QBF Flypast vs Sky News
Originally Posted by ANGRYBEARD
I can remember being lucky enough to be in London 26 years ago for the Battle of Britain 50th anniversary fly past which would make anything look minor in comparison. Does anyone have any Info on types and numbers from then they could let me have?
The absence of the Lancaster has nothing to do with last year's engine fire...
Lancaster
The BBMF Lancaster, PA474, has yet to take to the air this year, as some readers will be aware. The principal reason for this is the delayed decision by the BBMF [Engineering] Project Team (PT) – which project manages the Flight’s aircraft maintenance and support contracts – to have the bomber’s fuel tanks serviced and refurbished. The BBMF had wanted this activity to commence in October, but unfortunately the decision to proceed, which had to come from the PT, was not taken until December.
The petrol tanks – 3 in each wing, 6 in total – were then removed from the ‘Lanc’ and sent away to be inspected, repaired and recovered with new fire-resistant material.
With the fuel tanks removed from the Lancaster’s wings some additional inspections could be carried out. The entire fuel and vent system pipework was discovered to be suffering from age-hardening of the hoses. The decision was taken to replace them, and 26 new hoses were ordered and have now been fitted. In addition, new fire-resistant sleeving was added to the aircraft’s fuel pipes, to provide additional protection that was not present in the original design. The inspection of the wings inner recesses also revealed that some internal wing angle brackets were cracked and required replacing. Ten new brackets were manufactured and fitted. A tank panel angle bracket for the No 1 tanks was also found to be cracked and was replaced.
The fuel tanks were returned to the Flight during the second week of April, but could not immediately be refitted until the other work was completed. Four of the tanks had been re-fitted to the Lancaster by 3rd May and the last two were back in place a few days later. After the Lancaster has been ‘panelled up’ the fuel system will be calibrated and engines runs completed.
The expectation is that the Lancaster will, hopefully, be ready for air test at the end of May and, all being well, will be able to continue with its display commitments from early June once the Lancaster pilots’ Public Display Approval (PDA) has been granted. There will inevitably be some people who will be disappointed that the Lancaster is not available for events in May, but the ‘pay-off’ for completing this extra work on the Lancaster at this stage is that it will not be required as part of the planned ‘major’ servicing for the aircraft, due to commence at Duxford at the end of this display season.
The BBMF Lancaster, PA474, has yet to take to the air this year, as some readers will be aware. The principal reason for this is the delayed decision by the BBMF [Engineering] Project Team (PT) – which project manages the Flight’s aircraft maintenance and support contracts – to have the bomber’s fuel tanks serviced and refurbished. The BBMF had wanted this activity to commence in October, but unfortunately the decision to proceed, which had to come from the PT, was not taken until December.
The petrol tanks – 3 in each wing, 6 in total – were then removed from the ‘Lanc’ and sent away to be inspected, repaired and recovered with new fire-resistant material.
With the fuel tanks removed from the Lancaster’s wings some additional inspections could be carried out. The entire fuel and vent system pipework was discovered to be suffering from age-hardening of the hoses. The decision was taken to replace them, and 26 new hoses were ordered and have now been fitted. In addition, new fire-resistant sleeving was added to the aircraft’s fuel pipes, to provide additional protection that was not present in the original design. The inspection of the wings inner recesses also revealed that some internal wing angle brackets were cracked and required replacing. Ten new brackets were manufactured and fitted. A tank panel angle bracket for the No 1 tanks was also found to be cracked and was replaced.
The fuel tanks were returned to the Flight during the second week of April, but could not immediately be refitted until the other work was completed. Four of the tanks had been re-fitted to the Lancaster by 3rd May and the last two were back in place a few days later. After the Lancaster has been ‘panelled up’ the fuel system will be calibrated and engines runs completed.
The expectation is that the Lancaster will, hopefully, be ready for air test at the end of May and, all being well, will be able to continue with its display commitments from early June once the Lancaster pilots’ Public Display Approval (PDA) has been granted. There will inevitably be some people who will be disappointed that the Lancaster is not available for events in May, but the ‘pay-off’ for completing this extra work on the Lancaster at this stage is that it will not be required as part of the planned ‘major’ servicing for the aircraft, due to commence at Duxford at the end of this display season.
So, 168 aeroplanes in 1990.....and no helicopters.
Which shows only too clearly by just how much the RAF and FAA have been decimated by defence cuts over the past 26 years..
Unfortunately I missed seeing it at the time as I was at my brother's wedding in Yorkshire.
Which shows only too clearly by just how much the RAF and FAA have been decimated by defence cuts over the past 26 years..
Unfortunately I missed seeing it at the time as I was at my brother's wedding in Yorkshire.
QUOTE:
the Guards Division, which makes up the Foot Guards and London Regiment of the British Army
who writes this/ these cobblers?
the Guards Division, which makes up the Foot Guards and London Regiment of the British Army
who writes this/ these cobblers?
all topped off with a kilo or two of bling (which hopefully TTN can run us through), adds a comic touch that is possibly unintended.
