POSTCARD N.121 - UNITED KINGDOM

Postcrossing postcard sent on the 31st October;received on the 8th November 2023

Postcard image: Batle of Britain Memorial Flight Avro Lancaster
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The most famous Avro Lancaster of them all, that of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the only existing flying example, makes a second appearance on this blog, this time courtesy of Karen, a fellow Postcrosser. Thanks a lot, Karen!

Vickers Armstrong built at the Broughton factory at Hawarden Airfield, where it was rolled out on 31 May 1945, Avro Lancaster B1 PA474 has been in the care of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (or RAF Historic Aircraft Flight, up to 1969) since 1973.

From that day on the aircraft has been subject to various restoration and improvement works that have made it possible to continue operating it at selected occasions, when onlookers have the opportunity to watch the only Avro Lancaster still flying on Europe (there's another in Canada) cross the skies, thankfully not to drop bombs anymore, and vibrate to the sound of its 4 Rolls Royce Merlins revving in unison. 

The postcard picture depicts PA474 as QRM of  61 Sqdn.

Karen used an up to 100g  label still of the Elizabethan period to mail me her postcard, which was mechanically cancelled at Birmingham (?, the cancellation mark is far from clear).