Beefsteak 305 Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 A few to start with; Friday evening We were just sitting outside the tents having the fourth or fifth of a long night when a faint roar was heard. A Typhoon appeared and proceeded to 'Beat up the airfield'. He dissapeared and came back a few minutes later with his mate. Unfortunately they did not do it for real on show day !!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,660 Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Great pics Ian, I saw that same Spitfire/Typhoon display over my office on Thursday afternoon but didn't have me camera with me, DOH, I wonder why No 11 squadron is doing the display this year instead of the usual 29 Squadron, I see the computer on board the Typhoon is working overtime with the flaps and canard fins to keep her flying that slow and no doubt the Spitfire was using all it's power to stay ahead of the Typhoon, they should put that display in at all the airshows Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 They managed to do it at the BBMF Battle of Britain anniversary display at Duxford 2 years ago and that involved the really old Mk2 flying with a Typhoon. Seems a bit daft that they couldn't entertain the public with such a fantastic display, I've seen it several times before with a Tornado F3 as well. C'mon, lets hear of your adventures in the tent matey. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted July 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 I eventually got away from Winsford at about 2pm for a normally 2 1/2 hour drive (which took closer to 4 hours) rain and heavy traffic all the way there. I met my mate in the beer tent and was introduced to the rest of the gang, had a quick jar of "Thames Tickler" and then we set off for our pitch. They had rather thoughtfully parked a car over my pitch to keep it dry, and the lads took no time in putting my tent up for me!!!! We sat and had a few tinnies whilst watching various arrivals then ofcourse the "Spit and Phoon" went through their routine, still don't know why they don't do it on the actual show days !!. (The Anti rain god in me was working by now and it was bright sunshine at this point!!) Back to the beer tent for another Thames Tickler and the 'Hog Roast'. Then a steady wobble back a couple of tins and off to bed . A pretty bad nights sleep, what with ignoramus's and their generators going ten to the dozen until about 3.00am, when the last one went off I wasn't the only one who let out a big sarcastic "Hooray" !!!! Up at about 8.00am and we set off for the short hike to the entrance gate (About 10 mins walk) in to the site very quickly past various security checks, and then up to the Grandstand via a bacon baguette (£4.50 a bl**ding joke if you ask me) another 10 minute walk and I had my seat, no where near the center of the flight line like at Waddo Rog !! I didn't bother with a programme as I had purchased one at Cosford , got a free one with my seat at Waddo so knew roughly what they were going to say any way. All I was lacking was the running order , but , as I have a pretty good memory, I had a quick glance at someones and roughly remembered the order of the highlites. Spanish F-18 Hornet starts the show Some 'fluff' Especially when he tried to break the "Sound Barrier" on his fast pass !! (He got in trouble for this !! We were then slowed back down with a C-27 "Spartan" the new smaller version of the C-130 Hercules More to follow (It's dinner time !!!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted July 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 B-52 took off and circuited popping in between displays French Rafael Mr America comes through again Folowed by another great show from an F-18 (Hungarian this time) Dispite the wobbly take off More 'Fluff' Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Sorry mate, that last F-18 is Finnish, the Hungarians fly Gripens, which I would have like to have seen, I'd like to see your pics of that. The last RIAT I went to they were flying Mig-29's and won the aerobatic trophy, before that it was the Hungarian fighter tactic demonstration team dogfighting at low level in 4 Mig-21's, frightened the life out of me. Hungarians are quite barmy and pretty fearless when it comes to flying, they always do well in the Red Bull air races. The other frightening thing is when the B-52 takes off, it has a real nose down attitude, the first time I saw one lift off at Mildenhall I hid behind the car thinking it wasn't going to make it. Is that C-27 an Italian replacement for the Transal C-160. That programme about the V-Bombers last night was really good, if you missed it I think it's on the Channel 4 replay web site. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 As soon as I entered it I realised I had made a mistake but for some stupid reason this new system wouldn't let me edit it , hense the reason there are two pics the same too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted July 23, 2009 Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Were you sitting in a grandstand seat, your pics look elevated. Having seen three canard fighters perform at one show, Gripen, Rafael and Typhoon, which one did you prefer. I've always liked the performance of Swedish fighters going back to the days of the Draken, the Viggen I always thought seemed well ahead of it's time, I could never understand how it got retired so early in it's career. The Hungarian Gripens are licence built over there, they couldn't wait to get rid of their Soviet shackles and go for Western technology. Make sure that you book yourself in for next years Legends Airshow, cousin Solly is coming over from Hungary, he couldn't make it this year, boy is he keen, I took him to the DX Autumn Airshow in 2007 and he photographed everything going, you'll love him, he's a cool dude, trying to communicate is interesting as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 Oh call me biased if you like !!! (Although I must say when the Spanish Hornet tried for Mach speed at 100 foot, I was thinking "Dear Santa Claus" A selected few others Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted July 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2009 You still can't edit once you have pressed preview, (I realised 'The Reds' shot was in the wrong place but I can't remove the img code for it!!!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted July 24, 2009 Report Share Posted July 24, 2009 I must say that Plantfit nags me to publish a book on my old crappy pics, but those particular two of yours of the Reds and close order Freccies are sensational, are you going to make something for yourself out of these pics. Incidentally, did the Freccies do their 360 degree cross, it always frightens me to death, pre Ramstein it was even more daring. