Great Warbirds West Malling Kent oh the memories

If he’s in the south east, I might know him too possibly?

Ether way, let him know it was greatly appreciated by me. Certainly made for a different display and sounded incredible. Must have popped off quite a few rounds there which couldn’t have been cheap!

Also remember the year Sally B had just finished the Memphis Belle movie and did a few runs past the crowd blasting off blank .50 cal shells at a pursuing Buchon. Magic!

I know the guy that was firing that .50 cal during the airshow….. he worked for Bapty’s at the time and was also a very knowledgeable collector/historian of WW2 USAAF uniforms/kits etc had some great stories of the filming of Memphis Belle.

What many people probably did not know at the time was that, en route to West Malling for the 1989 show, the Sunderland had a rendezvous with Plane Sailing’s first Catalina G-BLSC some way to the west of the airfield so that Arthur Gibson could take some air-to-airs of the two flying boats from his Aztec. For around 20 minutes the two flew together in a number of very close formation positions for his camera. Sadly, and for reasons not known to me, there was no agreement to continue the formation to West Malling so that it could be enjoyed by the crowds there. The display is mentioned in Peter Smith’s book The Last Flying Boat ML814 Islander but the photo sortie is not referred to. I shall never forget looking out of the Catalina’s windows at that big white flying boat (“SC did not have the rear hull blisters at that point sadly). My log tells me that the Catalina’s pilots were Paul Warren Wilson (Captain) and Pete Treadaway (co-pilot). The Sunderland was captained by Ken Emmott and the co-pilot was Mike Searle.

Remember the year with the Sunderland too. An awesome sight that I’m glad I didn’t miss. Also remember the year Sally B had just finished the Memphis Belle movie and did a few runs past the crowd blasting off blank .50 cal shells at a pursuing Buchon. Magic!

went to few myself, Family holiday in Eastbourne! Highlights….:- Flying Sunderland! (wow!!!!) Gary Newman and the havard display team, vulcan touch and go (what a noise, and car alarms going off) a red provost (G-PROV?) appearing out of the murk………could go on, A much missed show! Forgot to add, my 1st (and only!) ride in a Dak!

I never made it to any of the West Malling airshows but what made them different to “Flying Legends”?

PA474 and Sally B formation

^The much missed Stefan K……. :apologetic:
For me still one of the best display pilots I’ve seen, along with Ray Hanna and Neil Williams.

His Hawker Hunter displays were just the mutts nuts.

GWAD was my favourite too……great days.

DragonRapide: Wow! It’s a small world isn’t it? I still have the note that came with the poster, so I will have a look and let you know if it was your Dad. I hope you got your own copy of the poster too?

Beermat: Nope! You certainly weren’t alone. This 13 year old liked girls and cars too (not that I was quite old enough to get my hands on any), but I was also mad on warbirds and Airfix kits….oh! And Gary Numan, and he was there that day so that was a bonus. Like you, me and my best mate that went in 1983 were just as interested in the old buildings, airfield infrastructure and all the stalls selling second hand kits that day. We hadn’t seen half of what was on offer as most was long out of production and certainly not found in our local model shop or newsagent. We both wished we had more pocket money that day!

My personal highlight of the 1983 show. Seeing this fine pilot and high powered hot rod display for the first time. Blew this 13 year old away! (This clip is actually from the 1983 GWAD video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qJIo-9yOgI

Steve

My only look at a flying Sunderland, I think it also flew at Biggin once, and a single flypast at Conningsby, and that is all.

With its Twin Wasps, it sounded like a couple of Dakotas !

I’ve just been looking online at old GWAD programs and have worked out that I attended the 1983 show when I was 8 years old! There must have been 12 of us as the whole wider family went and I remember a load of Harvards and some sort of battle at the end with the Zero looky-likey.

We’d pester the parents to take us every year but they wouldn’t as we lived around 5 miles away on the flight path from Detling, so it was always like having our own show. My most lasting memories were away from the event and vividly recall going bananas in the garden when Concorde flew over us super low in the ’86 due to the bad weather & low cloud and again a few years later when the Vulcan went over in formation with the Red Arrows. I’m in no doubt that it was this event that forged my obsession with old aeroplanes.

We did attend GWAD one more year (89 or 90 I’m guessing) when I was 13 or 14 and I can recall nothing more the Memphis Belle B25 camera ship displaying and buying an Anzac hat!

Memories of the Vulcan at North Weald and the Chicken score board.

I was 13 in 1983 too. I went to the GWAD three times, I think. Flew there from Staverton in an Air Atlantique DC-3 in.. 84? Truly gteat days, and the remains of the airfield infrastructure were an added fascination. I did think I was the only 13 year old with this interest at the time – my mates were into cars, heavy metal and girls. Not that I wasn’t as well, but I kept quiet about the Airfix and airshows. Who knew my future fellow forumites were lurking there as well?

Rochford, unless his boss had the same opportunity, I think you bought that poster from my dad!

When the weather closed in, we ended up giving a few Duxford-based folks a lift home by road; to return the favour, we got to fly down to Malling the following year in the British Aerial Museum’s Broussard. And home in the Varsity!

Wonderful days – I was much the same age as you.

Great memories. Thanks for sharing. These were the good old days when Airshows were more relaxing and enjoyable.

Still my all time favourite air show. The 1983 GWAD was my first proper air show, and although the weather was rubbish, it was still a great show that my former 13 year old self still fondly remembers. I have the original poster framed up on my wall, bought off eBay from a former director of IWM Duxford. Apparently, he flew down in Sally B and spent the day at the show, and flew back to Duxford in Sally B again with the show poster I now own. Very chuffed to have that! I’ve had discussions about the GWAD shows here before…they were great days and sorely missed.

Ozplane: Makes me happier knowing that the locals now regret the development there. I knew they would! Maybe some of those other anti airfield numpties around the country should take note.

Steve

I did a safety audit some years ago for one of the companies on the West Malling estate and talking to some of the people who lived nearby at lunchtime, they were all agreed that they wished the airfield was back and that the industrial development had gone elsewhere. Apparently with the opening of the Channel Tunnel freight traffic runs 24 hrs a day.

GWAD was also on my doorstep, and as a child of the 80s this was where the warbird enthusiast’s seed was well and truly planted for me. I miss that place.
Throwing around those little foam gliders with the blue plastic freewheeling propellors, getting bored waiting for the show to start.
Sitting in the Sally B supporters enclosure, getting blown away with a face full of smoke when she started up in readiness for her slot.
Getting excited to see this famous chap called Gary flying around pretending to be Japanese.
Concorde, the Vulcan, Phantom sneak attacks and of course MH434 and Ray Hanna.

I worked in Kings Hill for a while a few years ago, I spent many a lunch time wandering around the toy town housing estates working out where everything was and casting my mind back.
Such a damn shame.

Thanks for sharing the videos Trolly Aux, i’ll be sure to give these a viewing later.

GWAD along with The Fighter Meets were the best. As said, the likes of, will never be seen again 🙁

They were good – and just down the road from me. Could be home in 20 mins if I got out of the car park ok. Had a ride in the Cv440 one year…