Duxford Bimble No 52 – 12Aug11

I wasn’t intending going on Saturday but there were a few air shows on that day with a few Duxford based aircraft down to take part. It was raining for most of the journey in on the bus but had stopped by the time I arrived although it was still dark, cloudy but with a warmish wind blowing.

As I was walking out of Two Hangar, I saw the Cub being pushed by the pilot towards the airfield and knowing where they usually park the Cub and with Sally-B parked out on the airfield grass, a photo opportunity came to mind and I rattled off a few compositions before the Cub left for Rougham.

Late morning and the HAC Spitfire and Hurricane were parked out on the airfield, pointing into the brisk breeze that was blowing, in line astern with the B-17.

The Hurricane was first up departing with an overnight stay at Headcorn.

The T.28 Fennec fired up and taxied to the runway hold point to do its power checks before heading off to Rougham for a display. The engine started backfiring with a few loud bangs and then it taxied back to its parking slot.

Me thinks there could have been a bit of an engine problem as the pilot had a look and poke around at the big Wright radial engine. A short time later he strapped himself back in the cockpit, the prop turned but the engine didn’t catch. Even using the mobile starter pack that had been plugged into the Sabre, the Fennec prop turned but the engine still didn’t catch. Time for the canopy covers to go back on again

While all this was going on the Classic Wings fleet were doing their usual thing and there were a couple of civilian visiting aircraft that flew in but not as many as usual for a Saturday. A brightly coloured PC12 was flying circuits and bumps from the hard and grass runways and then parked up on the Jet pan for about ninety minutes before leaving.

Mid afternoon and Sally-B started up with the usual smoke screen and then made the short journey to Rougham for a display.

Mark Linney was up next in the Sabre as he flew off to Eastbourne for the air show and an overnight stay.

Sally-B returned thirty-five minutes after leaving Duxford with a straight in approach from the east and parked back up on the grass again.

Finally the HAC Spitfire took to the air and headed off north. It returned ten minutes later with a display over the air field before landing. As I was leaving on the bus it took off again for the short flight to Old Warden and the evening air show.

It’s amazing what a difference a day makes. Having nearly turned to the ‘Dark Side’ when I was photographing an Army Helicopter at Duxford on the Friday because nothing else was flying, on Saturday there was more flying during the afternoon than you could shake a stick at. Or should that be a monopod.

Brian