lucb
SOH-CM-2026
I was looking for aviation events having occurred around my birthday and found this one perfectly in line with my own rebel spirit.
It occurred on 5 April 1968, when Flight Lieutenant Alan Pollock (1936–2025), a Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hunter pilot, performed unauthorised low flying over several London landmarks and then flew through the span of Tower Bridge on the River Thames. His actions were to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the RAF and as a demonstration against the Ministry of Defence for not recognising it. More on Wikipedia
I drew up my flight plan based as closely as possible on the information I found.
Take-off from Southampton, as RAF Tangmere does not exist in FS2004, and a very low-altitude flight to Dunsfold Airfield, where Hawker was based.
A low-altitude, high-speed flypast over Dunsfold before heading for London.
The point of entry into London that Alan had chosen was Battersea Power Station. An excellent choice, as it’s visible from a distance even at very low altitude, and doubly so for me as I’m a huge Pink Floyd fan. If you ever get the chance to visit London, do pop in. It’s been turned into a magnificent shopping centre, with the option of taking a lift to the top of one of the chimneys.
From there, simply follow the Thames to begin the tour. Three flypasts over Parliament with the Avon engine running at full throttle (for the noise) to wake up the politicians, who were debating that day, on the one hand, the noise from aircraft and, on the other, a plan to replace the RAF’s fighter jets with surface-to-air missiles.
It was then that Alan spotted Tower Bridge but let him explain it
He then set course for his home base, RAF West Raynham. In our simulator, we’ll be heading for Marham AB.
Shortly after his return, he was arrested. Hundreds of letters of congratulation from RAF colleagues and members of the public arrived at Alan’s squadron, along with a barrel of beer from British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).
He was subsequently invalided out of the RAF on medical grounds. This avoided a court martial and the embarrassment to the government of Pollock publicising the reason for his stunt and perhaps receiving the support of the public.
Although other pilots had flown under the upper span of Tower Bridge, Pollock was the first to do so in a jet aircraft.
Alan Pollock died on 1 July 2025, at the age of 89.
It occurred on 5 April 1968, when Flight Lieutenant Alan Pollock (1936–2025), a Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hunter pilot, performed unauthorised low flying over several London landmarks and then flew through the span of Tower Bridge on the River Thames. His actions were to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the RAF and as a demonstration against the Ministry of Defence for not recognising it. More on Wikipedia
I drew up my flight plan based as closely as possible on the information I found.
Take-off from Southampton, as RAF Tangmere does not exist in FS2004, and a very low-altitude flight to Dunsfold Airfield, where Hawker was based.
A low-altitude, high-speed flypast over Dunsfold before heading for London.
The point of entry into London that Alan had chosen was Battersea Power Station. An excellent choice, as it’s visible from a distance even at very low altitude, and doubly so for me as I’m a huge Pink Floyd fan. If you ever get the chance to visit London, do pop in. It’s been turned into a magnificent shopping centre, with the option of taking a lift to the top of one of the chimneys.
From there, simply follow the Thames to begin the tour. Three flypasts over Parliament with the Avon engine running at full throttle (for the noise) to wake up the politicians, who were debating that day, on the one hand, the noise from aircraft and, on the other, a plan to replace the RAF’s fighter jets with surface-to-air missiles.
It was then that Alan spotted Tower Bridge but let him explain it
He then set course for his home base, RAF West Raynham. In our simulator, we’ll be heading for Marham AB.
Shortly after his return, he was arrested. Hundreds of letters of congratulation from RAF colleagues and members of the public arrived at Alan’s squadron, along with a barrel of beer from British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).
He was subsequently invalided out of the RAF on medical grounds. This avoided a court martial and the embarrassment to the government of Pollock publicising the reason for his stunt and perhaps receiving the support of the public.
Although other pilots had flown under the upper span of Tower Bridge, Pollock was the first to do so in a jet aircraft.
Alan Pollock died on 1 July 2025, at the age of 89.
