Bbmf

[SPIT]

At approx 1400hrs today (SAT) I heard the sound of Merlin Engines when over my house at appro 400ft ? flew the Lanc and what a sight it was, I presume it was doing a flypast at the Mersey River Festival but as the BBMF ie Lanc, Spit 7 Hurry are not advertised there until 15/6/03 I wonder if there was something else going on in the area. There did not seem to be any Spit or Hurry with it, does anyone know if their display date has been changed.
All the Best:ok: :ok:

[BEagle]

Great to see a Spitfire doing a pre-arranged flypast over a school in Witney yesterday! Thanks to whoever arranged that - it looked terrific. PR-coloured Mk 19, I think?

[warplane.co.uk]

I believe this may apply....

H3028/03 - AUS ( MIL REF ) 03-06-0071/1554/ML AIR DISPLAY. FLYPAST BY LANCASTER, SPITFIRE, HURRICANE AND SWORDFISH, SAR DEMO AND ROPING BY SEAKING, FREEFALL PARACHUTE DISPLAY AND FORMATION AEROBATICS WI 6NM RAD PSN 5324N 00300W (LIVERPOOL, MERSEYSIDE). SFC 2000FT AGL 14 JUN 11:00 UNTIL 15 JUN 15:20 JUN 14 1100-1520, 15 1200-1520

[Captain Gadget]

BEags

The occasion was the Holy Trinity Summer Fete on Woodgreen - although the first pass was pretty much over the school! (Whoops, missed!)

I did snatch a pic, though, that seems to show the prop to have been 3-bladed. Wouldn't that have made it an earlier Mark than a PR19?

Gadget :ok:

[JWH]

The BBMF Spit flew three passes over a 1940's charity ball in Newark last night; I wasn't attending the ball but did sneak my way up to the event to watch the flying!
I haven't been at a flypast for a few years now but wow, it was fantastic as I remembered. The pilot managed to choose my position as datum and I still maintain there is NO sensation like a Merlin at full-chat over your head at 300+mph and 50ft! To cap it he ran in directly out of the low evening sun for the final pass; we could hear him but simply couldn't see him untill woooommpphhhhh the aircraft appears 40 feet in front of you and screams over.
From the anticipation when I heard the first murmers of her arriving untill he disappeared into the clag were absolutely fantastic - far exceeds any airshow performance in my opinion.

Many thanks for coming - that made my evening!

[BEagle]

Captain G - you may be right as I only caught a fleeting glimpse as the Spit flew a tight left turn over Langel Common and Blakes Primary School - who were also having a summer fete. Perhaps they had an unexpectedly 'free' flypast?

I thought it was one of the Mk19s (PM631?) - anyone know for sure?

[Jimlad]

Anyone know why the "spitfire" booked for the flypast at Bentley Priory on Wed 11 Jun turned into a Hurricane?

(Great flypast though!)

[RatherBeFlying]

Took a break from beating my brains aver a recalcitrant program and saw the CWH Lanc over Toronto this Saturday.

The CWH put on a great display of WWII and current military types this time of year in Hamilton.

[Man-on-the-fence]

PM631 was at Kemble, but I have shown a piccy of it to a friend who was at said school fete and he said that wasnt it

The plot thickens :ooh:

[EESDL]

Sat 1230 local
Lanc transitting NNW up through Nidderdale approx 1500' with, I think, a Hurricane trailin about 1000' above it.
Great sight and sound.
Appeared that they may have come around the NE corner of LBA zone enroute to the NW.

[SirToppamHat]

:O

Saw a Lanc myself a couple or 3 wks back flying over Norwich airport. Heard the engines (unmistakable even from indoors on the patch).

Charged outside to be rewarded with a wonderful pass at about 500ft, 30 degs AOB. Almost brought tears to the eyes.

I don't know what the BBMF costs to run, but I doubt its PR value can be measured. Long live the BBMF.

STH

[seafuryfan]

If you want to read a (then) serving RAF pilots flying experiences while flying Spits and Hurricanes for the 'Battle of Britain' film, check out the thread in the Pprune Aviation History and nostalgia forum.

[opso]

I still reckon that they shuld have widened their remit somewhat and taken the Vulcan on to their books not so long ago. Now that would be an unmistakable sound!

[SPIT]

Hi Opso
I have to aggree with you but leave the BBMF alone with the brilliant aircraft they have and start an RAF HISTORIC FLIGHT ? I am sure that there are a lot of older 50s/90s aircraft that many people would love to see again but again I say LEAVE the BBMF alone as they are UNIQUE and could be spoilt by the introduction of rel/modern types.
All the Best
SPIT:ok: :ok:

[EESDL]

SirTophamHat
Why did running outside nearly bring tears to your eyes?
Did you get your braces caught in the kitchen door?

[pr00ne]

Spit,

What exactly is unique about the BBMF?

The Lanc is admittedly very rare but there is nothing unique about any of them.
Do they serve a purpose any more now that there are oodles of warbirds in this country.

Many moons ago they did have some value and relevance when a Spitfire and Hurricane were a rare sight in these skies but that time is long past.

How the hell do you expect the RAF to fund a Historic Flight? It's not what the military is about. They can hardly keep their op fleet in the air as it is, let alone entering into the overcrowded and barely sustainable airshow market for warbirds.

[BikerMark]

Because they represent a time when people fresh out of school could be trusted with an awesome responsibility, even though sometimes the resulting life expectancy was short.

It's a sobering thought that nowadays, the same age group just lust after a hot hatch, a baseball cap worn back to front and a belly full of alcopops.

Christ, I don't half sound like Victor Meldrew!

Mark.

[soddim]

What is special about BBMF is summed up in their motto: "Lest we forget".

Let us not forget, for in remembering we pay tribute to those who preserved our freedom with their lives and we contribute to the memory of the horrors of World War 2 as well as the glory of victory. The sound and sight of the three distinctive types bring pleasure to millions of people each season.

Whilst we could rely on the various private historic aircraft to remind us of those days, they are not likely to do it either forever or in an appropriate way. We get good value from the money spent on BBMF and could quite easily run the operation at no cost to the public purse if necessary. It is, however, entirely appropriate that the public purse should support the flight - a very small cost compared to what the war cost others.

[You want it when?]

IMHO - BBMF should be extended to create the historic flight - with some of the jets of later years maybe even a Shack? They could sell one or two of their Spitfires to fund ...

Gate prices for Coventry airshow was I believe about £20 a head - surely not that much Avtur / AvGas was burned someone made a profit somewhere. Could that not be ploughed back into the Historic Flight?

Agreed Deliverance - "First Light" is a cracking book.

[newswatcher]

According to their site, the BBMF also includes a Dakota and 2xChipmunks!

Lancaster and Spitfire showing with display date for Alresford tomorrow. Anyone know if this is the one south of Basingstoke, or is it the one near Colchester?

[Fortyodd]

:D WOW!:D Just looked out of the office window at Benson to see the Lanc complete a low approach before disappearing off to the North East. Magnificent!!:D