It's the little things in life…

Originally posted by Steve Bond
Two occasions spring to mind for me. The first was when I was cycling home from school, and the roar of an approaching four-engined heavy behind some trees manifested itself as a B-17 in full wartime camouflage at about 500 ft! My friend and I almost fell off our bikes – we hadn’t heard about the War Lover being filmed at Bovingdon.

The second also concerns films at that late-lamented airfield. I was sitting in the house one afternoon when once again, the drone of multiple approaching engines got me scurrying out into the garden, just in time to witness a low-level B-25 followed by a loose gaggle of five Mossies, inbound to Bovingdon during the filming of 633 Squadron – fantastic.

Now there’s a film you couldn’t remake today, I don’t think there are even that many Mossie airframes still in existence let alone airworthy. I still say happiness is BIG pistons. I am treated to the rumble of Air Atlantique’s DC-6 passing overhead most nights

I can remember as a 12 or 13 year old in the early 70s, standing on a Baseball field in Minnesota and hearing a sound I hadn’t heard before. Looking up there was a flight of 3 B17 firebombers passing over fairly low headed north to fight the forest fires.

As the ceiling of my room at that point was covered with model B17s, with Spits and 109s dancing around them, it was something to see the real deal pass overhead

I grew up near Crystal airport where the late Jack Sandberg had his hangers so the sound of his P63 Kingcobra Tipsy Miss, whistling overhead was a common occurance as was the arrival and departure of various 51s that came to have engine work done.

I remember biking over one time to see a P51D, and the EAA’s XP51 parked outside the hanger, while next to it in pieces sat the P51C that now flies with the Southern Minnesota Wing of the CAF. I wonder how many times that’s happend where 3 different versions of the 51 were in the same spot? in particular in the late 1970s

Later the D and XP51 were both airborne. The sound was fantastic.

Dan

No problem. It’s always great to see them when you don’t expect it. Don’t know about you, but it always means a lot more to me than seeing them at a scheduled display, almost as if they’re there specifically for you. Silly, I know, but it don’t half make me feel proud. 🙂

RATS.
Forgot about Yeovilton. Was working anyway but it was just so lovely to see them.
Thanks Steve.

Can’t imagine Tornados flying that far south from Horsham though – if they were displaying there. Little bro will have to settle for taunts about misidentifying sea gulls instead. (Thinks: how does he know what a Tornado looks like, they are lucky if they get a Chinook flying around to contrast the Coastguard Sea King or the police Islander!)

Flood.

BBMF were due down at Horsham and Yeovilton today.

Talking of which…

Walking the Harting Down stretch of the South Downs Way today (Hampshire/Sussex border), at about 13:25hrs, and there was a droning noise from above. Thinking it might be a particularly noisy microlight or four I looked up to find what definitely looked to me like a Lancaster with a Hurricane in attendance.
Speechless!
Couldn’t tell you the height since the day started out badly foggy and cleared to hazy with sunny patches, but they were high enough that they were both just silhouettes. I am just annoyed that I only had prime wide angle lenses with me – if only to serve as proof that they did over fly me today before disappearing into the murk!
Then – to cap it all – apparently a couple of Tornados flew low level over my little brother. Nothing unusual you might think, except that he was more or less directly due south of me, on the south coast to the north east of the Isle of Wight, and he reckons that they were very low level. How low, I asked him. He just spread both hands, thumb tip to thumb tip, and held them up at a 45 degree angle and said that their wing tips overlapped his hands on each side.
Has there been an airshow that I didn’t know about? (Or am I displaying my ignorance again?)

Flood.

Lancman, without meaning to make you jealous, we get her coming over here comparitively often, about four or five times a year. We’re under the glidepath for RAF Wyton and she pitches up there quite regularly.

Funniest one was when my son and I were off somewhere in the car. We’re driving along and Haydn suddenly pointed slightly right and shouted ‘Look Dad!’, I followed his finger and saw a line of high trees along the road, said ‘Yeah, it’s a line of trees son’, to be answered with (in a very indignant tone) ‘No Dad, it’s a Lancaster’… right at the moment that it popped up over the tres and into my field of view.

It’s great when a five year old makes you feel like a real plonker… :rolleyes:

Years ago, the Lanc roared over my house and circled a few times in the distance, obviously using Tredegar House here in Newport as a turning point, and it was like having her all to myself-I nearly wet myself! For all the displays I’ve seen her at, there’s nothing quite like having her in your own airspace!!! 😀 😀 😀

Hi

Yeah remember seeing a BBMF spit flying next to a Tornado F3 as they both came back into coningsby at the same time.

Made a good pic 🙂

Unfortunately, the Sydney area doesn’t boast many older aircraft as the major airworthy craft are located at remote country airfields.

But a couple of years ago, within the space of two days, I was treated to sights I had never experienced before.

I was parked in my car listening to the radio when I became aware of a multi-piston engined aircraft overhead. Thinking it wasnt a DC-3, which is about the only old piston engined multi flying in this area, I got out and looked up to see VH-EAG, one of only five airworthy Super Constellations, doing lazy circles over the suburbs. The display lasted for about five minutes and she wasn’t very high. Truly a magnificent sight.

Two days later, working at home, when I became aware of a god-awful racket overhead. Looking up again, two Harvards or T-6’s passed over at a couple of thousand feet. Great to watch, but hell, were they noisy – I had no idea of the racket they made.

Regards

Wombat

Is it time to start a thread ‘Aviation Films – Non Battle of Britain’?

Mark

Two occasions spring to mind for me. The first was when I was cycling home from school, and the roar of an approaching four-engined heavy behind some trees manifested itself as a B-17 in full wartime camouflage at about 500 ft! My friend and I almost fell off our bikes – we hadn’t heard about the War Lover being filmed at Bovingdon.

The second also concerns films at that late-lamented airfield. I was sitting in the house one afternoon when once again, the drone of multiple approaching engines got me scurrying out into the garden, just in time to witness a low-level B-25 followed by a loose gaggle of five Mossies, inbound to Bovingdon during the filming of 633 Squadron – fantastic.

Remembering RR299

You’ve got a point. As a kid, many years ago now, I was at Brounton Burrows (North Devon) in some massive dunes looking out to sea, when RR299 the Mosquito came howling in from the sea and overhead inland. I’ve seen this mossie on countless occasions and the tragic loss of her crew is still difficult to accept, but for me that’s what flying, not static aviation is all about. It was about 10sec total, but it’s unforgettable. I was suddenly like a small boy in Holland, 1942. Ave atque vale. Thanks for the memories.

To stand with a group of veterans and see the Lanc, that’s rather special too.
Cheers

Where I live I am often treated to the sight and sound of a Spitfire wheeling around the sky – many times while walking the dog I have my own little air display.
And more than once I’ve detected the growl of a Merlin/Griffon and stuck my head into the garden as they transit to/from the Duxford area.

Always stops me in my tracks……….

Hi Steve

Very similar to what happened to me august bank holiday weekend. I should of being at elvington on the sunday and monday of the great yorkshire airshow but had to work the sunday. I finished work at 2pm i was Knackered and when i got home the weather was clear and walm. I grabed a nice cold beer out of the fridge and went and sat in my back garden. Just as i was thinking about what i was missing at elvington a low throb of radial engines stired me and then directly over my house flys BBMF’s DC-3 and 30 seconds later the spitfire and hurricane folowing behind. I sat and watched them fly out of sight with a smile on my face. It made my day getting my own personal fly by.

Thanks BBMF

Scott C