Pyrotechnics?

RE: Pyro’s

Why doesnt sombody bring back the mock up ships being blown up like they did at Hendon in its Heyday?

RE: Pyro’s

East Kirkby have run a few pyrotechnics displays after their Lancaster night runs – always AFTER NX611 has been put to bed of course. They’re run by a specialist pyrotechnic company, and take the form of an airfield attack. Quite impressive, I thought.

Meanwhile I’ve got vague recollections of an airshow held at Elstree back in the late seventies, possibly early eighties. Battle Attack air display, or something like that. I didn’t go, but saw some of the pictures in our local rag – I lived in Potters Bar at the time. Apparently it involved a full scale ground battle as well as the flying display. Anyone remember it?

RE: Smoke

Surely, the best pyrotechnics of all time are connected with Lindsay Walton and his Bf108 (Nord1002).

I remember him being at various 1980s USAF shows including Mildenhall and Alconbury. It used to go something like this……

The 108 would appear, low level, and perform a couple of flybys. It would then get lower (if possible), and as it passed crowd centre an enormous explosion would follow, very close to some old USAF style van or bus. This would be repeated. It would ALWAYS be the third explosion that ‘hit’ the bus. No more Bus.
The defending aircraft, usually a pair of Harvards, would then appear. After chasing him about for a bit, the 108 would emit a trail of thick black smoke, and after a couple more passes the 108 would exit at low level, still trailing smoke.

The best of these that I can remember was at Alconbury, where having destroyed a bus, the 108 was ‘shot down’ by the late Patrick Lindsays Mk1 Spitfire (AR213). The 108 could still be seen low over the Cambridgshire countryside 20mins later, still trailing smoke!

Fantastic.

Willow

Strobes

The only pyros I am really interested in during airshows are strobe lights in place of machine gun ports in fighters.

I’ll never forget the impression made on me when Spencer Flack flew G-FURY at Shoreham in bad weather in 1980. He switched on the 4 strobes (yellow in colour, which strobed out of syncro with each other) as the aircraft turned towards the crowd during a flat display, and it looked fantastic.

RE: Pyrotechnics?

So would the owner!

MkIV Ford Zephyrs are, to coin a phrase, ‘a bit thin on the ground’ these days!!!!!

Willow

P.S. Sorry, couldn’t resist that.

RE: Pyrotechnics?

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 01-02-03 AT 00:22 AM (GMT)]Nothing against pyrotechnics myself.

Badly done they can be a bit embarassing, but if they bring the non-expert punters through the gate then they get my vote, it’s their money that will keep the airshows going, not ours alone.

Being a little older than most of you I can recall a show at Staverton/Gloucester/Cheltenham sometime in the seventies (That’s the 1970s, not my 70s you understand)

Over the tannoy came a request for somebody to move a car that was ‘blocking a fire brigade access’

The calls increased in urgency over the next 15 minutes, eventually threatening to move the vehicle if the owner didn’t do it himself.

Finally, an eggbeater appeared (Can’t tell you what, they all look the same to me – sorry Wessex fans) and hoisted the offending MkIV Ford Zephyr about 500 ft into the air, carried it to the centre of the field, then dropped it.

Needless to say it had been set-up, the Zephyr patently had no engine or glass, but it was an amazing sight.

When it hit the ground, it flattened itself completely, you could see nothing from crowdline.

I expect the CAA would have multiple kittens if anyone staged that today.

Moggy

RE: Pyrotechnics?

I would guess hows it done – a huge wall of fire could be risky where as a few clouds of smoke are awesome for photographers. The Biggin Hill 2000 BOB show was incredible – the only show I have been to with Pyrotechnics.

Besides the kids love them and isnt that what they are there for – to entertain?

Personally if you dont want too see the opening of Apocolpyse now recreated at an airshow (with F5s) then why bother going?

RE: Pyrotechnics?

I went to the Confederate show in Texas a few years ago, whilst filming for a show called “Airshow World”. They had loads of Pyros and it worked extremely well. They even create a mushroom cloud as the B-29 Flies past!

BTW Shoreham Airshow always have a few Pyros, not on the same scale as the CAF, but a very good attempt.

RE: Pyrotechnics?

Seem to remember that Mildenhall did some interesting stuff with 2 (or 4?) A-10s attacking some wooden tanks, some time on the 80s?

RE: Pyrotechnics?

Personally, I regard it as pretty much a waste of time.

I saw the Lancaster trash a supercharger bearing once over Southend, making a lovely stream of smoke and sparks…quite enough pyrotechnics for me, thanks!!!