OT For all the UK members!

[Mizzy]

Well its nealy time for the RAF Waddington airshow so is anyone going this year?

 

Also I go to Elvington near York (near where I live) so anyone going to that one?

 

Mizzy

[Sleek]

I've never been to an airshow yet (34yrs young & shame on me) but i'd luv to go..

 

How much are ticket's and when are they on Mizzy?

[Andrew_McP]

I'm just down the road (relatively speaking) from Biggin Hill (their show's this weekend), but I haven't been since Kvotchur's Su-27 last appeared. My rule now is simple... no Flanker, no McP. While I like the usual Tornado/Harrier/Red Arrows/Parachute display team/<whatever Yank kit's free this weekend> style line-ups, without Russian hardware it's "just another airshow", and to be honest they tend to blur together after a few years of the same predictable aircraft.

 

If I was going to stir my creaky bones for anything it would probably be http://www.airtattoo.com/ because you get a long day of aircraft there and some excellent international display teams. You often get a Mig or two as well. But again... no Flanker, no McP. :-)

 

While we're on the subject, one airshow I will definitely never attend again is "RAF" Mildenhall (if they still do an airshow in these troubled times, which I doubt). I only went there once, but never again. You step over the boundary and it's like stepping into America.

 

Now, there's nothing wrong with America (well, some of it anyway ;-) but I like my Amercia to be in... well, America. Their foreign airbases seem to be freakishly like little bits of American soil, and it just made me shudder as the bus drove in. No attempt at integration with the surrounding community, everything from the style of the houses, the road signs, everything, 100% America.

 

Honestly, I've rarely felt so disturbed. It was like walking onto a film set. One moment you're in the UK, the next America. Weird.

 

Still, there was at least one memorable moment during that mainly cold and very wet visit, a B-1b making an amazing low pass in the pouring rain. I was able to take a few lousy pictures as I peeped out from under my golfing umbrella... which was wedged into the ground with me crouched under it to try and shelter from the weather. But I didn't take many shots that day because my hands were too cold to operate the camera. :-)

 

http://www.andrewmcp.50g.com/Milden00/mil00.html

(http://www.andrewmcp.50g.com/airshows.htm if you're bored)

 

Andrew McP

[dynamocl]

While we're on the subject, one airshow I will definitely never attend again is "RAF" Mildenhall (if they still do an airshow in these troubled times, which I doubt). I only went there once, but never again. You step over the boundary and it's like stepping into America.

 

Now, there's nothing wrong with America (well, some of it anyway ;-) but I like my Amercia to be in... well, America. Their foreign airbases seem to be freakishly like little bits of American soil, and it just made me shudder as the bus drove in. No attempt at integration with the surrounding community, everything from the style of the houses, the road signs, everything, 100% America.

 

Honestly, I've rarely felt so disturbed. It was like walking onto a film set. One moment you're in the UK, the next America. Weird.

 

 

 

That is very common really, and not just related to US sites. I was visiting RAF Laarbruch (Germany) back in 95ish. One minute I was on a coach half asleep driving through Belgium and Germany with the typical contintal villages. The next minute we drive through a rather impresses gate barrier... the next thing, I was sure we had warped back to the UK. The buildings, the signs the shops the people even the layout... all British. So don't just blame the spams, when we can, we do the same.

 

It is just what people are comfortable with, it you are being stationed overseas for a long time, some people like things to be how they are used to. I certainly felt "at home", strangely so. (although I was there for only 10 days).

[plug pray]

in this case i'd like to see Brighton Beach...))

[Andrew_McP]

So don't just blame the spams, when we can, we do the same.

 

That's not exactly reassuring! It all seems rather isolationist, even though I can understand the desire to make people feel at home during their extended tours.

 

Hopefully such bases won't be around much longer. I'm a bit puzzled why we still have a presence in Germany anyway. It's a bit late to be planning a takeover of the BMW & Porsche factories, and while it might put us within striking distance of the Russian gas pipeline, I don't think our power bills will go down much if we start a war with Gazprom.

