Golden Apple's F-86A (G-SABR) retrospective

It’s a great place Jay, with some lovely aircraft, although I think quite a few of them have been grounded this year?

Not really sure Mike…I know that the Corsair, the F86 and the Hurricane where at the CWHM airshow in June…….the Mustang and P40 where flying for the welcome home of Lancaster VR – A…..others are being worked on, same as anywhere I guess…..here we seem to have somewhat of a shortage of qualified for the type pilots….( pilot of the Hurricane is a WW2 Veteran!)…even for the CWHM….extensive logbooks and deep pockets seem to be needed in many cases…….regardless…….YES it is a great place….and like CWHM it is very hands on…… paid flights etc…….lots of school groups and cadets, scouts etc…….

to be fair……for a day not to forget…..one could do the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa..( WONDERFUL all indoors displayed aircraft…pre WW1 to modern CF188 Hornets….including a fully restored ( it was FLOWN there and put on display) Lancaster, and some rather rare ( to us anyway) German aircraft too….Me 163 Komet, HE 162 Volksjager Salamander, and a complete Me 109 E, etc)……then a short drive to the Vintage Wings Canada…….full day for sure…but do able!….

Cheers……Hope maybe some of you all from the UK , Europe etc.get a chance to see what Ontario offers in Warbirds……

It’s a great place Jay, with some lovely aircraft, although I think quite a few of them have been grounded this year?

Lads, I feel bad for you all loosing the F86…..I am however highly jelous that you’ve all had flying Vampires and such….here in Canada we have them in the museums, but none flying…..

Just to give you all something to look at in your F86 deprivation….

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This is a WONDERFUL FLYING MUSEUM located in Quebec Canada, not far from Ottawa…….they tend to be a tad unheard of due to the CWHM popularity……but seriously incredible……FLYING Stringbag, RN Corsair, CF86, Hurricane, RCAF Mustang, P40, Spits, Lysander and the list goes on…and they have several if not more Spits in restoration…..

Take alook……might rejuvinate some love…especially with the cold winter months quickly creeping in….

http://www.vintagewings.ca/en-ca/home.aspx

April 1992 was the first flight in the UK – so 22+ years in total (albeit it didn’t fly in 2014). I was only 3 at the time (!) and some of my earliest airshow memories involve the aircraft. I do wonder if a fair few took it for granted, given that it was such a staple of British airshows, particularly at Duxford – a case, perhaps, of not fully appreciating what you have until it’s gone? Maybe I’m wrong.

That makes me feel old!

In my case I appreciated it every time I saw it: first, before it had been fully assembled at Bournemouth, and then once it was airworthy there. I was lucky to sit in her a few times and monitor the great work being done on her cockpit, wheel wells, landing gear and speed brakes. Gradually ‘178 was being returned to better-than-new condition, and for me the real shame is not seeing that to its conclusion.

But on the subject of taking things for granted, I do agree in other cases: I saw Haydon-Baillie’s T-33(s?), the RNHF Sea Hawk and the Vintage Pair countless times and got precious few photos or memories of them because they seemed a common sight – at the time.

Are Martin Baker’s Meteor pair still flying?

A very valid point there, Mike. It’s a real shame that some of the variety has waned on the classic jet front over the years – whilst we have several Hunter T7s (and more on the way) and a trio of Gnats, the more unique/lesser seen types (I’m thinking specifically of the Venom, C-VIX, Meteor, Delfin etc.) are dwindling. Even the Meteor T7, which was everywhere in 2012, has practically disappeared over the last 12 months.

The scene in Europe seems to be in a slightly better state, with the Swedes doing well to operate their growing fleet, a Starfighter nearing flight in Norway (alongside the Vampires), a MiG-15 or two and various Hunters, Delfins and Magisters knocking about.

It is somewhat indicitive of the state of the Classic Jet scene in the UK at the moment. Whilst healthy in some areas (the Gnat guys at North Weald, and the MidAir Squadron have both been very active this year, for example), many other types and operators are simply fading into oblivion, almost unnoticed. Types which were once fairly common (Vampires, Venoms, Aero L-29s and L-39s, single-seat Hunters) are now very few and far between in the UK. Even those that do fly, such as the Classic Air Force Meteors, Venom and Vampire, and the North Weald Vampire, seem to attract very few bookings. The Classic Jet shows at venues such as Kemble seem to be a thing of the past. With the Sea Vixen facing an uncertain future, the Sea Hawk grounded for most of the past 2 decades, aircraft such as the CAF’s second Venom, Canberra, Meteor NF11 slipping out of Permit validity, single-seat Vampires now extinct in the UK, the failure/closure of the likes of the Team Viper/Red Star Rebel operation, Delta Jets, Hunter Flying Club at Exeter, now the Drilling Systems operation at Bournemouth, the loss of the Golden Apple T-33, we are losing more than we are gaining.

April 1992 was the first flight in the UK – so 22+ years in total (albeit it didn’t fly in 2014). I was only 3 at the time (!) and some of my earliest airshow memories involve the aircraft. I do wonder if a fair few took it for granted, given that it was such a staple of British airshows, particularly at Duxford – a case, perhaps, of not fully appreciating what you have until it’s gone? Maybe I’m wrong.

Of course, Mike. Early 90s so 20 years is nearer the mark. It doesn’t seem it……

Lovely photos from ’94 there – how good do those ‘dirty’ gun ports look?!

Thankyou and goodbye Sabre. I’ve been lucky enough to see her fly quite a few times, probably my favourite memory is passing Bournemouth airport a couple of years ago just as she was taking off in a cloud of black smoke and noise!

I’ll miss her.

One of it at the Gathering of Eagles in 1994, with Mark Hanna and Robin Olds. The latter (among many, many other things) was probably the first USAF pilot to fly ‘178:

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And the same day (though you’d never think it, by the weather!), Archie Nogle with ‘178. Archie was the last military pilot to fly ‘178, with the California ANG.
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More than 10/12 years Charlie, add another decade to that figure!

A shame to see it leave, but it was great to see it in the air, especially in the intimate surroundings of Old Warden. Nice piece Elliott.

Excellent, Elliott. And now bookmarked so that I can go back to it along with my own pictures as a reminder of so many magical displays over those 10/12 years. If this is shameless self promotion, keep up the good work!! 😀

Superb photos and an excellent retrospective or should that be UK obituary?! Embarrassed to say I was not aware of the existence of G-SABR on this side of the pond. Hopefully many more years to its existence.