What was your first Airshow? (Old thread ex 2003)

l.garey:
You mention walking past ETPS. If you entered the Establishment through the gate adjacent to ETPS, continued straight ahead down the hill to the Comet test tank, turned left to the area of the main maintenance hangar (C Shed? Memory problems!) you probably came across the Avenger. There were two of which one was operational (barely) so I assume that lauriebe’s info is correct.

Thanks to lauriebe (I also replied on the Prune forum) and pdryan for the information about the Farnborough Avenger. It must have been KE436 from what lauriebe says. The other was probably KE446, again according to what lauriebe found.

Hello my friends!

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted.

I just received an e-mail saying someone posted a reply to my message on this thread. Can’t find it, but not important at the moment, so I will post to say hey.

I believe my first airshow I attended was the last airshow at the old George Airforce Base in Victorville, California. Could have been in the late 80’s. I have program somewhere.

The first airshow I flew my Zlin 526L at was Hesperia Airshow last year and I had the priviledge to have my friend from Belgium there who I met through this forum there. I flew in my Zlin 526L with now my husband, Rob Harrison “The Tumbling Bear” … many of you know him in Europe and we have met some of his fans. One of his fans is coming out next week for a thrill ride in my airplane with Rob.

Take a look at the videos (click on Photo Gallery) on our Web site www.harrisonairshows.com and you can see what fun I am having.

I sold my other airplane (Commander 112TC) and now searching for a bigger one. I also sold my XKR and got a new one… LOVE that baby.

I left my job … so no goof off at work time now. Now, I just go to airshows and fly around and enjoy life. Just came back from a month in Europe (Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy) … loved it and can’t wait to go back. Of course, met my Belgian friend who I met through this forum and a fan in Germany in Cologne.

Miss ya guys and I hope you are all flying high.

FLYLADY

Mine was an early Leicester flying club day in about 1969, Im told I spent most of the day with my head truning in all directions from the comfort of my push chair.
I was later treated to a flight with my dad me sat on his knee.

All of my early airshow memories are from the Leicester airshow as it grew in size and popularity over the seventies, as you can imagine the Lightning was always the star turn 😀

My first show was Woodford 1976,we went in a mates dads purple Hillman Imp.I still have the programme which i must dig out to see what was showing.

My first airshow was Farnborough 1952 on the Saturday when the DH110 piloted by John Derry broke up. By the following year’s SBAC show I was a student apprentice at Farnborough and life became like one 5 year long airshow.

l.garey:

You mention walking past ETPS. If you entered the Establishment through the gate adjacent to ETPS, continued straight ahead down the hill to the Comet test tank, turned left to the area of the main maintenance hangar (C Shed? Memory problems!) you probably came across the Avenger. There were two of which one was operational (barely) so I assume that lauriebe’s info is correct.

first airshow memories

the 1981 church fenton air display , amazing aerobatics by a lightning and a flypast from a blackbird, zip and he was gone!, a vulcan performed a stall turn that was outstanding,:cool:

First airshow was at Blackpool in the mid 70’s, BBMF Lanc was there as KM-B and was with Spit AB910 as QJ-J and I think Hurri PZ865 as DT-A (red and white spinner). Neil Williams displayed MH434 with the codes AC-S (Adrian C Swire). I hate it when Yanks call everything awesome but Williams’ display sticks in the mind over 30 years later, AWESOME 😀 😀

As I live in Lincoln I’m assuming the one I rememeber was either at Waddington or most likely Scampton, I do remember a Vulcan display, that must be mid to late 80’s I think. But I can’t have been more than about 4 or 5.

I remember the 90/91/92 Scampton shows better, they had a russian display team at one year, as my dad got talking to one of the pilots, he must have spoken english I’m assuming lol as I do know my dad couldn’t speak russian 😉 lol.

Havn’t been to an air show in years though, was going to the sunday at Waddington which was cancled (just my luck *rolls eyes* lol).

My first…

was 1990 only a couple of months after we’d moved back into this country (Dad in Army) at Boscombe Down.

What stood out? The Red Arrows, RAF Tornado low pass, Vulcan, Hunter and the looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong queues for the toilets!

