It is odd that something that ‘historic’ would still be on a dump in this day and age. Having said that I found photos of a derelict Skyraider at Yeovilton, which was taken fairly recently as well.

We could always take a camera and get sponsored to make a ‘fly on the wall’. Man from 50’s timewarp goes to contemporary arts and music festival. I’d pay to see it.

I would watch that. An hour into it and he would be protectively clutching his Flanders and Swann LPs in the back of an ambulance somewhere.

Snafu, I have never been to Glastonbury, but I do know the rough history of the event. There are clips of a really early Glasto online, with the band Family (check them out, John) performing their song ‘Drowned In Wine’. Sadly there isn’t any Gong or Hawkwind footage. There is a lot of archival footage out there, which makes me question why live broadcasts are no better now than they were back then. Yes things can be tricky live but, if anything, it should be easier now that a lot of musicians use DI-feeds on instruments or at least use smaller combo amps and modelling equipment. I would have thought the BBC could have just taken a split feed off the various channels and take their own mix, rather than a lop-sided soundboard feed or whatever is going to the PA stacks. As a bassist my pet peeve is the move towards ridiculous studio drum sounds reproduced in a live environment, with crystal-sharp cymbals and everything mic’d and gated to the nth degree. This usually turns into nothing but high end hiss and boomy kick-drum through PA systems, to the detriment of all other performers. My next pet peeve is with sound technicians that decide to become your producer for the night and offer (bad) advice on how you should actually be playing something. They take one look at my bass equipment then send me packing with a knackered Behringer DI box held together with tape.

There are possibly a number of factors at play. The BBC seem to make clumsy use of audio compression during broadcasts. We are always riding the volume, via the remote, when we are watching BBC programmes because the volume can be inconsistent; especially when music is used in the background. The BBC also went down the route of ‘mumblecore’, where low-volume dialogue and impenetrable delivery (combined with low lighting, hand-held cameras and zero conventional framing techniques) are celebrated as adding an earthy and authentic air to many dramas.

I’m surprised that the BBC (and others) still cannot broadcast live music especially well. Coverage of Glastonbury, other festivals and award shows have been let down by lop-sided mixes and amateurish mixing of ambient crowd noise and (for example) presenters speaking to camera, with bleed-through and feedback, etc. The technology has come a long way, but the same human mistakes seem to be much the same as ever. :rolleyes:

I liked Sir Terry’s commentary of Eurovision. That contest was never really about the music in the first place but is, for me, an awkward and overly-saccharine attempt to pretend that (mostly) dull, contrived pop music can somehow bring about a level of diplomatic harmony that just isn’t there. The politically-charged tactical voting rather ruins that idea for one thing! Terry cut through all of that noise with his stunning and unrelentingly spontaneous lampooning, whereas I do get the impression that the contest was broadcast in a far more sincere way in other countries. Graham Norton is too catty, by contrast, whereas Terry delivered death blows with grace. People watch it for the mangled English, the terrible acts and the ‘nil pwa’ results being beamed in from obscure corners of Europe. People also watch it in the hope of some car crash Television; divas bursting into tears, satellite links going dead, singers striding off the front of the stage into darkness and props bursting into flames Mr Bjorkman is delusional for thinking otherwise.

You don’t really tune TV’s any more.

I think there are two wrecks at Yeovilton? There is one on the fire dump and the example that was at Montrose air station until fairly recently, which is the donor aircraft.

You were misinformed. We operate from water on a regular basis – insured. The next occasion should be at Biscarrosse in southwest France next month.

Apologies for the confusion. I thought that it was stated by the commentator at Ayr last year that 433915 wasn’t permitted to go in the sea, though I’m clearly getting confused.

Ironically enough I was told last year that UK-based Catalina 433915 isn’t insured to actually go in water. I missed out on a chance to step on-board. Twice!

There is Youtube footage of Kermit Weeks’ Sunderland back when it still flew over here.

I read on Wikipedia (where else?) that the Philippine Mars, now in US Navy finish (as per Newforest‘s post) was going to be transferred to Pensacola this month. Is this still the case? Surely the ferry flight for that would be more interesting even than a red/white example?