Pete TrumanHello Pete,
I made these pictures in 27.8.2004.
Cheers for that, things had obviously changed in the year since I had been there.
A bit off thread I know, but what a/c would have been used on Victorious when I took the picture in 1959.
I remember buying the Airfix kit a few years later and the tiny a/c were Scimitars, Sea Vixens and Skyraiders!!!
I’ve still got the original model in a cardboard box upstairs along with a pile of other warships including a Victorious that I attempted to convert back to WW2 status by sawing off the angled flight deck, it looked crap.
Incidentally, I noticed that the large scale model Wyvern has Suez invasion stripes, what was their role in this conflict and did they achieve anything.
Pete TrumanWhat cat?
J
The white one with a big tail that likes water.
Unfortunately too much water has suddenly arrived from the sky and strimming has been curtailed, and I wanted to test my repairs made to the strimmer with Meccano, marvellous stuff, holds all my various bits of machinery together, what would we do without it.
Pete TrumanBecause it’s what anoraks do, silly 😀
Actually it’s more to do with the effect on the bowels and head following a bloody good barbecue the night before, well, thats my excuse anyway.
It’s getting warm, I’d better take my anorak off I think.
Pete TrumanEvzen
When were those pics of the Wyvern taken at the FAAM.
I’ve been there a few times, last time just 3 years ago and I can’t remember seeing the Wyvern in meatal finish in the Concorde Hall, what/is was it’s original colour scheme while in the museum.
Heres one of Victorious, 1959, taken at Portsmouth having the remains of the Wyvern removed from the side of the hull, look along to the right of the flight deck.
Only kidding!!!!
Pete TrumanLooks as if they are hanging up in an old caravan with a fair amount of damp penetration, and why are the numbers on the altimeter on the skew.
Is it to inform drunken holiday makers that their caravan is about to go over the cliffs at Caister.
Why are we doing this at 7:30 on a Saturday morning.
Pete TrumanI would like to attend but for various reasons I unfortunately can’t be there.
I didn’t know Steve, but from what you all say he was a unique character and everytime I research an old thread, he’s always put his view in there somewhere, very sad really, but in a way he lives on in the Forum.
I gather that the weather could be a bitch tomorrow, c’mon Steve, pull a few strings up there.
I shall raise a glass of wine at 4:00 tomorrow, all the best everyone.
Pete Truman320psi
Nice pics, but didn’t you get the F-5 Aggressor in it’s Soviet camo, only time I saw one at a display, haven’t you published the crowd scene picture before because I’m sure that I suspect that me and my pal are standing either side of the bloke on the stepladder, under the tail of AD.
Oh to be able to publish slides on here.
Incidentally, can you remember that everything refused to fly at first, apart from an A-10 that was despatched to act as a weather plane, didn’t do any good and I think he went back home.
Apart from the Lightnings, I remember a Shack flying in and landing, we got dangerously close to it taxying in.
Even the hangars were dripping, we ate our butties next to an ever widening pool of water.
Must find the programme and Lightning list, I’ll scan and publish on here, it’s in the garage somewhere, God forbid.
Incidentally, I would send you a copy of the vid, but it’s copywrited and I have to respect that.
Pete TrumanHi
Does anyone know if The Last Lightning Show at Binbrook was filmed and released on commercial video ?I have vague recollections of a film crew battling against the weather that day to get some shots.
Cheers Mike
I’ve just dug out a video that I bought many years ago and although it’s called ‘The Last Last Lightning show’ it’s not!!
The video is produced by a company called Aircraft Productions and was released in 1989, I probably saw it advertised in Flypast and sent off for it.
Ok, I haven’t watched it for a while, but I recall that the Binbrook scenes were taken of the Diamond Nine practice and not on the day itself.
However it is a very good video with some historic flying scenes from official sources and interviews with the crews at Binbrook.
If you go sniffing around the video’s on the airshow stands, it’s got a plain white cover with the silhouettes of 2 Lightnings on the cover, the packaging and general write up is pretty crude, but it is good.
I’ve made several enquiries on here for films of that day, but nothing has been forthcoming, unfortunately it was another 2 years before I got my first video, I wish I’d hired one that day, though the weather would have ruined it, would be great to see that streamed take off again, there was a cameraman filming next to me and they were coming right over my head, no ban on over the crowd flying then.
It’s not the same on slides.
Pete TrumanI have fond memories of this film for different reasons.
The release of this film coincided with that of ‘How I Won The War’ with John Lennon, which, being the period of Stawberry Fields and Sgt Pepper, everyone wanted to see.
( Didn’t it feature a Tiger Moth, sorry wrong thread.)
