Arun & Chichester Air Enthusiasts Society (AirACES) holds its next meeting at the Chichester Park Hotel, Chichester on Monday, November 9, 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

John (Smudge) Smith will give a talk titled ‘The Blenheim – now flying again!’ .

Visitors are welcome to attend.

The Bristol Blenheim Bomber aircraft was one of the unsung WW11 aircraft, which helped to erase the Germans from France, alongside the Lancaster Bomber.

After the war, only four were kept flying, and two of them were based at the Duxford Aircraft Museum.

Unfortunately both of these aircraft, a few years ago, had accidents, and it was then thought that ‘a Blenheim aircraft’ would never fly again.

John (Smudge) Smith made a vow, as an aircraft restorer, “to get at least one flying again”.

This he did in 2009, but after only a short while, this Blenheim had another accident whilst ‘taking off’.

Again it was thought that this was the end of a Blenheim flying.

Again John (Smudge) Smith vowed to get this aircraft back into the air.

In November 2014, John Romain piloted this Blenheim back into the air, from Duxford Airport. This Blenheim then appeared at many airshows during 2015.

Mr Smith will recount the two restorations of the Bristol Blenheim,

some of the history and operations of the aircraft, about the two accidents, and pictures of it flying again, under the guise of a Mk1 Blenheim.

Entrance for members is £3, guests £5 and under 16s free.

For further information about Air ACES, see www.airaces.org.uk,

or call David Batcock on 01243 823007.