Recently repainted and named Classic Lady, G-AIYR is the Rapide which David and Cherry Cyster flew to South Africa in 1979, retracing Alan Cobham’s 1925 survey flight. The aircraft was the subject of Preservation profile in our January 1992 issue, when it appeared in the silver-and-blue colours of Hillman’s Airways.

Rapide G-AIYR shows off its elegant lines during a trip over Cambridge - King’s College Chapel and the Backs are prominent features in this view.

The sharp end: the greenhouse glazing of the Rapide’s single-seat cockpit gives the pilot a field of view unrivalled by that of most other airliners - and he has few instruments and controls to distract him.