He's behind you ...
Thread Starter
He's behind you ...
So, picture this (well OK you don't have to, there's a video) ... you're quietly watching an airshow from the comfort of an off site car park when all of a sudden ....
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Many years ago I was watching the air display at Mildenhall with my father. We had ridden over on his BMW R100, and found a good viewing spot on some waste ground just off the RWY 29 threshold (along with dozens of others, I might add...). One of the display participants was a Rockwell B1 Lancer supersonic bomber. It carried out a "dirty" approach, which every one had their cameras ready for. Then it disappeared, and things went quiet. Unlike all the others I kept an eye out to the east, just in case... I spotted a dot in the distance which RAPIDLY got larger. I tapped dad on the shoulder and he turned round just in time to see it come in at 50ft (or so), wings swept back, and I guessed, doing 400-500 knots. Suffice to say there were a lot of expletives uttered moments later!
Great story mr Pram, it certainly was different back in the day with regards to safe distance from crowds/roads/buildings when flying/displaying etc. Those Lancers are LOUD, so it must have been heart stopping in the moment and left a ringing in the ears for a good while.
SHJ
SHJ
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I remember the B-1 doing somehting similar at Boscombe Down about 20 years ago - a sedate wings unswept display then it disappeared as something else claimed the audience's attention, stage centre.
Was that it?
Somewhere out over Dorset a small brown cloud appeared which grew rapidly larger and proved to be a B-1 shaped exhaust trail - at something close to Mach 1 it pitched up into a very steep climb, aileron rolled once and punched a hole through the light alto stratus!
Was that it?
Somewhere out over Dorset a small brown cloud appeared which grew rapidly larger and proved to be a B-1 shaped exhaust trail - at something close to Mach 1 it pitched up into a very steep climb, aileron rolled once and punched a hole through the light alto stratus!
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The German Navy had a display team called the Vikings back in the late seventies early eighties. Two ship F104s, I saw them at the Brawdy airshow a couple of times. Sneaky buggers used to split and while one was demonstrating a slow and dirty run his oppo would do a low fast run just behind him so while everyone was watching his mate, whooom he would shoot past.
As elf and safety was a bit slacker in them days we'd all end up covered in grass cuttings and smelling of kero! Actually one year there was an inversion or something as there were two shock waves, one as the aircraft passed and another a few seconds afterwards
As elf and safety was a bit slacker in them days we'd all end up covered in grass cuttings and smelling of kero! Actually one year there was an inversion or something as there were two shock waves, one as the aircraft passed and another a few seconds afterwards
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@ SHJ - We were on this bit of waste ground, so judge the distance for yourself:
There was a rough track leading from the side of the A1101 which was just wide enough to walk (or get a motorcycle) down. The Yanks weren't particularly happy with people being there, but nothing they could do about it! IIRC we managed to claim a spot on a large pile of sand/gravel, which got our view above the top of the fence. There was nowhere else one could park a car nearby, and we didn't get caught up in long queues when it was time to head home. Looking on Google Street View it appears the trees have since grown considerably, so I doubt this spot would be much good now.
I can vaguely (I was only about 8) remember Lightnings doing something similar at Coltishall, back in the early 60's, when the base had airshows of their own. They did the legendary pull-up into a vertical climb, and (probably) went supersonic in the process - I do remember they were LOUD...
There was a rough track leading from the side of the A1101 which was just wide enough to walk (or get a motorcycle) down. The Yanks weren't particularly happy with people being there, but nothing they could do about it! IIRC we managed to claim a spot on a large pile of sand/gravel, which got our view above the top of the fence. There was nowhere else one could park a car nearby, and we didn't get caught up in long queues when it was time to head home. Looking on Google Street View it appears the trees have since grown considerably, so I doubt this spot would be much good now.
I can vaguely (I was only about 8) remember Lightnings doing something similar at Coltishall, back in the early 60's, when the base had airshows of their own. They did the legendary pull-up into a vertical climb, and (probably) went supersonic in the process - I do remember they were LOUD...
