No BBMF Spitfire or Hurricane flying any more, they said…

Actually quite prophetic.

The caption talks of the forthcoming London Flypast of 20th September. It doesn’t say the year but logically it is 1959.

TE476, the Spitfire in the photograph, bellied in at Martlesham Heath on the 12th September 1959, to be grounded for some 36 years.

SL574, the other BBMF Mk XVI, performed the Flypast on the day, the 20th September, and bellied in on the OXO sports field at Bromley, never to fly again.

Mark

The caption is dated 24/08/59 Mark12 (bottom right), your spot on.

TE476, the Spitfire in the photograph, bellied in at Martlesham Heath on the 12th September 1959, to be grounded for some 36 years.

Looking good last year at Fantasy of Flight

actually, scrap that….

with the RAF being so under resourced they will probably be forced to put them back into active service……..;)

actually, we should keep this quiet….

You just know that some PC control freak 😡 will find somebody or a group that are offended by the BBMF and our “beloved” leaders will suddenly decide that we should be ashamed of them and hide them away. Or am I a premature “Grumpy”…..?;)

…almost 50 years ago.
This is the full message.

Actually quite prophetic.

The caption talks of the forthcoming London Flypast of 20th September. It doesn’t say the year but logically it is 1959.

TE476, the Spitfire in the photograph, bellied in at Martlesham Heath on the 12th September 1959, to be grounded for some 36 years.

SL574, the other BBMF Mk XVI, performed the Flypast on the day, the 20th September, and bellied in on the OXO sports field at Bromley, never to fly again.

Mark

As we know, by 2007 they did not have a single spitfire left-
They had FIVE!!

Excuse me while I step into the garden and sing ‘Land of Hope and Glory ‘ very loud.

How times have changed since then. Of course considering a twenty year old aeroplane as worn out and ready to be scrapped was somewhat different in those days as there was a thriving aircraft manufacturing industry able to produce something to replace it.

Fourth Sorry did not want to be left out:D

James

I reckon just grounding their thirty year old aircraft would probably reduce the noise level quite a bit.:) Just hope it doesn’t happen any time soon.

If the RAF today grounded all their 20-year old aircraft…

… wouldn’t it go quiet?

Moggy

third 😀

Glad it turned out to be wildly inaccurate, but I do wish they’d hung onto the Javelin too.

Moggy

Seconded, on both counts.

Glad it turned out to be wildly inaccurate, but I do wish they’d hung onto the Javelin too.

Moggy

And this is the picture.