Favourite Airshow Moment
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Essex, UK
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I've only seen pictures of it, but has anyone seen the trick of dumping fuel and then flicking the burners on? If fuel is dumped, the result is a 100+m explosion behind the aircraft, or a fire trail, like in this picture, if the fuel trickles out ...
Follow the link as its copyrighted
and this one that's even better
Follow the link as its copyrighted
and this one that's even better
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: In a good pub (I wish!)
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Who needs speed?
The fabulous day last year at Old Warden when they got all the Edwardians in the air (not quite at the same time). Frabjous Day Calloo Callay!
It felt almost as exciting as it must have been back in those far flung days when even seeing an aeroplane was a great occasion.
The fabulous day last year at Old Warden when they got all the Edwardians in the air (not quite at the same time). Frabjous Day Calloo Callay!
It felt almost as exciting as it must have been back in those far flung days when even seeing an aeroplane was a great occasion.
Join Date: Oct 2003
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I love WW2 aircraft displays, but the one memory that sticks is the Starfighter.
I was on Holiday in Cornwall (early eighties) and decided to go to the airshow at St. Morgan.
Two (German I think) Starfighters put on a display. The weather wasn't good, low cloud and poor viz.
They did a low close pass, one from either direction, and I wasn't the ony one who was impressed with how close they were at such speed. I seem to remember the crowd gasping in amazement, including me. The next one they were at least 1/4 mile apart and it was then that the tanoy announced that on the first one they couldn't see one another !
I was on Holiday in Cornwall (early eighties) and decided to go to the airshow at St. Morgan.
Two (German I think) Starfighters put on a display. The weather wasn't good, low cloud and poor viz.
They did a low close pass, one from either direction, and I wasn't the ony one who was impressed with how close they were at such speed. I seem to remember the crowd gasping in amazement, including me. The next one they were at least 1/4 mile apart and it was then that the tanoy announced that on the first one they couldn't see one another !
RAF Gatow ("Pons hider - pons hodie"). The last RAF air show there, circa 1990. A very gifted performance by... lo and behold... a BA B737 and 748... incredible... and never to be seen again...!
Join Date: Jul 2003
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Shropshire aero club air display in 1969.
Ligthning right to left in near silence, going vertical, looking straight up the jet pipes, few seconds later the sound arrived.
If that doesn,t get you into aviation nothing will.
Ligthning right to left in near silence, going vertical, looking straight up the jet pipes, few seconds later the sound arrived.
If that doesn,t get you into aviation nothing will.
Join Date: Dec 2003
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Firstly, seeing 2 Buccaneers flying between C (OCU) and D (208/809 NAS) hangars at RAF Honington in the late 70s
Secondly at Wyton, similar date, an OCU Bucc flying below the pan lighting and above a parked 360 sqn Canbera.
Next, the Dutch Airforce F27 troopship display at St Mawgan in the 1980s
Last but by no means least, All those Hunters at Kemble at the Aniversity fly past.
Secondly at Wyton, similar date, an OCU Bucc flying below the pan lighting and above a parked 360 sqn Canbera.
Next, the Dutch Airforce F27 troopship display at St Mawgan in the 1980s
Last but by no means least, All those Hunters at Kemble at the Aniversity fly past.
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Battle of Britain Day - Finningley -early 80s
4 x Vulcan scrambled in a matter of minutes
One rotating, one half way down the runway, one starting to roll, next one lining up
All 4 pulling up at the end
THE NOISE!
Glorious
Former colleague described being #2 RAF Harrier on a sales tour of Canada in the early 70s. First visit of the Harrier to Canada.
One glorious summer evening the pair of them were asked to do a display, at short notice, over the lake beside downtown Toronto - just as people were leaving work.
As they started their display the whole downtown just stopped - Canadians had seen nothing like it - freeway was logjammed with vehicles which had stopped to watch the display.
Headline news on all the channels when he got to his hotel later in the evening.
He said it was one of his 'moments' in aviation.
4 x Vulcan scrambled in a matter of minutes
One rotating, one half way down the runway, one starting to roll, next one lining up
All 4 pulling up at the end
THE NOISE!
Glorious
Former colleague described being #2 RAF Harrier on a sales tour of Canada in the early 70s. First visit of the Harrier to Canada.
One glorious summer evening the pair of them were asked to do a display, at short notice, over the lake beside downtown Toronto - just as people were leaving work.
As they started their display the whole downtown just stopped - Canadians had seen nothing like it - freeway was logjammed with vehicles which had stopped to watch the display.
Headline news on all the channels when he got to his hotel later in the evening.
He said it was one of his 'moments' in aviation.
Join Date: Jul 2000
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Such a hard choice..
Several that come to mind:
The Silver Jubillee airshow at Finningley in 1977 where the Harriers performed their "bow" to the crowd for the first time, and also the 4-ship Vulcan scramble
The Belgian "Slivers" at Alconbury - a pair of F104s in fast head on passes with very little apparent room to spare.
The Red Arrows "Twinkle Roll" in the early 70s.
Adrian Gjertson in G-HUNT at the Fenland Air Show in about 1980 - low and fast and kicking up a maelstrom of hay from the straw bales around the spectator area!
