Thursday 13th April
You can tell Easter is only a couple of days away as winter appears to have returned as there was a significant wind chill blowing across the airfield all day. I even had my gloves on. Anyhoo, TFC had their P-40C out on engine runs and down at ARCo the ex Boscombe Down Harvard/KF183 was also having engine runs and it taxied out onto the grass and parked up next to nice line up of war birds to continue its engine runs. Although it has been flying most of the week, this was the first time I had seen Spitfire T9/NH341 in the air as it was up again for more handling/check flights before it’s signed off. In the order taken.
Sony Alpha A6300 CSC & 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 G SSM lens + Sony Alpha A6000 CSC & Tamron 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 Di-III VC.
Brian
Sunday 9th April
Despite the wall to wall blue sky and sunshine, Sunday wasn’t as warm as the forecasters predicted although a southerly breeze did take the edge off the temperature and Duxford was a lot quieter than Saturday with less members of the public and GA visitors. A King Air had night stopped and during the morning an Extra 400 arrived, a type I don’t remember seeing before. Classic Wings were busy all day with their Rapide and Tiger Moth flights along with Harvard ‘Wacky Wabbit’ and Fly in a Spitfire flights.
Sony Alpha A6000 CSC & Tamron 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 Di-III VC.
Brian
Saturday 08th April
Once the mist lifted it turned into a very nice warm day at Duxford but with very little wind a horrible haze hung around. A very busy day at Duxford not only with visitors but visiting GA types for the Duxford Safety Bonus Day with 50+ booked in. The only flying visitor that drew my attention was a red US Navy Stearman. Classic Wings have started their Fly in a Spitfire flights with Duxford based PV202 instead of a Biggin Hill based Spitfire. Many thanks to Howard and the Historic Aircraft Collection for air side access for a close up of the Sopwith Pup which had a 45 minute handling flight above the airfield.
Sony Alpha A6300 CSC & 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 G SSM lens + Sony Alpha A6000 CSC & Tamron 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 Di-III VC.
Brian
Sunday 2nd April
I was expecting a quiet Sunday at Duxford and it was apart from the Avro 19 flying in first thing from Old Warden for a spot of pilot training off the grass and hard runways and landing for a crew change over. It came back again in the afternoon for some more circuits. The Catalina was extracted from hangar 2, after winter maintenance, and was taken out onto the airfield for an engine run. In the order taken.
Sony Alpha A6300 CSC & 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 G SSM lens + Sony Alpha A6000 CSC & Tamron 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 Di-III VC.
Brian
Thursday 30th March
Another warm, sunny but a tad breezy day at Duxford. Quiet apart from outside AirSpace as the clear-up from the H&H Auctions was taking place as cars were being loaded onto transporters and trailers. One vehicle that did catch my eye was a 1934 Rolls-Royce 20/25 Pickup. Flying wise, the Boultbee Spitfire/G-GILDA went up for a test flight and circuits late morning and was back at the Alpha hold doing engine checks mid afternoon as I was leaving. A Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk/89-26212 called in just before 2pm and sat with rotors running on the grass opposite the Tower as the crew went off for a ‘rest break’. The pilot/co-pilot were taking advantage of the fine weather and had gone convertible and were flying with their doors off.
Brian
Sunday 26th March
After the blue sky and sunshine of Saturday, Sunday was high thin cloud and diffused lighting which is far from ideal for photography. Very quiet day apart from Spitfire/SM845 leaving Duxford for its home up north after its winter holiday and a couple of hours later the Desert Buchon arrived from the north for a bit of TLC with ARCo. The Duxford based Stearman also went up in the afternoon for some circuits. In the order taken
Sony Alpha A6000 CSC & 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 G SSM lens + Sony Alpha A6300 CSC & Tamron 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 Di-III VC.
Brian
Saturday 25th March
I was going to say a quiet Saturday at Duxford but there were 30+ GA types booked in and taking advantage of the blue sky and sunshine if a little chilly in the wind day. There was a bit of a do on down at ARCo and early afternoon Cliff Spink took SM845 up for a bit of aerobatics over the airfield.
Sony Alpha A6000 CSC & 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 G SSM lens + Sony Alpha A6300 CSC & Tamron 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 Di-III VC.
Brian
23Mar17
With the RAF Northolt Night Shoot still advertised on Wednesday as still going ahead on Thursday, I took the precaution of quickly forming a ‘Plan B’ should it be cancelled due to increased security, following the fatalities at Westminster on Wednesday, while I was traveling down to London on Thursday as I had a cheap hotel room that was pre-paid with a no cancellation clause. I was on the train on the outskirts of London when the night shoot was cancelled. So Plan B it was. Didn’t quite go to plan as I was going to do a bit of a mini night shoot around the memorials and statues at Hyde Park and Marble Arch. The two memorials I was after were the Animals In War on Park Lane and the Bomber Command Memorial but both were not lit up although there was enough street lighting to salvage some shots of the Animals In War Memorial. I actually started in Trafalgar Square, an eerily quiet Trafalgar Square as all traffic around it had been stopped for the candlelight vigil that had taken place earlier that evening to show solidarity with London attack victims. The crowds were slowly dispersing and the foreign TV crews were packing up. I walked up The Mall, stopping off at The National Memorial to the Queen Mother, and then onto Buckingham Palace and then along Constitution Hill to Hyde Park and the Australian War Memorial and Wellington Arch. Then up Park Lane to the Animals In War Memorial and then onto Marble Arch for the 6 tonne, 27 feet tall bronze Marwari Horse Head sculpture and the ‘Danse Gwenedour’ flying figures that were only unveiled to the public on March 11th this year. In the order taken.
Sony Cyber-shot RX1RMII
Brian
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