There were a lot of visitors at the National Memorial to watch the flypast.

Saw them from a bout a mile off over Colchester. Following them on ADSB, I saw they flew round Dover and the white cliffs. Would there have been a photo ship for the occasion as that would make for an awesome photo op.

Saw them from a distance from the beach at Bournemouth - they appeared to route over Poole Bay (a favourite Albert haunt of course). Heartening to hear general public around me commenting "thats the 3 RAF Hercules isn't it?" (todays flight was covered on BBC South last night).

While I appreciate them visiting bases, I rather think they should have overflown the major metropolises of this Country to allow the public to see a resource soon to be squandered. That way a greater amount of the public would have seen them. But regardless, because they didn’t a total waste of fuel.

Haarrumph.
So, bugger everybody else, so long as it was fun for the future shiny arsed crew members.
They could massage their collective egos in the gymnasium changing room.
Why fly over the home-ground of our local terrorist threats - Holyhead, Stranraer, and the other place.
Was that flight over Valley done to encourage the studes not to screw up their fast jet training (rubber dog turds to Hong Kong). Was it done for the Hawk QFIs to have a giggle?

Still can't figure out any reason to fly at 20k through central Scotland. Could somebody please, please, please enlighten me. Was it monkey-puke-sandwich-munching hour? Why all that waffling around North of Lossie? I'm sure that yer average FJ pilot could find 3 Hercs without all that waffle. That's the sort of garbage that a Nav would do "tromboning!!" to sort out timing.
Nice and close was the formation as they flew near to the RWB High St. Such a shame that they missed the actual street.


Did those fuel-stealing thieves at Cambridge deserved attention. Let's remember that they were responsible for storing them after delivery from Lockheed. They just parked them and let the tyres go flat and the rain to come in. They also had the job of painting the machines. Said paint peeled off on the each machine's first flight through cloud.

Allow me to quote you:
"Just let them crack on with it. I’ll bet a good few of those flying probably won’t sit in a military cockpit again, so cut them just a little slack will you?"

NO CHANCE of that mate.

More angst to come if you like!

Along a coastline again. Consider this. The onle folk that can see you are on just one side. Ipso Facto half of the potential audience.

Studland Bay huh?
If only the SF beans realised that they were leaping into an all male cruising area!

EGDLaddict.

The old "balanced viewpoint"; a chip on both shoulders.

Seek help.

Hey Gordon Brown.

You wrote.

"I noticed they flew through the lakes north to south. Have the flow arrows been removed or reversed?"

My dim, distant memory tells me that the very reason for the flow arrows being set up was because of a head on crash between a Tornado another FJ.
The late great John Watts was in the front seat of one of the machines.
A sad outcome caused by glaciation (topographical geography, not wheels of power).

Nipva - I'm rather sure that it was several years before the first probes were bought/attached.

Nice shot here:-
https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/th...halton.750393/

"Nice and close was the formation as they flew near to the RWB High St. Such a shame that they missed the actual street."

Not sure where you stood , i positioned at the War Memorial & watched them over the top & fully visible all the way down until the right turn. No photo evidence as i chose to view the spectacle rather than look at my phone.

You need to go outside more mate, get some fresh air.

They flew over the RM base at Hamworthy, my daughter saw them, she lives a few hundred yards away.
Why did they miss out Thorney Island?

Bye bye Albert
 

Not able to post a link yet, but there is an excellent YouTube video of yesterday’s flypasts (with a few bits from other times.
I Googled (other search engines are available) “raf Hercules retirement fly past” and this was the first video there. By Dafydd Phillips.
Well done Dafydd, a very nostalgic watch; enjoy!

EGDL
'I'm rather sure that it was several years before the first probes were bought/attached'..
Sorry to correct you but here is ZH865 at Laarbruch in early 1999 with probe firmly attached

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....1faff0aca8.jpg

Yeah, the Js were delivered with probes

https://www.flightglobal.com/raf-rec.../29653.article

That did seem to be an odd omission give the almost 10 year association with Albert.
Fairford was not on the list as well, although, the hot weather by all accounts intervened here as reports have indicated the formation ended up diverting to land at Fairford, as the runway at Brize had got a little sticky......:ugh:

Not all were, IIRC, very few probes were initially bought as they were considered as Role Equipment, so most of the fleet didn't have one fitted for quite some time

Delivered in '99, seems like yesterday. Binned in '23, what a waste.

Gutted I missed the flypast yesterday.