woodford Airshow 1990 Weather

The Woodford show line-up for 1990, in programme order of appearance, was as follows:

Army Eagles
Jet Provost
BAe Jetstream 31
Tornado GR1
TNT Airways BAe 146
BBMF
BAe 125
Lynx
Tornado IDS (German Navy)
Gnat
Patrouille Martini (3x PC-7)
Hunter (FRADU)
BAe ATP
C130 Tac Demo
Mosquito
Proteus Aerobatic Team Extra 350 (Richard Goode)
Hawk
PT Flight (Bob Mitchell)
Phantom
RNHF Firefly
Team Toyota (2x Pitts + 1x Extra 300)
Vulcan

Paul – the Beriev A-40 ‘Mermaid’ amphibian appeared at the show in 1993. The Russian Test Pilots Su-27s/Su-30s were there in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995, with solo displays by an Su-30 in 1996 and Su-27P in 1998. Woodford was a super show wasn’t it – my favourite!

Unfortunately, as people have already said on this thread, Woodford in 1990 was beset was some pretty poor conditions on the morning of the show. In fact, as I’m sure any fans of the event know, Woodford was hampered by poor weather most years during the 1990s when the show was in its prime. Indeed, the only years when it didn’t rain were 1992, 1994, 1995 and 1996!!

Woodford was always a big event for us enthusiasts in the relative airshow desert that is the North of England – and many of us still miss it even now.

Yeah, I was there! It rained on and off with patches of brilliant sunshine and then really demoralising torrential rain! When the sun came out, I remember steam coming off people! If I remember rightly, there was a Shackleton in the display and also a Vanguard frieghter which did a flypast and a landing at the end of the day! The Vulcan did a few flights that day, going to other shows and using Woodford as a base so we were treated to numerous take offs and flypasts. Also at Woodford at that time was a Comet Fuselage (now at Warton?) and the remains of a Victor (fuselage section and air intake) in the fire training section near to XM603 which was surrounded by signs purporting a radiation hazard! 😮

I remember one of the Xm603 guys telling me that HE was going to taxi her at the next years airshow only to be told the same thing the next year and then the year after….. What a shame they could’nt do it eh?

I alo recall a Sea King doing a display in the torrential rain and hardly a single person (apart from me) standing in the rain looking as they ran to get shelter!

For me, that ws one of the best ever Woodford shows despite the rain. They had some really rare stuff that year. Is that the year that they had the Russian ‘Albatross’ jet floatplane? That was class. The SU27 pair were always really good too. Also 92′ or 93′, they had the Patrouille Suisse with thei hunters. Class. I have tons of pics of most of the 1990’s shows which need to be scanned in but all my pics are in the attic in Wigan at my parents house so they will have to wait to I get round to it!

Paul

The weather at Woodford that year broke at about 11AM, it persisted it down I know as I got soaked! Shortly after the weather had cleared the area XH558 taxied out and took off in a cloud of spray which looked fanastic, she departed south west for a display at RAF. Locking in Somerset. When 558 returned the weather was bright and all the display acts put on their full displays. If my memory serves me right this was 558’s 30th birthday weekend and she was parked with Woodfords Vulcan for a photo shoot.:)