Mildenhall Air Fete

I think you will find that it was at Fairford in 1987 that 15 RAF Hercules flew past in formation and not Mildenhall.

Glyn

Do i remember rightly i massive formation of c-130’s at one mildenhall in the early nineties? what a fantastic airshow, such a shame it is unlikely ever to happen again. and i echo the sentiment about those burgers…. amazing!! i was lucky enough to visit the mess hall at raf bentwaters when i was about ten, as my dad worked for shell, and i could eat them one after the other!!!
wet most defintately!!! 😀

One great memory I have of the Hall, was standing around having my Polish very very early in the morning, when the base commander came trotting along in his tracksuit, surrounded by his entourage, and a British policeman was making a mess up of the parking arrangements. The ensueing row was a sight to behold, it was wonderfull, the copper beat a hasty retreat.
Happy days, I should be recharging my batteries today and getting all excited about the great annual event.

The name of that sauce is ‘Hunt’s BBQ Sauce, Original Recipie’

Unfortunately it’s not available in the UK shops, but luckily for me I have relitaves in the US who keep me supplied with the stuff.

If you can get to Marks Tey in Essex, I’m pretty sure the Food Company will have it on their order books, if not on the shelf. They have all sorts of American sauces.

I’m really sorry to have missed out on Mildenhall; as a fan of both old and new, the only show I could get to as a youngster stuck in Somerset was the Yeovilton Air Day.

And as for “yank in the tank” – that sounds so cathartic its untrue. Especially when you have US relatives…

Paul F,my sentiments exactly 🙂

So sad…..

I never managed to get to the ‘Hall, though many of my mates did. Living fairly close to Greenham Common meant IAT was more my bag.

However, this thread has suddenly made me:

1. Realise just how much of the old “hardware” at both shows has now long gone 🙁 🙁 .

2. Realise just how much we took the variety and types of aircraft we used to see in those days for granted. I can even remember standing at Greenham one year thinking “Oh no, not ANOTHER F-104 flying display……haven’t we seen enough already today” 😮 .

Okay, so there were fewer Spitfires about then, but that perhaps made those that were on the circuit feel a bit more “special” ( :diablo: starts heading for the door and ducking the incoming brickbats), and we didn’t have to suffer endless bl**dy F-16 displays.

Instead we got statics and displays full of Lightnings, Hunters, Phantoms, F111, F15,F104, Fiat G91, Vulcan, Jetstream, Gnats, Fouga Magisters, Canberra, Jaguars, Harriers, F14’s, A7, A6, SR71, KC135, C130, S-3 Viking, C141, C5, T37B, A10, U2, Wessex, Seaking, Gazelle, Lynx, CH53, Shackleton – All just still in day to day service. (Drool, Drool).

Of course, had there been a Flypast Historic forum in those days these types would not have been discussed here, as they would have been considered more appropriate fodder for the Mod-Mil board – just shows how things change as tempus continues to fugit!

In later years at (R)IAT we got most of the above plus F16, F18, Draken, Viggen, Tornado, B1 etc, so maybe the last Greenham or Mildenhall shows, or the early Fairford years were the best for variety, but even then the static displays were getting a bit too uniform for my tastes, I just can’t get excited by seeing the same modern ‘plane in multiple different squadron colour schemes.

Sad to say, that while I adore the Spitfire, it’s actually the lure of the less common types that really draws me to shows like Legends like the Swedish B17 and the Curtiss Hawk last year rather than the appearance of almost every mark and sub type of Spitfire ( :dev2: …..starts running for the door).

Is it me, or do the photo’s posted on this thread confirm that the UK airshows of today have largely lost the variety we saw at Mildenhall and Greenham Common?

Oh for the chance to relive a day at the ‘Hall or a day at Greenham. Now all I can do is look through my photos from those shows and dream 🙁 .

Paul F

You could get a free burger at Mildenhall if you managed to ‘Put a Yank in the Tank’ by hitting a target with a baseball, the hapless American would fall into a tank of water….
They made the mistake of letting my little brother stand too close, not knowing he had a terrific throwing arm….we had a feast!

merc dates the shot doesnt it?

This is Vulcan XL426 getting airborne , May 1983.

I remember was when the Thunderbirds performed about 10 years ago

So do I…………though I think I took these pictures during the TBird’s 1984 appearance at Mildenhall judging by the date on the slide mounts – I seem to remember not even getting into the airfield at the ’96 Air Fete as the traffic queues were so bad!

You have to hand it to the Tbirds and the Blue Angels, they might not have the artistic flair of the Reds or the Frecci Tricolore but those formations couldn’t be any tighter. The slot guy would land with a blackened fin sometimes.

