First aviation day of 2009

[Beefsteak 305]

I love a good Polish Sausage too, a long time back (Before they were all over here) a mate of mine , of Polish extraction, always bought some along to the pub bank holiday barby, delicious!!

Some good shots in there again (Love the Flankers)

All being well the Turkish stars should be at RIAT again in July (Just got my tickets for both days!!) as they were supposed to have been there last year and ,as you all know , it was cancelled at the last minute !!! much to my chagrine.

Also we hope to get the F 22 Raptor to put in an appearance (All I was really going for last year if truth be told !!) but they are unable to confirm at the present. We,ve got the 'tricky frecolares' sic (Italian , and they are nuts!!!!! even better than "The Reds" last time I saw them anyway) Along with that , the Harrier is back on the display circuit this year.

Here we go , I'm getting all excited again , frothing at the mouth just at the thought .

This time last year , (I think you joined just after Firbeck) , I was honestly doing all sorts to raise funds for one day there, as many a member on here will testify, Ebay, carboot , birthday money, etc, to buy a second hand lens, entry ticket , Diesel and a bit of pocket money, only for it to be cancelled at the death!! All being well the weather shouldn't be a problem this year as we will be parking on 'hardstanding'

Fortunately Rog came to my rescue and aviation day was born!! (And it saved my sanity too)

All being well I shall get to Cosford ,Waddington and Southport this year too.

Try your best as it's well worth it !!!

[mgread1200 141]

not exactly a fighter but a good day out

[firbeck 860]

Thanks for your advice and invite Beefsteak, we've tried the E-Bay route but nothing is selling at a decent price, we won't give things away to people trying to rip you off because they know the real value. Boot sales haven't taken off yet, but we intend to go down that road as we have loads of things to get rid of that way. I've actually made a start, my neighbour wanted a small tree removing this morning, it didn't take that much time and effort, but she tried to give me £40, I couldn't take all that and had £20, but she's insisting, it will probably come through the letter box shortly.

Not good business tactics, but good neighbours are different, I'm sure she offered that much because she knows we're hard up, which upset me a bit.

I have a problem here, while I'm hunting around the house for my birth certificate, I keep coming across packets of long forgotten photos. Now I always took slides or video over the past 40 years so photos are a rarity, I reckon though that there are loads to find yet as well.

Perhaps we should start a Firbeck/Beefsteak/Plantfitt Aviation photograph thread!!!

Just a few here which might make you smile.

On our local USAF base theme, in 1991, after the first Gulf War, Alconbury held an airshow, which I believe was the last before closure. Their A10 squadron had been in the thick of the action and they were keen to show off hardware from the war. I couldn't go to the show on the day because my bloody ex-wife had something else planned, but I found out that they were having a 'Family Day' the day before. Without much hope, I phoned up the base to ask if we would be admitted and a cheery USAF officer said no problem, just turn up at the gate, it's free, we doing barbies and a practice session. So we did, possibly one of the best shows I ever went to, hardly any Brits, plenty of free grub and American hospitality, loads of flying over the sparse American crowd lying about on the grass on a warm summers day, no barriers and admission to all the cockpits and aircraft, wow.

I obviously got inside everything I could, they even took me down the back end of a KC-135 tanker and had me lying in the re-fuellers control position while they taught me how to operate the thing, it was heaven, I've never experienced a show like it.

My ex must have taken these shots, I have the day recorded on Vid and on slides, but I can't watch it because the camera is knacked, c'est la vie.

One of their battle veteran A10's, I was allowed into the squadron commanders example which seemed to have more kill markings than all the others put together.

The rear guns in a B-52, I don't think they have them fitted anymore, I believe that this example had bombed Baghdad.

A couple of Buccs in their original combat colours and markings.

Victor tanker, this one may be preserved, I haven't checked, note the name, an excuse to put it on a Nottingham forum.

This will make you smile, a youthfull Firbeck tentatively about to clamber into an EF-111 Raven, I was astonished that they allowed me to do this, non of the electronic warfare equipment was covered up, as long as I didn't press too many buttons they didn't give a damn, I seem to remember too that this one may have been responsible for downing an Iraqi Mig-29 Fulcrum by flying so low it hit the ground while in pursuit.

Lets hope I don't find anymore, well actually I have DX and North Weald in the early 90's, lets leave it at that.

[Beefsteak 305]

Perhaps we should start a Firbeck/Beefsteak/Plantfitt Aviation photograph thread!!!

Just a few here which might make you smile.

Lets hope I don't find anymore, well actually I have DX and North Weald in the early 90's, lets leave it at that.

You don't need to start a new thread post them in here , you have some cracking shots there by the way.

[firbeck 860]

I'll see what's worth posting, got to take the dog out now anyway.

Just seen a wierd thing, ignoring the expensive fish man on the market today, I just nipped up to Tescos and bought a lovely fresh fat Herring for 60p, you wouldn't believe what was in the car park though.