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted July 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 The closest they come to it now , about 1/2 mile away and at 3/400 foot Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted July 25, 2009 Report Share Posted July 25, 2009 By Gum, I remember the old days when they'd do a downward bomb burst, position themselves all over the sky, including the public viewing area, and all come back into the middle and cross from all over the place while we threw ourselves on the ground. Theres been this 100th anniversary crossing the channel do at Dover today, we had a P51 come roaring over this morning, then back later followed by one of the BBMF MkXIX Spitfires at around lunchtime, I gather that a Bleriot crossed the channel early this morning but 3 are to attempt it in about an hour, rather them than me, it's quite windy today. The Reds and Patrouille de France were supposed to be performing at Dover today, oddly enough, our young un has just phoned me from Swanage in Dorset where he's staying with his girlfriend and her parents and told me as of 15 minutes ago that the Reds were performing off the cliffs in Swanage Bay, where they aren't supposed to be, he wasn't telling porkies as I could clearly hear them roaring away over the phone, no doubt he'll switch to video mode and send me the footage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Frank 13 Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 Theres been this 100th anniversary crossing the channel do at Dover today The Reds and Patrouille de France were supposed to be performing at Dover today On our approach to Calais yesterday to catch the EuroTunnel express, the French Patrouille de France were displaying in the distance. If you look closely above the lamposts, you can see the red circle in the sky. It was difficult to take many more photo's as I was driving alond the A16 at the time!! Great display though. Must have been a practice above Calais before flying over to Dover. We stopped in a small Motel on the edge of the local flying club at Abbeville on Thursday night and ended up talking to a bunch of english pilots (small Piper etc and Paragliders) who had flown over to france in readiness for the celebration flyover on saturday. Here's the gate guard at the flying club Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 Nice one Frank. There's a bizzare story here. The gate guard is a Dassault Mystere II, believe it or not, we have one as a gate guard at our local flying club, Andrewsfield, near Braintree. The reason for this is that the Mysteres were developed with American aid money after the war, and on retirement from the French Airforce, for some legal reason, became US property. Many of them were flown into storage at Sculthorpe in Norfolk, well the Yanks didn't want them, so many were broken up or offered to museums. The Andrewsfield example is quietly rotting away because the original museum responsible for its upkeep disbanded years ago and the flying club people don't particularly want it. The problem is, it's US property, so it can't be legally touched or disposed of, yet the Yanks have no interest in it whatsoever, talk about Catch 22. It is a bit odd to drive through the Essex countryside and find this early 50's French fighter parked amongst the light aircraft, I bet if it was a Hawker Hunter or a Meteor it would be pampered, but it's French, so who cares, sad really. I always feel sorry for the poor thing when I drive past, if I had a big enough garden I'd tow it home and give it a bit of attention, I always thought it was quite an advanced design. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted July 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2009 A few from a wet Sunday, enjoy and please, feel free to comment (There's only another 3000 to troll through):- http://www.flickr.com/photos/beefsteak44/sets/72157621849937950/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted July 28, 2009 Report Share Posted July 28, 2009 Beefsteak You're not sleeping again, tut, tut. Great pics as usual, I liked the fuel dump burn on the Gripen, a typical bit of Hungarian showmanship, I wonder how many other a/c are capable of doing this, probably all of them, but their respective air forces wouldn't be happy if they tried it. I recall the Aussies doing it at Fairford in their F-111 during a display set to music by Rolf Harris. The most spectacular burn that I ever saw was by an SR-71 Blackbird at Mildenhall in the early 90's, it was one thing seeing one of these beasts fly, let alone see the blooming thing trail a fireball the size of a hangar, I've just got to download these ancient slides and videos that I've got, you'd love to see some of this stuff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonesy 1 Posted July 28, 2009 Report Share Posted July 28, 2009 Some really fantastic photos there... Do tell... what camera/lens? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted July 28, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2009 They were taken with a Canon EOS 40d, with a Canon 100-400mm IS lens. The dump and burn was only a split second (Twice) . He didn't do it on the Saturday, I reckon it was the extra light that he produced that threw me out of focus!! Thanks for the comments folks (More to come) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
firbeck 860 Posted July 29, 2009 Report Share Posted July 29, 2009 Beefsteak I was sniffing around on Youtube and found a bit of footage from the 1993 RIAT that I went to, I recall that the BBC were showing some of it live at the time, I was unfortunately doing a Bip, and the woman I was with and I had to hide from the helicopter camera. Thats by the by, a bit of not very exciting footage of the Hungarian Sky Hussars, I can assure you it was more daring than that:- I don't know why the Lightning is shown on there as they had been retired about 5 years previously. Then there is a clip of the Russian Migs colliding, this happened the day before I went, all I saw of them was a bent fence and blackened grass, how cool were those pilots after they had ejected:- Then I found some naff Hungarian picture show of their Mig 21's, good for a laugh though:- I presume that you aren't going to Rhyl, Blackpool or Dawlish to have a paddle and build sandcastles, I gather that the best place to watch the Dawlish airshow is on the cliff above the railway tunnel at Coryton Cove, west of the station, I've always found it possible to park in a housing estate just back of there, though it might be a good idea to go in by train, the roads into Dawlish are pretty bad at the best of times. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted August 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Just been having a look at my RIAT pictures and editing a few for a portfolio I have been asked to produce for some silly money . (NOW DO YOU STILL THINK IT'S A STRANGE OBSESSION ROB ???) And I came accross this pic of a 'Sea Fire' Nothing unusual about that I hear you say, but (I don't know how bad it will look after 'Photo bucket' have messed with it) all I have done is cropped it slightly and it looks more like a painting than a photo. Any body else see that , or is it just me?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
littlebro 234 Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Beafsteak, Yes, looks like it should be on an Airfix box front. Keep up the good work! I enjoy your pics, some are amazing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Obsession, Portfolio......just lots BIG words to me....Hee Hee Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radfordred 6,284 Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Yeah i have flicked your flickr Beef some cracking stuff there . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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