Lightnings In Action

[Flying Lawyer]

Lightning 4-ship (http://slopesoaring.tripod.com/video/index.htm)

Filmed at an airshow only two days ago.

English Electric Lightning - but not likely to be seen flying over England again, unfortunately.
Well done the South African CAA. :ok:



It's a fairly big file. If you're not on broadband, it's probably best to save to your hard disk first.

[WG774]

And the award for preserving some of Britain’s most historically relevant jets goes to…

…South Africa!

Many thanks for posting the clip!

Jolly good show by the crew at Cape Town Jets :ok:

[You want it when?]

Excellent, great to see them flying. Only need to find another five and a true diamond nine is back.

Thanks for sharing. :ok:

Is'nt the web wonderful - filmed two days ago and already round the world eat your heart out CNN.

[MikeeB]

It's clear to see why they are not allowed to fly in the UK from the video...............isn't it?

Thanks for the link. Just makes me want to go to CT more and more......

[VATCO]

Thanks for that brings back lots of memories from various airshows a few years ago.

[kevmusic]

It's clear to see why they are not allowed to fly in the UK from the video...............isn't it?

Yep. The air in the UK is obviously different. :ugh:

[markcliff4d]

Great to see these flying legends.
Remember seeing them daily flying around the Norfolk (UK) sky , based at RAF Coltishall which is now virtually closed or it will be in December.
Mark

[Fishtailed]

Check out the video that has just appeared on

www.macksaviation.com (http://www.macksaviation.com)

Very interesting, in many ways!
Anyone know the pilot?

[MacksAviation]

Direct link to the 3 videos is here:

http://www.macksaviation.com/lightning.php?show=Warton

I hope your comments about being 'very interesting in many ways' is nothing for me to worry about .....

Original video was sent to me as none copyright and the owner wanted it to be viewed by as many other Lightning fans as possible.

Thanks

[Fishtailed]

Mack,
very interesting in the aircraft and the people involved, nothing else.;)

[Gainesy]

Macks,
Part 1 downloads OK but Pts 2 & 3 will not download.:confused: :(

[MacksAviation]

Downloads should work I think the popularity has been hitting the server quite hard just keep trying :)

[Croqueteer]

:ok: How about the Shack? That sounded much better!

[Mike7777777]

Part 2 is an exceptional video, a proper display! How close was the Lightning to stalling?

Is part 1 meant to be a silent movie :confused: Or do I blame Bill Gates!

[om15]

http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r163/timgibbsphotos/Scan0001.jpg

Just for interest, I took this photo at Exeter on 23 December 1992, this was a low pass prior to landing of XP693, this aircraft together with XR773 flew down from Warton for storage at Exeter Airport, and for the next few years endured the Devon weather, and I am very glad to see them in the air again.
I believe that this may well have been the last Lightning flight in UK airspace, is that correct? I spent a couple of years as A/fitt/A on the Mk 3, Mk6, Mk53 and Mk55 in the 1970s, very good to see the videos.
Best regards,
om15.

[Fishtailed]

How close was the Lightning to stalling?
Mike77etc, not as close as he was to the ground, I would say!!!:D

[BOAC]

The 'stall' in a Lightning was difficult to define as the 'stall' buffet began early and lasted a long time. The aircraft could easily be flown in heavy 'stall' buffet as Pete Chapman's outstanding Mk3 aero display showed, and as long as you kept the yaw as close to zero as possible it would remain manoeuvrable in the buffet and not bite. Generally a base turn in the circuit would be flown in 'light' buffet.

However, screw up and....................

[Fishtailed]

BOAC, where do we get to see Pete Chapmans outstanding Mk 3 aero display, is it on a video anywhere?
The clip on the Warton video wasn't a display as such, just youthfull? exuberence it appears! Exciting for the photographer, eh.

[BOAC]

I don't know of any videos of it. He was at the Lightning OCU with me in the early 70's when he was 'performing'. I'm pretty sure he went to Cathay and would have retired by now. Someone may know where he is and maybe of any video.

IIRC his display finished with a reheated final turn to landing.

[320psi]

Quote OM15:I believe that this may well have been the last Lightning flight in UK airspace, is that correct?

Hi, just to correct you, the last Lightning flight in the UK was our XS904 flown by Peter Orme from Warton to us at Bruntingthorpe on Jan 23rd 1993

Here's a few shots

Peter signs her out for the last time
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904/104.jpg

Taxy out
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904/105.jpg

Lift off
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904/107.jpg

One final low fly by
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904/84.jpg

Arrival at Brunty
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904/116.jpg

Only a few feet to go
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904/118.jpg

And down and the end of Lightning flights in the UK
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904/119.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904/120.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904/123.jpg

Peter climbs out for the last time
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904/127.jpg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/PeterOrmeafterdeliveringXS904.jpg


And 904 joins 728 with us.
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904/129.jpg

904 is at presnt in good health all systems servicable and due to run in anger at the May 27th open day, 728 is poorly at the moment, we are working hard to bring her No2 reheat back to health ready for May.
The QRA hanger is static at the moment as we spent up on the concrete back in Oct 06, this years open days will hopfully raise more cash to get the roof on.

