Kemble – 20 June – Guess What

Originally posted by PerfectPic Co.
yes I did take it
ps theres nothing jammy about this – its hard work

And being in the right place at the right time has nothing to do with it I suppose? 😀 And I still say Jammy Git

Gannet.

XL502 / G-BMYP, Mildenhall 1988. Now sadly rotting away at Sandtoft.

That’d be this one then!

Originally posted by mike currill
Perfect Picture Co. Thanks for the heads up via pm. What a terrific shot, were you lucky enough to be the photographer? If so I only have two words to say to you – Jammy Git

yes I did take it
ps theres nothing jammy about this – its hard work

The late 80’s would have been about the time I saw an awsome display by a PR9 canberra ‘over’ my back garden! I lived in Bracknell then near the RAF Staff College, but with the exception of a yearly pass by the BBMF and the odd ‘eggbeater’ you never saw anything military, then one afternoon out of nowhere appeared this Canberra it did a full display and left. Apart from being a brillant display the most amazing thing was that as far as I know no one complained! The Staff College is completly surrounded by densely populated housing estates and althought I thought having a Canberra nosediving me straight above my house was fantastic I can’t believe a lot of the locals did, having said that though alot of them were watching. There was not even a slight mention of it in the local paper.

I wonder if that was the same year and crew as it’s the only time I’ve seen a PR9 display ever?

aah yes!! I have piccies of both ! Damn you senility!

AEW3 XL500 was the Gannet employed on noise trials with Dowty.

Originally posted by JDK
I’m out of my area here, but IIRC, there was the Dowty machine and either the same or another in private owner civvie hands. There was definitely a civil / private one at Mildenhall one year at least – got some nice photos of it somewhere, with the engines running, and coming what I can only describe as ‘uncrashed’ or on a normal a/c unfolded(!)

Same aircraft – Neil Moffatt ?? flew the aircraft from mid 1986 – early 1989. It lost the huge boom in later years .
Must get a scanning facility to post some piccies!!
XL502/G-BMYP I believe it still had its “LM” fin code and 849sqn b Flight markings

Originally posted by Firebird
Shame they don’t anymore, I remember an all too rare PR.9 full aero’s display at one of the West Malling Great Warbirds shows back in the late 80’s…..:D
Awesome….

Got a vague feeling the pilot won best display award for it…….:confused:

Presume that was 1989. Fantastic demo and at IAT that year , rather too fantastic and he got a grounding from the display committee. Believe he departed on the Saturday for another show and never returned to Fairford! -Any more info out there?

A great performer at airshows is the Canberra and the PR9 is really something.

Really cant see a major problem with a Gannet back on the civvy register – perhaps the FAAHF could donate a pound or two to help??

I’m out of my area here, but IIRC, there was the Dowty machine and either the same or another in private owner civvie hands. There was definitely a civil / private one at Mildenhall one year at least – got some nice photos of it somewhere, with the engines running, and coming what I can only describe as ‘uncrashed’ or on a normal a/c unfolded(!)

Bear in mind a Gannet flew in civilian hands on the airshow circuit back in the 1980s

IIRC i was operated by Dowty for noise measurement trials (cant even recall if it had a civvy reg) so not as civilian is it will be now.

and this example was flying right up until being exported, has been kept flying in the USA and is simply coming back to the UK

How lonmg ago was it exported? have the rules changed since it went? Flying in the USA doesnt mean much, the rules are similar but not the same.

I really hope that my concerns are unfounded, I really want to see a Gannet fly again, last time I saw one was XL500 at Yeovilton (I think). I’m just gettng somewhat used to hopes being dashed by the CAA. I’m not getting at the CAA here, they are just one of the facts of life.

As you say though, the new owner wouldnt have spent the dosh without being sure of what he can do with her.

I think I may need to take a happy pill.

Not wishing to be depressing but have the CAA ok’d the Gannet yet?

Ahhh I see it now – must have been a page refresh problem.

When are these due to arrive/depart? It might be the only chance to see them flying, even if it is just a run & break to landing.

Didn’t see a Gannet listed on the website!

Hi RobAnt,
Think of a large,greedy,yellow-headed seabird that dives into the water from a great hieght.Then,think of an ugly brute of an aeroplane and add it to the aforementioned seabird.
Alternatively you could look at the ‘Static’ list at the bottom of the participants page. 😀 😉

Naa, you got me.

No idea – possibilities – Harrier (joint services), Hawk (there is a private company that flies them in the simulated missile attack role against warships) – but that’s it for me.

Apart from the Lynx, that’s al I can think of out of the list.

Well, I suppose if you consider the amount of blades that ‘other item’ possesses, and the way in which they work, RobAnt’s comment about beating the air into submission probably ain’t that far wide of the mark… 😀

You mean that device responsible for beating the air into submission, rather than working with it?

Interesting to note no “TBC” next to Sea Hawk!!!

Why the Canberra not flying?? That’s disappointing :(. I think the Canberra is a great, though all too rare, performer.

Originally posted by Ant Harrington
“Note the waves from the Carrier, seems to be doing a sharp turn to port after the accident, maybe back into the wind ?”

It could be that they were turning back onto thier original course after the SeaHawk landed.They would’ve turned the ship into wind for the aircraft’s landing.
It may also be that they wanted the wind to blow across the deck to try and carry any ensuing fire over the empty side of the deck rather than down the deck and/or towards the island and other superstructure on the starboard side.
Just my tuppence worth…nice pics btw 🙂

Makes sense to me, you could well be right

Perfect Picture Co. Thanks for the heads up via pm. What a terrific shot, were you lucky enough to be the photographer? If so I only have two words to say to you – Jammy Git

Regarding Dragonflies at Blackbushe, in the mid 1960s there were around 12 of them parked near the terminal building (I forget the exact number and all my records are at home). Photos yes, ability to post them, no. Most of them were scrapped although I seem to recall one or two survived.