Initial spark
Initial spark
How many of you can trace your interest in aircraft and aviation back to some defining event when you were a kid..?
For me it was growing up near Woodvale in the fifties when the Temp & Humidity (THUM) Flight operated silver finished Spitfires then Mosquitoes.
I remember seeing and hearing both these aircraft on a daily basis in the mid fifties and being completely enthralled by them both.
sidevalve
For me it was growing up near Woodvale in the fifties when the Temp & Humidity (THUM) Flight operated silver finished Spitfires then Mosquitoes.
I remember seeing and hearing both these aircraft on a daily basis in the mid fifties and being completely enthralled by them both.
sidevalve
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Oddly enough, Meteor T7 WA591 sitting on the gate at Woodvale. Was slightly more than a kid though 
edited to add: and, of course, the mighty Vulcan. Wow! Was the only kid at school who when told the world was going to end at half-past twelve (by other pupils, I should add. Was that just at my school, or was that a common theme?) replied, it's ok, we've got Blue Steel. Of course, by then, we'd lost the deterrent sometime earlier
Out-of-date anorak!
edited to add: and, of course, the mighty Vulcan. Wow! Was the only kid at school who when told the world was going to end at half-past twelve (by other pupils, I should add. Was that just at my school, or was that a common theme?) replied, it's ok, we've got Blue Steel. Of course, by then, we'd lost the deterrent sometime earlier
Out-of-date anorak!
Last edited by Green Meat; 11th Sep 2005 at 22:46.
When I was a small boy, I used to watch the marsh warblers swooping in my mother's undercroft.......
Well maybe not. In fact it was the Vampires of 208 AFS, RAF Merryfield which was about half a mile from our house.
Well maybe not. In fact it was the Vampires of 208 AFS, RAF Merryfield which was about half a mile from our house.
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Sparkling Memories
Low level Javelins over the house near Dover as a v small lad then, as a new teenager, all the food I could eat and an air attack by Scimitars and Sea Vixens on HMS Tiger (guns fore and aft plus a splash target) during a day at sea with the 23 Escort Group in the mid 60s.
FAA had lots of ships and aircraft so I was hooked, so to speak.
FAA had lots of ships and aircraft so I was hooked, so to speak.
The Cooler King
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My father is responsible for my love of planes.
Every Sunday morning, and some weeknights in the summer, he'd take me off to Dublin Airport and we'd watch planes.
I can still remember standing at the railings at Runway 23 and watching the old Aer Lingus 1-11's (without the hush-kits!) and 737s taking off.
I used to look down towards the terminal from where we stood and you would see the nose of the next aircraft creeping around the corner. And I'd have to guess what it was.
The elation of seeing the nose of the 747 coming around, and the unique sound of it's engines as it lumbered into the air at around midday each Sunday.
And then the scream of the 707s with their four trails of smoke, making it possible to follow them for miles and miles.
The smell too will stay with me forever. There's something lovely about it - although for my money the odour is a little different now.
Then came those wonderful nights when my relatives were going on holidays to Spain or Greece and I would get to go inside the airport and see them off.
Everything in Dublin Airport fascinated me as a child - the observation deck, the arrivals and departures board, the different signs and all the ticket counters with different airline names on them - made me want to see the world.
And then my dad would tip me on and shoulder and say "Look over there!" and I'd see a Captain, First Officer, maybe a Flight Engineer and cabin crew all walking together and I would just stand there awestruck.........a classic time, aviation in the seventies.
Now, I'm on my way to a right seat God willing........thanks Dad!
Every Sunday morning, and some weeknights in the summer, he'd take me off to Dublin Airport and we'd watch planes.
I can still remember standing at the railings at Runway 23 and watching the old Aer Lingus 1-11's (without the hush-kits!) and 737s taking off.
I used to look down towards the terminal from where we stood and you would see the nose of the next aircraft creeping around the corner. And I'd have to guess what it was.
The elation of seeing the nose of the 747 coming around, and the unique sound of it's engines as it lumbered into the air at around midday each Sunday.
