RAF Lichfield air show 1950s

[Gareth1974]

Someone in my local Facebook group posted the programme from an air show at RAF Lichfield (Fradley) in 1955, what a great line up.

Edited by Gareth1974 on Thursday 11th June 08:56

[Gareth1974]

[Gareth1974]

[Eric Mc]

Obviously part of the normal Battle of Britain Weekend celebrations that would have been held on many RAF airfields that weekend.

It would be hard pushed to get a line up of similar volume at ONE airshow these days.

The Curburough Sprint Track occupies one corner of what used to be RAF Lichfield.

[Tony1963]

Eric Mc said:

It would be hard pushed to get a line up of similar volume at ONE airshow these days.

Well, thankfully! The jobs that can be done by Typhoon, C-17 and Hawk by most of that list’s aircraft is almost funny. And we ain’t policing the world like we used to. Again, thankfully.

[Eric Mc]

Tony1963 said:

Well, thankfully! The jobs that can be done by Typhoon, C-17 and Hawk by most of that list’s aircraft is almost funny. And we ain’t policing the world like we used to. Again, thankfully.

Yes, all 40 of them.

[Tony1963]

Eric Mc said:

Yes, all 40 of them.

And does it hurt our safety or security?

[Eric Mc]

Tony1963 said:

Eric Mc said:

Yes, all 40 of them.

And does it hurt our safety or security?

Sorry Tony, not up for an argument today. Too many genuine stressful matter to be worrying about.

[Richard-G]

Gareth1974 said:

Someone in my local Facebook group posted the programme from an air show at RAF Lichfield (Fradley) in 1955, what a great line up.

Edited by Gareth1974 on Thursday 11th June 08:56

Hi Gareth, thanks for uploading these, i live just down the road, Curborugh road! in fact my house was x raf.

p.s a long shot but do you live in whittington? i see an Arteon while riding thru on my bike.

[Gareth1974]

Richard-G said:

Hi Gareth, thanks for uploading these, i live just down the road, Curborugh road! in fact my house was x raf.

p.s a long shot but do you live in whittington? i see an Arteon while riding thru on my bike.

Yes, I do live in Whittington, by the church. The Arteon has gone now though.

I see plenty of cyclists passing my house, and having taken it up myself about 18 months ago, I can see why, there are lots of good cycling roads beyond Whittington.

[Richard-G]

Gareth1974 said:

Richard-G said:

Hi Gareth, thanks for uploading these, i live just down the road, Curborugh road! in fact my house was x raf.

p.s a long shot but do you live in whittington? i see an Arteon while riding thru on my bike.

Yes, I do live in Whittington, by the church. The Arteon has gone now though.

I see plenty of cyclists passing my house, and having taken it up myself about 18 months ago, I can see why, there are lots of good cycling roads beyond Whittington.

I know the place! im ussually lyrca'd up and out of breath past your gaff as i feel bad about holding cars up on the traffic calming measures so i get out the seat and put an effort in to stop holding them up.

I ussually ride up towards jerrys lane as the roads are really quiet up towards the old A5.

sorry for the thread hijack everyone

[Yertis]

Don't worry about it, makes the place more real.


Just about every airshow nowadays has a Spitfire / BBMF-type element, so they're notable by absence. OTOH Sunderland which I've only ever seen flying the once and that was by sheer, amazing fluke.

[Gareth1974]

Richard-G said:

I ussually ride up towards jerrys lane as the roads are really quiet up towards the old A5.

I rarely go that way myself, usually head out toward Elford, and Harlaston and you can ride on quite roads for miles, it’s particularly nice when you get into Leicestershire, out towards Bosworth.

Also sorry for the thread hijack!

[Ayahuasca]

There is a nice almost right angle bend along that loooong brick wall as you leave Fisherwick and head towards Elford. Once saw a BMW upside down in the ditch there....

[LotusOmega375D]

I didn’t know Curborough was an old RAF base. I only visited once. That was back in the days of the long departed Group B Car Club track sessions. This was me driving my old Renault 5 Turbo 2 back in ca. 1995. To be honest it’s a glorified go-kart track and a bit Mickey Mouse for cars. You couldn’t really get out of second and third gears, so I never bothered again.

[Ayahuasca]

LotusOmega375D said:

I didn’t know Curborough was an old RAF base. I only visited once. That was back in the days of the long departed Group B Car Club track sessions. This was me driving my old Renault 5 Turbo 2 back in ca. 1995. To be honest it’s a glorified go-kart track and a bit Mickey Mouse for cars. You couldn’t really get out of second and third gears, so I never bothered again.

It was not a major part of the airfield. I believe it is the part circled in red.