Why can't English Electric Lightnings fly in UK airspace
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Burbleson AFB
Age: 55
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I grew up watching Keith 'Hooligan' Hartley in XP693 which was BAe Warton's chase aeroplane.
He used to have some serious fun over the Irish Sea & Ribble Marshes 'chasing' Tornados.
Happy,happy days
He used to have some serious fun over the Irish Sea & Ribble Marshes 'chasing' Tornados.
Happy,happy days
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Hampshire
Age: 78
Posts: 211
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If anyone remembers 74 leaving Tengah in the late 60s?,that was a superb mass display of tarmac lighting!!They man responsible for most of that now runs the Delta Hunters.Otherwise, you may have forgotten the late Russ Pengelley.In my day it was John Clift,who did the displays throughout the late 70s in a F3.The Lightning display always blew off the "Red Indians" or "Slivers" or any other Starfighter performance!!!!!!!
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Lower Troposphere
Age: 65
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The Lightning was always the most impressive aircraft to see fly in the 70s. My best memory was standing on a haystack right under the approach in the field off the end of Binbrooks runway taking pictures with my Zenith E, then getting a b********g from a RAF policeman who came running over saying I had caused a couple of go arounds.Don't know if I had but it made me move.
D
D
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: uk
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Care to elaborate on that? Sounds interesting..
Cannot really add anymore. I can only assume they tied up some sort of system whereby blue diesel was injected into the exhaust, on demand. Whether it was on both engines or not I wouldn`t know. Presumably it was a single seater. Unfortunately, I didn`t have my camera with me at the time but it must have been July 1969 as I was working on a fruit farm at the time picking strawberries!
Both practice displays took place at lunchtime (presumably a circuit embargo was in place for other aircraft)
.It was the usual seven minute display and the airfield and surrounding villages were covered in this blue haze! Strawbs stayed red though!
Last edited by fotheringay; 23rd Dec 2008 at 13:31. Reason: typo error
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: In my own little world
Posts: 776
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I've just stumbled across this thread after watching the most amazing program on Channel 270 on SKY, the SA Direct Channel of all places. It was called simply "Aviation" on the planner but seemed to be called "Thunder and Lightning" when titles came up and was all about Thunder City. Just thought I'd post so you can look out for it as SKY seem to repeat every few days/weeks.
I then ran a quick search and ended up here to find out the answer to a question I'd often wondered about, and one which they again mentioned in the show.
There was some fantastic footage of all TC's a/c, but the best bit was the Lightning's vertical climb, from both outside and inside. The rate that altimeter was going up at
It is a real shame that one won't ever fly in the UK. How great it would be to have a "Cold War Memorial Flight" with the Vulcan and a Lighning flying side by side. Oh well one can dream. If I'm not working when the twilight run happens in Feb, I may just pop along.
I then ran a quick search and ended up here to find out the answer to a question I'd often wondered about, and one which they again mentioned in the show.
There was some fantastic footage of all TC's a/c, but the best bit was the Lightning's vertical climb, from both outside and inside. The rate that altimeter was going up at
It is a real shame that one won't ever fly in the UK. How great it would be to have a "Cold War Memorial Flight" with the Vulcan and a Lighning flying side by side. Oh well one can dream. If I'm not working when the twilight run happens in Feb, I may just pop along.
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Malmesbury
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lightning
I worked on Lightnings between 1975 to 77 and must admit that although a technically challenging machine to work on, I still regard them as the 'Queen of the Sky'...Great to have heard that one of our T-birds is still intact in South Africa, not sure if it is still flying though. I still remember the guys polishing up the last one to leave RAF Wattisham with tears in their eyes...!!!
A flying T5 would be great, but it's a very long road from getting the engines running to having an airworthy aircraft.
I wish them well, but I'm not holding my breath.
I wish them well, but I'm not holding my breath.
Why can't English Electric Lightning's fly in UK airspace
I was wondering why can't English Electric Lightning's fly in UK airspace.
I did read that the CAA will not license any lightning's (reference wikipedia). why ?
Is there a proper reason as to why they can't fly in UK airspace or is the FAA ashamed of 'our' past achievements ?
sorry to sound cynical but we (as a nation) should be proud of our past.
RD
I was wondering why can't English Electric Lightning's fly in UK airspace.
I did read that the CAA will not license any lightning's (reference wikipedia). why ?
Is there a proper reason as to why they can't fly in UK airspace or is the FAA ashamed of 'our' past achievements ?
sorry to sound cynical but we (as a nation) should be proud of our past.
RD
On a point of order and, frankly, basic third year literacy, there is no apostrophe in "Lightnings". Oh dear.
Is the OP so scrambled he thinks the FAA oversees UK airspace?
Why can't this place reflect it's name, ie "Professional" pilot's forum, not the dopey spotter's forum?
Paxing All Over The World
Any question about the Lightning - or a similar machine - will now be handled through the filter of two words: Hunter + Shoreham.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123533772@N08/
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 3,325
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A friend of mine used to work at Warton. He remembers and early (might have been maiden?) Tornado flight accompanied by a Lightning chase plane.
The 'new' product came back towards the airfield flat out with the Lighning flying barrel rolls around it! (Allegedly!).
The 'new' product came back towards the airfield flat out with the Lighning flying barrel rolls around it! (Allegedly!).
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bob lightfoot solo display
Hi Fotheringay
currently researching this Lightning used by Bob during 68/69. Were you based at Colt when he was displaying ? Trying to find pictures to check.
All the best
steve
currently researching this Lightning used by Bob during 68/69. Were you based at Colt when he was displaying ? Trying to find pictures to check.
All the best
steve
Interestingly enough, in 1969, the Coltishall display Lightning, (Bob Lightfoot flying I think) dabbled with blue smoke during its solo display. I think they tried it for about two practice sessions before giving up.
What was a fair, sunny day suddenly reduced to about 2000 metres visibility!
What was a fair, sunny day suddenly reduced to about 2000 metres visibility!
Thanks for resurrecting this thread, which was unknown to me: I loved the failed attempt at admonishing grammatical incorrectness by Wageslave above and Raymond Dome's subsequent correction-correction. I know the thread is/was about Lightnings (and also "Lightings" or "Lightning's" at various points) but it did make me smile on a rather slow Monday morning at work.
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
And found my answer
Yep, hadn't seen those last few replies from 2015. Luckily someone asked a similar to mine from last night. Fortunately there are a few pilots around from the Colt OCU days.
Thanks for helping on this.
Thanks for helping on this.
Thanks for resurrecting this thread, which was unknown to me: I loved the failed attempt at admonishing grammatical incorrectness by Wageslave above and Raymond Dome's subsequent correction-correction. I know the thread is/was about Lightnings (and also "Lightings" or "Lightning's" at various points) but it did make me smile on a rather slow Monday morning at work.