Some super shots on your site Scotavia. I really must take a “brave” pill and head up there in the Airtourer one day. As you probably know they have a nice big bubble canopy which gives great viz but can get a bit warm when the sun shines (if you can remember that!). There’s only one Airtourer in Scotland and that is G-ATJC which is based at Cumbernauld I think.

Thanks for the heads-up but when is the Gransden show? This year Sywell, Gransden, Old Warden (twice?) and Duxford were all in the space of about three weeks. Asking a bit much even of the keen types.

Was it the B-52 that blew a tyre(s) on arrival at Duxford? Seem to remember some talk at the time.

Funnily ehough I was looking at the placard for the Yale at Duxford this morning and for what it’s worth it says that 111 Yales were delivered to France before the conflict. Those left after the occupation were used to familiarise German aircrew with the Allies control and instrument layouts. The remaining 139 (?) of the order were diverted to Canada.

Nice photos there. You were lucky with the weather though, as it’s been “socked in” over here in Cambridgeshire for the last three days.

It is a source of wonder to me (and i would imagine the guys at TFC) that an aircraft which cannot be flown in it’s land of construction with all the backup one might need, can suddenly become airworthy 4000 miles from home! Anyway great to see it fly. The last time I saw it fly was at the “Reno-style” air race at Cranfield in the 80s. Happy Days.

That picture was a revelation. As soon as I saw it, Inskip flashed before my eyes. In 1957 I was a train spotter and was returning, on my pushbike, from watching the Stanier Pacifics belting up the West Coast mainline. A pal had suggested that aircraft spotting didn’t involve getting covered in soot hanging over bridges to get the numbers, hence the diversion to Inskip. This was a former Naval air station about 10 miles East of Blackpool, my home town. When we saw the Spitfire I rather cheekily asked the guard on the gate how much he wanted for it. He called an officer over and he said that as far as he knew the “scrappies” had paid £25 for it and the engine was available but he din’t know how much that was.
Naturally I belted home and said “Dad, we’re buying a Spitfire”. In his pragmatic Northern way he replied ” No we’re not, where would we put it”. Despite that setback I’ve always been interested in Mitchells finest.
RAF Weeton was a separate RAF base to the South West of Blackpool near Kirkham. As far as I know it didn’t have runways but did have am annual Battle of Britain show. I may still have some programmes in the loft.

Why?