Close enough at Biggin

[Speedpig]

Breitling display team coming a little close to becoming the Breitling tree surgeons.
Biggin Hill Saturday 3rd June 2006.

Click the link to see video.

http://www.speedpig001.com/Biggin.wmv

[BEagle]

Nope - just the well-known Biggin valley just beyond the aerodrome. Has been used by display pilots for years to make their shows look more spectacular!

[kluge]

The late Ray Hanna was a master at this in Spitfire (MH434 I think?)

[treadigraph]

By the time an unknown (to me) pilot was flying MH434 in a tribute to Ray, I cycling home on the other side of the valley, and stopped to watch next to a car whose occupants clearly weren't too familar with the topography. Huge gasps as the Spit burrowed in behind the trees quite obviously below ground level several times! Excellent display sir, whoever you were!

[Go Smoke]

Hmm, I was airside that day (crewing for one of the display teams) and was standing over near the far threshold of 21 watching the display.
I genuinely think he did over cook it and was that low over the airfield not the valley beyond. He laid his smoke straight down on the airfield.
All displays had a hard deck of 100' and, in my humble opinion he busted that.
I compared it to the the Sunday routine (watched from the same position) and the aircraft was much higher second time round.

[treadigraph]

The AN-2 gave an extraoridinary display Go Smoke, do you know who was flying? I tend towards James Black given his association with the type and aerobatics!

[Go Smoke]

Hi treadigraph,

It was a incredibly impressive display - those slow ruddered turns were jaw dropping. Was indeed James Black.

[jeppsbore]

Treadigraph

I believe MH434 was flown by Nigel Lamb (sp?) who put on a very impressive display particularly on sunday. As Ray used to habitually use the valley in his display before it was banned to all I got the impression that Nigel figured it was worth the b*ll*cking to do a fitting tribute. From my vantage point at the top of the valley it was very impressive and he was considerable lower than where I was at the time.
As for the rest of the show, I'm glad I didn't pay for a ticket, very poor turnout of A/C, to be fair hats off to Air Atlantique for turning up with their collection otherwise ther would have been even more gaps in the programme.

P.S. Loved the DC6 on sunday, nearly took my roof off :}

[Speedpig]

Hmm, I was airside that day (crewing for one of the display teams) and was standing over near the far threshold of 21 watching the display.
I genuinely think he did over cook it and was that low over the airfield not the valley beyond. He laid his smoke straight down on the airfield.
All displays had a hard deck of 100' and, in my humble opinion he busted that.
I compared it to the the Sunday routine (watched from the same position) and the aircraft was much higher second time round.
Thankyou Go Smoke. I know he was too low. Check the smoke coming UP from the ground as he pulls up. I'll wager the cows had toasted grass for tea. He was n't as far as the valley.
I didn't realise I had captured it and my pal standing next to me winced along with the others in front as he uttered an expletive similar to one in French under the perspex. Brendan O'Brien and his chum are very quiet in the commentary box at that point too.

[treadigraph]

P.S. Loved the DC6 on sunday, nearly took my roof off

Nearly took my head off :} . Not that I am complaining, that's the closest I've ever been to a DC-6 on take of and it really was magnificent!

Ray used to sort of dive in to the valley post the Bullock disaster, certainly recently I saw him disappear momentarily on various occasions... I reckon Nigel was within limits.

Cheers Go Smoke, I was looking the other way during the first AN-2 stall turn and turned to see this very large and stately aeroplane in a very unnatural attitude at very low level :eek:

All in all I'm glad I went.

[tornadoken]

I first saw the valley used at BoB/1957 (managing well on the Zimmer, thanks). Gnat F.51 GN-103, a single, very fast pass, low, constant height over the Bump.
Roger Topp's 22-strong Treble One Hunters appeared to do come up from down there in 1959, but no doubt it was the angle.