24 Spitfires and Hurricanes together
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24 Spitfires and Hurricanes together
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-33966632
Nothing more to say, except - add more video links of the event as you find them.
Nothing more to say, except - add more video links of the event as you find them.
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I dragged Mrs Coff over to Downe Village (NE of Biggin Hill) to witness the sight and sound of the three formations as they got airborne and joined up ... Bl00dy Marvellous it was !!! 
Coff.
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....and as always, the contribution of Bomber Command during this period is completely ignored. The Battle of the Barges resulted in the Germans withdrawing their invasion barges from the Channel ports before the end of the battle thus delaying any invasion attempt - the Germans bringing the Barges back to within range would have signalled the start of the invasion. Over 700 aircrew of Bomber Command died during this period However, everyone believes the film rather than history. Hey Ho.
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Must have been great . . .
Some great pictures here, but we thought that some at least of the aircraft were going to visit IOW and Portsmouth. Any information as to why this story in the papers didn't come true? Hundreds of disappointed folk on the South Downs this afternoon.
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We had a couple of BA a319s today 
However, wonderful to know that so many got airborne. Sadly, the BOmber Command contribution is difficult to recognise in this way ... the same could also be said for Coastal Command.
However, wonderful to know that so many got airborne. Sadly, the BOmber Command contribution is difficult to recognise in this way ... the same could also be said for Coastal Command.
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It's not either or - Fighter, Coastal, Bomber; nor uniform v civilian. My mother was bombed in London, 8/40: her flatmate did not, she did emerge from the rubble. If...the Few had failed and the Hun had attempted to land in Kent... firstly RN/Dover would have a word (so that's why an author pooh-pooh'ed Spitfires recently and a cartoonist misrepresented his point with a sketch of RN in the sky); but much more relevantly, all the way up the A20 my mother and the rest would have tried to "take one with you". Her bread knife was sharpened for the purpose of being thrust into one Hun. His mate would have killed her, but there were 40 Mn more where she came from.
(When next you see assertions that dropping nukes on Nippon was a war crime, contemplate that same point: each Japanese mother was ready to do the same thing).
(When next you see assertions that dropping nukes on Nippon was a war crime, contemplate that same point: each Japanese mother was ready to do the same thing).
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(When next you see assertions that dropping nukes on Nippon was a war crime, contemplate that same point: each Japanese mother was ready to do the same thing).
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I Was Wrong, Apparently!
Glad to know it really happened - but although there was indeed a few seconds of grainy (telephoto) footage on 'South Today', the aircraft had not been visible from the hills above Portsmouth.
So for hundreds of us it was a non-event; what a pity. I envy the people who live close enough to Biggin to have seen the magnificent sight.
So for hundreds of us it was a non-event; what a pity. I envy the people who live close enough to Biggin to have seen the magnificent sight.
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Big Wing
Rumours in the Sunday Times of a possible formation of up to 50 Spitfires and Hurricanes for 15 Sep - certainly something to watch (and listen) out for if it comes off!
Last edited by skippedonce; 18th Aug 2015 at 19:49.
It is a pity that there was so much mis-information as to the route to be taken by the Grice Flight. No two media agencies seemed to concur as to the probable route.
Such comments as "over Portsmouth", "round the Isle of Wight", "visiting the Isle of Wight" (...all with the caveat that weather, ATC, events on the day, etc. might require a change of plan) were utterly useless.
Eventually, "someone" produced a red line on a map which purported to show the route. Was it the outbound leg or the return leg? No-one knew....
In reality, it seems that the aircraft routed from Ventnor via Bembridge to Havant, thus avoiding the Solent area around Portsmouth/Southsea where so many people were gathered. If they saw the flight at all it was as mere dots in the distance.
This rant is not meant to besmirch the valiant efforts of the pilots and ground crews who enabled the flights to take place today, or to be disrespectful of the remembrance of those who fought and died for our country.
However, with a modicum of decent publicity (or updating via the dreaded "social media") so many more people could have successfully witnessed the event.
Such comments as "over Portsmouth", "round the Isle of Wight", "visiting the Isle of Wight" (...all with the caveat that weather, ATC, events on the day, etc. might require a change of plan) were utterly useless.
Eventually, "someone" produced a red line on a map which purported to show the route. Was it the outbound leg or the return leg? No-one knew....
In reality, it seems that the aircraft routed from Ventnor via Bembridge to Havant, thus avoiding the Solent area around Portsmouth/Southsea where so many people were gathered. If they saw the flight at all it was as mere dots in the distance.
This rant is not meant to besmirch the valiant efforts of the pilots and ground crews who enabled the flights to take place today, or to be disrespectful of the remembrance of those who fought and died for our country.
However, with a modicum of decent publicity (or updating via the dreaded "social media") so many more people could have successfully witnessed the event.
Originally Posted by camelspyyder
Duxford are anticipating having 20 Spitfires on Sep 15 AFAIK
The last surviving RAF BoB 'ace' Tom Neil, 95 years young, will be in the rear seat of one of the two seat Spits and will lead the mass formation from Goodwood out to Selsey Bill before the formation splits.
See here
BoB Flypast
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A wonderful event indeed but it could have been so much better had they increased the numbers of tickets available. The 3000 available were sold out ages ago yet Biggin can take many more. The crowds outside were four or five deep along the fence line along the main road.
The publicity was poor with no real details of possible routings that sadly appear to have left many people disappointed.
Glad I went; glad it was midweek the crowds at a weekend would have been dire. I presume a Hurricane went tech as a Mustang was sneaked into the mix.
The publicity was poor with no real details of possible routings that sadly appear to have left many people disappointed.
Glad I went; glad it was midweek the crowds at a weekend would have been dire. I presume a Hurricane went tech as a Mustang was sneaked into the mix.