North Weald Diary (2016)

The following weekends were good – the seaside airshows kept Hangar 11 and the Gnats busy, as well as visits from the Jet Provost Display Team, the Norwegian Historical Squadron and RNLAF Historic Flight:

Folland Gnat T.1 G-RORI / XR538 – Gnat Display Team – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Folland Gnat T.1 G-RORI / XR538 – Gnat Display Team – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

North American P-51D Mustang 472035 “Tall In The Saddle” (G-SIJJ) – Hangar 11 Collection – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

North American P-51D Mustang 472035 “Tall In The Saddle” (G-SIJJ) – Hangar 11 Collection – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk 43-5802 “Lulu Belle” (G-KITT) – Hangar 11 Collection, North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

North American P-51D Mustang 472035 “Tall In The Saddle” (G-SIJJ) – Hangar 11 Collection – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI “Red 18” (N104CJ) – Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15UTI “Red 18” (N104CJ) – Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

North American B-25N Mitchell 44-29507 (PH-XXV) – Royal Netherlands Air Force Historical Flight – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

de Havilland Vampire T.55 LN-DHZ – Norwegian Historical Squadron – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

de Havilland Vampire FB.6 SE-DXS – Norwegian Historical Squadron – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

de Havilland Vampire T.55 LN-DHZ – Norwegian Historical Squadron – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

BAC Jet Provost T.5 XW324 (G-BWSG) – Jet Aerobatics – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

A sunny day in September provided a few good movements:

Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1 XX638 (G-DOGG) – North Weald, September 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

North American TF-51D Mustang 44-14561 (G-TFSI) – North Weald Heritage Aviation – North Weald, September 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Hunting-Percival Jet Provost T.3 XN637 (G-BKOU) – North Weald, September 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

BAC Jet Provost T.5 XW325 (G-BWGF) – North Weald, September 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

And some from the winter months to end:

Boeing N2S-3 Kaydet N63590 / 143 – North Weald, November 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk 43-5802 “Lulu Belle” (G-KITT) – Hangar 11 Collection, North Weald, November 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

BAC Jet Provost T.5P G-VIVM (XS230) – Swords Aviation Ltd, North Weald, December 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Full gallery available to view here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97086747@N08/albums/72157666343227212

2015 gallery here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97086747@N08/albums/72157655992122472

And 2014 here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/97086747@N08/albums/72157643904011754

Late to the party, but a retrospective of my visits in 2016:

First visit of the spring was in April – rewarded with Jet Provost and Hangar 11 action, as well as a visiting Gazelle:

BAC Jet Provost T.4 XS228 (G-PROV) – Swords Aviation Ltd, North Weald, April 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Westland Gazelle HT.3 XZ934 (G-CBSI) – Gazelle Squadron, North Weald, March 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk 43-5802 (G-KITT) – Hangar 11 Collection, North Weald, May 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Curtiss P-40M Kittyhawk 43-5802 (G-KITT) – Hangar 11 Collection, North Weald, May 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

The Gnat Display Team’s training days are always good to spectate:

Folland Gnat T.1 G-RORI / XR538 – Gnat Display Team – North Weald, May 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Folland Gnat T.1 G-MOUR / XS102 (XR992) – Gnat Display Team – North Weald, May 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Folland Gnat T.1 G-RORI / XR538 – Gnat Display Team – North Weald, May 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Folland Gnat T.1 G-RORI / XR538 – Gnat Display Team – North Weald, May 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Folland Gnat T.1 G-MOUR / XS102 (XR992) – Gnat Display Team – North Weald, May 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

July’s open day was the first chance to see the new residents:

North American TF-51D Mustang 44-14561 (G-TFSI) – North Weald Heritage Aviation – North Weald, July 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Hawker Fury II SR661 (G-CBEL) – North Weald Heritage Aviation – North Weald, July 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

August was a busy month – a long, hot day with not very much happening whilst waiting for one of the most elusive aircraft on-site to RTB from a display at Damyns Hall:

Bell UH-1H Iroquois 560 (G-HUEY) – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Bell UH-1H Iroquois 560 (G-HUEY) – North Weald, August 2016 by Dan B, on Flickr

Tuesday 15 November

Coastguard 163, an AW139 from Lydd paid us another visit on Tuesday, parking on the grass infront of the Tower for a meeting of the Air Ambulance.

It departed back to its base as it was getting dark.

All very nice.Thanks for posting.

Sunday 13 November

Our Stearman was out on Sunday.

The Kittyhawk went off to Turweston.

Our two resident buzzards were also out soaring. I have been trying to photograph them for months, but they are very elusive. These shots aren’t great quality as the birds were quite distant, but they are the best to date!

Lovely photos ,thank you

Stunning images!