 

Andrew McP

[dynamocl]

Actually I was hoping to sample the local atmosphere of Germany, I too was a little suprised/upset, it was just like walking around a typical UK RAF base. Although I do imagine other places are not like this, this seems the norm, I am not really an expert on UK forces stations abroad. We still have a presence, but not nearly as much as it was 10 years ago. The bases were used as a stop over for casualties during the recent wars, but I can't really see why they couldnt make the last leg home. There must be a very good reason.... one hopes.

[EscCtrl]

Nice pictures you have there Andrew_McP I think it was Fairford '98 i went to also at least it looks very recognisable.

 

Haven't been to a show in years and probably wont for awhile :(

[bengo]

Last year I was at Fairford RIAT. Best and biggest airshow and static I ever saw.

Here's some pictures from that, and some pics from a visit to the Kleine Brogel airbase in 2004.

 

http://users.telenet.be/bengo/

[GoonerTC]

Hello mate, The reason we've still got bases in Germany is training. It offers more larger and diverse areas to the land that we use in the UK.

 

Also having served abroad, its definatly nice to have a homely feel. The local drinking holes usually bar us, so we have to make do with whats on offer on base :music_whistling: :doh:

 

 

Regards to Airshows. Fairford is still the best. if you google Waddo mate you should get the details online. and get cheaper tickets mate :pilotfly:

[Andrew_McP]

Nice pictures you have there Andrew_McP I think it was Fairford '98 i went to also at least it looks very recognisable.

 

I was only just beginning to get the hang of it when I stopped visiting airshows. My camera, lenses, and technique still needed a *lot* of work, but now I've gone digital it ought to be a little easier to learn *during* the day rather than waiting for the slides to come back and trying different things at the next show.

 

But then you look at sites like http://www.steehouwer.com/ and think... why bother, I'm never going to take pictures like THAT! :-) Still, back then I was mainly putting the pics up as an airshow "diary" for guys on the Flanker Mailing List who lived a long way away from the nearest show. It gave me an excuse to waste money on film and next day developing... oh, and a stupidly expensive slide scanner. What a waste of money that was!

 

Mmm... now I'm almost tempted to wander off to Biggin on Sunday. It's a bit tricky after working all night though; that's the main reason I gave up... I'm ok till about lunchtime then I need bed and I need it badly, and it's hard to grab 40 winks when there are Tornados flying around. :-)

 

Andrew McP

[Kula66]

I'm planning on Fairford this year .... my camera work leaves alot to be desired!!! Never get the lighting right with a/c in the sky :( Always end up either very dark or washed out!

[yamangman]

I used to live a couple of miles of from Mildenhall. I went to every Air Fete since I was 2 years old. The Americans didn't annoy me a great deal, not to mention it was the one of the cheapest, biggest airshows around (flying display the length of Fairford but only £14) but the most incredible thing is that they drive on the right on the airbase and then they pull out onto the English lanes and start driving on the right in their massive American cars, mowing down every fiesta and micra in their path. I would go to Fairford but it's just too far, first and only time I went was in 2004. First and only time I went to Waddington was in 2004 also. I just stick to the airshow they have at Lowestoft and contend myself with the BBMF, Typhoon and Harrier's splashing into the sea.

[Kula66]

Yep Mildenhall was great ... F-15s doing A/B take-offs and then up at 70degs until out of site ... now you try doing that in LO! Always worth taking dollars to Mildenhall ... jump the queues at the burger stands :)

[504MrWolf]

I willbe at Waddington this year (as iam every year :))

 

http://www.lockonskins.co.uk/hosted_images/myphotos/waddo2005/

 

Enjoy......hope some of us can meet up for a cold one at the beer trailer ? :)

[Mizzy]

Sure will Wolfy

 

Always near a bar around noon time :)

 

Mizzy

[504MrWolf]

lol sounds like a plan........i only live 40mins away from "Waddo" so its my local airshow.

