It was a gloomy day in downtown Southend

Nice photo’s Alan!

I don’t live in the area anymore, although I’ll always be a Southend boy at heart, but I remember the 80’s being a great time for seeing historics at the airport. I remember in 1983 when most of Stephen Grey’s collection, Lindsey Walton’s F4U-7 and OFMC’s Spit and P-40 got weathered in at Southend…thier departure the next day was awesome! Remember standing in my garden watching that lot thunder over at low level as they departed…I was jumping around like an excited child! (well, I was 13 at the time). I recall a photo of that visit appearing in Flypast.
The one that I missed was when three B-17s turned up for painting at Heavylift for the Memphis Belle film. I was sitting in my bedroom listening in of the tower frequency when I heard, “three B-17’s requesting run and break for landing”, to which I looked out of my bedroom window to catch the three Forts running into the airport. I only caught a glimpse, and kicked myself for not knowing about it sooner!
I also got the chance to have a look inside the Lancaster when she was passing through, but that was because I was a member of 1312 ATC at Southend at the time. Happy days!

Regards;
Steve

Possibly, if their landing fees are cheaper than those at Southend. Which I believe are now the best part of £30
for a small aircraft.

http://ripassetseu.s3.amazonaws.com/www.southendairport.com/_files/documents/nov_11/SOUTHEND__1322047134_Landing_Parking__Training_%28201.pdf

£75

You won’t be seeing many of these here from now on…..!

Possibly, if their landing fees are cheaper than those at Southend. Which I believe are now the best part of £30
for a small aircraft.

http://ripassetseu.s3.amazonaws.com/www.southendairport.com/_files/documents/nov_11/SOUTHEND__1322047134_Landing_Parking__Training_%28201.pdf

Lydd airport has been used in recent years for aircraft attending Legends I believe.

Does Southend get much in the way of historics, including airliners passing through? Perhaps you could start a Southend diary for us – ala Duxford and North Weald.

Rob

There are already others who have far more inside info as to what is coming and going at Southend, and take far better pictures.
I don’t live that close either (5miles), but thought the short trip worthwhile for this one.
We don’t get as many historic aircraft coming into Southend as was once the case. Most just coming in for customs clearance.
I assume Duxford handle that themselves now. Unless historic aircraft are exempt ?
Quite a few airliners come in for maintenance or paint jobs, that’s apart from Eazyjet Airbuses, and Flybe aircraft.

I believe this Buchon was flying back from Belgium with a Spitfire, but reported low fuel and had to land.

Does Southend get much in the way of historics, including airliners passing through? Perhaps you could start a Southend diary for us – ala Duxford and North Weald.

Rob