Thanks to the RAF Museum for this information on TG511 [T5] within RAF Cosford's Cold War Museum exhibits

13 Mar 48 First flight at Radlett as a Hastings C.1. The thirteenth of 100 Hastings C.1 aircraft built, including serial batch TG499 - TG537, delivered between Nov 47 and Feb 1950. The major components were built at Cricklewood and taken by road to Radlett under police escort for final assembly and testing.

14 Jun 48 Awaiting collection.

16 Jun 48 To No.5 Maintenance Unit, RAF Kemble, Glos.

22 Jul 48 To Transport Command Major Servicing Unit (TCMSU) RAF Honington, Suffolk.

08 Sep 48 To No 47 Squadron, coded V. Total flying hours still only 20.10.

Hastings of this unit operated throughout the Berlin airlift (Operation Plainfare) which began in June 1948 up to the end of the operation in October 1949.Photo in overall silver as a C.1 - Supplement to Aeroplane Monthly April 1990 p.3.

25 Mar 49 1.55 hr flight at 241 Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire, practicing Gee, Eureka and Babs approaches see Navigators logbook of E.J. (Ted)Darling on Hastings file. Pilots F/Lts Welch and Archer.

29 Mar 49 6.15hr flight-cross-country navigation exercise, diverted to Leuchars (Darling LB)

30 Mar 49 55 minute flight from Leuchars to Dishforth (Darling LB). Pilots F/Lt Archer and P/O McCann, as on outwards flight.

6 Apr 49 50 minute flight for Gee, Rebecca, Babs and Radio Compass training. And approaches/landings. Pilots Archer and McCann (Darling LB)

26 May 49 With No 47 Squadron at Schleswigland carrying coal to Berlin during the Berlin Airlift Operation Plainfare. On this date, flew from Schleswigland to Berlin Tegel -1hr 20min flight (Darling LB), returning to Schleswigland the same day on a one hour flight; pilots F/Lts Henson and Archer.

11 Jun 49 Base to Tegel and return Darling LB. Pilots Archer and McCann.

16 Jul 49 To RAF Topcliffe, Yorks. Flying hours now totalled 602.00.

During the Berlin airlift aircraft were allocated to RAF stations and not Squadrons. Aircrews were pooled in Germany and flew any aircraft on a rota basis; later, Squadrons on the same base pooled their aircraft to ensure maximum availability, with TG511 being shared by Nos.99 and 511 Squadrons from Dec 1949 when it moved to Lyneham.

22 Jul 49 Afternoon flight, Base Tegel and return; pilots Archer and McCann (Darling LB)

30 Jul 49 Early morning flight, Base Tegel and return; pilot F/Lt Archer (Darling LB)

24 Aug 49 Schleswig Tegel and return flight; pilot D W Barnard letter on file; similar flight, same pilot, 26 August 1949.

23 Dec 49 Transferred to RAF Lyneham, Wilts.

12 Jan 50 With No 99 Squadron; Air test undercarriage control locks unserviceable; flight time one hour; pilots F/L Smith and Coutts (Darling LB)

19 May 50 To No 20 MU, RAF Aston Down, Gloucs.

28 Jan 50 6.10hr flight, pilot F/Lt Gardener, Base RAF Luqa, Malta, flying on to Fayid, Egypt, the following day and thence to Habbaniya, Iraq, returning from Fayid to base via Luqa on 30 January. (Darling LB)

8 Nov 50 To Handley Page at Radlett for conversion to Met.1 standard, specially equipped for weather reconnaissance duties as one of 19 such conversions for this role to replace No 202 squadrons Halifax A.9 and Met.6 aircraft which retired by May 1951. The interiors were stripped and refitted with recording equipment and a galley and wardroom added to facilitate nine-hour flights.

03 Nov 52 First flight in Met.1 condition following conversion.

26 Nov 52 To No 5 MU RAF Kemble for storage.

16 Jun 53 Transferred to non - effective stock.

14 Sep 53 Returned to effective stock.

12 Aug 55 To No 202 Squadron at Aldergrove Northern Ireland .The Hastings were employed on long range reconnaissance flights over the North Atlantic on a daily basis, gathering meteorological information for the Central Forecasting Office at Dunstable.

Operating heights varied from 100-18000 feet and air/sea rescue equipment was always carried.

Flight times could be up to nine hours, with two three hour periods at low level broken by an hour at 18,000 feet. Flying hours now totalled 797.25. Photo at Gibraltar at this time - Aeroplane Monthly Feb 1999 p.40. TG511 was part of a second batch of eight conversions to MET.1 standard. The conversion entailed fitting an meteorological observers position in place of the second pilot, plus fitting sensors, bunks and a galley, along with Lindholme dinghy containers for ASR duties.

03 May 57 To Handley Page at Radlett for servicing.

07 Jun 57 Servicing completed.

17 Jun 57 Returned to No 202 Squadron, Coastal Command, RAF Aldergrove, Northern Ireland for further weather reconnaissance duties.

12 Dec 57 Pilots Flying logbook (Extract on correspondence File) of Flt Lt (Later S/Ldr) W. Campbell records eight-hour day/night Bismuth O weather reconnaissance flight (Pilot Flying Officer Woodley, W. Campbell as 2nd Pilot, plus five crew)

30 Dec 57 Campbell logbook records 9.15 hour Bismuth E weather reconnaissance flight, W. Campbell as 1st Pilot, F/O Skinner as 2nd pilot, plus five crew.

03 Feb 58 Declared damaged, Cat.4.

04 Mar 58 To Radlett for repair. Flying hours now 2313.05.

11 Dec 58 The logbook of Ray Funnell, Handley Page Flight Test Engineer, records a 1.20 hour air test for problem clearance.