So many good memories.
The 60s and 70s were certainly golden times for airshows, but the kids that saw the RAF at homes and Empire Day displays in the 30s might disagree about them being the best!!
However, although the variety of military machinery has diminished at todays airshows, we still get a fantastic variety of aircraft and I want to thank each and every display pilot for their art in showing these wonderful machines to us.
Several that come to mind:
The Silver Jubillee airshow at Finningley in 1977 where the Harriers performed their "bow" to the crowd for the first time, and also the 4-ship Vulcan scramble
The Belgian "Slivers" at Alconbury - a pair of F104s in fast head on passes with very little apparent room to spare.
The Red Arrows "Twinkle Roll" in the early 70s.
Adrian Gjertson in G-HUNT at the Fenland Air Show in about 1980 - low and fast and kicking up a maelstrom of hay from the straw bales around the spectator area!
So many good memories.
The 60s and 70s were certainly golden times for airshows, but the kids that saw the RAF at homes and Empire Day displays in the 30s might disagree about them being the best!!
However, although the variety of military machinery has diminished at todays airshows, we still get a fantastic variety of aircraft and I want to thank each and every display pilot for their art in showing these wonderful machines to us.
Cunning Artificer
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: The spiritual home of DeHavilland
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I'veexperienced so much good stuff up close at work, not at airshows. I've done those Vulcan display scrambles, feeling the guts rumble at very close quarters, dancing on the port wheels while pulling the Simstart cables out; worked on PA 474's restoration and watched her return to the air; seen Lightnings flash across from Binbrook at max chat, just in case the QRA Vulcans tried taking off when the Bomber Controller got his wires crossed and ordered a scramble instead of readiness zero-two; seen Harriers attacking our airport over here in Borneo during a joint exercise. Four different directions in as many seconds, flat out at extremely low level (below our car park on the hillside for sure). The Rapier batteries never saw them coming. Awesome!
But my favourite airshow moment has to be when, at the age of seven, I stepped into a Meteor cockpit during Battle of Britain day at RAF Thornaby, for a photograph. I still have it - worth every penny of one and sixpence that picture is...
But my favourite airshow moment has to be when, at the age of seven, I stepped into a Meteor cockpit during Battle of Britain day at RAF Thornaby, for a photograph. I still have it - worth every penny of one and sixpence that picture is...
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Australia
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.....not far to go
Temora (Straliya) , every flying weekend. They fly 9 or 10 weekends a year and every day is as good as the last.
The machinery is everything from a Canberra (ex pommie) throught to a Tiger. All Aircraft are displayed to their advantage, usually up a flightline about 150 metres from the crowd. A Canberra starting a 10,000 foot loop right in front of you, or a Spit pullling up and away from 20 foot off the deck.
The Meteor (another ex pommie) whizzing past making that V8 sound then gracefully reversing direction with a Derry turn. Visiting Aircraft sometimes also add to the show, Mustangs, the Boomerang and even the Roulettes.
Every weekend is as good as the last.
The machinery is everything from a Canberra (ex pommie) throught to a Tiger. All Aircraft are displayed to their advantage, usually up a flightline about 150 metres from the crowd. A Canberra starting a 10,000 foot loop right in front of you, or a Spit pullling up and away from 20 foot off the deck.
The Meteor (another ex pommie) whizzing past making that V8 sound then gracefully reversing direction with a Derry turn. Visiting Aircraft sometimes also add to the show, Mustangs, the Boomerang and even the Roulettes.
Every weekend is as good as the last.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Hmmm, official or unofficial?
Official - Farnborough in the 60s with my father. Lightnings, Vulcans, Victors.. Just so many types.
Unofficial? Measles rock at Mount Alice. A lot of very, interesting, flypasts.
Official - Farnborough in the 60s with my father. Lightnings, Vulcans, Victors.. Just so many types.
Unofficial? Measles rock at Mount Alice. A lot of very, interesting, flypasts.
Join Date: Apr 2005
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While Australian cricketers are world class at sledging - but not playing the game, Sir, it is a fact of life that apart from the RAAF Hornets which very occasionally turn up at an air show, the Aussie flying shows are nowhere near the class and sheer variety of those in Britain. It is not anyone's fault - it is just that we don't have the aeroplanes that do the job loud and exciting enough.
One exception to that was at Townsville one late evening when a US Air Force F101 Voodoo gave an impromptu entirely unrehearsed display of after-burner power following a short test flight after an engine change.
That was back in 1958 when most of us Down-Under had never seen - or heard, an after-burner cutting in. The near vertical climb into the late setting sun, with two bunsen burners flaming out of it's arse-end was just the most awesome spectacle that I and a cheering crowd of RAAF ground staff had ever seen.
One exception to that was at Townsville one late evening when a US Air Force F101 Voodoo gave an impromptu entirely unrehearsed display of after-burner power following a short test flight after an engine change.
That was back in 1958 when most of us Down-Under had never seen - or heard, an after-burner cutting in. The near vertical climb into the late setting sun, with two bunsen burners flaming out of it's arse-end was just the most awesome spectacle that I and a cheering crowd of RAAF ground staff had ever seen.