Wow; Booked a flight earlier on in the year and managed to take it just before the bad WX started. Practice run for the Dambusters in a Tiger Moth from EGNF. It was fantastic. What a great day. Full HD video as well!
The "Dambuster Run" is flown over the Ladybower Reservoirs, slightly north west of Sheffield. These are the dams that 617 Sqn. practised over before the Dams Raid. Look on Gurgle Erf, and follow the A57 road out of Sheffield towards Manchester. The 'top' dam, Howden Reservoir, is the actual one used, for its likeness to the targets in Germany.
Popular Sunday run out from our place, in fact we have the route laminated ready to pick up. Don't go in a strong westerly though with non pilot passengers...
Yep, thats one of the navexes i've planned for a good spring or summer day (if we ever get one!) Its one of the "things" that everyone has to do from our place too...so i'm looking forward to running up to Howden Dam then all the way down again, out over Hathersage and back via Nottingham.
I'm wondering how low my instructor will let me go...knowing Op Chastise was one of the things which started my love affair with aircraft....
All I can say to you folks is, when you do 'the run', take great care, and keep a very good lookout. As you can see, just from this thread, it is a very popular 'jolly,' but with no established flow pattern, you could be approaching each other from any direction. But enjoy it!
All I can say to you folks is, when you do 'the run', take great care, and keep a very good lookout. As you can see, just from this thread, it is a very popular 'jolly,'
There's a kind of unwritten law that says you start at the north end around Howden and run south on the west side of the dam valleys, then climb out when you pass the road bridge over Ladybower. That's OK I suppose if everyone else knows the unwritten law.....Mind you I've never met anyone coming the other way, you would have to be climbing more or less all the time if you ran north.
Thing - hmm, think that "rule" needs to be up in our clubhouse...I was planning my trip as rvp at the mast on the south end, up the west side then down the east...
oh, and I should have said...it was a joke about going low...I know that the minimum over structures is 500ft!
Quick Giggle suggests £500 for the priviledge of flying a Tiger Moth from Nethers to Dams & back.
A quick squint on the Nethers website says the run is a '1 hour flight', which according to the Tiger Moth price list on there quotes £409! Still 'WoW indeed! '
Sure that the military agree with that unwritten rule?
See and be seen
True enough sir. I just thought of another pretty ovvious reason why you would want to run south, you run over the water and then over the dam lip a la Dambusters rather than flying up into the face of the dam.
It's good fun, done it a few times, also seen the BBMF Lancaster do it followed by 2 Tornadoes for one of the anniversaries 500ft feels low enough really, no need to simulate the actual op!
Watch out for all sorts of traffic though, and plenty of gliders of all types in and around the Hope Valley.
Ah yes, if you run south (or indeed run north from Chatsworth or thereabouts) watch out for the Camphill guys. 500' or thereabouts () will put you below the top of the valley and give you a feel for the run without dropping to silly, registration taking levels. The first time you do it I'm sure as I was that you will be filled with complete admiration for the bravery of the guys that did it in the pitch black 60' off the deck at 240mph.
) will put you below the top of the valley and give you a feel for the run without dropping to silly, registration taking levels. The first time you do it I'm sure as I was that you will be filled with complete admiration for the bravery of the guys that did it in the pitch black 60' off the deck at 240mph.