Well, this Tescos is at the end of the A120 dual carriageway from the M11 at Stantsted and a lot of squaddies call in there on the way to Colchester for a snack so the occasional military vehicle or even convoy is not unusual. However the sight of a Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Land Rover parked near the bottle bank was rather strange, what the hell this was doing in flat old Essex is beyond me, pity I didn't have the camera, it had gone when I came out.

[Beefsteak 305]

Daft as it sounds , they don't just do mountain rescue!! All sorts of duties including cave / river rescue too.

[plantfit 7,639]

RAF C17 at Waddo last August

Rog

[plantfit 7,639]

Bomb, What Bomb? Group Captain Beefsteak on the first Aviation 2008 tour

Rog

[Fynger 841]

It blew his beard off.

[Beefsteak 305]

It's gone again!!!

[firbeck 860]

Flipping Heck Beefsteak, what were you doing on here at that time of the morning, lurgy kept you up?

Hurricane 'Crash'??????

You may well have read or seen something about this incident yesterday or in the papers this morning, it was certainly mentioned on the national Teletext. Not much was said on our local news because they devoted it to the evil filth 'demonstrating' against our troops, they should have fixed bayonets and wiped them off the face of the earth, but thats another story, not for here.

Peter Teichmann at the famous Hangar 11 at North Weald has spent rather a lot of money restoring a Hurricane 11B, Canadian built, to flying condition, the work being carried out at Hawker Restorations in Suffolk, the fabric incidentally being prepared at a farm just up the road from me.

It made it's first flight a few weeks ago and we were looking forward to seeing it at the airshows this year. The media of course hyped the incident out of all proportion, claiming it plunged from the sky, etc, etc, but what actually happened was that after a few circuits yesterday, he landed and whilst slowing down, the brakes locked and he went over onto the nose, I've seen this happen a few times at DX, to one of the BBMF Hurries and a couple of Spits. The result, a bent prop, a bit of damage to the u/c doors and an embarrassed pilot, trouble is, there may be some internal damage to the engine, but it's already being stripped down and looked at today and should be soon flying again, I wish the media would get their facts straight, the Mail were claiming it was the only flying Hurricane in the world, yeah, right!!!

Here's a few pics of the incident.

[firbeck 860]

It happens to the best of them!

Duxford in the 90's, French aerobatic champion about to take off and do his stuff:-

Several hair raising flying minutes later, and we get too heavy on the brakes:-

[firbeck 860]

Bomb, What Bomb? Group Captain Beefsteak on the first Aviation 2008 tour

Rog

He's subsequently been demoted then!

The possibility of a re-enactment of a famous scene from 'Dr Strangelove' springs to mind.

There's one of these monsters standing vertically on it's nose outside our local bomb disposal base at Debden, I'm sure it's the smaller one of the two, I can never remember whether it's a Tallboy or a Grand Slam, I keep intending to stop and asking the guards if I can take a picture, but I either forget my camera or feel intimidated by those SA80's being waved about.

Back to the Hurricane, here's a picture of it in Hangar 11 after it's first flight a few weeks ago:-

For those of you who aren't familiar with North Weald, it was a famous fighter base during the BoB and is situated right next to the M11 just after the Harlow turn off.

Some of the scenes in the BoB movie were filmed there, you can't miss it, it's obvious due to the tall poplar trees that are still found around the airfield, also the scene of the fabulous C-47 take off sequences in Band of Brothers. They were going to make a film about the Berlin Airlift there a few years ago and flew in two C-54 transports from the States, the film was never made and they remain slowly rotting away on the airfield.

When the RAF left a few years ago, Epping Forest District Council bought it and operate it as leisure airfield, they sold off the main hangars for industry and run markets every saturday, LT use it for bus driving lessons as well. Every so often, the council keep threatening to sell it off for housing, so how long it can remain is anyones guess. They used to have fabulous airshows, The Fighter Meet, in the 80's and 90's but that stopped due to the condition of the runway and complaints from well connected local residents. One of the hangars was used as the setting for 'Crystal Maze', remember that.

There are still hangars full of a variety of aircraft and some interesting junk hangs around, at one time there were the mortal remains of a Lancaster, Lincoln and Mitchell dumped behind the hangars.

Over on the far side, a Nissen hut has been turned into a bar and club called 'The Squadron', they have the odd public fly in with access to the bar, they do fabulous burgers, almost on a par with Mildenhall and you mingle with all sorts of people, Gary Numan is a member, well he was till his missus banned him from flying, my son didn't wash for a week once when our Gary accidentally knocked him over while rushing to the telephone, nice approachable bloke though.

I found a few pictures from their fly in in 1996, very laid back informal affairs with few barriers:-

Beech Staggerwing outside of Hangar 11.

