CURLY:- They said they could fix it. They said they could fix anything. But meanwhile We were due back on stage, Providing the climax Of the 1930 Hendon Air Show. The Tax-payers wanted To see what they'd got For their money, And it was a chance to show off To the King and Queen. Our masters couldn't pass this up...
We're away, Heading due south for Hendon, And we're stopping the traffic And making them stare. She's heavy and pitching, And we have to fly with her nose up To get extra lift, But who cares, As long as we're not on the ground. Right on cue, We make our pass over the airfield. Over the grandstand at eight hundred feet, We can hear the cheering. Irwin dips her bow in salute To the Royal Box; That did it...
The dip became a vicious little dive. Full power! Full up-elevator! Cox'n and Captain fighting her level, Forcing her up. Turn her and get her away PDQ...
It was a close shave, But nobody down there Saw anything wrong. We set course for Bedford With one engine on the blink as usual. My spell as Officer of the Watch, And the way she was flying Made my hair rise. After an hour or two, Suddenly had the feeling She was about to drop out of the sky. Looked at the Cox'n, he was sweating; I made a jump for the ballast controls; Let go a couple of tons. I'm sure I was only just in time...
I hadn't been so scared since 1917 When a U-boat Had used my little blimp For target practice. Now we had to drop another ten tons Of ballast and fuel Before she was light enough to moor...
I was flying a pig! But she looked so good, Like a beautiful fruit That's all rotten inside. Oh yes, this airship had a bad heart...
Well we all had the wind up now; So Colmore asked Thomson To postpone the big flight. Came away with a flea in his ear: If we couldn't get the man there and back By mid-October, There'd be no more money Requested for the programme. And we all wanted to fly...
THREE AIRSHIPMEN:- We wanna fly... We wanna fly... We wanna fly... We wanna fly.., We wanna fly... We wanna fly...