BBMF Low Flying Complaint
 

My garden party was rudely interrupted yesterday by the appearance of the Lancaster and two other aircraft which passed the Quantock hills on a northerly heading. The intrusion caused all conversation to stop and my guests to point at the aircraft, uttering words such as "wow" and "look at that". The children were forced to leave the swimming pool and run over to the gap in the hedge to get a decent view. One little chap was heard to shout "that's really cool". I appreciate that such aircraft need to be flown as a national memorial however could you please fly lower and closer to my property. I expect my guests to say "bloody hell" whenever you put in an appearance.

Excellent work chaps, keep it up :D

Some people have all the luck.
Late one afternoon at Fairoaks, I was about to close down AFIS when the phone rang.
Lady in Byfleet saying there had been an aircraft aerobatting over her house for about 20 min. I could see a Spitfire doing that and Heathrow had told me about it doing a display at Brooklands. The second I said it was a Spitfire, the lady said 'ooh is that what it is? That's all right then'!

I may have glanced at my watch and mentioned that they were 30 seconds early. ;)

My neighbours were furious. They were out and missed it entirely.

I know - said Lancaster roared over my house yesterday lunchtime. I was furious - couldn't get the damned front door open quick enough to go and see. And the crew didnt have the common decency to do a second pass! I am just about to pen a letter of complaint to the Chief of the Air Staff and my MP.

Someone at Coningsby must have had a word. The Lancaster and Dakota have just flown past slightly to the east of my house and the Spitfire and Hurricane just slightly to the west. It was jolly nice of them to come back and do it properly this time, just after lunch too.

Apology accepted. :D

It's such a shame that the nav kit in BBMF aircraft doesn't seem to be quite good enough to allow them to find N52°43’42” W002°59’48”. There again, no modern fast jet has ever managed to find it either. :E

I recall the occasion when Concorde was due to do some crew training at Brize....

There were many complaints afterwards - because 'they' had cancelled the visit due to worries about noise complaints. As a result, 'they' received complaints from people who'd travelled from far and wide to see Concorde and had been disappointed when the session had been cancelled at short notice!

I also received a 'negative noise complaint' from the mayor of Cartoontown. One of her constituents had complained that one of our little flying club aircraft had flown over his house (at 1000ft agl) and he wanted the matter brought to her attention. Which it was - she basically told him to FOIFP and wrote to me to say how much she enjoyed seeing our little black aeroplanes pottering about overhead - so would I please ignore anything I heard from him in future!

During the Bournemouth Airshow, the BBMF came right over my house while I was entertaining guests in the garden. I tried to convince my guests. one of whom had been in the RAF, that I had arranged it for their benefit

Was in the back garden of a pub in Arundel one afternoon last week. Repeated interruptions by the Spitfires from Goodwood really made/ruined* my afternoon.

*Which do you think... ?

So, it's about 1 p.m. today and I'm sat in front of my computer then, suddenly, there's a LOT of engine noise. So I dive out of the front door and look up and there's a Lancaster straight above me (I say about 250 but more likely 500 ft.). With a DC3 just off to the right. (And a couple of fighters a bit off to the north. I did wonder where the Hurricane and Spitfire were)

It's just that yesterday we (Madsmum and I) were round at a mates for a barbie and, during the afternoon, there was lots of engine noise which turned out to be a DC3 and a Hurricane. Magic, we thought (we couldn't see them that well because of trees). Then 1/2 hour later I scared my wife to death by suddenly standing up in front of her, pointing over her head, and shouting 'Lancaster' at her. Because we now had the full BBMF heading towards us.

Some weekends turn out better than others.

Not widely known but the BBMF Dakota was nearly written off whilst with its previous owners at Farnborough; an undercarriage collapse when lined up before takeoff caused one of those wingtips to make contact with the runway thus 'bending' the wing and badly wrinkling the skin. The prop also contacted the ground, breaking away from the engine and bounced up to hit the fuselage right in the middle of the forward escape hatch.
All fixed by the marvellous engineers in Base Workshops at Farnborough though!:D

Just been at Duxford watching people part with £2750 to fly in the two seat Spitfires - lots of Merlin noise, 4 Tiger Moths and two Rapides operating as well. However, stopped at Husbands Bosworth yesterday to watch things - Gliding Centre's 65th Anniversary, and someone flying a "display" in the Beech 18 was IMHO way below legal minimums, especially across the public highway (and not on the approach). If things had gone wrong could have been a nasty

A few years ago now, I was lucky enough to be in the circuit at my local airport, when the BBMF called up to transit the zone. I was asked to orbit and came out of the turn to see them about a mile ahead and passing slightly above me. I tried in vain to pursue them for a closer view. It was however a magnificent sight!

Having just about got over the disappointment, whilst sitting in the MCC Committee Room as a a guest of the President ten days ago, along with more Admirals, Generals, and Air Marshals than you could poke a stick at, and seeing the Royal Navy being comprehensively outplayed by both the Army and the Royal Air Force, I was looking forward to a fairly day uneventful today, with the highlight being a guest at an alfresco lunch in my corner of darkest Somerset.

But, oh no, it wasn't uneventful at all - firstly, an appearance from Fighter Command as the English Riviera Express went up the Avon Valley past the house, steam hauled by 34052 Lord Dowding with ten beautiful cream and carmine carriages at about 0830, and then, only five minutes after arriving at Farleigh Hungerford for lunch, Bomber Command struck with the wonderful sound of four Merlins in concert as PA474 swept straight and low overhead en route to the Weston super Mud Air Festival! Just wonderful, with lots of heart-warming spontaneous applause, followed by a thoroughly enjoyable lunch, and the day isn't over yet, since Fighter Command in the shape of Lord Dowding is due to make a second appearance in less than an hour on the way back to Bristol.

A very happy Jack

Rochford
 

Driving along eastwoodbury lane which happened to be the western end of the old runway at Rochford aerodrome ..now sarfend le smoke..in our 67 Bristol V8 with open sunroof and saw the spit and hurricane just airborne..wacked them into low level 360 and formed on the Lanc's wing tips. Crossed overhead below 50ft..made her indoors day (And subsequently mine) as her dad had flown in the latter.
Nearly as good was mooring outside the display line at sarfend air show where the participants turned low level away from the crowds on the cliffs. F111 with reheat made my liver wobble.

Mr Jack sir,

You may have the opportunity to travel behind Lord Dowding when she spends a few months on the superb West Somerset Railway this autumn. She may appear as her alter ego "Braunton" but even the BBMF Lanc changes her spots every now and again. With any luck, I'll be doing the shovelling.

Ah, I wondered where she was going when she came directly over my house yesterday noon-time - luckily I was handily placed to dash out into the garden for maximum (if brief) enjoyment. :)

Fortunately I was already outside (between Taunton and Bridgwater) chasing in some flashing on the balcony. The chasing in had to wait for a minute or two until they had passed (including the Dak closing off the flypast).