Air crew and civilian staff at RN air station Culdrose were treated to a genteel method of flying when a vintage airliner dropped in on the Cornish air base.

Operations room staff Shirley Bateman and Marilyn Giles are thought to have become the first women in more than half a century to take to the skies in the de Havilland DH84 Dragon, one of the workhorse airliners in its heyday between the wars.

The Dragon flew throughout Europe in the years leading up to World War II as well as taking wealthy sightseers on pleasure flights over the Lancashire resort of Southport.

Seven decades on from the aircraft’s pre-eminence, this particular DH84 – actually built in 1942 – is owned by former Sea Fury pilot Torquil Norman, who flew from Culdrose in 1953
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He restored the Dragon to how the aircraft would have appeared in 1932, and took the operations room staff over west Cornwall with 849 NAS senior observer Lt Cdr Stan Hargreaves and colleague Geoff Wakeham.

“We could see for miles, and through the big panoramic windows the views were fantastic,” said Geoff.

“As an aircraft enthusiast, it was a great privilege to be able to experience such a flight.”

The Dragon is one of a series of vintage aircraft owned by members of the Air Squadron, a group of aviators and enthusiasts who care for veteran aeroplanes and help young people achieve their dreams of flying.

Other Air Squadron members brought their vintage aircraft along and also took Culdrose personnel up for flights.

And Culdrose staff in turn showed the enthusiasts around the air base and gave them an overview of the role of today’s RN and Fleet Air Arm.