Low Flying

[Brian Abraham]

Some photos that are well known, but quite a few others I've not seen of not to be recommended derring do.

Lower than a Snake's Belly in a Wagon Rut > Vintage Wings of Canada (http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/325/language/en-CA/Lower-than-a-Snakes-Belly-in-a-Wagon-Rut.aspx)

[SpringHeeledJack]

Wow! Thanks for that Mr A :ok: Some of them I've seen before and a couple only in print back in the day, but the majority were new for my eyes.


SHJ

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Fabulous! The pic of the B17 at a British airfield is Don Bullock flying 'Sally B' at Barton in the late 70s or early 80s. I was there! From 5 rows back from the crowd line all one could see was the fin going past! He later came to grief at Biggin in the Invader with a low level roll.

[treadigraph]

Don Bullock's denouement at Biggin was September 1980 so, unless it was Keith Sissons (did he fly as low?), must have been the 70s.

That Lodestar prang is interesting, looks more like a loss of control than a deliberate low level turn. There is some video out there of an Invader doing much the same thing a few years ago after losing an engine on take off.

Edit - it was this one (http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20041003-0).

[airvanman]

great stuff! :D

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Thanks Treaders. Definately Don, so must have been the '70s. '78 or '79 I'd guess as I started flying at Barton in '78 and probably wouldn't have been at a show any earlier than that.

[robmack]

Sorry, but the B-17 clip was filmed at Bovingdon for the film "The War Lover" as early as 1961, and was one of three 17s flown over from the US. Similarly, the Mossie coded HT-E was also Bovingdon for " 633 Squadron" a few years later.

[treadigraph]

Robmack, there are three B-17 pics on the page - one, as you point out is John Crewdson getting intimate with Bovingdon while filming "The War Lover", another colour shot which is between the Vulcan and Lancaster pics is Don Bullock scattering the hay at Barton.

By the way, if you can get a copy, read "Everything but the Flak" by Martin Caidin, all about getting the War Lover B-17s across the pond.

[Shaggy Sheep Driver]

Actually, I'm informed the B17 over the grass airfield is at Fenland. It does look just like the 09 end at Barton, though. And it was deffo Don trimming the Barton turf with Sally B that I saw in the late '70s.

[Above The Clouds]

Excellent pictures, the one showing the F4 Phantom flying between the hangars at an RAF base I believe was the Air National Guard on exchange to RAF Leeming 1982, a number of the arriving aircraft did a similiar fly past between the hangars one in particular was below the hangar roof on a knife edge with the burners running.

[TEEEJ]

Above The Clouds wrote

...the one showing the F4 Phantom flying between the hangars at an RAF base I believe was the Air National Guard on exchange to RAF Leeming 1982

RAF St Athan. The RAF Phantom FG1 was serial XV575.

The Home of the Phantomeers (http://www.phantomreunion.talktalk.net/lowfly.htm)

[henry crun]

The A4 is wrongly labelled.

It is not an Aussie flying past Melbourne, it is a Kiwi A4 of 75 squadron flying past HMS Eagle..

[treadigraph]

Actually, I'm informed the B17 over the grass airfield is at Fenland

Never been to Fenland, not even entirely certain where it is - I've always assumed somewhere NE of Peterborough. I presume there's no local topography to have forced Don to climb much at all!

Barton I can only easily recognise from the motorway bridge and the control tower! Well over twenty years since I last visited...

[Above The Clouds]

TEEEJ
RAF St Athan. The RAF Phantom FG1 was serial XV575.



Apologies I stand corrected great story, the Leeming fly pasts did happen in 1982 with the Air National Guard exchange using F4's as I stood and watched them, sadly no camera :{

[robmack]

Treadigraph your'e right teach me to look properly. Have been looking for a copy of said book for years.

[treadigraph]

There are some copies on Abebooks - bit pricey, mind...

[TEEEJ]

Above The Clouds,

No problem.

Cheers

TJ