And then the scream of the 707s with their four trails of smoke, making it possible to follow them for miles and miles.
The smell too will stay with me forever. There's something lovely about it - although for my money the odour is a little different now.
Then came those wonderful nights when my relatives were going on holidays to Spain or Greece and I would get to go inside the airport and see them off.
Everything in Dublin Airport fascinated me as a child - the observation deck, the arrivals and departures board, the different signs and all the ticket counters with different airline names on them - made me want to see the world.
And then my dad would tip me on and shoulder and say "Look over there!" and I'd see a Captain, First Officer, maybe a Flight Engineer and cabin crew all walking together and I would just stand there awestruck.........a classic time, aviation in the seventies.
Now, I'm on my way to a right seat God willing........thanks Dad!
Growing up 4 miles from Coltishall in the last days of the Lighting, and regular Spitfire, Hurricane and Lancaster flypasts (were they based at Coltishall in the late sixties?).
JC
JC
I'matightbastard
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I grew up in Blackpool and F27s regularly flew over our house. I don't know for certain, but i always assumed they wee going to or coming from the IoM.
...and I supose I always assumed they were F27s as well
...and I supose I always assumed they were F27s as well
One point though, chaps. You can never grow up if you've ever been a fighter pilot! Even a not-very-good one...
So sad old gits like me, when plodding along teaching PPL students (which is all my flying these days) still feels the twinge of those horns trying to come out when I spot something just itching to be bounced!
So sad old gits like me, when plodding along teaching PPL students (which is all my flying these days) still feels the twinge of those horns trying to come out when I spot something just itching to be bounced!
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Chipmunks
For me it was one particular flight in a Chipmunk whilst an Air Cadet. It was the last flight of the day, I'd had a bit of a pole around and we'd just turned round to return to the airfield when the pilot said "Want to do some aeros?" I said "Yes, please" so we did barrel rolls all the way home using the setting sun as a reference point! Been hooked ever since...
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One of my uncles was in the Service between the wars and spent most of his time in the great sandpits flying DH9s, Wapatis etc. so from the age of 6 or so all I wanted to do was to fly like my uncle.
Reading his entry on the previous page I see that I might be in some way, albeit innocently, responsible for BEagle joining the mob. Am I forgiven?
Reading his entry on the previous page I see that I might be in some way, albeit innocently, responsible for BEagle joining the mob. Am I forgiven?
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Sat in the cockpit of an F6 with my dad pointing out all the switchy things while a pair tanked at 200' along the runway in front of us. Thought this looks fun.............
shack - you need absolution from someone much higher than me
shack - you need absolution from someone much higher than me
First flight in a DC-3 from Raleigh to Winston-Salem....age Five...one of eight Goons owned by Piedmont Airlines....Father's brother would have been original seniority number 6 for Piedmont if he had not been killed in a crash of a Stinson while doing aerobatics. Still have his Piedmont wings today. Fabric failed on the wings...Uncle held controls while the other guy got out....but was too low for the parachute to open when he jumped.
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Waiting outside Zanzibar terminal with my father (SATCO) in my shorts and cap to board a Rapide to Mombasa and transfering onto DC3 to Nairobi, repeating the process at half term etc.
The only way to travel to primary school!!
The only way to travel to primary school!!
TAC Int Bloke
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BBC2 Saturday afternoons
Some 1940s/50s b&w film such as 'The Way to the Stars'
Showed me that real heroes weren’t the mulleted footballers on 'Grandstand'
'Battle of Britain' every September
Raymond Baxter commentating on the Biggin Hill airshow
Dak Mechanic, are you sure you're not the boy in 'Thunder and Lightnings?'
Some 1940s/50s b&w film such as 'The Way to the Stars'
Showed me that real heroes weren’t the mulleted footballers on 'Grandstand'
'Battle of Britain' every September
Raymond Baxter commentating on the Biggin Hill airshow
Dak Mechanic, are you sure you're not the boy in 'Thunder and Lightnings?'