Your best warbird seen flying?
Discussion
Dr Jekyll said:
j4ckos mate said:
Old stuff I would say sally b the b17 or the Catalina
Whatever happened to them two?
Sally B is still flying, though rarely strays far from Duxford these days.Whatever happened to them two?
The Catalina was involved in a fatal accident during a water landing. It was not seriously damaged, and was sold but I believe got scrapped a few years later.
Not necessarily the best warbird but a sight I will remember which just felt 'right' was when driving south in the early evening with the sun low in the sky on the A140 from Norwich through countryside littered with old WWII bomber airfields, Sally B appeared in the East and crossed the road in front of me heading West towards Duxford silhouetted in the low sunlight. Lump in the throat moment that was and one of those where a camera just wouldn't have done it justice. 
aeropilot said:
Dr Jekyll said:
j4ckos mate said:
Old stuff I would say sally b the b17 or the Catalina
Whatever happened to them two?
Sally B is still flying, though rarely strays far from Duxford these days.Whatever happened to them two?
The Catalina was involved in a fatal accident during a water landing. It was not seriously damaged, and was sold but I believe got scrapped a few years later.
feef said:
The vulcan, as others have said.
But also seeing a Herculese doing some pretty low-level flying along the floor of the glen BELOW us when skiing in Scotland
I spent 3 years on hercs, the old k model was unbelievable in what it could do (no fly by wire nanny system) the j model is still mightly impressive. Baine of my life was it's fire wire and overheat systems. They were forever giving false error codes, you would spend hours trying to find out where vibration was causing it to touch the frame or engine. But also seeing a Herculese doing some pretty low-level flying along the floor of the glen BELOW us when skiing in Scotland
Would love to see the English electric lightning fly but alas in the U.K. they will never get an airworthiness certificate (vertical engine configuration one on top of the other) I believe there are a couple in private hands in South Africa but that's a long way to go to see a plane flying.
Did see one do a high speed taxi (along with a buccaneer) at bruntingthorpe a couple of months ago.
There bloody loud.
Did see one do a high speed taxi (along with a buccaneer) at bruntingthorpe a couple of months ago.
There bloody loud.
Markbarry1977 said:
Would love to see the English electric lightning fly but alas in the U.K. they will never get an airworthiness certificate (vertical engine configuration one on top of the other) I believe there are a couple in private hands in South Africa but that's a long way to go to see a plane flying.
Did see one do a high speed taxi (along with a buccaneer) at bruntingthorpe a couple of months ago.
There bloody loud.
Standing next to a wet and gloomy Binbrook runway in Aug 1987 watching 9 of them take off in a stream take-off at The Last, Last Lighting Display was still one of the best things I've ever seen at an air display.....even now almost 30 years later.Did see one do a high speed taxi (along with a buccaneer) at bruntingthorpe a couple of months ago.
There bloody loud.
aeropilot said:
Standing next to a wet and gloomy Binbrook runway in Aug 1987 watching 9 of them take off in a stream take-off at The Last, Last Lighting Display was still one of the best things I've ever seen at an air display.....even now almost 30 years later.
I was there aged 15 and remember like it was yesterday. Soooo wet. My parents stayed in the car and missed most of it.My best warbird experiences were all as a kid on holidays on the east coast in the early 80's.
- Watching 2 Lightnings dogfight around a small patch of cloud in an otherwise clear sky, so high they were almost at the limit of what I could see.
- On another occasion 2 Lightnings, noses high in the air struggling to stay airborne escorting a Spitfire down the seafront towards Skegness before breaking and going out to sea at full power
- Sitting on the beach at Mablethorpe and seeing Buccaneers, A10's and F111's making seemingly endless passes over the range at Donna Nook.
On the Vulcan's farewell tour of the South (or was it a weekend or 2 before, I forget) I was disappointed I couldn't make it to any of the viewing spots but happened to be in the garden and heard the tell-tale roar overhead.
It turned out she was flying to Old Warden for a show but was holding over my house. Did a number of circuits directly overhead then was last seen streaking away towards Old Warden.
I was quite pleased to see the old girl one last time, and from the comfort of my house.
It turned out she was flying to Old Warden for a show but was holding over my house. Did a number of circuits directly overhead then was last seen streaking away towards Old Warden.
I was quite pleased to see the old girl one last time, and from the comfort of my house.
giveitfish said:
- Sitting on the beach at Mablethorpe and seeing Buccaneers, A10's and F111's making seemingly endless passes over the range at Donna Nook.
In the mid 50's I lived in Mablethorpe and with my chums (imagine The Famous Five but all boys) we'd go on 'expeditions' to Donna Nook, ignoring red flags to sneak through the dunes and watch the targets being straffed and bombed. From memory, we weren't far away from the targets, probably a mile, perhaps even less and it was a big thrill seeing and hearing all the explosions. We were chased off several times and I remember lots of shouting and Land Rovers driving towards us - we were never caught.I have seen a few moderately interesting ones - in the wild, rather than at air shows.
Vera and Thumper flying together was good - my poor old Dad missed out as he booked in two specifically. For one the weather turned on them and the second was after the engine failure. (Not strictly an air show, but not strictly in the wild either as they were scheduled)
I saw a pair of F15s doing....something...in the skies above East Anglia about 15 years ago. Looked for all the world like a mock dog fight - if they do that sort of thing.
Was helping my Dad resurface his drive once and looked up at the right moment to see a B2 Spirit flying overhead - high enough for it to be visible for a good 10-15 seconds.
During 1998 - around Kosovo time - you saw an awful lot of B52s flying round where I grew up as well.
Vera and Thumper flying together was good - my poor old Dad missed out as he booked in two specifically. For one the weather turned on them and the second was after the engine failure. (Not strictly an air show, but not strictly in the wild either as they were scheduled)
I saw a pair of F15s doing....something...in the skies above East Anglia about 15 years ago. Looked for all the world like a mock dog fight - if they do that sort of thing.
Was helping my Dad resurface his drive once and looked up at the right moment to see a B2 Spirit flying overhead - high enough for it to be visible for a good 10-15 seconds.
During 1998 - around Kosovo time - you saw an awful lot of B52s flying round where I grew up as well.
t doesn't deliver itself! Puggit said:
Clay pigeon shooting not far from Middle Wallop. Behind the range was a large grass bank. Merrily shooting at targets and then an Apache climbed from a hidden position behind the bank. Quite a surprise, I lowered my gun 
I can imagine the pilot saying something like "let's scare the sh!t out of these lot shooting our way!" Haha. I think I would have put my gun down and my hands in the air!
Last summer walking along Hadrian's Wall, a Chinook and a Black Hawk were playing games with each other, dipping below the hills, popping up, scaring cattle, going round us several times. Wondered what a Black Hawk was doing in Northumberland, seeing as I don't think the UK uses them.
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