RIAT 2006 News Release
VETERAN PILOTS JUMP SHIP FOR TATTOO
Two veteran US Navy pilots from California are planning an unusual diversion during a 10-day cruise around the British Isles next week.
Whilst their wives enjoy a 24-hour stopover in Liverpool, Bernie Fipp, 66 and Tom Sudberry, 64, will hop on to a specially-chartered helicopter to fly the 500-mile round trip from Liverpool Airport to the Royal International Air Tattoo in Gloucestershire (July 15/16).
“The Liverpool stop was the only time we could sneak away from our wives for the day and attend the Air Tattoo,” said Bernie.
Tom and Bernie set their hearts on visiting the Air Tattoo following a conversation they had with friends at last year's Paris Airshow. “We were telling our friends, one a retired US Navy captain and another, a retired admiral, about our quest to attend the world's two greatest airshows – Farnborough and Paris – when they stopped us in our tracks.
“We were told that Paris and Farnborough were both trade shows. If we wanted to see a 'pure' airshow with pilots and aircraft participating from all over the world, the Royal International Air Tattoo was the place to go. The implication was that if we didn't see the Air Tattoo we'd not only have an incomplete list of things to do before our 'final flight' but we'd be wholly lacking in good judgment. And so the challenge has been accepted, our goal expanded and the wives have been bought off with yet another cruise!”
Tom and Bernie both served as carrier-based US Navy pilots during the 1960s. Tom flew A7 Corsair IIs from the USS Constellation during the Vietnam War whilst Bernie flew A4 Skyhawks from the USS Intrepid.
This year's Air Tattoo will feature a rare A7 Corsair from the Greek air force, one of the last to operate the aircraft.
Tom and Bernie's ship, the Crystal Serenity, will dock in Liverpool at 8am on Saturday (July 15) and the pair will immediately head for Liverpool Airport for their helicopter flight to RAF Fairford in time to see the eight-hour flying display. The two men will then return to Liverpool in time for a 9pm cruise of the Irish Sea and Atlantic Ocean.
The cruise and the charter was organised through San Diego based Crystal Cruises. The Air Tattoo takes place on July 15&16. For details, visit www.airtattoo.com