Some interesting stuff in here including a P-51, the Cat has since been flown to Australia, arriving just before last Christmas.

Home of the Jet Provost, one of these lost it's passenger over Colchester, he flew inverted and the ejector seat fell out complete with occupant. Luckily the chute deployed and he landed bruised but unharmed in Sainsburies car park, next to MacDonalds.

Runway 2, only used as a parking spot as the M11 cuts across the end now.

[firbeck 860]

Aircraft arrive and take off all the time.

Antonov An-2

A couple of Chippies that had taken part in a goodwill trip to Moscow.

A variety of jets

A rare Yugoslav trainer which I've never seen anywhere since.

Stinson.

Oh, I currently have an Apache helicopter circling around the back, just a bit too far to photograph though.

[Beefsteak 305]

I love those Anotov An-2s

Righty oh chaps just returned from a fruitful trip to Coningsby to see the 'Reds' first public display (Practice) before they shoot off to Cyprus at the weekend.

Question is , how many pics do you want ?? I only took 265 this time !!!

[Beefsteak 305]

I don't care what you say you're havin some.

First off was Waddo , watching this fellow doing "Bump and goes"

But whats this that turns up ?

A drive around and Coffee at Petwood, then a quick nip into Coningsby. Watching these fellows doing the same

But whats this?? (An Alpha jet in RAF markings !!!) Not a good shot I'm afraid but he shot past before I knew he was coming.

Apparently we have 8 of them.

Lunch and after , more of these,.

But what's this ?? (You might notice a reccuring theme here!!)

Then on with the main event . Spot on at 3.25pm

The arrival.

More of the display tommorrow

[firbeck 860]

The Alpha jets are based at Boscombe Down, the UK's answer to Area 51, they also operate some Hunters from there too.

What they do, I couldn't tell you, it just seems a bit odd, and expensive, operating these types when there are plenty of Hawk airframes stashed away at St Athan.

I think that the prop plane is an SN-J Texan, not sure where it's based, my computers gone barmy this morning and I can't get on any sites apart from this, I think my youth must have downloaded a virus last night, I'm not impressed.

Thanks for the PM, by the way.

[plantfit 7,639]

That was a good display by the Reds to say it's their first of the year, lasted a long time too, about half an hour, I watched it through my office window, after they left Coningsby they went back to Scampton and did the same preformance again, listened to it on the scanner and saw them from the top of our plant

Rog

[Beefsteak 305]

Apparently they have 8 Alphas there, 4 flying and for for spares. By that number I can only assume that they bought a 'Job lot' of second hand "Pat France" display planes !!

Any way on with the motley

Shame I cropped the bottom plane off , I think this could have been a cracker

And now a flight to the 'Dark Side' The change in light makes them look more menacing

[firbeck 860]

Nice pics Beefsteak, you're getting dangerous with that lens.

They look very tight already, perhaps they don't really need to go all the way to Cyprus for more practice at our expense. Only joking, in my book the Reds are sacrosanct, any talk of chopping them, even in times of financial crisis, would be a disaster for the country, though I expect many would disagree.

A couple of years ago, at this time of the season, I was up at Lakenheath watching the Eagles when something unusual in the airliner route caught my eye, a mass of contrails mixed up with the 747's heading for the continent. Looking through the bins you could make out the Reds, no doubt off to Cyprus for a bit of practice in the sun, it must have looked incredible from the point of view of a passenger in one of the airliners.

In 1992 I went off to Cyprus for a week at Easter when the Reds were out practising, I occasionally glimpsed them leaving coloured smoke trails off the coast, but their official first public display was timed on the day I was leaving, I kept looking out of the window of the BM 737 but saw nowt, the only activity that holiday was the daily PR Canberra flying along the border.

So whats the reccuring theme, I can't work it out.

[Beefsteak 305]

Thanks for that. Do you want some more?? (I only have another 62 that I have already edited, with another 150 to go through !!!)

The reccuring theme is the "Whats this doing here then ?" thing.

[Beefsteak 305]

One more here

Enlarge as much as you can.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3462/336257...a07d26a62_b.jpg

[plantfit 7,639]

Ayup Beefsteak,

Good to see you yesterday and sorry I couldn't join you but as I said "quite busy" managed to watch the reds through office window, great display, the Harvard and Alphajets are regular visitors to Coningsby and saw them most months last year, there was 4 French Alpha's at Waddo last year, a bit too far off for a good picture but did manage to get one, I'll email it to you.

Great pictures you took of the Reds real top drawer stuff, the new lens is paying you dividends.

Did your Mum enjoy the day and what was lunch like?

Rog

[Beefsteak 305]

Cheers Rog

Yes Mum loved it , (She only had a kids portion of Ham and Eggs though !!) but she was in ageement with that too.

Here you go every body . Enjoy !!! (Feel free to post comments)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beefsteak44/

[Fynger 841]

And hows Alan ?