Anyone else like Birds AND planes? (3 Viewers)

[Papa 10]

I found my photo album (youngsters ask your parents) from May 1993 and unless I missed something completely the running order at the Derwent Reservoir was:

Chipmunk WK590 coded 69 (this may have been privately owned)

Hercules C1 XV186 (just on a training flight)

Sea King HAR3 ZE370 which did a full SAR demonstration including rescuing a survivor from the middle of the reservoir

4 x Tornado GR1 from 617 Squadron (haven't got the serials for these) which did a run at hilltop level as a four-ship, then came through the valley below us in trail - spectacular!

2 x Hercules C1 just passing, slightly above us

Mosquito TIII RR299

Lancaster B1 PA474 (marked at the time as PM-M2 (squared - implies the squadron had more than one -M)

9 x Hawk T1 the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team - The Red Arrows.

My notebook says there was also a Gazelle HT1 coded W that I couldn't read the serial from. I expect that brought a VIP.

Pretty decent for a free show. We watched from quite high on the hill, which is definitely the thing to do at Derwent: anybody can go to an airshow and look up at aeroplanes, the trick is looking down at them.

We also had two Goshawks in the valley, not much chance of that these days.

John

PS: In aid of the above contention about looking down:

Lancasters (and BBMF Spitfires and Hurricane) from above Goodwood. They are B&W in case anyone thinks their eyes have gone funny.

John
Thank you for taking the time and trouble with this post, it is really appreciated.

The Sea King actually did a 'dummy' rescue run in the days leading up to the show and I was birding the 'dams' and thought it was a real rescue--doh

I would assume the Gazelle carried Richard Todd (the actor who played Guy Gibson in the film) who was present and as he said the real heroes were the actual crews of the day and not the actors/filmakers, although it gave the public an insight in to what 617 squadron achieved. Although only having a mild interest in aircraft I left feeling very humble when considering what the crews had endured with no praise being high enough, and I actually shook hands with some of them.

Vic Hallam was instumental in the 617 Squadron museum formation in one of the towers of Derwent Dam which had a full scale model of a 'bouncing bomb' invented by Barnes Wallace (another 'local')

The Gos have taken the hint after years of persecution in the valley and are now frequenting other areas.

Thank you again :t:

 

[West End Birder]

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1399774/

Interesting you mention the Dambusters, Gibson, as a master bomber, was killed in a Mossie, but then I am sure you knew that

 

[Papa 10]

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1399774/

Interesting you mention the Dambusters, Gibson, as a master bomber, was killed in a Mossie, but then I am sure you knew that

No Rob but I do now, as previously stated I only have a (very) mild interest in aviation and would not give 'modern small' planes a second glance but some of the earlier aircraft cannot be ignored. My interest in the 'Dambusters' is only because of the local connection but I find as the years advance appreciation (and regret) increases and even though I have purchased aircraft I/D books I still haven't positively identified any of the many civil aircraft that pass overhead. Can identify the 'copper chopper' which overflies (too) often but only because it's blue & yellow, what make and model it is I've no idea.

 

[Farnboro John]

No Rob but I do now, as previously stated I only have a (very) mild interest in aviation and would not give 'modern small' planes a second glance but some of the earlier aircraft cannot be ignored. My interest in the 'Dambusters' is only because of the local connection but I find as the years advance appreciation (and regret) increases and even though I have purchased aircraft I/D books I still haven't positively identified any of the many civil aircraft that pass overhead. Can identify the 'copper chopper' which overflies (too) often but only because it's blue & yellow, what make and model it is I've no idea.

He may have meant me: I did know that. Full marks on sourcing the Chipmunk pic, Rob!

Sadly, there is now some evidence to suggest Gibson was shot down by a Lancaster rear gunner who saw a twin-engined aircraft seemingly stalking him and let loose with his four Brownings. The supposition is that Gibson was simply formating on the other aircraft.