19 Dec 58 The logbook of Ray Funnell records two snag clearance flights; the first of 20 minutes, the second for one hour.

30 Dec 58 Repairs completed.

21 Jan 59 To No 20 MU Aston Down for storage.

12 May 59 To Blackbushe for conversion to T.5 standard by Airwork, under sub- contract to Handley Page as one of seven such conversions.

The Hastings T.5 entered service with the Bomber Command Bombing School at RAF Lindholme in 1959, with the eight aircraft of this variant, all converted from C.1s, superseding Lincolns in the role of training V-Force bomb- aimers and navigators in the use of basic electronic equipment.

A large ventral radome was fitted containing the H2S Radar equipment, and each aircraft could carry three trainee crews in a training station above the radome. The rear of the aircraft retained a passenger and cargo carrying capability for secondary support work within Bomber Command.

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20 May 60 To Bomber Command Bombing School RAF Lindholme, Yorks. to supplement the last Bomber Command Avro Lincolns, retired by October 1960, including fellow Cosford exhibit Lincoln RF398 which was transferred from Lindholme 04 Oct 1960. Flew in initial colour scheme of overall silver with a yellow band around the rear fuselage and wings between the two engines. Photo Hastings (Senior 2008) p.55.

07 Mar 62 Repaired on site by No 60 MU following Cat. 3R damage.

04 May 62 Repairs complete. Back on charge with BCBS.

21 Oct 62 Photographed in overall silver hangared at RAF Lindholme - Action Stations Vol. 4 p.122.Photos in flight in same colour scheme, 1960 - Handley Page Aircraft since 1907 (Putnam) p.456.Also Wingspan May 1994 p.24; Pioneers to Partners (Foyle & Marriott) pp.94-95.

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26 Mar 63 Take - off abandoned when a swing developed due to cross winds. Recorded on accident card.

04 Nov 63 Repaired on site by No 60 MU.

28 Nov 63 Repairs completed.

13 Apr 64 Navigators Flying Logbook of Flt Lt John Weller records 5.50hr training flight.

10 Oct 66 To No 60 MU Leconfield. Total flying hours now 4644.45.

27 Oct 66 Returned to BCBS at RAF Lindholme.

14 Nov 67 To Handley Page for Cat.4 reconditioning.

30 Apr 68 BCBS became Strike Command BS.

11 Sep 68 The logbook of Ray Funnell records a 50-minute production clearance flight, with a similar flight two days later.

25 Sep 68 To SCBS at Lindholme after reconditioning.

By 1968 the aircraft had been repainted with white upper fuselage - Photo Air Pictorial Mar 68 p.91, whilst still at Lindholme with the BCBS.

05 Jun 72 Aircrew log of (later) Sqn Ldr. Mike. J. Grout (2nd Navigator) records 3.35-hr RBS low-level flight, aborted for exercise.

06 Jun 72 Grout LB records five-hour RBS low-level training flight.

01 Sep 72 Strike Command Bombing School moved to RAF Scampton, Lincs.

16 Oct 73 Weller Navigators Flying Logbook records staged transport support flight, Scampton Marham Woodford Marham Scampton, total flying time 2.25 hours.

01 Jan 74 SCBS absorbed by the Vulcan equipped No 230 OCU as the Radar Training Flight, commonly known as 1066 Squadron, in reference to the aircrafts name rather than its advancing years. By 1974 four of the T.5s had been retired, two in May 1969 and one in July 1971, and a fourth in 1974.

Often used for weekly Offshore Tapestry patrols, observing North Sea oil rigs and fishing fleets, maritime exercises, Search and Rescue missions and even flew occasional transport tasks, often at short notice, flying supplies and spares all over Britain and occasionally to the Mediterranean for both 1 Group and Strike Command. Latterly their main training task was for Vulcan, Victor, Phantom and Buccaneer navigators, with approximately one Phantom and one Buccaneer course every month. Air experience flights for ATC/CCF cadets and ROC personnel were also flown.

1974-5 One of three of the Hastings of the Radar Flight repainted in red, light grey and white colour scheme. Photos of TG511 in this scheme - Air Enthusiast 40 p.51; Aeroplane Monthly Feb 76 p.86 (Taken 10 Apr 74-colour); Aircraft Illustrated Aug 75 p.330; Control Column Mar 76 p.37; Control Column Aug/Sep 76 p.118.

18 Nov 75 Logbook of (then) PO David J Gledhill (RAFM X006-3337) records four-hour medium level cross-country exercise when a trainee navigator.

During the autumn and winter of 1975-6 used in fisheries protection and reconnaissance role during the Icelandic Cod Wars observing British fishing boats and Icelandic gunboats.

17 Jun 77 Allotted to Aerospace Museum Cosford with RAF Maintenance serial 8554M.

30 Jun 77 The four remaining Radar Flight Hastings (TG503, TG505, TG511, TG517) withdrawn from service and the flight with its 8 aircrews disbanded, its task re-assigned to the Dominies of No 6 FTS.

16 Aug 77 Made last ever Hastings flight, from RAF Scampton to Aerospace Museum Cosford where it has been displayed ever since.

The aircraft landed at 16.10 after a 40-minute flight - its 3635th landing with a final total of 7980.40 flying hours.

Initially displayed outside (photos Plastic Aircraft Models Oct/Nov 1978 p.588) and later in the main Museum hangar.

2006 Moved to new National Cold War Exhibition building. Photo on display Air Britain Aviation World September 2007 p.103.

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