Hello all! Favourite Old Warden memories?

July-ish 1986.

Two reasons.
Apart from the aircraft one would expect, seeing a Vulcan display at Old Warden was pretty spectacular
Secondly, it was the last time myself and my Mum and Dad went out for the day altogether as Dad died suddenly a few weeks later.

I remember going as a family, not to a display, in probably the middle 60s and seeing the the Spitfire MKIX and the Sea Hurricane just inside the gate. Never believed they’d both be airworthy many years later.

First ever airshow, must have been about ’74 or ’75. Stepping from the coach into this awesome place on a beautiful summers day. The smell of the castor oil and a first sight of so many precious airframes, wonderment that they actually flew. The afternoon wore on and that wonderful heart-stopping moment when you hear your first Merlin. The sound alone is glorious, yet it is attached to that epitome of grace the Spitfire, and all that goes with it. The realisation that these aircraft weren’t flown just for the sheer enjoyment of flight, that the pilots who flew them bought our freedom with their lives. A lifelong fascination is born.

Then a total change of mood, the Vintage Pair appear as if by magic from behind the trees, a beautiful sight and sound, an image burned deep into my memory, never to be forgotten, yet sadly never to be repeated.

The walk back to the coach, face tingling pleasantly from the sun, neck aching from looking skyward, that tired feeling, the one you get from the satisfaction of having done something worthwhile.

You know I’ve never been back. And now I’m afraid to in case it doesn’t live up to my memories. Shame that…..

Silly, sentimental old fool.

Kev35

Mark V

19 August 1970 on the back of the print.

Mark

What was the year Mark?

This post links with the ‘AB910’ post by Seafuryfan concerning the shortest time span for a Spitfire paint scheme.

For a bit of sport Stuart MacConacher and I thought it would be fun to apply the former ‘N’ number carried by the then static Mk XI PL983 at OW. The aircraft had previouisly been the personal mount of US Air Attache back in 1948.

It was on and off in a day.

You probably marshalled us in then, as we used to go to most shows back then (and no, I’m not the beardie with the Volvo). The Comet/Mosquito formation only made a single pass (I think), but my motordrive was running. Unfortunately, they’re all slides and I don’t have a decent slide scanner!

Originally posted by Moondance
Comet/Mosquito formation about 10 years ago – unique?

That would have been around 1988 – our ATC Squadron (St Neots) used to do all the car park marshalling duties from 1987 to 1989, and I distinctly remember seeing the Mosquito and Comet together. I was absolutely spellbound, but did manage to get a few shots off. I’ll try to dig them out when I get home tonight and post them up on here…

Two other memories stick in the mind – seeing the RNHF Firefly for the first time and thinking it was probably one of the most beautiful aeroplanes I’d ever seen, and marshalling in a Volvo estate with about a dozen kids in the back. The driver obviously taking advantage of the £x per car admission fee! The same car used to pitch up for every display, and was a constant source of amusement for us. Oddly, we never managed to get an actual count on how many were in the back. Bearded man in a Volvo – if you’re out there reading this, thanks for making us laugh!

I’m actually quite ashamed to admit that I’ve probably not been back to Old Warden since those day long car parking stints, really must make the effort while the summer’s still here…

Nowhere better 🙂

Moggy

Well, as said already, so many, but for a start, winning the draw for a flight in the Shuttleworth Tiger (after umpteen tickets over many years, I hasten to add). Went out to Cardington, round the hangars and then some aeros before pottering back to OW.

Another magic moment was when Neil Williams flew a circuit in the Bleriot, but couldn’t complete it and landed in a field short of the runway. By the time he got back to the airfield, Roger Hoeffling, that most urbane of commentators, had already organised a whip round among the crowd and raised a considerable amount of dosh towards any repairs that might be needed.

Neil Williams displaying ANYTHING..but particularly the Spitfire, and aerobatics in the Tiger Moth including a falling leaf manouevre. What an irreplaceable loss.

Silver wings against a deep blue sky, summer evenings, sunsets. What a magical place it is.

Septic, a cracking shot, wonder why there is no cover on the radiator drain?

Septic you lucky sod seeing both of the Se5’s flying together, I never actually saw that. Obviously seen the Shuttleworth example umpteen times and also saw the Se5e fly on a few occations at Duxford with Mark Hanna at the controls before it went Stateside.
I did read in Aeroplane a couple of months back that the Se5e is supposed to be back in the UK.

Old Warden memories, where do I start!

Two SE 5’s (A & E models)
Vickers Varsity, touch and go
Comet, Mew Gull & Hawk Speed Six formation.
RAF Jaguar virtual touch & Go (early 80’s)

None of the above cannot beat John Lewis in AR501 when she still had the clipped wing tips.

Though with you saying that it has reminded me of the late Mark Hanna and his display in MH434 on 16th May 98. It was one of those rare occaisions when everything came together and the display was out of this world. The photos of the Spit against the trees has been in nearly all of the magazines and i got one almost identical myself which i have got framed and takes pride of place as my best photo.

I must admit Andy Sephton in the Spit or Hurri is a very, very close second to Ray Hanna especially at OW.

For me it’s the first time I saw the Sea Hurricane during her first display season. I’d been waiting years for this aircraft to fly and I was not dissapointed. Everything about her to me is perfect – the shape, the paint sceme, and all in lovely setting of OW.

To hear that MkII Merlin (the oldest airborne Merlin in the world) making the same sound as Battle of Britain Spitfires and Hurricanes was fantastic – and the display by Andy Sephton was poetry in motion.

Sally b is always well impressive going round the bend, like all the big aeroplanes though the Catalina and in particular the Canberra were really good, and the Harrier operating from the grass is always special. Another memory also from 96 is when i was on the way home from the Clophill village fete + flying display i decided to go to an evening display on the way home and it has been the only time i have seen the french memorial flights dassault flammant which was a great surprise and put on a good display to finish the day off nicely after seeing B1’s and 52’s at clophill.

Got to be Sally B’s visit a couple of years ago.

To see her sweeping in from the righthand side, from behind the trees, passing in front of the crowd was absolutely brilliant.

Hope she ‘does’ Shuttleworth again in the future !!

Comet/Mosquito formation about 10 years ago – unique?

I have to agree with Nighthawk, I love all the old WW1 stuff, but there is something special about seeing the more powerful visiting aircraft in that setting.

Doesn’t seem to be that much coming over from Duxford these days – guess it must be a cost thing?

Flippin’ Ell better wait for those elusive lottery numbers to come up;)