderson, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs G. W. Sanderson, of Bulawayo, home for the first time in two years.

     The other is Flight-Lieutenant Brian Iles, of Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.   He is the owner of the Miles M.18.   He is visiting Rhodesia for the first time.

     Of Sabre jets and life in a jet-fighter squadron, they both said: "Terrific-absolutely glorious."

     Flying Officer Sanderson is probably the first Rhodesian to crash the sound barrier.   This he has done several times in training manoeuvres in his Sabre jet.

     At the airport to meet them last night were Mr. and Mrs. Sanderson, Miss Joan Sanderson, young Michael and Desmond Sanderson, and Mr. Roy Stephens.

EXHAUST TROUBLE

     They had a good flight except for exhaust trouble at Cairo.   The Egyptians were most friendly and helpful they said.

     Their stops were Nuremberg, Munich, Florence, Rome, Brindisi, Athens, Heraklion, Mersah Matruh, Cairo, Luxor, Wadi Halfa, Atbara, Khartoum, Kosti, Malakai, Juba (where beer is 5s. a bottle (Nov09 £5.18)), Soroti, Kisumu, Muwanga, Tabora, Abercorn, Kasana, Lusaka, Broken Hill, Victoria Falls, Bulawayo.

HEANY-TRAINED

     Flying-Officer Sanderson got his "wings" at Heany.   He graduated from there to several stations, and through several types of fighter aircraft, to Sabre jets, at Jever.   He has been stationed at Jever a year.

     His letters home have described the travel and the interest of specialised training.

     In the mountains of Austria recently he was given a "survival course".   He has played rugby in several countries of Europe.

     He was educated at Marist Brothers College, Observatory, Johannesburg, and played in the college's rugby first team.

     He played rugby for Transvaal schools, and Nuffield cricket for Southern Transvaal.   He has also played rugby for Raylton, Bulawayo.

     In many a letter home (his father told The Chronicle) he has written: "I wish the fellows of my age in Southern Rhodesia realised what a wonderful life this is."

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          Video showing M18-6 clip from Brian Iles's film of his return flight from RAF Jever to Bulawayo, Africa in his Miles M-18 light aircraft starting on 20th July 1954.   This clip shows them relaxing in Bulawayo and then a train journey presumably to the Victoria Falls which is about 240 miles North West of Bulawayo and which they had flown over on their way into Rhodesia.   Then there are some stunning shots of the Falls themselves.   (1 min 53 secs/23 mins 15 secs/2 mins 33 secs/1 min 16 secs/38 secs)

          Video showing M18-8 clip from Brian Iles's film of his return flight from RAF Jever to Bulawayo, Africa in his Miles M-18 light aircraft beginning on Tuesday 20th July 1954.   Here are some more shots of their leave in and around Bulawayo.   Today Bulawayo is Zimbabwe's second largest city.   Located in the South-west of the country, it is home to a cosmopolitan people.   The Bulawayo area has been populated since prehistoric times.   The San (Bushman) people painted their delicate pictures in the caves of the Matobo Hills, the Rozvi kings built a stone city at Khami and the Ndebele nation gave the city its name.   The city has wide tree lined streets and is surrounded by beautiful parks, a legacy of Cecil John Rhodes.   There are many places to see from a tourist point of view.   This clip begins with views of the main street, then a bird in a cage, followed by what might be Sandy's parents.   It looks like Brian playing some type of ball game and then shows Sandy introducing presumably the family car.   Next there are scenes of a rugby match with Sandy in the stadium watching.   Then Sandy is seen with some of the local colour, leading in to a sign for a place which I cannot read.   It maybe "The University" - the subsequent shots of the buildings look similar to the architecture in the modern pictures of the University.   They are shown leaving in a Mercedes for a sioghtseeing tour of what looks like The Matopas Park which is located 34 Kilometers south of Bulawayo City Centre, covering an area of 43 200 hectares, the park is positioned in the marvelous Matobo Hills, which are constitute of a series of domes, spires and balancing rock formations cut out of granite solid granite plateau by mother nature through millions and millions years of erosion and weathering.   King Mzilikazi gave the district the name Matobo - 'bald heads'-, he was buried in the Matobo Hills.   Cecil John Rhodes is buried in the Matobo National Park, at the summit of Malindidzimu -'hill of benevolent spirits'.   A place for which signs can be seen - Rhodes referred to it as the "View of the world."   (If we have any viewers in Bulawayo they might like to identify some of the views?)   (4 mins 6 secs/51 mins 47 secs/5 mins 40 secs/2 mins 50 secs/1 min 25 secs)

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Jet Men Fly to Germany at 115 m.p.h.

Friends and Relatives wave goodbye at Kumalo Airport yesterday as the small Miles M.18 aircraft piloted by Flying Officer B. E. A. Sanderson (rear cockpit, bottom picture) and Flight-Lieut. H.B. Iles, set off on their return flight to Germany.   Flying Officer Sanderson is from Bulawayo; his friend, who owns the plane-believed to be the only one in existence-is from Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.   Flying at an average speed of 115 m.p.h., they expect the journey to take two weeks.   Both men are R.A.F. jet pilots, and Flying Officer Sanderson has broken the sound barrier in a jet fighter.   The two men flew out from Jever, Western Germany, where they are stationed to spend their leave with Flying Officer Sanderson's parents, Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Sanderson.   On this trip they plan to visit Cairo, Athens, Rome, Nice or Cannes, and Paris.

He flew it

It is said in flying circles that the Miles M.18 aircraft, which two jet pilots recently flew from Western Germany to Bulawayo is the only one of its kind in civilian ownership.

     It is privately owned by Flight-Lieut. H. B. Iles who, with his friend and colleague, Flying Officer B. E. A. Sanderson, of Bulawayo, recently paid a flying visit to Bulawayo.

     During one of the few days that the aircraft was at Kumalo Airport, Mr. Tony Han? Roberts, chairman of the Gatooma Light Plane Club, happened to visit friends at the Bulawayo Light Plane Club.

     He saw the Miles M.18 and a beams of recognition illuminated...

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