To dhfan
Here you go, have a look at this.

http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/r/rochester/

it’s a rather old write up, the main entrance is now blocked by a earth bank. As the main site is now under a load of very expensive flats.

To Gooney Bird
The “Startled Saint” is now a house, and only the post that had the sign on top of it is still there, minus the sign of course. This was a pub that Gibson drank in when he was stationed at West Malling. Mind you the greedy developers of the airfield have built a nice new pub called “The Spitfire” 😡 just behind where the J type hanger used to be, I have no idea what its like as I refuse to go in there.

Dezz

Just in case anyone get’s one of these manuals. Here is a handy translation of some of the terms used in them……

Haynes: Rotate anticlockwise.
Translation: Clamp with molegrips then beat repeatedly with hammer anticlockwise.

Haynes: This is a snug fit.
Translation: You will skin your knuckles!

Haynes: This is a tight fit.
Translation: Not a hope in hell matey!

Haynes: As described in Chapter 7…
Translation: That’ll teach you not to read through before you start, now you are looking at scarey photos of the inside of a gearbox.

Haynes: Pry…
Translation: Hammer a screwdriver into…

Haynes: Undo…
Translation: Go buy a tin of WD40 (catering size).

Haynes: Retain tiny spring…
Translation: “Jeez what was that, it nearly had my eye out”!

Haynes: Press and rotate to remove bulb…
Translation: OK – that’s the glass bit off, now fetch some good pliers to dig out the bayonet part.

Haynes: Lightly…
Translation: Start off lightly and build up till the veins on your forehead are throbbing then re-check the manual because what you are doing now cannot be considered “lightly”.

Haynes: Weekly checks…
Translation: If it isn’t broken don’t fix it!

Haynes: Routine maintenance…
Translation: If it isn’t broken… it’s about to be!

Haynes: One spanner rating.
Translation: Your Mum could do this… so how did you manage to botch it up?

Haynes: Two spanner rating.
Translation: Now you may think that you can do this because two is a low, tiny, ikkle number… but you also thought that the wiring diagram was a map of the Tokyo underground (in fact that would have been more use to you).

Haynes: Four spanner rating.
Translation: You are seriously considering this aren’t you, you pleb!

Haynes: Five spanner rating.
Translation: OK – but don’t expect us to ride it afterwards!!!

Haynes: If not, you can fabricate your own special tool like this…
Translation: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

Haynes: Compress…
Translation: Squeeze with all your might, jump up and down on, swear at, throw at the garage wall, then search for it in the dark corner of the garage whilst muttering “******” repeatedly under your breath.

Haynes: Inspect…
Translation: Squint at really hard and pretend you know what you are looking at, then declare in a loud knowing voice to your wife “Yep, as I thought, it’s going to need a new one”!

Haynes: Carefully…
Translation: You are about to cut yourself!

Haynes: Retaining nut…
Translation: Yes, that’s it, that big spherical blob of rust.

Haynes: Get an assistant…
Translation: Prepare to humiliate yourself in front of someone you know.

Haynes: Turning the engine will be easier with the spark pugs removed.
Translation: However, starting the engine afterwards will be much harder. Once that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach has subsided, you can start to feel deeply ashamed as you gingerly refit the spark plugs.

Haynes: Refitting is the reverse sequence to removal.
Translation: But you swear in different places.

Haynes: Prise away plastic locating pegs…
Translation: Snap off…

Haynes: Using a suitable drift…
Translation: The biggest nail in your tool box isn’t a suitable drift!

Haynes: Everyday toolkit
Translation: Ensure you have an RAC Card & Mobile Phone

Haynes: Apply moderate heat…
Translation: Placing your mouth near it and huffing isn’t moderate heat.

Haynes: Index
Translation: List of all the things in the book bar the thing you want to do!

Dezz 😀

Dead body, Charley Lambert, in the water 29 mins 50 seconds
First spitfire formation take off (not strictly a scramble) is cranfield’s squadron. Taking off from Hawkinge at 37 mins and 55 seconds in.
First proper spitfire scramble is started by Arnold picking up the telephone and shouting “two section scramble” 41mins 21 seconds into the film, this leads into the bombing of duxford sequence, then at 44mins 45seconds we have Arnold picking up the telephone again and saying, in a puzzled voice “it’s a squadron scramble sir??” and Skipper says “don’t be wet get me the duty controller”.. Bombs then start to fall on the airfield, North Wheald I think; this is the start of the “get one up” scramble. at 46 mins 34 seconds we have Spitfire tyres screeching on grass and the fuel bowser going up just before said screeching Spitfire crashes into it.
At 1 hour 6 mins 7 seconds we have the start of the “stand down or blow up” formation take off of Cranfield’s squadron, the start of this sequence buy the hut is, I think, Duxford but the actual take off filmed from the air is Hawkinge, and leads into them being “bounced” at 1 hour 8 mins 10 seconds by the Buchon’s ME109’s BF109’s or what anyone is happy to call them 😀 .
1 hour 13 mins 01 seconds…miss York in Stockings. :diablo:
1 hour 34 mins 15 seconds is the start of the ‘Aerial Ballet’ sequence at 1 hour 56mins 48 seconds is the parachute not opening scene.
Hope I haven’t missed anything. I urge you all to get the dvd out and watch it again to make sure. I love this film its my all time favourite.
Very Sad Dezz 🙁

Didn’t know whether to post this piccie on this thread or the other one, as the last few posts on the other thread are referring to Canberra, I think I’ll stick it here.
The nose of ZF587 used in wing commander, taken at Headcorn in 2001.
Dezz
🙂

The Harvard at Rochester. Taken June 05 a month or so before her first post restoration flight. I must say that if I was lucky enough to have a aeroplane needing a rebuild MAPS would get the job every time, they have done a fantastic job on her. She was doing circuits last week…nearly smashed the company van to bits trying to watch her and drive down the M2 at the same time, we get so few “warbirds” down here in Medway (pilots please take note, fly over Gillingham, Chatham, Rochester and Rainham anytime you are down this neck of the wood’s 😀 thanks)
Dezz 🙂

Here’s one more
Dezz

Regarding the Harvard at Rochester, wrecks & relics 19 has it down as G-BKWZ while a short bit in FP (page 18May 2005) lists it as G-CTKL, I don’t seem to remember 2 Harvard’s there, what reg is correct. Or has it been changed?
Whatever it is, she looks lovely. 🙂
Dezz
Photo: 19 June 2005

I have a Panasonic dmcfz20 5mp 12x optical zoom. Although I haven’t had time to have a good play with it, it seems to have got good reviews. Its easy to use in auto mode. But you can have it in full manual mode, and has not got a lot of shutter lag, especially in full manual mode.
Dezz
🙂