A DEVOTED group of aviation fans enjoyed a meteoric success as a 20-year labour of love finally took off.
The small team saw their dreams reach the sky last week at Cotswold Airport when Meteor WA591 finally flew, under the control of Civil Aviation Authority test pilot Dan Griffiths.
The team were involved in the 20-year project to rebuild and restore the Gloster Meteor T Mark 7 to its former glory as one of Britain’s first jet fighters.
John Walduck, of Wootton Bassett, worked on the aircraft for 12 years. He said everybody involved in the project was ecstatic when it took to the skies.
"The moment was a very emotional one," he said. "All the careful engineering skills and expertise at last paid off with what appeared to be a perfect flight.
"To get this aircraft into a state to fly has been a massive task."
The original single-seater Meteor was the first jet deployed by the RAF at the end of the Second World War, initially used to fend of V1 flying bombs.
For more information on the Meteor team go to meteorflight
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