At the time I had this absolutely stunning girlfriend from school, a Sandy Shaw look alike, but with big bits, and, wanting to impress, took her off one friday night to see Lennon at the pictures.
Unfortunately, the qeue was horrendous and we were told we wouldn’t get in.
Panic, find another film, oh this looks good, The Blue Max.
So, no snogging in the back seats, not even with her, I was quite overwhelmed with the film that night, she took it quite well as she told me she quite fancied George Peppard, I didn’t mention my stirrings towards Ursula Andress.
By the way how DID that nightie stay on.
Pete TrumanNot quite 😉
If anybody can be bothered to do the digging it was an airshow at Speke (Aka John Lennon Intergalactic Spaceport Above Us Only Smoke) in the 1950s memorable for a French ‘Birdman’ whose impersonation of a bird fell so far short of authenticity that he hit the ground with a resounding thump as his lifetime finale. 🙁
Novel act, but unrepeatable.
Moggy
Good story Moggy, were you the boy in the cornfield.
About 1990, my ex-wife, though not quite then, decided to butter up one her clients by treating him and his girlfriend to a typical advertising executives day out with a gold pass and enclosure at Biggin Hill airshow, which surprised me as by then she had got sick of me forcing her to go to airshows, fair enough.
To my surprise, myself and our then very young son were allowed to go too.
Great, no traffic jams, and a grandstand seat in front of the crowd line, we were even allowed to go inside Sally B which was parked next to us.
The show featured all the usual stuff of the period, the star being the Sandringham doing a few flybys.
One of the items was a mass parachute drop of about 100 people from a right assortment of a/c.
As they jumped, one of the parachutes didn’t open properly and the poor sod on the end quickly spiralled down.
Just like on your account, the action took place next to us, and amidst gasps and oohs, I covered my sons eyes.
Amazingly, the bloke appeared to land in a haystack and judging from the lack of sirens and racing ambulances, though vehicles did shoot off in that direction, he must have been ok.
Now I have never seen an account of this, nothing was mentioned after, either at the show or on the news, so I don’t know what exactly happened, unless it was a dummy to give us all a shock.
Anyone else there who can remember this incident, I doubt whether I was sick enough to have photographed it.
Pete TrumanI live under the flightpath for Stansted so whatever they fly in, however it also coincides with the training route for the 4th AAC, which passes over my back garden, so we get Gazelles, Lynxes and Apaches, ( very low and usually at night ), transit path from Duxford, Spits, Mustangs etc, gliders from Wethersfield, light a/c from Andrewsfield, all in all a very busy spot.
Sometimes, incidents take place at Wethersfield, ie last year they were attacked by troops from Colchester flying in on Hercs and C-17’s.
A few years ago the place was regularly bounced by Jags and Tornadoes at low level and high speed using my roof as a guide but that doesn’t happen anymore, last fast jet was a year ago when 2 Jags flew over on their way back from Southend, I think they had been tipped off about the village fete, lets see what happens this year at the end off the month.
Pete TrumanI thought the first flight was done by someone else – John something? :confused: I don’t have the FP article in front of me to confirm the surname, however! :rolleyes:
John Watts?
Was anyone else there, I’m sure it took place during one of their early September airshows, I happened to be standing on the left side of the crowd line in front of where the ‘Superhangar’ now is but wasn’t then, don’t recall many people about.
Those were the days, no pushing and shoving on the Tank Bank, which didn’t exist then.
Pete TrumanSomewhere in my jumble of pictures, I have some colour prints of the first post restoration flight of the Buchon at Duxford, I’m sure Robs was flying it himself and, as usual with those things, the landing was a bit dodgey.
This must have been around 1980, the a/c was painted in brownish desert colours, I’m sure it was without markings and was the first ‘Messerschmitt’ I ever saw in flight, don’t think I saw it again though.
If I can find the pictures, I will publish.
Pete Truman[QUOTE=scimatar]
The late Sir Richard FAIREY must be spinning in his grave in reaction to the way you spell his name!
I would hate to be called a fairy too!has ive said in other posts…please forgive my spelling 😮 …i was never much good at maths at school!!!!!!!!!! :confused:
does enyone remember what the gannet sounded like…was they ever used in anger at eny time…..i do know the AEW version was solely missed in the falklands
Very loud, and similar to someone trying to cut through a piece of plywood with a bench mounted circular saw, and could you re-spell your name properly SCIMITAR.
Pete TrumanNever mind, don’t get to see much of the West German Gannets, Anybody got a photo of an Indonesian Gannet?
Look on Thunder and Lightnings website, some good info and pics on there.
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