CityJet host aviator reunion at Casement

Yesterday, CityJet hosted an event at Casement Aerodrome Baldonnel which saw the reunion of almost 100 aviators who were involved in the making of such screen classics as Blue Max (1966)and Darling Lily (1970) which were made on location in Ireland. CityJet Chairman Geoffrey O'Byrne White is a former Air Corps pilot who maintains strong links with his former 'employer'. In March 2006 he was instrumental in organising the return visit by Spitfire 161 to Baldonnel. Five aircraft, including replicas were present for the event yesterday - three Tiger Moths, a Stampe SV4 and the Air Corps Avro 631 Cadet serial C7. One of the aircraft which arrived from Wexford was piloted by Geoffrey O'Byrne White and ex Air Corps pilot JJ Sullivan. Pilots from the Air Corps helped recreate the dog fight scenes in Blue Max, assisted by civilian pilots, including Derek Piggott who at 88 years still flies occasionally and came from his home in the UK for the occasion. Derek was the only pilot willing to fly the stunt at the climax of the film which saw two rivals challenge each other to fly under the spans of a bridge. Playing both roles and using different camera angles to achieve the desired effect, Derek flew 15 times under the wide span and 17 times under the narrow span of the bridge over the River Blackwater in Fermoy, Co. Cork. The wing tips of the Fokker Triplane replica had 1.2m of clearance on each side when passing under the narrow span. The stars of Blue Max were George Peppard, James Mason and Ursula Andress. Also among those present yesterday were Ken Byrne, an Air Corps pilot from the sixties who piloted Ursula Andress in the film and Tony Rowe, an aircraft engineer who was responsible for keeping the aircraft in the air. Tony said that over the years, 1000 men claim to have helped fit Ursula Andress' parachute belt but he is the only one who can truthfully make the claim !