PPRuNe Forums

PPRuNe Forums (https://www.pprune.org/)
-   Military Aviation (https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation-57/)
-   -   Russia marks VE day with 75 aircraft flypast (https://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/632311-russia-marks-ve-day-75-aircraft-flypast.html)

Phantom Driver 8th May 2020 16:30

Russia marks VE day with 75 aircraft flypast
 
Looking at today's events , apart from the Reds and a Spit , I saw 2 ship Typhoons overhead Edinburgh/Cardiff/Belfast . Is the RAF so short of jets that they cannot muster even a lowly 4 ship at each venue ? I know triumphalism is not in order , but I think Joe Public ( in lockdown mode ) would have appreciated a rather more substantial view of where all that defense money is going .

Whether you approve or not , VE day needs to be marked properly as yet another reminder of past mistakes never to be repeated . All the old timers I heard stressed this point .

GeeRam 8th May 2020 16:57

Especially given the lack of civvie air traffic at the moment, it all does seem a bit limp, but sad sign of the times I'm afraid.


Chris Scott 8th May 2020 17:06


Originally Posted by Phantom Driver (Post 10776488)
Looking at today's events , apart from the Reds and a Spit , I saw 2 ship Typhoons overhead Edinburgh/Cardiff/Belfast . Is the RAF so short of jets that they cannot muster even a lowly 4 ship at each venue ? I know triumphalism is not in order , but I think Joe Public ( in lockdown mode ) would have appreciated a rather more substantial view of where all that defense money is going .

Whether you approve or not , VE day needs to be marked properly as yet another reminder of past mistakes never to be repeated . All the old timers I heard stressed this point .

I hear that Russia celebrates VE day tomorrow, as East Berlin may not have surrendered until the 9th?

Share your sentiments on a missed opportunity to remind more of us that we still have an RAF, but what and whose "past mistakes" are you referring to?

Pali 8th May 2020 18:13


Originally Posted by Chris Scott (Post 10776508)
I hear that Russia celebrates VE day tomorrow, as East Berlin may not have surrendered until the 9th?

Share your sentiments on a missed opportunity to remind more of us that we still have an RAF, but what and whose "past mistakes" are you referring to?

When Germany surrendered it was already after midnight Moscow time. This was the reason why Soviet block celebrated on 9th of May during Cold war and Russians do so even today.

tdracer 8th May 2020 20:48

I've been expecting some sort of VE day flyover from the nearby Paine Field (four aircraft museums there, two of which (Flying Heritage and Historic Flight) have large collections of WWII flight worthy war birds. But the only thing so far has been a couple C-17s taking off (very unusual to see C-17s there, but I doubt there is relationship to VE day).
Too bad - the weather is beautiful today, and normally it would be common to see a few WWII vintage war birds flying around during nice weather such as today.

wiggy 8th May 2020 22:19


Originally Posted by tdracer (Post 10776671)
I've been expecting some sort of VE day flyover from the nearby Paine Field (four aircraft museums there, two of which (Flying Heritage and Historic Flight) have large collections of WWII flight worthy war birds.

Just a thought - given the that you folks invested a lot of effort in the Pacific Theatre wouldn't the celebration of VJ Day be perhaps more widely celebrated in your part of the world?

In the context of the thread I think VE day has (almost) been ignored in the UK until recent years. OTOH where I am now (France) it has for the last two decades I have been here and no doubt before marked by a small quiet commemoration at the local war memorial attended by a few locals of various nationalities and local politicians...

Scratch the surface and look at the local family histories and you find out (if you can get people to talk about them) that they are very complex with often a mix of grandparents/great grandparents who were French, Spanish (where we are we apparently had thousands of refugees from that Civil War), and yes, there's the odd German ancestor in the mix.....so it's seen as a day of European reconciliation/peace rather than Victory..

racedo 8th May 2020 22:38


Originally Posted by wiggy (Post 10776748)
Just a thought - given the that you folks invested a lot of effort in the Pacific Theatre wouldn't the celebration of VJ Day be perhaps more widely celebrated in your part of the world?

In the context of the thread I think VE day has (almost) been ignored in the UK until recent years. OTOH where I am now (France) it has for the last two decades I have been here and no doubt before marked by a small quiet commemoration at the local war memorial attended by a few locals of various nationalities and local politicians...

Scratch the surface and look at the local family histories and you find out (if you can get people to talk about them) that they are very complex with often a mix of grandparents/great grandparents who were French, Spanish (refugees from the Civil War), and yes, there's the odd German ancestor in the mix.....so it's seen as a day of European reconciliation/peace rather than Victory..

Some 20 plus years ago I flew for 3-4 days into Bordeaux and wandered off into Dordogne, best short break I ever had.

8th of May in Montigniac the road was closed so parked and walked to the memorial in advance of a small parade. Local gendarme (in his 30's I reckon) walked along and each lady he came to he removed his hat to say hello and speak with them. Judging by his manner and behavious it was something that did not look contrived or makey up just the normal politeness I have seen in rural France
I have seldom eaten as well on such a short break.

8th of May was not the end of the war everywhere as St Nazaire pocket did not surrender until 11th of May.

Phantom Driver 8th May 2020 23:20


Originally Posted by Chris Scott (Post 10776508)
I hear that Russia celebrates VE day tomorrow, as East Berlin may not have surrendered until the 9th?

Share your sentiments on a missed opportunity to remind more of us that we still have an RAF, but what and whose "past mistakes" are you referring to?

