Aircraft you should have seen but haven't.
Discussion
ecsrobin said:
951TSE said:
Yertis said:
Where to start? There are so many... MiGs 23 and 25, Tempest V, Beaufighter... Belfast, Constellation, Liberator, Black Widow.
I'm not giving up though. When I was a kid I thought I'd missed all the great classes of steam locomotive. In the last eight years I've seen most of them race past my house.
Well that Lufthansa site referenced earlier seems to suggest that you will get the constellation sooner rather than later.I'm not giving up though. When I was a kid I thought I'd missed all the great classes of steam locomotive. In the last eight years I've seen most of them race past my house.
http://www.dlbs.de/en/Projects/Lockheed-Superstar/...
On refelection, I wouldn't count aircraft that ceased flying before I was in a position to see them - such as long retired World War 1 or World War 2 aircraft - or even the XB-70, which was retired in 1969 when I was only 11 years old and not living in California - where it conducted virtually all its flying.
I would limit my regret for missing aircraft to aircraft I MIGHT have had a chance to see in the air but due to circumstances never got around to seeing them.
On that basis I would delete the X-15 from my list but retain the Space Shuttle. I could have, if I'd made a bit of an effort and paid the money, gone to the US to see a launch or a landing - but never got around to it. I did see it pass overhead in orbit a few times but that doesn't really count.
I would limit my regret for missing aircraft to aircraft I MIGHT have had a chance to see in the air but due to circumstances never got around to seeing them.
On that basis I would delete the X-15 from my list but retain the Space Shuttle. I could have, if I'd made a bit of an effort and paid the money, gone to the US to see a launch or a landing - but never got around to it. I did see it pass overhead in orbit a few times but that doesn't really count.
Eric - That makes it very difficult.
I would go for two
Firstly the F-105's that deployed to RAF Sculthorpe in the 80's - I missed them arrive on the day and never went back to get them.
Secondly a colleague of mine phoned in the mid 90's and said can you get out to MacDill AFB in Florida this Friday ( this was Tuesday ) - I was due to be on business elsewhere - he worked for a large Software Vendor in the USA and had been talking to some Colonel in the USAF at a software demo and he offered him two seats in two F-16B's - needless to say I wish now I had taken it - he did and sends me reminder pictures every year.
ETA - He did barf a lot
I would go for two
Firstly the F-105's that deployed to RAF Sculthorpe in the 80's - I missed them arrive on the day and never went back to get them.
Secondly a colleague of mine phoned in the mid 90's and said can you get out to MacDill AFB in Florida this Friday ( this was Tuesday ) - I was due to be on business elsewhere - he worked for a large Software Vendor in the USA and had been talking to some Colonel in the USAF at a software demo and he offered him two seats in two F-16B's - needless to say I wish now I had taken it - he did and sends me reminder pictures every year.
ETA - He did barf a lot
It chimes with the "should" in the thread title.
I'm old enough to have seen a lot of the aircraft that I could and should have seen fly - but there are a few that escaped me. The Constellation was almost an example. Way back in 1974 a school mate of mine said to me, "You'll never guess what's turned up at Dublin Airport - a Lockheed Constellation". It was an original short fuselage version which had been hired by a meat exporting company to fly meat out to North Africa.
I dashed over to the airport that weekend (I was 15 at the time) to see it before it departed. I was hoping to see it fly. However, it just sat there. The next time I went to the airport, about a fortnight later, it was running its engines - but didn't take off.
The company that owned it then went bust and the Connie sat at Dublin for the next 9 years gradually mouldering and corroding. It was eventually saved by the Science Museum and transported by road to Wroughton - where it was refurbished and is now stored.
I thought I would never get to see a Connie fly - until last year when the one shown above flew at Farnborough. It was worth the 40 year wait.
I'm old enough to have seen a lot of the aircraft that I could and should have seen fly - but there are a few that escaped me. The Constellation was almost an example. Way back in 1974 a school mate of mine said to me, "You'll never guess what's turned up at Dublin Airport - a Lockheed Constellation". It was an original short fuselage version which had been hired by a meat exporting company to fly meat out to North Africa.
