Eric Browne 616 Squadron: ÙSI remember being an observer on one flight over the Humber Estuary and up the coast towards Newcastle. As we were flying, the pilot, Flt Lt John Harland said to me ÙSHave you ever seen Durham Cathedral?ÙT. When I told him I hadnÙut, he swooped down and flew between the towers - we were only a matter of a few feet off the ground.ÙT
But an eagle-eyed policeman spotted the aircraftÙus number, reported the daredevil dive to authorities - and by the time the pair returned to Finningley, military police were waiting and promptly arrested the duo for their antics.
ÙSI was lucky,ÙT he added. ÙSI told them there wasnÙut much I could do about it as I was just an observer and they let me off.ÙT
Sadly it was one of Flt Lt HarlandÙus last sorties - he died just a few weeks later in a mid-air collision over the North Sea.
But an eagle-eyed policeman spotted the aircraftÙus number, reported the daredevil dive to authorities - and by the time the pair returned to Finningley, military police were waiting and promptly arrested the duo for their antics.
ÙSI was lucky,ÙT he added. ÙSI told them there wasnÙut much I could do about it as I was just an observer and they let me off.ÙT
Sadly it was one of Flt Lt HarlandÙus last sorties - he died just a few weeks later in a mid-air collision over the North Sea.