Inside The Rope BBMF Tours

Agree with AviationArtist on this; members of 51 (Orton) and 115 (Peterborough) Sqns ATC were at BBMF recently; all got inside the Dakota, some good photos.

Annual ATC Camps in south Lincs normally go there as part of the week.

Yep its one of the bigger Spits. The WAAF screamed n almost crapped herself when the flames shot out as they were far bigger, Almost as far back as the cockpit 😮 . I use to do spraying of the paint work on an eve so i would have all the big boys toys to myself. The Matchless is a 1958 600cc G11cs. Ive had it near 25 years now. I never did get to race down the runway in a Top Gun styley against a Spitfire 😀

Pistonrob – thanks for the background… lucky ******! That’s a sweet baby Matchless – what one? And forgive me for a lack of aviation knowledge but is that a Griffon engine in the Spitfire and flames firing up and the 5 bladed prop?

Lovely clean sketch work there AA – I love it. So clean and accurate!

To be fair, you won’t see a whole lot more ‘behind the wire’. The best bit, as pistonrob says is being there ‘after hours’. It’s quiet, its ethereal, it has a distinct smell, better than Duxford, though equally unique.
The unfortunate part of the guided tours are the Chinese Whispers (even though they are meant in the best possible way). I’ve found in my time that a pint of ale, whilst sat in the cockpit of P7 (canopy shut) and just thinking. Fantastic…

Alternatively get involved with the RAF Cadets, when I was on camp nearby a few years ago we took our cadets there for a visit – straight over the ropes, full access to the lot – wow! The Lancaster had the bomb doors open and still had poppy petals stuck all over it from a big poppy drop it had just done over Buckingham Palace! It was amazing walking up and down the rows of Spitfires too, in various forms of repair/readiness. I remember one that was very much a stripped work in progress, our guide told us it was being built by the guys there, but it all had to be done in their own time, not on RAF time, so it was going to take a while. On the same camp we also went to Scampton and had a behind-the-scenes guide to the Red Arrows. We were shown all sorts of things and then taken around the planes too. I rested my sketchbook on the wingtip of one of them while the cadets were given a talk and drew this quick sketch.

Join the RAF and get a job there for 4 years like i did 😉 . Best years of my life and soooo regret leaving 🙁 . Got zillions of pictures and memorys though from having the whole hanger to myself on an evening time becouse i had special access to the hanger keys. Loads of my mates popped over to see me and i would sign them on camp and give them a tour of the whole unit including any visiting aircraft like F15s etc but hours would be spent in the BBMF hanger 😀 ..

Thats a younger more hairy on top me in PA474s hatch

..

A few years back there was a special forum photo evening in the BBMF hangar (preceded by a visit to see Just Jane taxying and tea at the Petwood). It was a thoroughly enjoyable day out, kindly organised by the BBMF guys, and I relish the thought that it would one day be repeated, now I have a better camera!

Fluffy……? ;):)

daniel

That was a really great day out.

Sort of like this then?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln5bfF6JKtQ

Is it possible to get behind the tour rope’s of the BBMF Hangers?

A few years back there was a special forum photo evening in the BBMF hangar (preceded by a visit to see Just Jane taxying and tea at the Petwood). It was a thoroughly enjoyable day out, kindly organised by the BBMF guys, and I relish the thought that it would one day be repeated, now I have a better camera!

Fluffy……? ;):)

daniel

As posted previously:

“In September 2008 I pre-organised a ‘behind the ropes’ group visit for relatives of a 619 Squadron Lancaster (ME846) that crashed in 1944 – they were treated like royalty and were extremely moved by the wonderful reception they received from everyone at ‘The Flight!’

It made the Lancaster flypast at Newark on the Saturday even more poignant!”