I dashed over to the airport that weekend (I was 15 at the time) to see it before it departed. I was hoping to see it fly. However, it just sat there. The next time I went to the airport, about a fortnight later, it was running its engines - but didn't take off.
The company that owned it then went bust and the Connie sat at Dublin for the next 9 years gradually mouldering and corroding. It was eventually saved by the Science Museum and transported by road to Wroughton - where it was refurbished and is now stored.
I thought I would never get to see a Connie fly - until last year when the one shown above flew at Farnborough. It was worth the 40 year wait.
Dr Jekyll said:
What aircraft types would you like to see flying, are around to be seen, but you have somehow missed?
JU52 for me. I've seen them parked but never flying.
The Swiss one which does pleasure flights from Dubendorf flew over our flat all the time: gets a bit wearing after a while, tbh...JU52 for me. I've seen them parked but never flying.
Super Constellations were still in and out of Gatwick in the early 70s when I used to go along with my Ian Allan books and pencil. There was also a plethora of Britannias, Viscounts and even the odd rare Dakota too.
They looked very old fashioned among the jets of the time - VC10s, noisy old BAC111s (especially the smokey Dan Dare operated ones), DC8, stretch DC8s, DC9s, DC10s and Tristars. But we all stood and stopped as CF-FAN, the Wardair Jumbo used to just about scrape in and out on the old runway length. Blimey, asll that time ago and I can still remember it's reg - and the sister 727 that Wardair ran into Gatwick, CF-FUN.
Spotting used to take place from the roof of the fingers. There were steps down to the apron which were pretty much open season. One day, a mate and I (still kids) went down the steps, across the apron, over to the BCAL maintenance area via the end of the runway and instead of being shot as terrorists, were invited on board a 707 where we "helped" the engineers turn the four overhead switches to start the engines. Nobody gave a toss about our arrival and we walked back the same way. Totally unbelievable these days I know, but it happened.
Anyway, I digress driven by nostalgia of the evocative plane names mentioned by other posters - back on topic. I think I have missed seeing a lot of more recent military stuff and all the spacecraft, but saw pretty much everything civil of my generation, and over the last 30 years have probably flown on pretty much everything that Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier have to offer - plus a few SAABs, Islanders, couple of seaplanes and other light a/c, choppers and twin prop city / island hoppers.
Never been in a jet fighter of any sort though, would love to one day (please Santa, make it a Lightning, Starfighter, Viggen or Draken)
.
They looked very old fashioned among the jets of the time - VC10s, noisy old BAC111s (especially the smokey Dan Dare operated ones), DC8, stretch DC8s, DC9s, DC10s and Tristars. But we all stood and stopped as CF-FAN, the Wardair Jumbo used to just about scrape in and out on the old runway length. Blimey, asll that time ago and I can still remember it's reg - and the sister 727 that Wardair ran into Gatwick, CF-FUN.
Spotting used to take place from the roof of the fingers. There were steps down to the apron which were pretty much open season. One day, a mate and I (still kids) went down the steps, across the apron, over to the BCAL maintenance area via the end of the runway and instead of being shot as terrorists, were invited on board a 707 where we "helped" the engineers turn the four overhead switches to start the engines. Nobody gave a toss about our arrival and we walked back the same way. Totally unbelievable these days I know, but it happened.
Anyway, I digress driven by nostalgia of the evocative plane names mentioned by other posters - back on topic. I think I have missed seeing a lot of more recent military stuff and all the spacecraft, but saw pretty much everything civil of my generation, and over the last 30 years have probably flown on pretty much everything that Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier have to offer - plus a few SAABs, Islanders, couple of seaplanes and other light a/c, choppers and twin prop city / island hoppers.
Never been in a jet fighter of any sort though, would love to one day (please Santa, make it a Lightning, Starfighter, Viggen or Draken)
. It's amazing what triggers memories: I was on a Wardair 747's maiden flight from Toronto to Manchester on August 30th, 1973, landing at 13:00 I think. I was sat in row A in line with the rear of the wing. It parked at the end of the peer where the Emirates A380s do now. I was seven.