Re mildenhall

I have miss Mildenhall Air Fate. I been thinking this week I wish it could be brought back.
RIAT is too big, with so little time. A day was not enough. I would not spend the cash or spare the time for more than one visit. Perhaps I am a bit mean on both counts? Although one year I did go to Riat twice. I had bought tickets and my wife won a pair of tickets as well.
But I always came away from RIAT frustrated as I could never get around all the static or chat to the crews without missing the flying. I missed the Liberater because we got talking to some Tornado crew – not that they are less than a Liberator of course, and I looked up and there was the Lib performing what seemed like about 2 miles away to far to get a decent photo anyway.
Mildenhall was priced £5:00? a car. Absolutely the best value. Yes I am mean. I used to enjoy talking to the crews & soaking up the american atmosphere. Never fancied a burger though. At the ‘hall you were pretty sure of seeing several display teams, but I remember you had to go on the Saturday to see the French as they would depart on the Sunday for a national display in their own country.
Also you would usually have a similar variety of aircraft but admitedly not the quantity as RIAT without the long queues (nor the exhorbitant prices).
If an American Aircraft carrier was near (within 1000 miles ha ha.) You may be lucky and see a selection of Navy aircraft including F14s etc.
As others have said I believe the continued lack of Mildenhall is because of commitmetts more than the terrorist threat. Anyway if it is because of terrorists then the terrorists have won have they not?
I miss Fighter Meet and of course The Great Warbirds Displays as well. You could argue that Legends covers this but they each had there own atmosphere. Plus fighter meet had pyrotechnics!
Any way I had better finish if there is anyone still reading?
Will this missive get edited by the moderator?
All my pics are on film and I have still to scan them onto a disc. In fact I am still using film. I still call the radio the wireless too.

As for why – well a minority of the Americans seem to believe their bases are small slivers of the USA surrounded on all sides by terrorist hordes.

Damiens’s comment is probably truer than he realises. I was working recently with a colleague, who used to be in the (British) Navy. One comment really stuck in my mind…he said if you went in the Ops Room of any UK or NATO (but not US) warship, the display would show Friendly and Hostile forces. The same display in a US warship would show American and Hostile forces….all forces, even the Brits, were assumed to be hostile…sad.

Agreed, and didn’t you notice that the sun always shone, it was always the place to get the first suntan of the year, apart from the last event where the weather was pretty grim but it didn’t stop anything from flying, the B-2 taking off in the rain was pretty awesome and the crowd line was empty, everyone was under shelters stuffing themselves with burgers and Bud.
We took a windbreak and groundsheet and were very dry and comfy, apart from having to run over to the barbie to stock up. In fact, in my visits there going back nearly 30 years that was the only time I recall the weather being crap, the hottest day I remember was when the Thunderbirds performed about 10 years ago, a memorable day as it was my missus’s first airshow, she was in raptures at the number of display teams on that day, if I can remember was it not Thunderbirds, Patrouille de France, Frecces, Suisse and the Reds all in one show, this thread has made me want to dig out me videos, but I’ve got to carry on tiling the kitchen.
C’mon American pals, please start it again next year, we all miss it so much, we promise to be vigilant.

That year was 1997, The best one of the last Mildenhall shows!

Yes,the food was a huge bonus + also at non ripoff UK prices.

Agreed, and didn’t you notice that the sun always shone, it was always the place to get the first suntan of the year, apart from the last event where the weather was pretty grim but it didn’t stop anything from flying, the B-2 taking off in the rain was pretty awesome and the crowd line was empty, everyone was under shelters stuffing themselves with burgers and Bud.
We took a windbreak and groundsheet and were very dry and comfy, apart from having to run over to the barbie to stock up. In fact, in my visits there going back nearly 30 years that was the only time I recall the weather being crap, the hottest day I remember was when the Thunderbirds performed about 10 years ago, a memorable day as it was my missus’s first airshow, she was in raptures at the number of display teams on that day, if I can remember was it not Thunderbirds, Patrouille de France, Frecces, Suisse and the Reds all in one show, this thread has made me want to dig out me videos, but I’ve got to carry on tiling the kitchen.
C’mon American pals, please start it again next year, we all miss it so much, we promise to be vigilant.

^
😀 and your order was always followed by “Is that a wet burger or a dry burger sir?”
Mine was always wet ( never did find out the name of the sauce ),accompanied by a tin of Bud that you knew was brewed Stateside 😉

The name of that sauce is ‘Hunt’s BBQ Sauce, Original Recipie’

Unfortunately it’s not available in the UK shops, but luckily for me I have relitaves in the US who keep me supplied with the stuff.

Yes,the food was a huge bonus + also at non ripoff UK prices.

your mention of ‘redundant burger gear’ actually makes me feel quite sad – I realised how much I would look forward to the Air Fete each year…

Their burger relish was fantastic and as a kid it was ‘cool’ being able to use US dollars left over from holidays!

Way back – watching the SR71 take off and feeling the ground shake, so many other great types, sadly no longer with us – today’s air shows aren’t a patch on the old days – but I still go as they’re better than nothing.

Maybe when the spams have finished imposing ‘freedom’ on the middle east we can have our airshow back!

Now THAT picture really sums up what we will be missing next weekend, yes, a wet Polish and a Bud for breakfast, unbeatable.
They made it impossible to sneak the beers off base by always opening every can when you bought them, always a bit of a pain when you were buying a load for your mates, and they were always floating in those big bins full of iced water that got topped up every so often.
I hate burgers and Bud, but it was somehow different there, can’t DX bus down a load of US aircrew with the redundant barbecue gear for Leg-ends.
Incidentally, the picture wasn’t taken at the last airshow, the polish sausage was extremely wet that day.

^
😀 and your order was always followed by “Is that a wet burger or a dry burger sir?”
Mine was always wet ( never did find out the name of the sauce ),accompanied by a tin of Bud that you knew was brewed Stateside 😉

Apart from the aeronautical action here’s the other vital ingredient to a classic Mildenhall…….