London flypast 11 Nov 18.00

[WHBM]

"At 1800 GMT, the Royal British Legion will stage a flypast and drop three million poppy petals above the Thames.

The petals - one for every British and Commonwealth service person killed in action since the beginning of World War I - will be dropped between Tower and Westminster bridges by an original World War II Douglas Dakota DC3 aircraft during a two-minute flypast. "

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4001577.stm

Just in case anyone leaving an office in London wants to look out on their way home. Conditions look CAVOK.

[eal401]

Um, won't it be a bit dark?

Well, it is up here anyway.

[we_never_change]

I understand that the bridges (crossing the Thames) along the route will be lit up.

WNC

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

Does seem an extraordinary time to do it!

[JW411]

On the other hand it leaves the possibility open for them to just drop 2,500,000 petals and nobody will be any the wiser.

[AlanM]

Wasn't that dark - there are loads of searchlights between Tower and Vauxhall Bridges - which will be on for a few days apparantly.

I am told that the searchlights lit up the aircraft too - but hard to see that on radar!!

They did it dead on 1800 - at 1000 feet running East to West and an orbit north bound to Ally Pally - with a news heli over the top at 2000 feet under the LHR traffic dropping from 4A to 3A.

Fun and games....! :)

[bluebird121]

:cool: i wish i could have been there to see the flypast and the poppies getting dropped.i am sure it was quite a spectacle.oh well maybe it will be shown on the news:ok:

[we_never_change]

Dc3s GAMRA & GANAF departed Coventry this afternoon for the run up the Thames this evening

WNC

[wonko the sane]

All a bit odd.

I was just on the east side of Tower Bridge, and saw the DC-3's- 6:00 on the dot, and very nice they were too.

However, from what I saw, they didn't make it as far as London Bridge. They seemed to turn off the river directly after Tower. I walked through to the other side of Tower Bridge in time to see them pass over again heading away to the North.

Everyone West of Tower bridge was still stood waiting for them when I walked past them (eventually I ducked into a bar at 6:30). Also - no poppy petals to be seen.

So, what went on?

Edit: While we're at it :
(1) Very badly publicised. Nobody knew this was happening.
(2) when trying to find the route, I only found NOTAMS for 1x DC3 at 11:45am !

[Gainesy]

The timing struck me as very strange, why in the dark? Perhaps a future option could be a drop over the Cenotaph during the service on Sunday?

[bluebird121]

:( i totally agree with you Gainsey..it would have been better if they had dropped the poppies at the cenotaph. then it would have been in broad daylight.as it was i did see a fleeting glimspe of the planes and the poppy drop on the news . but blink and you would have missed it..very disappointing

[Globaliser]

I went out between Blackfriars and Waterloo bridges at the appointed hour, and heard and saw nothing. Gossip this morning centred on the question whether it had happened at all.

A lovely idea, but could have been done better, IMHO.

[WebPilot]

I stood on Southwark Bridge and the aircraft came overhead at 1000'. We couldn't see any poppies but it was very dark! I am told that the poppies were dropped over Waterloo Bridge. The aircraft followed the bend of the Thames and then looped back round and departed Northwards, roughly overhead London Bridge.

There was a reaonable amount of advance publicity, I think, and certainly there was a sizeable crowd on Southwark Bridge. A few people asked me what it was about and on being told seemed genuinely interested.

So a qualified sucess I think.

[Daysleeper]

Perhaps a future option could be a drop over the Cenotaph during the service on Sunday?

The problem with that would be accidently dropping 300kg of poppies still in the bag on all the politicians heads .....actually not such a bad idea now you mention it.



The dak looked great in the 4 second clip it got on the news. Ah memories.