16 Spitfire Formation Awesome Sound !!!

[mauld]

16 Spitfire Formation Awesome Sound !!! - YouTube

[Herod]

I suspect that was Duxford, September 2000. As they flew over in the "Duxford Big Wing", Churchill was saying "We will fight on the beaches, etc", and a mate and I opened a couple of bottles of nicely chilled Spitfire Ale. A special day.

[Flying Lawyer]

I suspect that was Duxford, September 2000.


You may be right but, from memory of my OFMC days, I think there were 20 Spitfires in the formation on both days in September 2000.
I certainly remember the excitement that it would be the biggest post war 'wing.'

The plan was to have 21 but one didn't arrive until the Sunday.
The 21 total wasn't achieved on Sunday because one of the BBMF pilots was sick and unable to fly so it was 20 again.

I don't think the 20 record has been broken.


FL

[Dash8driver1312]

To heck with 20 Spits. It's the whole Balbo at the end of Flying Legends: best count that I saw was a formation led by 2 B-17s, 2 B-25s, 2 PBY-5As, one each of Grumman's piston Cats, and everything else...

[603DX]

Listening carefully to the video soundtrack, the PA announcement said quite clearly, "Welcome to Flying Legends, 2010", which probably settles the matter!

However, dates aside, I agree that the sound of a collection of Spitfires is indeed "awesome". I happen to be old enough to remember vividly the glorious clattering of those magnificent Rolls Royce engines ripping through the Kent skies in the last couple of years of WW2. I was living in Maidstone with my mother, father being away in N Africa and Italy serving in the army, and our house was frequently overflown by Spitfires from Biggin Hill, West Malling, Detling, Hawkinge and advanced landing grounds all over the county, often at low level and chasing V1 flying bombs or Luftwaffe aircraft. Mother got used to my eager rushing into the garden whenever that unmistakable roar of high speed Spitfires came above us, which I now realise was the sound of our freedom being won.

So I experience rather more than just the enthusiasm of an aeroplane fan on each and every occasion that Mitchell's inspired creations fly nearby, I actually have an emotional apotheosis triggered by those very early events. It makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, and my eyes tend to mist over ...

[Lancman]

I wonder if there is a recording of the 18 Shackletons (72 Griffons!) flying over Buckingham Palace on the 6th of June 1952? The Griffon had a harsher sound than the Merlin and I think that I could pick it out in that YouTube clip. Centaurus probably remembers the welcome sound of the Merlin 68s exhausts popping when the throttles were closed for touch down, the 224s didn't do that.

[Art Smass]

Makes the hairs on the back of me neck stand up:D

fan-bloody-tastic

[JEM60]

I remember, at Duxford, not long before 2000, a formation of either 23 or 26 Spits. They received a special dispensation from the CAA to arrive from behind the crowd line. Haven't got time at the mo' to look it up, but it WAS an anniversary. Anyone else remember this??

[ruddman]

What a sweet sound.
What a joy it was to have seen Col Pay tear around in his Spit many years ago. How amazing for those there to have seen 16!!

Great stuff. :ok:

[Evanelpus]

I suspect that was Duxford, September 2000.

Nope. If you get to about 1 min 38 secs it clearly says Welcome to Flying Legends 2010.:ok:

[Flying Lawyer]

JEM60I remember, at Duxford, not long before 2000, a formation of either 23 or 26 Spits. They received a special dispensation from the CAA to arrive from behind the crowd line. Haven't got time at the mo' to look it up, but it WAS an anniversary. Anyone else remember this??


There was a Spitfire 60th Anniversary celebration in 1998.
However, as far as I recall that was a 16 formation.

[treadigraph]

Video caption says a compilation of Spifire formation flying at the IWM Duxford - certianly I can't recall more than 10 flying at any Legends display (plus a BBMF example or two).

Ah Legends... just over two months to go...

Lancman, certainly several Griffon Spits in there - I love that "urgent ripping snarl" as I've described it before.

JEM60, as I recall, one September Duxford display featured slightly more than 20 aircraft, mostly Spits and several Hurricanes. Was it the BBMF formation that arrived from behind the crowd?

[Fokkerwokker]

There was a Spitfire 60th Anniversary celebration in 1998.
However, as far as I recall that was a 16 formation.

Quite right FL although I will have to check on the year once my logbook is back in my hand. Led by Rod Dean and swarmed over Bury St E in the form up causing some comment in the town centre, on the occasion, I believe.

Think the intention was to have a 'diamond 16' on the Saturday and Sunday but pilot shortage only allowed the full house on the Sunday. It were 'reet blustery oop there too' ISTR.

Think it may have been the first time BBMF deigned to slum it in a mixed formation?

Brgds

FW

[Wander00]

Recall meeting Cliff Spink as a Gp Capt and Staish at one of the East Anglian fighter stations in late 80s as we had job of presenting a substantial cheque for money raised in the RAF for restoration of the 8 PFF Group Memorial in Ely Cathedral to Dean of said cathedral. Our reward was to be taken up on the scaffolding inside the nave, and then out on the roof and along the top of the roof to see some of the other restoration work. Mrs W and I and the Command Accountant and his wife also received invitations to the Maundy Service in Ely Cathedral, a most memorable occasion.

[joy ride]

Superb!
Seeing the parked de H Rapides made me assume it was filmed at Duxford. Rapides from Duxford fly over my London workshop on weekends between about April-October, not as stirring a sound as Merlins but still a lovely sound I recognise well before I spot them.

[JEM60]

Treadi. I recall an occasion when five BoB Memorial flight Spits arrived in the morning in formation from right to left. Lovely.
Flying Lawyer. With respect, I still feel I am correct that there were more Spits than 20. Somewhere, amongst all my self-taken videos, I have it on record. Like most collections, it is completely un-catalogued of course.Also, like most retired people, there is no time to do it 'cos it would interfere with |Cruising and dancing too much.
However, of course it doesn't matter which of us is correct anyway, cos whether or not it's one or fifty, it's still a gorgeous sound. Regards John.
PS. You weren't by any chance the T.O that attended Monmouth School in your younger days were you??

[VictorGolf]

As others have said, the commentator introduces the take-off as "Flying Legends 2010". However what confirms it for me is that the Classic Wings Rapide G-AIYR would have been in a civilian, not the military, scheme in 2000 and we didn't start using the Harvard for "public" flights until 2009 at the earliest. Both are clearly visible on the flight-line.

[Flying Lawyer]

JEM60

You may well be right. It was a long time ago.
I have a recollection of a plan to have about 25 Spitfires airborne at the same time but, as far as I can recall, it wasn't achieved. Perhaps there were more than 20 present but not all airborne at the same time?
I'm not 100% sure. I flew with the OFMC at the time but I didn't fly the Spitfire so wouldn't have anything in my logbook to help.
Fokkerwokker was flying in both 1998 and 2000 so perhaps he'll be able to help.


Re Monmouth School. No, I went to school in Wales but not Monmouth.

[Nopax,thanx]

The video isn't Flying Legends, as the pleasure flying Rapides and Tigers decamp to the far Western end of the airfield for the show and wouldn't appear on the flightline in that position.

It's most likely the BoB 70th anniversary show in September 2010, which was notable for having 16 Spitfires together for the first time in a long while.

A certain VS pilot was in charge of proceedings that day, probably his greatest achievement was getting fifteen other Spitfire pilots to do exactly as they're told........:)