Here they both are taxing back from a pairs run in 2005
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a273/320psi/904728-1.jpg

Great to see that clip by the way, got a few stills from a visit awhile back if your interested

Andy B (LPG)

[om15]

320 PSI,
Ah, yes, I had forgotten about the last one at Warton, apologies for that, nice photos, you have tempted me to come and listen to them again, so I shall be with you on 27 May, - still have BSF gear in the bottom of the toolbox.
Best regards,
om15

[320psi]

No worries, just didnt want 904 forgoten about :)

Hope you make it on the 27th, looks like being a good day, just got to get 728 back to health, we were up there today, in the freezing wind with arms out stretched, though 90 degree's with face up against the cold areo, spanner tidied to wrist doing up the lower drain bolts on the No 2 jet pipe, (No1 pipe still in which make the job all the more interesting) arms still bleeding, fingers still numb, we must get that hanger finished !

Ask around for me whne you arrive at the Lightnings love to chat, fancy donating your BSF gear ?

Cheers

[Heatseeker]

Many (and I mean many) moons when Heat was actually young (maybe 1966-1967 I went to a race meeting at Brands Hatch for the first meeting after something or other had been done to the track and to celebrate this fact there was a flypast done by a Lightening.

I remember the commentator saying "it's over Maidstone at the moment - and here it comes, doing 680 kts."

I saw the beast and followed it right up to overhead the track but funny thing, there was no noise. Then, when it had gone past the noise caught up. To call it noise perhaps wasn't totally doing it justice as after it had passed it did a wing-over and came back over the racetrack as dirty as it could get and THEN, pointed it's nose towards God, cleaned up and headed straight up.

My memory is that you didn't actually hear the noise as you became part of the noise. The whole world comprised of nothing else but ROARRRRRRRR.

Never to be forgotten. RIP all good things British with wings and a pox on all pollies.

H

[om15]

320, please check your PMs, rgs om15

[27mm]

Heatseeker, right on the money. A couple of years earlier, my Dad took me to Coltishall open day. 2 things still stick in my mind: sitting in a Spitfire cockpit and then seeing the Firebirds display. The noise of the stream rotation take-off was not just awesome, but as they went vertical, the low freq vibrations thudded through my (then) little frame. I've never since seen a finer (or noisier) display by front-line fighter aircraft in formation. From that day on all I wanted to be was an RAF fighter pilot - eventually I was, but that's another story.

[320psi]

On the subject of Lightning displays, my very first Lightning experience and one that lead to me becoming hooked on all things with wings and eventually ending up with me a few others owning the two Lightnings at Brunty was when I was about 5 years old, picture the scene....

Lovely sunny afternoon August Bank holiday 1974, the day spent watching the displays at Leicester East areo club, Commentator builds the crowd to a hush by announcing the Lightning (fastest, nosiest and biggest aircaft to display by far there that day) was two minutes inbound.....

But from where ?

Then like a heart stopping bullet the Display F3 from Binbrook swoops in low from behind the crowd and goes vertical just in front of us and the crowd line, I can still see those two burners blazing in my minds eye, the aircraft going vertical, it was out of sight so quickly, my chest and ears almost 'buring' tears in my eyes.

Then again out of know where it comes back down low for a fast left to right pass and is gone !

Wow those the memories of few minutes still send tingles down my spine all these years later.

I still get a kick from keeping our two alive and seeing peoples faces in the crowd at our open days, it makes all the hard work and money worth it.:)

[GeeRam]

BOAC, where do we get to see Pete Chapmans outstanding Mk 3 aero display, is it on a video anywhere?
As BOAC says, Pete Chapman was the 226 OCU solo aero's display pilot for the 1973 and the final 226 OCU year of 1974. Long before any video were around I'm afraid.......but, someone, somewhere may have cine footage or maybe one of his routines got filmed professionally for the RAF or BBC etc..??
Would love to see it on film as well.
Pete may well be able to shed some light on that himself maybe. His name appears here http://www.lightningpilots.com/Directory.html, so would be contactable via Ed Durham perhaps.
I'm sure the very first solo Lightning aero display I ever saw was one of Pete Chapman's last displays which was at the Battle of Britain display at Biggin Hill in September 1974, as I have a vague memory of the white tail on the Lightning, and a distant b/w box brownie photo of an inverted F.3 with what appears to be a white tail?
Plus a definate memory of the most awesome thing I'd ever seen......:D
Unfortunately......despite the advent of the 'electric' jets, I've not ever been as awestruck by any solo jet aero's since.
Only ever Lightning solo I saw after that came close was sadly one of the late Mark Thompson's solo's in July 1983 at the families day at BAe Hatfield, a few weeks before he was lost in the same F.3 off Scarborough.:sad:

[Biggles1049]

Just came across some images I took at Binbrook in September 87 particularly fond of this one !

http://www.abpic.co.uk/images/images/1079728F.jpg

Click here for more info re this image http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1079728/

Other images taken on the day can be seen via this link http://www.abpic.co.uk/search.php?q=29th%20September%201987&u=date

Just click on thumbnail to enlarge Images

[mustpost]

Lovely pic - wouldn't be allowed to do that today sadly...:{

Just noticed - the guy in the brown appears to be starting to duck!

[Lobo3]

Yeah,can just hear the Air Show Safety Squad doing a Fall Over in faint?!:ugh: