Happy Birthday

[Top West 50]

Happy 90th Birthday Royal Air Force and thanks for 34 of them!

Thank you, Lyneham, for the reminder of what it is all about - a pair of 130Js on overshoot from Church Fenton today! Exilerating climbing turn, right over my house - hope you did not misconstrue my wave of the garden rake :D!

[endplay]

Lord Trenchard called the RAF a 100 year experiment so we are but a decade away from the result. I wonder what it will be? Anyone care to speculate?

[OverTq]

I always thought it was tomorrow (having joined on the 50th aniversary)?

[Union Jack]

I always thought it was tomorrow

So it is, but always remember that "Them what's keen gets fell in previous!"

Jack

[Roadster280]

Happy birthday indeed for tomorrow.

I guess that means today is the 90th anniversary of the demise of the RFC and RNAS.

It's interesting to reflect how in the intervening years, both the Army and the Navy redeveloped air components. Is this because their needs/wants were not "on the roadmap" for the embryonic RAF, or is it more because their needs/wants were driven by a desire to have organic air once more?

An academic question, but still, happy birthday to the Royal Air Force tomorrow.

[amb_211085]

Happy 9/10ths complete! ;)

[Cyprus countrybred]

Endplay, "Lord Trenchard called the RAF a 100 year experiment", I hope that's not an omen following the article on Radio 4's Today programme this morning, questioning the future of the RAF?

[advocatusDIABOLI]

22 yrs and still going, loved 'almost all' of it. Been proud to serve alongside some truely awsome people both officers and airmen. Thanks. Happy Birthday!

Advo

[galaxy flyer]

Happy Birthday, RAF. You led the way for every AF that followed.

[Lono]

I'm up in Edinburgh, and nearly sh*t myself about 20 mins ago, when the 90th anniversary flight tore past my house in the fading light at low-level and in full AB.

Moved enough to de-lurk. Fantastic sight - one rarely seen in the city centre!

[Topsy Turvey]

Wearing well for a 90 year old (but showing our age in places)

Slightly ironic that on the day before the birthday, the RAF ensign was lowered for the last time at Innsworth which from tomorrow becomes Army owned (& known as Innsworth Station)

[sparkie]

For me its particularly poignant as tomorrow is also my birthday.

Whilst I cant claim 90 years service, I did manage to survive 37 in blue.

Happy Birthday Royal Air Force, for me you are still the best in the world.

:D

[Nov71]

Let us raise a glass today to Trenchard and all who have worn the blue - WRAF, ground staff, NCO aircrew, VR VR(T) & ATC cadets along with the 'brylcreem boys' who made the 90 years possible (along with the a/c designers and builders)

[BentStick]

90 years of proving the Frogs wrong;

"Airplanes are interesting toys but of no military value."
- Marshal Ferdinand Foch [Professor of Strategy, Ecole Superieure de Guerre] (circa 1911)

Happy 90th Birthday RAF. Helped you celebrate your 75th at RIAT and hope to raise a glass at your 100th :ok:

[Ogre]

Happy Birthday Boys and Girls, thanks for my 17 years! Here's hoping you can last to the Ton.

Will all those still in at that point get a telegram/telemessage from the Queen?

When I picked my leaving date I went for the 2nd of April just in case the Boss thought I was having a laugh!

Ogre

[Oldjet Jockey]

I have a copy of my father's war time service, initially with the RNAS based at Eastchurch Naval Air Station on the Isle of Sheppy. It shows that his Naval service was terminated on 31st. March 1918 and that he was transfered to the RAF on 1st. April 1918 so he was amongst the first members of the RAF.
I later became a Fleet Air Arm pilot and undertook flying training with the RAF, had a great time with both services - Happy birthday to All

Old Jet Jockey

[Magic Mushroom]

Lord Trenchard called the RAF a 100 year experiment...

No he didn't.:rolleyes:

Regards to everyone, wherever you are around the world.

Incidentally, who's doing the party bags for the pongos and fish heads?

Regards,
MM

[FAN BLADE]

Happy Birthday RAF. I spent 12 years in blue between 1970 and 1982 and loved every minute. The RAF set the standards and structure for many other airforces around the world to follow.

[mustpost]

Civvy warning here, but sorry everyone the (well-deserved) party has already been pooped up here in Scotland - this morning's 'Hootsmon'

'Residents complain after RAF jets stage low flyover'

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/latestnews/Residents-complain-after-RAF-jets.3932592.jp

Lono, glad you enjoyed it - sadly I didn't see it, but I did love the closing comment from the plods

'A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police, said: "We had a good number of complaints from people wondering what it was and what they could do about it." '

Hmm :ugh:

Edited to add: But it is April 1st??.....

[green granite]

Muppets. :ugh:

Hoping that today's formation might pass overhead on the way from Halton to Wittering, but will probably die in despair. :{

[AR1]

Happy birthday to the best flying club in the world!

[wasaspacecadet]

Just seen the Reds and Typhoons over west London - a wonderful sight.

From a civilian, I wanted to wish all in the RAF a happy birthday and wherever you are - stay safe.

Rob

[Hugh Spencer]

I would like to add my birthday congratulations as a one-time member of aircrew in WW2. It is still the best, let's keep it that way.

[EdVFX]

I've just watched the display from The Embankment - thank you all, in the air and on the ground for a top performance. Oh, and a Happy Birthday as well!

(Any chance of a couple of those Typhoons spending an afternoon whizzing up and down the Thames on afterburners? That would be good)

[KarlADrage]

Transiting between Sywell and Wittering:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/others%20pics/IMG_3800.jpg

Happy birthday, Royal Air Force.

[Dan D'air]

Slight cross-thread here but,

'Residents complain after RAF jets stage low flyover'


Didn't they do the same thing at Murrayfield a couple of weeks ago?? Anyway it's immaterial as after Independence they won't be able to afford to fly the F3's that they get to keep.

PS., Happy Birthday RAF.

[Flying_Anorak]

Much to my work colleague's amusement I've just got all excited having seen the formation pass over North Acton / Park Royal.

Best thing in this area EVER...well done!

Now to start making plans for the flypast at Hendon this evening...

Happy Birthday to the RAF and all in light blue.

[Roland Pulfrew]

Happy Birthday to Her Majesty's Flying Club

Lots of people in London turned out to watch the flypast. Quick shot of all the peeps on Waterloo and Charing Cross bridges and the Embankment

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x133/RolandPulfrew/RAFFlypastCrowds.jpg

[Roland Pulfrew]

And one of the flypast (not to the standard of some of the photographers on here) shot through a rather dirty window. That's my excuse anyway.....

http://i185.photobucket.com/albums/x133/RolandPulfrew/RedsTyphoon.jpg

[8-15fromOdium]

BBC Film of the Flypast in London is here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7320000/newsid_7324500/7324577.stm?

It's worth cranking the sound right up - I get the feeling the camera crew are not to happy with their own performance (make sure kids are not listening). :E

Also thanks to the 10 & C17 from Brize that overflew our location, both impressive at low level.

[Monkey Madness]

The audio has been removed……:mad: Wonder why that might be....:}

[green granite]

What poor quality film, I'm not surprised the film crew were not happy bunnies.

They went too far west for me to see them in North beds :{

[goudie]

Happy Birthday RAF, 90 years young. Proud to have served my 20 years.

[vintage ATCO]

Happy Birthday, RAF

At Halton

http://www.stevelevien.com/egwn/SLVL3407.jpg

[Robert Cooper]

Happy 90th birthday Royal Air Force. :ok:

Proud to have served with you for 30 of them, and hope I'm around to raise a glass for the 100th!

Bob C

[Craven Moorhed]

A Great Day, and a great flypast chaps; jolly good show !!

ps: are we allowed to banter Typhoon #3 for being wide in most of the phots ? :)
just kidding...........

[Five Livers]

Was the left hand Typhoon trying to do 'Missing Man' or was it just crap formation?

[advocatusDIABOLI]

Funny the last 2 posters mentioned just what I was thinking! No 3 is either Ooober Wide or 2 is too close..... The front page of the Telegraph Today shows the form (Over London anyhow). (Alernatively, blame 4 and parallax errors, thats what a QWI would do)

My guess is a bit of each. Still, Well done fellas, next stop will be more hostile I guess.

Advo

[endplay]

Magic Mushroom.

You challenge the Trenchard "quote" I used re a 100 year experiment? I got that from a briefing by the then CAS, now CDS, Jock Stirrup. It may be that he was wrong but I'm more prepared at this point to believe him to be correct than I am you. Quite happy to be educated otherwise but I'll need more than "No he didn't"