Lancaster Flypast: Ladybower/Derwent/Howden, May 2013?

[dr_gn]

Mutley said:

dr_gn said:

Mutley said:

Question for those who know the area, which side of the dam will be best to view/take photos from?

East side in terms of sun position I think (noted this a couple of weeks ago while biking out there).

Thanks

Slight qualification to that - it was about 11:00 am when I was there last month - I guess by 13:00 the sun will be pretty much overhead, so...hmmm.

Pretty sure for a high vantage point that the East side is still best though.

[dr_gn]

maffski said:

Probably rubbish, but the Daily Mail are saying only people that look like they are out for walking etc. will be let through, spectators for the flypast at the dams will be turned back. So you might want a pair of sturdy shoes and a flask of weak lemon drink.

This site doesn't mention it so that might be an exaggeration, they just say that parking is limited and there's no official spectator support.

I had feared this kind of thing from the wording of the 'official' press releases.

What is the point of a flypast of the Dams if nobody is there to witness it?

How can people not be 'let in'? Let in to where? They can't possibly close of access to the entire area - it's a National Park, covered with access land.

[dr_gn]

I'm aiming to be at Cut Throat Bridge car park or A57 before Ladybower bridge for 10:00am. No idea at all whether this will be early enough.

BTW the Weather forecast is terrible. I always use MWIS and it's always spot on:

http://www.mwis.org.uk/dozfsmsq/PD.PDF

[dr_gn]

maffski said:

Passed through Bamford yesterday on the way to a client, couldn't see any signs up or anything but The Yorkshire Bridge Inn are having a beer festival to celebrate the flypast.

The Yorkshire Bridge Facebook Page said:

The preparations are underway for our 1st beer festival on Thursday taking in the fly past of the Lancaster Bomber, Spitfire, Tornado and others that we are hoping to see fly through Derwent Valley.

We have a great selection of beers to offer, Bradfield Brewery have brewed our own Bombs Gone for the event looking forward to sampling that one! We have Lancaster Bomber, Spitfire, Bombardier on tap. Amber Ales from Ripley have supplied us with Barns Wallis and Dambuster, Deception from Abbeydale Brewery, Buxton Blonde from the Buxton Brewery, Jerusalem - Brampton Brewery, Cornish Knocker - Skinners Brewery (Cornwall), Old Peculier - Theakstones, North Yorkshire.

Plus 3 great tasting real ciders Old Rosie - Weston's, Thatchers Heritage, and from the Moles Brewery Black Rat Cider.

Beer Festival Thursday the 16th May - 19th May 2013

Sounds like anyone not driving should have a very good day

Doubt very much whether the flypast will go ahead looking at the Mountain Weather Forecast for tomorrow. I e-mailed the BBMF to see what's what, but no reply so far. I guess they'll decide tomorrow. Might we get the Tornado's even if the Lancaster is grounded?

[dr_gn]

Mutley said:

dr_gn said:

Doubt very much whether the flypast will go ahead looking at the Mountain Weather Forecast for tomorrow. I e-mailed the BBMF to see what's what, but no reply so far. I guess they'll decide tomorrow. Might we get the Tornado's even if the Lancaster is grounded?

Have been watching the weather the last few days, and am almost resigned to the weather scuppering plans. Will save me an 8 hour round trip, but have been looking forward to this for ages.

The Tornados are all weather(?), so they could still fly. Will keep an eye on the weather through today

There appears to be a combination of snow, thunder, rain and low cloud forecast during the day. I really don't know whether to go anyway, or not bother at all. I've been looking forward to it too.

[dr_gn]

Mutley said:

bbc are giving this for Bamford : http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2656423

Accuweather are saying: "warm with spotted showers"
http://www.accuweather.com/en/gb/hope-valley/s33-0...

This is the one to rely on IMO:

http://www.mwis.org.uk/pd.php

[dr_gn]

ecsrobin said:

BBMF try to avoid flying in the rain due to the damage it inflicts on the wooden propellers. Hopefully the weather forecast improves.

Wooden propellers on a Lancaster??

[dr_gn]

frodo_monkey said:

We are definitely still planning to do the flypast tomorrow - I'm sat authorising another flypast as we speak! And the jets down near Ladybower/Chatsworth yesterday and Monday were us too; practising but also positioning down to Coningsby

You aren't wrong about the weather last week - went down the Dams on Thursday in our freshly-painted tailart jet and the met was awful!

Great! are you straight after the lancaster? I wonder if Lloydh will be there with his camera?

[dr_gn]

lloyd h said:

frodo_monkey said:

Our pair should be two minutes after the Lanc if I remember correctly - there has to be a bit of space in there because of the speed differentials involved

Wings back to 67?

Its three runs for both the Tornados and the Lanc isn't it?

dr_gn said:

frodo_monkey said:

We are definitely still planning to do the flypast tomorrow - I'm sat authorising another flypast as we speak! And the jets down near Ladybower/Chatsworth yesterday and Monday were us too; practising but also positioning down to Coningsby

You aren't wrong about the weather last week - went down the Dams on Thursday in our freshly-painted tailart jet and the met was awful!

Great! are you straight after the lancaster? I wonder if Lloydh will be there with his camera?

Should be there!

Edited by lloyd h on Wednesday 15th May 20:29

Excellent - where will you be? We're heading for Pike Low, the hillside adjacent to the East tower.