It was in Singapore that I attended my first ever air show – a [service] family affair – as I doubt the local population were invited. Ground displays included vehicles of the RAF Fire Service (I kept my distance – long story) and anti-aircraft guns manned by the RAF Regiment. Overhead we were entertained by a yellow painted Whirlwind search and rescue helicopter, while another [static] example was painted in grey/green camouflage. Other aircraft included a couple of Gloster Meteor TT20 jets and a Shackleton maritime recognisance aircraft. The children were entertained by a ride on a steam train – a disguised aircraft tractor that towed a series of converted bomb trolleys.

I was only five years old!

RAF Finningley 1974(or’75) I remember arriving at the base & as we drove towards the public area we passed rows of Varsitys, the Beverley sat on the apron & the RAF’s own aircraft and variety outnumbered those in private hands.

It was a time when the Red Arrows flew Gnats, Lightnings,Phantoms,Hunters, Canberras, Vulcans &Victors ruled the day & the only warbird was the Lanc.

It sometimes makes you feel old when you see aircraft in museums that were reletively new back then i.e. Harrier GR1 & Jaguar-6yrs old, Tornado-still a prototype under construction,& Belfasts still wore roundels-aah the good old days eh!

Mind you, some 30 odd years on who at the time would have thought that we should be lucky to see such wonderful varieties & numbers of Vintage Warbirds grace our skies-in many ways the even better new days.;) 😉

Looking at the photos on your link, it seems that aircraft had been in that position for quite a time.

Looking through Ray Sturtivant’s ‘Fleet Air Arm – Fixed Wing Aircraft Since 1946’, a possible identity comes to light. This is Avenger III, KE436.

This airframe is listed as one of two which was used for various tests at RAE. The other was KE446, which was disposed of at AHU Abbotsinch in September 1955.

The history for KE436 is:

Taken on charge RN Roosevelt Field 16-7-45
Shipped to UK
Lockheed Renfrew 28-8-45 (actually at Prestwick 13-8-45)
Blackburn 7-6-46
RNAMY Belfast 28-6-46 (long term storage)
‘A’ Flt RAE 2-5-47
To CS(A) charge at RAE 28-11-47
Blackburn Brough to NAD Flt RAE 14-7-50 (arresting & catapulting)
Detd Turnhouse 31-3-51 to 2-4-51
Detd Manby 24/25-6-52
Detd Ford 5/6-11-52
RATOG tests 11 & 16-4-51
Reduced to produce for KE446 at RAE 8-6-53 (engine removed 5.2.54)

Can’t find any other possibilities at the moment.

Have also posted this on your thread on pprune.

Farnborough ?1957

When I was in the Air Training Corps in the 1950s, a regular outing was to the SBAC show at Farnborough. Apart from the show itself, I enjoyed walking past the site of the ETPS and the other active units. There were always rare, prototype and abandoned aircraft of all sorts. I was sorting out some old photos recently and came across these 2 taken, I think, in September 1957. They show an apparently abandoned Grumman Avenger, but I have no record of a visible serial. From its modern style roundels it seems to perhaps be one of the late batch of AS4s used by the FAA from 1953 to 1955. Can anyone help identify it? Was anyone at Farnborough at that time, or did you have a record of it?

For my orginal query and photographs see:
http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?p=3493963&posted=1#post3493963

http://l.garey.googlepages.com/115sqdairtrainingcorps

Coltishall Battle of Britain Day 1966 is the earliest programme I have. Not sure whether that was the first show I went to though. I was 9 at the time.

my first one was Istres Airshow (France) in 1993. It was the first time for me to see à real warbird, a P-51d Mustang Jumpin’ jaques

photo taken at this airshow

for first photo in fact 🙂

Farnborough 1982…

I remember standing under the B1!!!! I was only 9 years old 🙂

…you mean this one? Is that you there?

Albert,

Superb stuff – lets have some more!!!

Any of the Rothmans Team or the Harrier’s, didnt they do an airfield attack if I remember?

Many thanks for all you have posted.

Paul

Sorry, Rothmans team were too far away and so were the Harriers. Leisure Sport brought some of their WW1 replicas over from Thorpe Park. Here is the DH-2, which still flies as G-BFVH and their Fokker D.7. Also, Prince Charles departing in his Andover CC.2, XS790, after the show at White Waltham.

Farnborough 1982…

I remember standing under the B1!!!! I was only 9 years old 🙂

Albert,

Superb stuff – lets have some more!!!

Any of the Rothmans Team or the Harrier’s, didnt they do an airfield attack if I remember?

Many thanks for all you have posted.

Paul

From what I remember, just Adrian Swire’s Spitfire MH434 before Ray Hanna bought it.