Spitfire & Hurricane to fly over Severn Valley Railway 30-6-08 13.30 hours

Pete this was as close as they got, it’s my image but I haven’t had time to uplaod a larger version, so at least you can see what there was, cheers, MP

http://3400.e-printphoto.co.uk/bpm/index.cfm?z=z&y=y&p_id=8621772&c_id=79583&action=view

and this was them flying ‘in formation’ past the station:

http://3400.e-printphoto.co.uk/bpm/index.cfm?z=z&y=y&p_id=8621771&c_id=79583&action=view

Just out of interest, did they manage to put together a 1940’s vintage train, I know that the SVR have the rolling stock and GWR logo locomotives to do this, now that would have looked good with the spit and hurri flying past.

I was down at the Victoria Bridge on Saturday afternoon. I saw the Dakota beating up the station at I presume Highley (could have been Arley also). It then proceeded to follow a train past me towards Kiddy. I thought that it would probably just roughly follow the line south, but no, the Dak followed the line straight over my position 😀 I didn’t see what they did in Kiddy, but considering I got about 5 phone calls about him, I think it must have been good.

The Spit and Hurri were supposed to be doing a flypast at Wolverley at a dedication for the wwII american hospital that was there. I only saw that from home as they went straight past us, then a single pass over the town.

Spit and Hurri never made it to Liverpool for the 75th celebrations 🙁 They were grounded due to bad weather. Still, at least the Dak made it and did several wonderfully low passes over the old terminal 😀

Jon

Was a cracking sight and sound on Sunday with the BBMF Spit and Hurri swooping down the Severn Vally.

I spent the time slot at Highly station. this being the location for the big Battle reenactment was taking place at 1pm. cracking battle on the station and rail lines and siding’s.

The Germans won the battle and defeated the British and US troops.

The place was covered with blank spent cartridge’s cracking battle and very close to the action for the crowds that watched .

The Spit and Hurri came along just after Sir Winston Churchill gave is speech .
with the 2 aircraft swooping down the Vally and around the Station 3 passes each so very good.

Was most impressed with the whole set up of this event .

Worth every penny and a must do if you have never been.

Ah, well Kemble is nearer here still (as the crow flies, anyway) so that defo must’ve been it, then. Certainly sounded like it, and looked like it in the brief glimpse I saw out my window here.

Hi Lancman,

After SVR she was listed to overfly Kemble for the Victory Vehicle Show.

Ross

Could have sworn I saw the Dakota fly over here (Newport, South Wales) yesterday- on it’s way down from the Severn Valley then I assume?

Ah, I remember the days when the Lanc used to fly around over here…(big country house by here which I assume was used as a waypoint) haven’t seen it overhead here in years- last time was as it came out of St Athan with it’s new wing spar!

HI MP,

Got to say that the Spit and Hurricane did exactly what I have seen them do before i.e. a flypast was listed and a flypast was what occurred.

The agenda for Spit and Hurricane today was Old Buckenham, Debden, Kidderminster Memorial, SVR and Liverpool. Only Liverpool and Old Buckenham were listed as display.

If the plan was for them to be over the SVR at about 13:30 hrs then they were running late so it may have been getting back on schedule that curtailed any extras.

In my experience the Dak always seems to go that bit further on flypasts. Yesterday it ran in north to south over Bewdley at about 100/150 ft turned to the west and repeated nice and slow. Tight turn again to leave over the WMSP. I then watched a series of climb/turn/dive manouvers in the distance over the Kiddy station. Reminded me of a A10 tankbuster routine. No wonder the guards were impressed.

I felt the Spit/Hurri pair did what I expected..the Dak surpassed my high expectations of it.

Ross

Ross, honestly, I have never been so underwhelmed by a flyby.

Arriving early at the station, I talked to the train guards about yesterday’s Dakota, and they were really impressed with the show, about 4 circuits and two flybys of the station running along the track at low altitude.

With this in mind, they eagerly (and I did too) awaited the arrival of the flight.

At a distance approx. 2-miles South of the station, they appeared and headed South-East, closing the distance to about a mile away. At about 1.5 miles out, the Spit climbed to about 800ft and turned towards the station, with the Hurricane lagging about 500ft behind.

The planes then flew parallel to the station, approximately half-a-mile away from the station and went behind the tree line.

At this point the Guards and I, and the people who’d come to the station for the 40’s event expected them to return and come in low over the station.

10-minutes later, we all realised, that what we had seen, was all we would see.

From a personal PoV, I was very disappointed, I mean really, deep down disappointed.

It’s rare to see these planes flying today, and without travelling to major airshows, these opportunities are the ones where they can be seen in a ‘natural’ environment and where the sound of the engines can take you back in time.

The planes were just so-far away that it was pointless being there and I feel saddened that with the weather being reasonably clear (cloud base approx. 3000ft), their was no excuse for the apathy that the Pilots appeared (that was a lot of people’s impression not just mine) to show.

When actors stage historical days for the public to remember and educate their children, the effort that the two pilots put in was nothing short of pathetic!

I’m sorry, I do feel that strongly about it, it just wasn’t worth them turning up!

MP.

Watched a quick dive to low level over Wolverley, single pass over the Kidderminster memorial, climb out over Kidderminster station at 14;00 hrs.

Down to Stourport before 200 ft high speed pass south to north over Bewdley at 14:05 hrs. Blue spit in the lead with Hurricane following approx 300 yds astern.

Dak yesterday was lower and put in much more spirit.

Ross

MP – without wishing to sound like a pedant, would that be Sunday 29th?!