RAF Cosford celebrates 60th anniversary of the Comet

The last pilot to fly one of the planes on display at RAF Cosford museum got a chance to sit in the cockpit again on the 60th anniversary of its first passenger flight.

The BOAC de Havilland Comet 1 was the first jet airliner to carry fare-paying passengers when it took 36 passengers on the first leg of a journey from London to Johannesburg on May 2, 1952.

And to mark the 60th anniversary of this historic flight, the museum invited former pilot George Aird, 84, and open an exhibition on the plane's history.

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Mr Aird flew the museum's Comet throughout the 1960s when it was used as a flying laboratory, carrying scientists and test equipment in its cabin during guided missile tests. He also flew its final flight to RAF Shawbury in 1968, for storage for the RAF Museum.

"It's lovely being back here," he said. "I just wish we could go flying. It's excellent. It's not been cannibalised for parts as a lot of aircraft have because of the current interest in restoring aircraft.

"I have got nothing but happy memories of this aircraft. I've had lots of enjoying and interesting flights in this plane."

The specially commissioned exhibition charts the Comet's story and includes previously unseen archive film footage.

It will be staged until June 11 in the museum's Hangar 1. Admission is free.

Video courtesy of our sister paper Express & Star