There are enough history books that debate the "mistakes" on all sides that lead to wars . Thank God that generally , Good does triumph over Evil (so far) .
However my intention is not to debate politics or philosophy , but to ask a simple question about numbers ; not enough aircraft ? Pilots ? Funds to run the show ? Maybe somebody knows .

tdracer 9th May 2020 02:40


Originally Posted by Phantom Driver (Post 10776796)
However my intention is not to debate politics or philosophy , but to ask a simple question about numbers ; not enough aircraft ? Pilots ? Funds to run the show ? Maybe somebody knows .

Looks like, at least on this side of the pond, it's all due to the Covid lock down. I got this email from the Commemorative Air Force (aka the Confederate Air Force before that name became non-PC):

Today is the 75th Anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE Day). We know so many of you were planning to be in Washington DC to watch the Arsenal of Democracy Victory Capital Flyover which has been postponed until September 25th. Despite not having the National flyover today as planned, WWII veterans around the world were recognized for their service on this momentous anniversary. A significant number of events (both physical and digital), along with news coverage, ensured that VE Day was acknowledged.
I also got a similar email from Smithsonian Air & Space (I occasionally donate money to both organizations - also the Collins Foundation although the report on their B-17 crash has me reconsidering Collins).
Wish I'd know about the Sept 25 flyover sooner - I had plans to go fly to Washington DC for vacation in April. I rescheduled everything to mid-September due to Covid, but I'll be leaving a week before the flyover...

Chris Scott 9th May 2020 16:09


Originally Posted by Pali (Post 10776555)
When Germany surrendered it was already after midnight Moscow time. This was the reason why Soviet block celebrated on 9th of May during Cold war and Russians do so even today.

Thanks for setting me straight on that, Pali. In my ignorance of the history, I was misinterpreting something I had heard said yesterday on BBC Radio 4 by Max Hastings, the journalist and historian of WW2. He put the Russian date of May 9th down to the fact that there had had to be a second surrender ceremony in Berlin. The first one at Reims had been rejected as illegitimate by Stalin because it did not include the Soviets. That is correct. But what he omitted to explain was that the Berlin ceremony was held on the very late evening of May 8th GMT and Berlin time, by which time it was May 9th in Moscow.

Just a spotter 9th May 2020 16:49

Video of Moscow commerations, flyby from 6:15


JAS

Lonewolf_50 9th May 2020 19:03


Originally Posted by wiggy (Post 10776748)
Just a thought - given the that you folks invested a lot of effort in the Pacific Theatre wouldn't the celebration of VJ Day be perhaps more widely celebrated in your part of the world?

History lesson time: you might want to do a little research under the search terms "Europe First" and "FDR" and "Admiral Earnest King."
Admiral King was no Anglophile, and during his term on the combined staffs his battles to get more assets assigned to the Pacific Theater are well documented. VE Day and D Day are and were a big deal. Both were ETO events.

VJ Day was also a very big day - it's not an either / or deal, it's a both - since it meant that the War was over, rather than extending what some had projected to be at least another year if the home islands were to be invaded and occupied. By then the Soviets and the other Allies were already giving each other the needle in Europe. (And a few years later, my dad was in Berlin during the Blockade) .

Chris: ooh, thanks for that tidbit.

Phantom Driver 9th May 2020 23:05


Originally Posted by Just a spotter (Post 10777545)
Video of Moscow commerations, flyby from 6:15

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cXoIcQcwnQ

JAS

Thanks for the post ; minimal coverage ( perhaps understandably) in Western msm of the flypast . Looked like a max effort from the Russian Air Force , appropriate for the occasion . 26 million Soviet citizens dead in that war is quite staggering .

( p.s I thought Russia had no money / was under severe sanctions....)

megan 10th May 2020 02:49


I thought Russia had no money / was under severe sanctions
But they've got all that oil and no where to sell it at the moment, and run out of storage space, what better way to use some of it up.

peterperfect 10th May 2020 03:59

At 12:30 in the video, the real high quality close up of the display team. That's CGI right ?

Lookleft 10th May 2020 04:45


At 12:30 in the video, the real high quality close up of the display team. That's CGI right ?
Unless the Ruskies have some amazing drone technology!

Just a spotter 10th May 2020 09:36


Originally Posted by peterperfect (Post 10777890)
At 12:30 in the video, the real high quality close up of the display team. That's CGI right ?

It's an impressive looking shot, but if you look closely, on the pan around the 'aircraft' the helmets in the cockpit appear white, and don't match the in-cockpit shot that follows.

Makes you wonder how much of the flyby in the cilp is genuine.

JAS

Harley Quinn 10th May 2020 11:50


Originally Posted by Just a spotter (Post 10778090)
It's an impressive looking shot, but if you look closely, on the pan around the 'aircraft' the helmets in the cockpit appear white, and don't match the in-cockpit shot that follows.

Makes you wonder how much of the flyby in the cilp is genuine.

JAS

Was under the impression that Russian helmets were white, especially the type with 4 holes above the forehead

Phantom Driver 10th May 2020 15:58


Originally Posted by Just a spotter (Post 10778090)

Makes you wonder how much of the flyby in the cilp is genuine.

JAS

Won't be the first time creative editing has been used to enhance the experience for a tv audience .

So , last question ; did anyone actually SEE the flypast ....

A_Van 10th May 2020 18:04


Originally Posted by Phantom Driver (Post 10778428)
Won't be the first time creative editing has been used to enhance the experience for a tv audience .

So , last question ; did anyone actually SEE the flypast ....

I did, as did millions in Moscow and suburbs on the route. Even know some guys who were REALLY up there in cockpits.


All times are GMT. The time now is 23:01.


Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.