Old Buckenham

[formationfoto]

Excellent air display at Old Buckenham on Sunday. Weather held out for all but the Mustang and B17 displays. One or two PPruners there and congrats to all who gave their time and effort to support this charity event.

Some photos here:

http://www.pilotweb.co.uk/content/imagegallery/gallery.aspx?id=333

[S-Works]

We also went, had a great time, loads to watch and eat. Spoilt a little by a certain aerobatic tit in his extra 300 showing off and laying smoke down on the taxiways and on the runway.

We were right behind him and the cockpit was filled with diesal fumes and we then had to sit and wait for a few minutes while the runway "IMC" cleared enough to take off, all while there were 40 or so aircraft trying to get out ahead of weather.

But otherwise a big thanks to Old Buckenham for a great day out.

[2Donkeys]

Sorry to miss this. It sounds and looks good. Things are really looking up at Old Buck, and the Mustang Burger is the best in town!

Spoilt a little by a certain aerobatic tit in his extra 300 showing off

Would that be the man in the yellow Extra who absolutely does not practise over Bedford town and will threaten anybody who says otherwise ;)

[S-Works]

Yes that would indeed be the same tit who also operates as a display pilot on a PPL on the basis you dont pay him you pay the wife for organisation.........

[2Donkeys]

who also operates as a display pilot on a PPL

Is that true or just a good story?

If true, I may just be tempted to blow the dust of my plans to open a low-cost airline ;D

[formationfoto]

Wasn't expecting to fire off another thread on the character of certain display pilots. For the record, I remain neutral on this point but the display was still good (and gets better each year). Paul Layzell and the team do an excellent job. The displays are mostly local to East Anglia (or with local connections) - with the exception i think of the Extra and the Sukhoi. Maurice Hammond who flew the Mustang and the Harvard (both aircraft which 'live' at the end of my garden!) attracts others such as Peter Teichman and Rob Davies. The local Stearman team with Gerry Honey in the lead does a great job (includes a Stearman owned by local celeb Martin Shaw). Glenn Waters Berkut flown by Chris Harper from Colt showed that it is possible to display a GA aircraft to good effect.

Just to confirm my neutrality the Extra and Sukhoi both lived up to their promise and demonstrated 'taking it to the edge' in rather different ways.

I am sure that everyone was on their best behaviour as Mr CAA Air Displays (Dave Evans) was there throughout.

Almost forgot to mention there is no reason why you can not be a display pilot with only a PPL... I am headed in that direction myself.

[Justiciar]

no reason why you can not be a display pilot with only a PPL

...but you can't be paid for doing it, whether directly or indirectly unless it is a contribution to the cost of the flight and a proportion of the annual cost related to the flight. Profit is out.

[stiknruda]

OB - a great day out.

Lucky enough to have a machine that was deemed to be interesting enough to be parked down with the display aircraft so did not endure the M25 grid lock of the eastern end and the man-made IMC.

Know DD and like his positive attitude, but did wonder about prolonged use of smoke on the ground out loud to the other 2 who made up our 3 ship.......... I do have quiet concerns about the validity of his business plan/insurance should he over-egg it, especially if there is a promo pax on board.

Justiciar is absolutely right, a DA is not a mandate for business.

On the whole, thought the airshow was very good - Will Curtis continually "steals" the biscuit. As a capable aerobatic pilot, I am amazed by his sequence - getting the flicks to stop on hdg, attitude and the right/wrong way up is pretty impressive - doing it all well below 1000' makes it all more impresive. Then he does all that with some advanced gyroscopics - the stall turn that turned so far it bit itself in the bum, an amazing 540!

The warbirds just don't do it for me - sure the 1st minute is great but it does get a trifle tedious, Mustangs, F28s, YAK11s - all great platforms but all they can do is swoop and loop!

Thought that Peter Metcalfe's gentle Cuban, loop and roll in the Pitts S1S was very nice but would have been better placed at the start of a very exciting show.

FF's photos are pretty good, too! Roll on next year when he and I will be displaying, he'll be flying the Tiger Moth and I'll be showing off my liposuction!

Stik

[formationfoto]

Come on Stik - how can you not go weak at the knees to the sound of a pulsating Merlin in a historic airframe?.

So which will get the woman - 'come and see my Pitts' or 'have you ever wanted to fly in a Spitfire?'

Me - I will try both given half the chance.

You competition guys are just such perfectionists :-)