Lightning Photo

Join the crowd. People with the talent/time neccessary to get photos like that are few and far between.

Slightly different, very moody and aabsolutely excellent

i could not agree more

i wish i could take photos like that but i dont quite have the talent for it:cool:

Originally posted by Gareth Horne

Lightning F3 XP741, Weston Super Mare, 1987

Slightly different, very moody and aabsolutely excellent

Originally posted by Dave Homewood
We used to have a photo on the wall at work when i was in the RNZAF, it was a classic once-in-a-lifetime shot. A man on a tractor is looking behind him as just behind a Lighting flies vertically towards the ground, just a few feet off and a few milliseconds from impact, and the pilot is ejecting. Has anyone seen or got this? I think it was the man on the tractor who was supposed to be photographed but a crashing Lightning butted in! I’d love to see it again.

That’s an awesome photo, IIRC it made all the national papers at the time

Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be – Part 3

How about this?;) Queen’s birthday flypast 1965 – 4 X F.3 of 111 Sqn, 4 X F.3 of 56 Sqn, 4 X F.2 of 19 Sqn. & 4 X F.2 of 92 Sqn.:rolleyes:

Re: Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be Part 2

Originally posted by ALBERT ROSS
Lightning F.1As, XM177/G and XM178H of 56 Sqn. “Firebirds” aerobatic team practising near Wattisham, June 1963

A proper aeros display team………:D 😀

No prizes for guessing the inspiration of my user name then….:rolleyes:

I thought it had been on here before…

http://forum.airforces.info/showthread.php?s=&threadid=10938&highlight=lightning+and+aird

This is it (as lifted from the forum mentioned by Aileron Roll)

Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be Part 2

Lightning F.1As, XM177/G and XM178H of 56 Sqn. “Firebirds” aerobatic team practising near Wattisham, June 1963

Originally posted by Dave Homewood
We used to have a photo on the wall at work when i was in the RNZAF, it was a classic once-in-a-lifetime shot. A man on a tractor is looking behind him as just behind a Lighting flies vertically towards the ground, just a few feet off and a few milliseconds from impact, and the pilot is ejecting. Has anyone seen or got this? I think it was the man on the tractor who was supposed to be photographed but a crashing Lightning butted in! I’d love to see it again.

If it’s the shot I’m thinking of, and there can’t be too many like that, it was George Aird at Hatfield. The Lightning’s heading for some large greenhouses. Don’t know what a Lightning was doing flying from Hatfield. Firestreak fittings?
No doubt one of the Frightening experts will have chapter and verse.

Thanks Aileron,

Yes, that’s the one. Fantastic luck for the photographer. And the pilot too I hope.

In the Ohakea Museum when it opened I saw a photo of the Ohakea Base Commander in 1973, who’d just banged out of a Skyhawk. He came down rather hard and his leg was pointing in the wrong direction. Funnily enough an RNZAF Photographer was first on the scene, and his natural instinct was to photograph the poor chap writhing in agony rather than help! Made me giggle a bit.

Check out the Military Aircrew Forum on Pprune there is a current thread on Ejection Seats, has the picture !

We used to have a photo on the wall at work when i was in the RNZAF, it was a classic once-in-a-lifetime shot. A man on a tractor is looking behind him as just behind a Lighting flies vertically towards the ground, just a few feet off and a few milliseconds from impact, and the pilot is ejecting. Has anyone seen or got this? I think it was the man on the tractor who was supposed to be photographed but a crashing Lightning butted in! I’d love to see it again.

XR718 is 1986, the other is XP693 marked up as 74 Sqn machine but cant quite remember the time or place give me a little while 😉

Coningsby 19?? XR718

Another one of XS458 at mildenhall 1988
Phil–:)

Great shot that Gareth.
A few more
Phil.

Originally posted by DGH
Wow, stunning shot ! That should win a competion or something, its not often I get that taken aback by a photo 😎

Thanks! Must admit I was pleased when I found that negative in a shoe box full of mediocre stuff a few weeks back.

Originally posted by Papa Lima
How come that no-one on this thread knows how to spell “Coningsby”? Perhaps I am the only one who used to live there! But we serviced rockets in those days (Bloodhound Mk 2s at Woodhall Spa) in 112 Sqn.

it’s common mistake BTW i lived there in the fiftys
Phil– 😀

DGH-Thanks :).
Gareth-Nice picture!

Regards,

Paul