Rob

Hot air balloons and fireworks?
That sounds interesting

Friday 4 November

Our final event of our 100th Anniversary Year was The Squadron’s Fireworks and Bonfire Party on the Friday night. It had been raining hard all afternoon, but fortunately it stopped and we had a clear evening. Aviation content? Well we had three tethered hot air balloons along with the fireworks, so certainly an airborne display! The pictures were taken from the top of the Tower. Around 4,000 people came along.

Sounds good – what are the arrangements for ground visitors?

Wednesday 6 July and Friday 8 July

On Wednesday a Stearman, N43YP, which went tech during the recent formation week departed back to its home base.

On Friday Army Air 441, ZJ221, came in from Wattisham for some circuits.

The yellow Gnat, G-MOUR, was also out a couple of times on training sorties.

The Nostalgair show due to be held at The Squadron on Sunday 7 August has been cancelled.

The initial line up for our 100th Anniversary Air Fête on Sunday 17 July is as follows:

Dassault Falcon DA20ECM (Royal Norwegian Air Force) Arriving Saturday morning, departing Sunday afternoon
DH Vampire FB52 (Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron) Arriving Saturday
DH Vampire T55 (Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron) Arriving Saturday
MiG 15UTI (Norwegian Air Force Historical Squadron) Arriving Saturday

Vampire T11 WZ507 (Weald Aviation based)
Jet Provosts Mark 1, 3, 4 and 5 (Weald Aviation based)
MiG 17 (Weald Aviation based)

Plus other warbirds to be announced next week

Visiting aircraft from the Shipping & Airlines Collection at Biggin Hill. These include:

DH 90A Dragonfly
DH 87B Hornet Moth
Miles Messenger
Civilian Coupe
Curtiss Wright Trainer
Piper L4A Cub
Rearwin Sportster

Visiting aircraft fly in for FREE. PPR the Tower on 01992 524 740

Thanks 🙂

Saturday and Sunday afternoons

Nice pictures, I really must make the effort to visit. When is the museum open ?

Sunday 3 July

Back to normal and a busy weekend of flying. The P-40 Kittyhawk Lulu Belle went off to display at the Chalke Valley Show in Wiltshire,, returning after a fuel stop at White Waltham.

The Shipping & Airlines Collection’s Dragonfly and Chipmunk also gave us a low level pass on their way back to Biggin Hill from Sywell.

The previous Saturday (25 June) AB910, one of the BBMF’s Spitfires also gave us a low pass.

Thursday 30 June / Friday 1 July

On Thursday 30 June the Somme commemoration started with members of the Ops Team who were dressed as WW1 infantrymen. Waiting for Zero Hour must have been terrible in the trenches, and we counted down the minutes until the symbolic brazier was lit by Deputy Chairman and North Weald Councillor Dave Stallan to start our overnight vigil.

The brazier was kept burning through the night.

We also filmed readings from a diary of a local soldier who was wounded on the Somme in 1918.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw6DcgiNn5w&feature=youtu.be

At 07:28, the sound of gunfire for two minutes heralded the start of our service of commemoration, which was led by Fr James Rodley from St Andrew’s Church, and included a mixture of readings, hymns and poetry. Those taking part included EFDC Chairman Jeane Lea, local Royal British Legion Secretary John Duffel, the Revd Stephen Cotterill, Bishop of Chelmsford, and members of the Airfield Ops Team. After the ceremony, many members of the local community took time to view our trench and the exhibition in the Control Tower. We also welcomed a school party from Cambridge, who are off to the Somme this week.

Tuesday 28 June

It is North Weald’s 100th Anniversary year, and the Airfield also hosted the Epping Forest District Council offical Battle of the Somme Overnight Vigil. As part of this commemoration we constructed a length of trench which formed the centrepiece of the ceremony. We also organised an exhibition in the Control Tower in conjunction with Epping Forest Museum and the Royal Gunpowder Mills,

On Thursday 28 June two members of the Ops Team dressed in period uniforms for a photo opportunity with a Vickers machine gun and Lee Enfield rifles. Millions of these were produced down the road at the Royal Small Arms factory at Enfield during WW1.

On the same day we had our first visitors to the exhibition. Two ladies were notable. One had been researching her family history and had found that her great uncle was a Lewis gunner who was killed on the Somme. The other’s father served through the battle and survived.

top notch

:love-struck: Lovely photos –thanks for posting.

Sunday 19 JUne Air Britain Fly-in

Sunday’s weather was much better and we got some interesting historic visitors – one of the featured Navions from Earls Colne, the Duxford Rapide and the Miles Whitney Straight from Turweston.

The Vampire T11 and Jet Provost G=PROV went off to Wellesbourne for their wings & Wheels event.

The Hangar 11 Mustang also returned in the afternoon.