Any news as to whether we’ll get a BBMF flypast this year; we’ve been very lucky in the past.

Look forward to seeing the Lightning, they usually have a car show event on at the show ground (next door) at the same time can’t remember what the traffic (on saturday) is like as I normally arrive on friday; this year I’ll be tenting and so need the extra day to erect the damn thing!

Whats a “Spitfire activity sheet”? I think I can work out the sticker bit

Isn’t this just a who’s who of cranky nutty people with bits of aeroplane all over the place, thank heavens thats not me, as Im far too mature for that sort of thing…(“wheres my copy the wife? … the wife?”)

Components are also “relifed”, the original time of expiry being too conservative ,and operational duties showing that said component can safely last much longer; the RR Viper is a case in point ,RR will relife it after inspection(although apparently the inspection costs more than a new out of the crate Viper!). The motor industry often works the other way round ,originally setting long servicing intervals and shortening them when the “customer” brings back a broken bit! Probably the greater of the two enemies to replacement structural components, is corrosion, as opposed to fatigue; these days at least A/C normally get nowhere near their operational limits, but it still rains ,especially at airshows!, and it is that rain water that sets off corrosion, much of which cannot be seen. Another comparison between the motor and aviation industries is perishables; in the car world the “old dear” that only does 30 miles a year and only on sunny days, will still need the “rubber” seals in the braking system replaced at much the same time as everybody else, and so it is with A/C.

Steve, by “them” do you mean the aircrew etc? Basically we should remember them all, either collectively or in context with their achievements; its a brave man that straps on an aeroplane to do battle, its argueably a braver man who straps on a sack of sh..ugar to do the same, who would want the job of attacking the Bismark in a Swordfish? not me, but my point is that the string bag (as outdated as it was) has its place in history, and like the Gladiators on Malta possibly for that very reason, they were outdated, but still put up a fight, whereas the Barracuda was “state of the art”, it wasn’t the only A/C that should have been better than it was, the Typhoon was meant to be a fighter in the true sense of the word , and the Manchester a bomber, they both went on to have distiguished careers in their modified forms/ roles

I think that the predominance of spitfires is very understandable; it is probably the most aesthetically pleasing object man has ever made!! seriously though, they are beutifull and who in their right mind would pay the same amount of money to restore a Fairey Barracuda, when everything that you’d make for it you’d want to alter, so it wasn’t as ugly; I think the “shoebox” restoration has much to do with type approval, or the lack of as opposed to new build A/C ,not just trying to pretend that you really have dug one up and straightened it out and now look at it!

By the look of some of those invasion stripes ,I’d say that they were applied in the dark! A poignant moment for me as well, as my father was on the beach in the Canadian section; alas he didn’t keep a diary, and what I can remember from 25 years ago is blurring, year on year.