I’m trying to work out what year I was taken to the Farnborough Air Show as child. The reason for going was the appearance of a prototype Concorde (my father and I had never seen it) but by the end of the day the weather was appalling and instead of returning to Filton it divert to Heathrow…when we arrived home there it was parked at the end of the road! Only other thing I remember was the spectacular arrival of a Lightning in the morning.
I’m guessing it was 1970?

Bazza

On the Saturday public show in September 1970 the weather for all of the morning and part of the afternoon was absolutely appalling. I remember standing under the wing of the Trislander prototype G-ATWU (still in primer) sheltering from the torrential downpour. I then went back to the coach park across Eelmoor Bridge to dry off and then at some point the skies cleared and G-BSST came across and the flying display continued.

Aircraft this size are better refuelled with a boom, because of the higher delivery rates, which is why the USAF tanker fleet (designed for refuelling bombers, & to hell with tactical air – thank Curtis Lemay) has booms. We really ought to emulate the Aussies, & get booms fitted to at least some of our A330 tankers when they arrive. As well as the hoses, of course, not instead. Would also enable us to refuel the C-17s. Wouldn’t solve the short-term problem, though. Omega Air?

Or a fourth KC-135R for the refuelling needs? Could double up as a training machine for the Sentry crews?

You used to be able to photograph things from the restaraunt on the top floor of SVO-2 but the last time I was there (2006) it was plastered with no photography signs. The views from within the terminal were limited to say the least due to the increasing number of duty free shops.

You might be able to get shots from the perimeter road but this would involve a bit of a trek and security is tight at the airports. Having said that SVO was the only one of the four Moscow airports that we didn’t get lifted by the militia at in 2006 and that was with official permits to be there and to take photography.

It was a Ukranian MD80 of UM Airlines anyway, not Russian at all 🙂

*cues up punch line from very old joke*

the whining noise can’t have been the cabin crew as it doesn’t have any.

I’ll get my coat

It only concerns you if you are a FRIAT member. If you arent then its nothing for you to worry about.

Nothing to do with the offer of free entry to Farnborough for card carrying FRIAT members as mentioned elsewhere hereabouts?