Ace Pilot-Ivor from Birdlip

Picture courtesy of Dick Turpin-Jamie from Malmesbury

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The Legendary CB operator Ace Pilot-Ivor, from Birdlip, will probably for many of you send a nostalgic tingle up your spine.

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From Miserden in the County of Gloucesterhire, this DX'er/Net controller could be heard all over the world!

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A VERY powerful CB station, GR00 could be chatting with any number of people at a time, but was always patient with me as a newcomer, and gave me the chance to speak with people further afield.

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I always remember his distinctive CQ Call which started with the phrase "How about it then....." and then went on to call the station in the distance.

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A real memory for me was when he acknowledged me, whilst calling for Butterfly-Jackie, who at the time was in Italy.

His words still echo in my head in that instantly recognisable Gloucestershire twang..

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"How about it then ...CQ Jackie the Butterfly over there in Italia..CQ CQ Jackie the Butterfly...CQ Jackie Butterfly...This is Britannia calling. Golf Romeo double zero...Ivor the Ace Pilot from Birdlip in Gloucestershire calling...with other stations sandbagging on the frequency for you Jackie how do you copy over....."

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I remember meeting him once at the Cheltenham "Eyeball" and was surprised at what a quiet man he was off of the radio. He was rather a private man, who despite his notoriety was humble and complimentary to me when he spoke.

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Rarer than seeing a Volvo driving without sidelights on, was his Eyeball card pictured above.

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Equally as rare as seeing Lord Lucan gallop past on Shergar shouting "I've found a 1933 Penny" was his QSL card.

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I had one once..but alas could not find it...so if you have one of these rare QSL cards from the Legend from Miserden PLEASE contact The Online CB Museum by e-Mail cbradioatfsmail.net [remove the word at and add the symbol @]