North Weald 85 Photos

Yeah, that hook was always doing that. I remember it coming loose when Hoof was bringing it back to Duxford. He said it was almost impossible to retract in flight so he opted to land on the grass where it would do less damage to the hook. Unfortunately, the hook bounced along the bumpy grass and damaged the fairing under the tail. Was only minor damage though and fixed next day. I was tempted to run out with a length of fence wire and a couple of ping pong bats when he was on final though 😀

BWB, I disappeared shortly before P.O.C. was filmed 🙁

I remember that Wildcat doing a display at Mildenhall in, I think ’86 and noticed (along with several thousand others 🙂 ) that the hook was dangling down. Distressed, I rushed over to the nearest American guy in uniform with a radio and asked him to urgently call ATC etc etc. He looked at me for a second or two after my breathless request and said something like,

“Excuse me sir?”

After that I figured the reality that someone nearer the action (e.g. ATC 😀 ) would have a handle on it.

Did’nt you work on Piece of Cake?

Or had you left by then??

Yes, lots of fun in those days. That first summer you, me and Adrian looked after 4 aircraft (P-40, Spit IX, P-51 and Bearcat). Then Dave and the Spitfire XVI project arrived, the following winter the P-47 was added, and things grew from there.

Hmmm….that was the second season. The first year we had Wildcat, Bearcat, spit & P51. The P40 turned up the following year and the Wildcat got repainted and sent to the states. I loved that Wildcat. So simple yet so rugged. I remember once when we were folding the wings up to put the plane away, I walked round the back of the plane to guide the wing and tie it to the tail while Hoof was (unbeknown to me!) busily unwinding the wing locking pin. Suddenly the wing swung back and hit me just below my neck and knocked me flying across the ground. Hoof walked round and with his usual rapier wit said “What were you trying to do old boy….catch it with your teeth???” 😮

happy memories

I was in the ATC in the 80’s, 414sqdn Epping and Northweald. I have some hapy memories of the Fighter Meet. Overnight “guard duties” on the static aircraft line-up. Being up close to these magnificent warbirds, and then seeing them do their stuff during the days. 😀

Aww…now thats just cruel Mike!! 😉 I too have a copy of that photo somewhere so I guess you must have given it to me. If I remember right, just after that shot was taken, I had to refuel the Spit and had to fill that silly transit tank behind the cockpit. I got distracted talking to Hoof and fuel came spurting out of the tank, ran down the fuselage and under my feet which sent me crashing onto the ground….still holding the fuel nozzle!! Jeez, how its all coming back to me.

SFF, yeah you’re right about lots of hours for nothing!! But back then I was just a wide eyed 17 year old kid living out a dream. They were great times. Made a lot of friends, lost a few too, but thats life I guess. I went to Duxford last year and took my 6 year old son with me. He loved it but the place has lost its magic for me. Back in the mid 80’s, everything was much smaller. As Mike will tell you, when I was there the fighter collection consisted of 1 engineer and maybe 3 helpers, and to start with, only four planes!! They/we had a corner of a hanger and we had a metal box to store all our gear in. Anything we wanted we had to beg, borrow or steal. No big hi-tech workshops with large stores in those days!!

Now, it seems to be very sanitised. I was talking to one of the old Blenheim guys I used to know and he said “even the managers have managers these days, and everyone has a department!!” Seemed to be much more relaxed in my day and everything now seems geared towards making money rather that just enjoying the planes. Maybe i’m wrong? Am I right Mike? :confused:

Amazing!

Hi Simon H, ‘Well I’ll be blowed!’

D’yknow, I looked at that slide both twenty years ago and recently when I scanned them and thought, ‘That bloke, he is just looking TOO nonchalant leaning on that Spit…he must be an engineer or something ’cause hes got overalls on’. I remember thinking I’d do anything to be in your shoes, and judging by your memories…I was right! And if I’d had experienced what you had, and were on the right side of the fence, I reckon I’d be giving it even more ‘front’ than you mate! 🙂 Good on yer, you probably worked all the God-given hours behind the scenes for nothing other than thanks and the memories of a lifetime.

I worked on Plane Sailings first Catalina for a couple of seasons with a couple of mates around the same time – but it didn’t work out for one reason and another. Are you still involved with any old stuff?

Suitably emboldened I’ll post some Weald ’86 stuff up after scanning.

It’s still funny to know that you were peering down my Spotters lens that day.

Cheers,

Hi Simon,

Welcome to the forum, good to have you on board. What are you up to these days?

Brings back many memories for me too. I’m the one in the background in some of the shots in the blue overalls (and I even had hair in those days) – my first airshow for TFC, I believe. Great days and happy memories.

Yeah, I think I remember you Mike. I also noticed Adrian and Paul.M in one of the pics. Happy days huh 😉

Me, I am flying Cessna 152’s these days. They dont go quite as fast as the Bearcat, but we all gotta start somewhere 😀 I may fly over to Duxford in the summer, so if you are still there, i’ll come and say hi.

Great stuff, and welcome to the forum, Simon.

WOW! Thanks for posting those pics Seafuryfan, they really brought back some memories!! You see, I am the rather bored looking person leaning on the back of the Spitfire in the last lot of pics you posted. It was a real shock finding photo’s of myself taken 20 years ago posted on the internet!!

That was a great weekend. I was lucky enough to fly down there in the P40M (GA*S) with Hoof Proudfoot on the Friday night. We flew down in formation with the Bearcat, P51 and SpitfireIX. After the other three planes landed, Hoof deceided to do an unplanned full airshow routine…..with me rattling around in the back trying to hang onto flight bags, spare headsets etc…. and that is one flight that will live with me forever.

I flew home on the Sunday in the P51 (Moose) and before departing, our formation of four planes ran across the airfield on the final run. Halfway down the flightline, the Bearcat pulled up and peeled away to leave a gap…..the missing man formation, as a tribute to Stefan Kawowski who was killed earlier that year. Watching that from the Mustang and thinking of Stef was a very moving & emotional experience.
Thx again for posting them….is there any more?

Very nice! Great pics from the sadly missed Sea Fury T20 and the mossie!

Thanks for posting!

J.V.

Great selection ! especially seeing the two Mustangs that got me hooked to Warbirds in general and P-51’s in particular many moons ago, in one thread….

N6340T Moose / Candyman (then TFC) and
G-HAEC in RAAF colors (then OFMC)

really appreciated !
Martin

Last Lot. If anyone is ultra keen on an image and can’t clean it up let me know and I’ll do it for you – sorry, time prevents cleaning up every image.

I don’t know what I’ve let myself in for, do I (actually, I’ll probably get no one asking me for anything! 🙂 )

Sorry about the scratches, they must be slides.