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Ha ha nice one Just A Spotter
. I had something similar happen to me at Waddington air show. I was on first aid duty and assisting in treating a casualty who had tripped over a taxi light.. (usual incident, "look at the helicopter landing, look at the jet on approach and BANG watch out for the taxi light) and broke their collar bone. I was supporting the casualty's arm whilst it was being strapped, when I heard, what I thought was a medium size jet taxing. I thought there was enough time to treat the casualty and then put my ear plugs in. It turn out to be nimrod waiting to take off...and no ear plugs 
, after that I made sure I was outside all day after that. Happy days though
. I had something similar happen to me at Waddington air show. I was on first aid duty and assisting in treating a casualty who had tripped over a taxi light.. (usual incident, "look at the helicopter landing, look at the jet on approach and BANG watch out for the taxi light) and broke their collar bone. I was supporting the casualty's arm whilst it was being strapped, when I heard, what I thought was a medium size jet taxing. I thought there was enough time to treat the casualty and then put my ear plugs in. It turn out to be nimrod waiting to take off...and no ear plugs , after that I made sure I was outside all day after that. Happy days though
I witnessed a similar event way back in May 1961 and recorded part of the event on 8mm cine film, but with no sound unfortunately!.
74 Sqn were displaying their Lightnings at the Paris (Le Bourget) Airshow (24th Paris Salon Aéronautique) in May 1961. See the screen grabs below. Displayed as grabbed frames the quality is poor, but they look 100% better when projected.
I was one of the two crews from 99 and 511 Sqn that crewed a RAF Transport Command Britannia that was on static display or the duration of the display. One of my better trips IMHO.
The flying display programme was long, lasting (with a lunchtime interval of an hour-and-a-half) from nearly ten in the morning till after six in the evening and had something for everyone.
As I recall after 53-years (with the help of some notes made at the time), 74's display as led by Sqn Ldr John Howe was first class and consisted of wingovers with nine aircraft (in 1961 the largest number of Lightnings ever seen publicly together) and rolls with four. One manoeuvre at the end had the Parisian spectators on their feet applauding.
As the main formation of Lightnings wheeled away to the front with spectators turning to watch them, a singleton flown by Flt. Lt. Ken Goodwin, who'd detached himself from the nine-man formation came screaming from behind the spectators at near sonic speed with his afterburners at full blast and at very low-level just over the spectator’s heads.
The sudden shock of noise hit like a thunderclap and startled everyone, but when it was realised that it was part of the display and spectators had recovered from the shock, they were on their feet and clapping in a very appreciative manner, something I’d never experienced before, especially as it was the French applauding the British!
Flt Lt Goodwin then did a solo aerobatics display which included Derry turns and low inverted fly-bys.
Screen grabs from my 8-mm cine film below.
Our Brit on display with the French queuing to go through the aircraft - in through the front and out at the back.
74 Sqn were displaying their Lightnings at the Paris (Le Bourget) Airshow (24th Paris Salon Aéronautique) in May 1961. See the screen grabs below. Displayed as grabbed frames the quality is poor, but they look 100% better when projected.
I was one of the two crews from 99 and 511 Sqn that crewed a RAF Transport Command Britannia that was on static display or the duration of the display. One of my better trips IMHO.
The flying display programme was long, lasting (with a lunchtime interval of an hour-and-a-half) from nearly ten in the morning till after six in the evening and had something for everyone.
As I recall after 53-years (with the help of some notes made at the time), 74's display as led by Sqn Ldr John Howe was first class and consisted of wingovers with nine aircraft (in 1961 the largest number of Lightnings ever seen publicly together) and rolls with four. One manoeuvre at the end had the Parisian spectators on their feet applauding.
As the main formation of Lightnings wheeled away to the front with spectators turning to watch them, a singleton flown by Flt. Lt. Ken Goodwin, who'd detached himself from the nine-man formation came screaming from behind the spectators at near sonic speed with his afterburners at full blast and at very low-level just over the spectator’s heads.
The sudden shock of noise hit like a thunderclap and startled everyone, but when it was realised that it was part of the display and spectators had recovered from the shock, they were on their feet and clapping in a very appreciative manner, something I’d never experienced before, especially as it was the French applauding the British!
Flt Lt Goodwin then did a solo aerobatics display which included Derry turns and low inverted fly-bys.
Screen grabs from my 8-mm cine film below.
Our Brit on display with the French queuing to go through the aircraft - in through the front and out at the back.
In the 60s, we were at Gaydon for a B o B display on S&R standby with the Whirlwind. IIRC next door was a USAF Husky. The Sparrows were flying Gnats and made a quite spirited arrival. Didn't notice that they were two short until those two joined the fun from opposite directions and the one on our side went past between us and the Husky (and I DO mean between) BELOW rotor height. Immersion suits were appropriate wear!
That was also the only time I saw the Diable Rouges in action in their Fougas ... stunning performance and aero sequences that I have never seen elsewhere.
That was also the only time I saw the Diable Rouges in action in their Fougas ... stunning performance and aero sequences that I have never seen elsewhere.