 

Flying:

 

RAF and UK Military

Harrier Gr.7-20®sqd

BBMF

Falcons

E-3D-8/23sqd

Nimrod R.1-51sqd

Typhoon F2-29®sqd

Grob Tutor 115E

Hawk T.Mk1-208®sqd

Tornado Gr.4-15®sqd

Reds

C-130J

Sea King HAR 3

Chinook

Merlin

Canberra PR9-39sqd (1PRU)

Blue Eagles

Black Cats

Tucano

 

Foreign

 

P3K Orian-RNZAF

 

Civilian

 

Falcon-FR Aviation LTD

Utterly Butterly Stearman

Team Condor RAFGSA

 

Foreign

 

Jordanian Falcons

 

 

Static

 

RAF and UK Military

 

Merlin

Nimrod R.1-51sqd

Sentinel R.1-5sqd

Canberra PR9-39sqd (1PRU)

Typhoon T1/F2-29®sqd

Grob Tutor 115E

Hawk T.Mk1

Tornado Gr.4

Tucano

C-130J

Harrier Gr.7

E-3D-8/23sqd

Chinook

Jetstream T2-Navy

Seaking Mk7-Navy

Lynx Mk3/8-Navy

Merlin HM Mk1-Navy

Typhoon T1/F1-17®sqd FJWOEU

Tornado Gr.4-FJWOEU

Tornado F3-FJWOEU

 

Foreign Military

 

E-3A-NATO

RF-4E Phantom-Hellenic AF

 

Civilian

Auster (up to ten a/c)

Falcon-FR Aviation

Canberra B2/6- Air Atlantique

 

As always this list will be added to and taken from, most likely if anything is to go it will be the Greek Phantom, as thats what we want to see most!

[Brit_Radar_Dude]

McP said - I'm a bit puzzled why we still have a presence in Germany anyway.

We haven't anymore as far as I am aware. A friend of mine was part of the close-down team for Bruggen, I'm sure she said that Gutersloh, Wildenrath, Laarbruch had already gone, vaguely remember her saying something about Bruggen being handed over to the Army for a while....

 

Certainly raf.mod.uk shows only Ascension, Falklands, Akrotiri as overseas bases.

 

As for the spookiness of US bases in the UK, I always found them a bit of a laugh. I can kinda understand the USAF concept of trying to make some 18yr old on his first overseas assignment feel as comfortable as possible by giving him a home from home, and let him visit Englands equivalent of "Deliverance" country (Norwich) once he's acclimatised.....

Many happy memories of sunny days watching jets with a burger, a beer at Woodbridge, Mildenhall, Lakenheath, etc.

Favorite memory is probably having a go on an RAF Regt Rapier optical tracker. They were letting the unwashed masses play with it and try to track the flying display aircraft. I queue up and get a go and the only thing in the air is some maniac hurling a Pitts Special around the sky, almost broke the ruddy thing tracking him.......

[GoonerTC]

BRD, your correct mate, we havent got any major flying units in Germany. Its manly the pongos out there now mate but we still have folks in blue suits dotted around Germany. Shame bud, Dont know what the mob has to offer kids now. If you want to see the world (apart from Falklands, Iraq and Afgan) then join the Navy or the Army. There're not classed as stations now only EAWs (Expeditionary Air Wings) progress huh.. madness

 

:cry: :cry: :doh:

[Andrew_McP]

Ok, this thread cost me £26 and -7 hours' sleep! With the weather so nice and Sunday being my night off, I gambled today's sleep on a trip to Biggin Hill. Didn't make it to the end thanks to drooping eyelids and the prospect of a long, slow journey home if I left any later, but it was still worth the effort.... even if only as a good excuse to sit in the sun for a change being buzzed by aircraft.

 

The following link is just a quick "diary" compilation of a few of the better clips I managed to take with my digital camera. Didn't take any really good photos due to the shutter/focusing lag on my Canon S1 IS. It's a nice little all rounder, with a very useful movie mode, but it's no digital SLR when it comes to taking pictures exactly when you want them.

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=550123712658902773

 

Andrew McP

[Crusty]

Im up for fairford:pilotfly: