As every year goes by, so the importance to our national heritage of Avro Lancaster PA474, and the reverence in which it's held, only seems to multiply. In remembering the sacrifices of Bomber Command, the flagship of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has a place in the collective affections that transcends enthusiasm for aviation. If ever a single aeroplane deserved to be viewed as a flying monument, it's this one. Later in 2023 it will be 50 years since PA474 joined the unit today known as the BBMF, having previously been operated and looked after by No 44 Squadron. Its delivery from Waddington to the flight's then base at Coltishall on 20 November 1973 solidified the Lancaster's future. Since then, only a select few have taken the captain's seat, a position much sought-after but carrying with it an inevitable weight of responsibility. How, in the present day, does the process of selection and training work?
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