Halfpenny Green, Wolverhampton, Rotors, Wings & Wheels Event 16.9.12

Totally agree with the above coments. As also stated, along with a log of aircraft noted, on the http://www.nwan.co.uk forum section, from where I am re-posting just some of my pictures from the day.

1.Visitors by road were met by Tiger Cub G-MMFS in WWI style German markings, named “Black Adder”, with an unconventional ‘heavy weight’ undercarriage in the centre of a small roundabout.

2.Outside the ‘cockpits and aero jumble’ hangar, was this formidible section of F-4F Phantom 37+86.

3. Inside the display hangar, this amazing recreation of the nose of the Bolton Paul Overstrand bomber

4. Stand extolling the TAC and SAHG organisations. The instrument panel is out of a British Phantom, while the P&W Dakota engine is just out of picture top right!

5. & 6. A “sheep in wolf’s clothing” – Titan T-51 Mustang, G-TSIM posing as a (scale) P-51D Mustang, with some pretty convincing paint work as 44-74008.

7. More like a “sheep in war-paint” than in “wolf’s clothing” – Auster 5A G-AKWS posing as itself as RT610.

8. & 9. The Sleap based Yakovlev C.11, G-BTUB, a great sound on take-off and fast departure pass.

10. Don’t always believe what you think you see. Not the RNHF, or another scale replica matching the Mustang, but a RC Sea Fury, looking (though not sounding) quite convincing. Painted as WJ232/114:O – you just cannot kill my ‘reggie spotter’ roots!

Rarely post images on this aviation forum, however for once have some interesting pictures more or less ‘on topic’!

Having examined Mike Davy’s P&W radial that afternoon at Halfpenny Green, on the M6 northbound around Stafford, passed a large RV towing a gleaming RR Merlin engine with cut-off highly polished silver props.

A good deal of the outline history of G-ALPU (along with some ‘Red Herrings’) has been chewed over before. Thread ‘One for the Glider Boys’ initiated by new owner Jon H:

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=117551

Information beyond the ‘standard reference sources’ to add the bare outline history would be very interesting – as is the case with post #17 above.

My, second hand, appreciation of the position regarding en route fly-bys at events is that to appear with more than 24 hours prior notification requires a plethora of paperwork, meetings, planning, liability insurance cover, briefings, and yet more paperwork. Also, importantly, if the event organisers had the benefit of knowing the Vulcan was coming and put out advance sales advertising to that effect they would be liable for a whopping bill for the ‘official’ appearance fee, as it was Southport Air Show would be footing the flight bill last Sunday, not Woodford or Cholmondley Castle. The organisation behind the Vulcan, and the crews, do seem to wish to oblige to appear over events, that they are made aware of, as ‘navigational way-points’ on their intended visual en route flight-path in order to be seen and show-off their iconic aircraft. The fact they do should deserve very big thanks from all enthusiasts, not grumbles at missing it.

There were certainly 50+ people at the threshold of runway 27 at Liverpool Airport simply ‘on the off-chance’ the aircraft overflew en route to Southport – which the crew obligingly opted to do with the co-operation of ATC. As always a fantastic sight and so, so graceful. A very big thank you to the Vulcan aircrew at the weekend as I was one of those waiting on the off-chance!

While not my best ever BBMF photo (focus is a tad soft unfortunately), these are at Southport Seafront Air Show, Saturday 8th Sept. Shows that PA474 now has the same squadron codes on both sides, with nose art on one side only, the City of Lincoln crest still on starboard.