As some of you will know, our village is a very attractive place set on a hill around a large green with a pond in the middle.
At this time of the year we are usually crawling with tourists, yesterday was no exception even though the weather turned grim during the afternoon.
At 4:30 we had low cloud and driving rain, I was watching the Test Match on TV while my missus was trying to pick her way through the village centre.
Hearing Merlins she looked up to see a Spitfire and Hurricane banking low and sharp right over the north of the village, setting themselves up to do a steep banking turn right over the green to give everyone a good view, this was followed by my glass of cider flying everywhere as they came turning straight over my back garden, straightened up, did a bit of wing waggling and flew south, Spitfire in the lead.
The aircraft I should say were flying at about 250-300ft, fairly close formation, Spitfire leading, Hurricane to starboard. Considering the appalling weather conditions I would have wanted to get away ASAP so thanks to whoever it was for the flypast. It was too dark to make out any markings or colours on the a/c, could it have been the BBMF as they have done this sort of thing before over the village notably last Bank Holiday when the village had a fete on the green, the BBMF were heading back from Southend. I could see them flying north to the west of the village, it was to late for the Lancaster to deviate, but the Spitfire pilot obviously spotted us, pulled away from the formation and banked right round the green.
Thanks boys, you can come again.
If Tailspin wants to move here he’ll need a good lottery win.
By: Seafuryfan - 15th August 2005 at 23:28
Working Hard
Hi Pete,
Its great, isn’t it, when an opportunity fly-by occurs like that. From my (military) experience, if you encounter low cloud or poor vis while flying, you go around it or descend lower, picking your way through until you come out the other side.
It’s possible that the first of the two-ship was working hard at the nav with the number two keeping eyes on the number one. They’d both be trying to stay as high as possible to avoid livestock, towns/villages etc, looking to check their position when appropriate by looking at ground features, and orbiting if required to maintain formation integrity (oooh, look at you with your big analysis! 😉 )
The wing-waggle may have been a pre-briefed signal from one to the other (e.g. follow me). But it may also have been ‘Hello Pete’ 🙂
By: Pete Truman - 15th August 2005 at 16:00
adrians dad
You lucky beggar, Pete! Any chance you can hold up a sign to Gt Sampford next time they come by, please my Dad?
Adrian
Weekend completed with Spitfire and P-51 heading north low and fast sunday afternoon, I reckon your old man must have been unconsious after too many pints of Ridleys at the pub to have missed that, I don’t think they spotted the arrow that I cut in the lawn.
By: adrian_gray - 14th August 2005 at 19:00
You lucky beggar, Pete! Any chance you can hold up a sign to Gt Sampford next time they come by, please my Dad?
Adrian
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August 14, 2005 at 9:44 am