Thanks TTN. He is obviously highly regarded by Saskatchewan anyway! A fellow Flight Cadet had the honour of being the only one of our entry to sport a medal, having sung in the choir at the Coronation. It was a no brainer for DIs and the CWO, and earned him many defaulters parades as a result.
No doubt these days they are cast in stay-bright or some other labour saving material, or is there still the requirement to resort to arcane alchemy to make them shine without staining the ribbon? I only ask as my sole gong, a GSM and bar, poses a last minute panic every Remembrance Day!
No doubt these days they are cast in stay-bright or some other labour saving material, or is there still the requirement to resort to arcane alchemy to make them shine without staining the ribbon? I only ask as my sole gong, a GSM and bar, poses a last minute panic every Remembrance Day!
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Langley, shhhhhhhh.............if we pick holes in the media comments someone will be along to ask which gaurds unit the Royal Horse Artillery is in
What it did show is that it's not just jet fighters and the Red Arrows. Though perhaps we did miss the opportunity to put up the Typhoon force in a '90' formation.
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Perhaps the circle part of the 9 could be achieved. I hate to break the news to the hard-of-understanding (yet again), the rest are committed to QRA North and South, the Baltic NATO mission, the Falklands, and Op SHADER.
We had jets coming out of our ears before 2003. Since then we've value stream analysed ourselves into the most cost-effective Force we can afford and justify to the Treasury.
We had jets coming out of our ears before 2003. Since then we've value stream analysed ourselves into the most cost-effective Force we can afford and justify to the Treasury.
Last edited by MSOCS; 12th Jun 2016 at 18:56.
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Chugalug2 ... I have read [here or on AARSE] that a rubber [eraser for our US friends] is supposed to achieve results. I have no practical experience, being bare-chested 
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
MPN11, button stick works too. I have my uncle's, late Australian Military Force.
Thanks MPN11, sounds very eco-friendly, though I'm glad that you translated for our cousins, lest we be suspected of weird practices. ;-)
Thanks also PN. I must have handed in my own button stick, but strangely have never been parted from my housewife, well both of them if you see what I mean...or does that sound weird as well?
Thanks also PN. I must have handed in my own button stick, but strangely have never been parted from my housewife, well both of them if you see what I mean...or does that sound weird as well?
Appreciate that the Air Force is a shadow of its former self but was still a poor show.
Couldn't we have managed 4 x Typhoons and 4 x Tornados on their own? And 4 x BBMF fighters? Also, no Tucanos?
And where were the FAA & AAC?
Couldn't we have managed 4 x Typhoons and 4 x Tornados on their own? And 4 x BBMF fighters? Also, no Tucanos?
And where were the FAA & AAC?
Gentleman Aviator
Some points to add to this pleasantly drifted thread!
1. Milady Teeters has what I imagine are similar views on TRHs Beatrice and Eugenie; she refers to them as the "Yorkie Bars", which can cause confusion to those overhearing our conversations!
2. Rubbers/erasers are indeed good for medal cleaning; the ones on the end of pencils seem to be easiest to manage (no need for button stick to preserve the ribbon!)
3. My spies tell me that a 100 aircraft flypast is planned for April 2018 ........
PS -I guess we don't want to get in a discussion on his daughters' dress sense - Mrs W waxes lyrical on the topic.
2. Rubbers/erasers are indeed good for medal cleaning; the ones on the end of pencils seem to be easiest to manage (no need for button stick to preserve the ribbon!)
3. My spies tell me that a 100 aircraft flypast is planned for April 2018 ........
Are single engined Tucanos allowed to fly overhead central London, or do they have a dispensation like the REds and the BBMF?
And I was being sarcastic about TYphoons doing a '90' formation.
And I was being sarcastic about TYphoons doing a '90' formation.
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Trooping the Colour
The day now belongs to the Pongos. I once dropped the Falcons into Horse Guards with instructions to the jumpers to "Pull for the Thames" if there were any canopy malfunctions. Since then the square bashers, donkey wallopers and pony artillery have it all to themselves. The fisheads have no look-in (maybe that's why the Duke of York was in mufti) so mayhap the RAF should content itself with the show closing Reds flypast and spare all those lads defending the Realm a lost weekend.
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Another factor now is Heathrow is more slot constrained. To get the flypast through they have to stop the Heathrow flow. For a nine element flypast (3min 30sec) like this one, Heathrow lose three arrival and three departure movements which they have to make up by stressing the system either side of the flypast. For the sixteen element flypast like 1990 Heathrow wouldn't now allow it. While you can make elements bigger (four ship/nine ship) we are never likely to see such a big one (in terms of separate elements) again over the Palace.
The day now belongs to the Pongos. I once dropped the Falcons into Horse Guards with instructions to the jumpers to "Pull for the Thames" if there were any canopy malfunctions. Since then the square bashers, donkey wallopers and pony artillery have it all to themselves. The fisheads have no look-in (maybe that's why the Duke of York was in mufti) so mayhap the RAF should content itself with the show closing Reds flypast and spare all those lads defending the Realm a lost weekend.
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Instead of the RAF, as it is an Army show, how about TeeneyWeeney doing the flying bit?