I have never seen an F14 in the air, and wish I could have seen the B36, B58, XB70, and Saturn V fly.
I have never seen an F14 in the air, and wish I could have seen the B36, B58, XB70, and Saturn V fly.
Edited by V8LM on Wednesday 2nd September 07:02
Eric Mc said:
On refelection, I wouldn't count aircraft that ceased flying before I was in a position to see them - such as long retired World War 1 or World War 2 aircraft - or even the XB-70, which was retired in 1969 when I was only 11 years old and not living in California - where it conducted virtually all its flying.
I would limit my regret for missing aircraft to aircraft I MIGHT have had a chance to see in the air but due to circumstances never got around to seeing them.
On that basis I would delete the X-15 from my list but retain the Space Shuttle. I could have, if I'd made a bit of an effort and paid the money, gone to the US to see a launch or a landing - but never got around to it. I did see it pass overhead in orbit a few times but that doesn't really count.
I'm quite lucky with the Shuttle.I would limit my regret for missing aircraft to aircraft I MIGHT have had a chance to see in the air but due to circumstances never got around to seeing them.
On that basis I would delete the X-15 from my list but retain the Space Shuttle. I could have, if I'd made a bit of an effort and paid the money, gone to the US to see a launch or a landing - but never got around to it. I did see it pass overhead in orbit a few times but that doesn't really count.
Was on hols in Florida in 1990 when there was a launch scheduled. We drive down to Daytona Beach to watch, and they scrubbed the launch at t- 8 seconds.
Luckily, I did get to see her when she came to Europe for the Paris Air Show.
onyx39 said:
I'm quite lucky with the Shuttle.
Was on hols in Florida in 1990 when there was a launch scheduled. We drive down to Daytona Beach to watch, and they scrubbed the launch at t- 8 seconds.
Luckily, I did get to see her when she came to Europe for the Paris Air Show.
Timing a holiday with a Shuttle launch was always a tricky thing to do - mainly because Shuttle launches were prone to scrubs. All rockets are tricky to get off the ground but the Shuttle was trickier than most.Was on hols in Florida in 1990 when there was a launch scheduled. We drive down to Daytona Beach to watch, and they scrubbed the launch at t- 8 seconds.
Luckily, I did get to see her when she came to Europe for the Paris Air Show.
Seen plenty pf P-51s and even a couple of SR-71s. Saw an F-117 perform a flypast at Farnborough one year (2004).
Missed the B2 when it did a Farnborough flypast in 1996 (I think).
Interesting fact about the Mustang is that some of the people who worked on the design of the P-51 also worked on the design of the Space Shuttle orbiter as they were built by the same company.
Missed the B2 when it did a Farnborough flypast in 1996 (I think).
Interesting fact about the Mustang is that some of the people who worked on the design of the P-51 also worked on the design of the Space Shuttle orbiter as they were built by the same company.
Eric Mc said:
onyx39 said:
I'm quite lucky with the Shuttle.
Was on hols in Florida in 1990 when there was a launch scheduled. We drive down to Daytona Beach to watch, and they scrubbed the launch at t- 8 seconds.
Luckily, I did get to see her when she came to Europe for the Paris Air Show.
Timing a holiday with a Shuttle launch was always a tricky thing to do - mainly because Shuttle launches were prone to scrubs. All rockets are tricky to get off the ground but the Shuttle was trickier than most.Was on hols in Florida in 1990 when there was a launch scheduled. We drive down to Daytona Beach to watch, and they scrubbed the launch at t- 8 seconds.
Luckily, I did get to see her when she came to Europe for the Paris Air Show.
Eric Mc said:
I thought I would never get to see a Connie fly - until last year when the one shown above flew at Farnborough. It was worth the 40 year wait.
Along with the AV8B, was the absolute highlight of Farnborough for me.
Farnborough 2014 Saturday 685 by Jim Pritchard, on Flickr
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