An interesting parallel with Douglas Bader, who contrary to the contemporary tale that he collided with a Messerschmitt, has been pretty much proved to have been shot down by one of his own wing's Spitfire pilots, Buck McNair I think, who saw his aircraft poorly in the middle of a dogfight just as Bader disengaged from a bunch of 109s, and shot the tail off it.

Blue-on-blue is not a recent invention, nor an American one.....

John

 

[West End Birder]

Hmm that is some interesting info FJ, did not realise Gibson might have been downed by friendly fire.

 

[Farnboro John]

Two Lancasters at Derwent Dam Sunday:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/news/index.cfm?storyid=29250E9D-5056-A318-A861958C0A76C57F

Guess where I will be Sunday.....

John

 

[Geoff Pain]

Don't know, but I know where I'll be Saturday, Southport Air Show Two Lancs, Vulcan, Catalina, Red Arrows and a load of other stuff.


Geoff

 

[Farnboro John]

Don't know, but I know where I'll be Saturday, Southport Air Show Two Lancs, Vulcan, Catalina, Red Arrows and a load of other stuff.


Geoff

Have a great day! What time are the Lancs on, do you know?

John

 

[Geoff Pain]

Lancs due 14.50 on Saturday and 14.59 Sunday.

 

[Farnboro John]

Lancs due 14.50 on Saturday and 14.59 Sunday.

Thank you!

John

 

[Geoff Pain]

According to web site 4.45pm at Derwent Dam on Sunday.

 

[Geoff Pain]

Southport yesterday, not to Marshside but to the air show. Weather could of been better but a cracking day.

 

[Kentbloke]

Hurricane Z5140 spent the weekend at Pent Farm (Nr Folkestone) along with Spitfire BM597 as part of the 'Fly with a Spitfire' event B

 

[La Mer]

What about helicopters?

A very funny connection that is, to me!

Personally I go birding also to escape a world of engineering, but now I realize that others feel differently. Why not, and if the oil reserves should come to an end in the near future, aeroplanes may even be counted among the endangered species.

Meanwhile, someone could start a thread on helicopters ...... but in the dragonfly-section please, there they would fit (almost) perfectly!

Elu

 

[Barred Wobbler]

I was less than delighted with this display of low flying a couple of weeks ago.

A Flying Tractor dusting rice fields at La Janda, presumably with pesticide. In the days before the dusting the fields were host to numbers of Montagu's harriers hunting dragonflies - I got good pics of one dismantling a lesser emperor at close range on the ground in addition to others quartering the fields.

After the dusting the Monties were notable by their absence (there were others still hunting other fields a couple of miles away that hadn't been sprayed) and the numbers of glossy ibis that were present roosting in a patch of open water were much reduced too.

 

[West End Birder]

Meanwhile, someone could start a thread on helicopters

Never, ever, link helicopters to 'planes ;-)

 

[Farnboro John]

Never, ever, link helicopters to 'planes ;-)

Agreed. Nasty unnatural things.

Back to real aeroplanes and a day out at the Derwent dam yesterday.

John

Hurricane IIc

Spitfire IX

Lancasters X 3

 

[La Mer]

PlaneForum.net?

Never, ever, link helicopters to 'planes ;-)

Since we are still on BirdForum I might answer: Never ever link aeroplanes to birds, they differ much more from them than from helicopters! .... But since I'm the absolute minority here, maybe I'd better hold my tongue and disappear. Thank you for the hint anyway!

Elu

 

[West End Birder]

Yes you had better ;-)

Interesting colour scheme on the Hurricane looks like the SE Asia roundels etc?

 

[Farnboro John]

Yes you had better ;-)

Interesting colour scheme on the Hurricane looks like the SE Asia roundels etc?

Yes, BBMF tries to show over the years a representative range of endeavour and colours worn by the types of aircraft it flies - though I think it will be a long time before we see other than the mostly black scheme on the Lancaster.

PZ865 is currently wearing a Far East (South East Asia Command, as you correctly state) scheme. Hurricanes there in the fighter-bomber role carried on long past their European obsolescence: in fact right to the end of the the war.

John