[dr_gn]

jonny_bravo said:

A bit of advice needed chaps , I am attempting to get in CutThroat parking early on. Not knowing the area that well , which route would you take to get to the east side , just follow the 57 or go cross country ?

We'll be doing a similar thing. I'd definitely walk A-57, straight through the traffic lights and turn right just before the bridge (along the track to the Derwant dam wall). Cross country is deceptive - you kind of end up on the wrong ridge (Derwent Edge), and it's a treck to get back down again. I think it will be way quicker to keep low and flat.

[dr_gn]

Glorious weather in North Sheffield so far. Looks like a bit of high cloud over the Peak District though.

[dr_gn]

Awesome day.

[dr_gn]

frodo_monkey said:

Sorry, West Malling was turned off for us a while ago.

Hope you enjoyed the flypasts today, the crews are pretty happy with how it went! Unfortunately the geometry of the approach to the dams doesn't lend itself to 67wg/500kts... 300kts in 25wg is a lot better for you to be able to see us!

The boys will be on TV tonight too, BBC2 between 1900 and 2000 - tune on in! They should be doing a nice entrance into Scampton

Yup, really enjoyed the flypasts thanks very much. Shame there weren't a few more!

Here are some pics from Pike Low - not great, but I'm sure LloydH's will be along soon to compensate...

[dr_gn]

lloyd h said:

dr_gn said:

lloyd h said:

frodo_monkey said:

Our pair should be two minutes after the Lanc if I remember correctly - there has to be a bit of space in there because of the speed differentials involved

Wings back to 67?

Its three runs for both the Tornados and the Lanc isn't it?

dr_gn said:

frodo_monkey said:

We are definitely still planning to do the flypast tomorrow - I'm sat authorising another flypast as we speak! And the jets down near Ladybower/Chatsworth yesterday and Monday were us too; practising but also positioning down to Coningsby

You aren't wrong about the weather last week - went down the Dams on Thursday in our freshly-painted tailart jet and the met was awful!

Great! are you straight after the lancaster? I wonder if Lloydh will be there with his camera?

Should be there!

Edited by lloyd h on Wednesday 15th May 20:29

Excellent - where will you be? We're heading for Pike Low, the hillside adjacent to the East tower.

Sorry only just seen this!

Pleased with one or two Lancaster shots but they're not as good as I'd have wanted, Tornado shots are bloody naff


BBMF Avro Lancaster by lloydh.co.uk, on Flickr

I would swap all mine for that one!

[dr_gn]

perdu said:

doc, yours are not so dusty, bloody good in fact

Blimey what rubbish they'd have been if they'd been mine

Lloyd and you have done us and the RAF proud with them

And I like t'other pics too guys, thanks all of you


b

Ta Perdu (and +1) As always I was torm between watching with my own eyes or through a viewfinder. It's days like today that I wish I had a DSLR. Unfortunately there aren't enough days like today to justify the cost...

[dr_gn]

Mutley said:

Mr_B said:

How come the the two hatches forward of the mid-upper turret are always open on the Lancaster ?

I was wondering that yesterday

I think they were originally escape hatches, they probably open them when it's hot like a sunroof!

[dr_gn]

Here's another I found - think of it as a special olympics version of what LloydH's picture might have looked like

[dr_gn]

Mutley said:

dr_gn said:

Here's another I found - think of it as a special olympics version of what LloydH's picture might have looked like

Special Olympics, my arse! Still better than mine:-)

Cropped to within an inch of its life!

It was the middle picture of a 3 image burst (the max. my camera will do without melting). The viewfinder goes blank after the first image so I couldn't even see what I was taking. Not that it would have made much difference - I was nearly weeing myself with excitement at the time.

ETA I was surprised at how much yaw was apparent when they were coming past like that; visibly nose "up". The port wing was always the one with the strongest tip vortex - I guess because it's more normal to the airflow in that attitude, therefore generates more lift? It wasn't like they were rolling to stbd at that point (at least I don't think they were).

I wonder if FrodoMonkey is Sqn. Ldr. J. M. Howard??

Edited by dr_gn on Friday 17th May 23:28

[dr_gn]

lloyd h said:

Mutley said:

dr_gn said:

Here's another I found - think of it as a special olympics version of what LloydH's picture might have looked like

Special Olympics, my arse! Still better than mine:-)

Its better than mine, I fluffed my Tornado shots!


617 Squadron Tornado GR4 by lloydh.co.uk, on Flickr

God yeah I can see you struggled with that one

Come on, post the rest of them...

[dr_gn]

lloyd h said:

dr_gn said:

lloyd h said:

Mutley said:

dr_gn said:

Here's another I found - think of it as a special olympics version of what LloydH's picture might have looked like

Special Olympics, my arse! Still better than mine:-)

Its better than mine, I fluffed my Tornado shots!


617 Squadron Tornado GR4 by lloydh.co.uk, on Flickr

God yeah I can see you struggled with that one

Come on, post the rest of them...

Thats the only half decent Tornado shot I got!


BBMF Avro Lancaster by lloydh.co.uk, on Flickr


BBMF Avro Lancaster by lloydh.co.uk, on Flickr


BBMF Avro Lancaster by lloydh.co.uk, on Flickr

They're all awesome, Tornado included. I've said this before, but you're photos look like hi-res versions of everyone else's!