04Jul13

There must be something happening at Duxford soon. Lots of contractors riding around in fork lifts and panel vans and big tents and crowd barriers being erected. Anyway, ‘Taz’ the ARCo Harvard flew out to Goodwood first thing and around mid-day the HAC Nimrod trundled out onto the airfield and eventually went flying.

Later in the afternoon, TFC came out to play. The P-40F did an engine run followed by the Bearcat and the Biggin Hill Mk.1 Spitfire and the TFC Mk Vb Spitfire with its clipped wings now sporting pointy bits.

There is now a breeding pair of Twin Otters resident at ARCo as VP-FAZ returned this afternoon minus its lumps and bumps.

You can go months without seeing an Auster and then two come along in one week.

Air Harrods were back with one of their their S-76 helicopters for a few circuits before heading back to Stansted and an occasional visitor in the shape of a Cessna 525A CitationJet 2 parked on the jet pan for an hour or so while the pilot paid a visit to ARCo.

Brian

TFC’s Spitfire LF.Vb/EP120 with its pointy wing tips.:applause:

Brian

02Jul13

Weather wise it was a naff day with complete cloud cover, rather dark and it did try and rain during the afternoon. TFC saved the day with an aeroplane shuffle so they could extract the Bearcat from the middle of the hangar for an engine run.

Apart from the three SAAB T-17 Supporter’s of the Royal Danish Air Force, a BBMF Chipmunk flew in and parked up at ARCo and a desert camouflage Auster 5 paid a visit and parked by the control tower.

The Blenheim nose that has been resident in hangar 3 has gone on a little journey to the Coventry Transport Museum for an exhibition and will return to Duxford later in the year.

The door to hangar 4/north-east was cracked open a bit so it would have been remiss of me not to stick my camera in for a different viewpoint of the Strikemaster.

Parked down at ARCo was a red British Antarctic Survey Twin Otter but not VP-FAZ that was resident a few weeks ago but VP-FBL. The BAS aircraft fleet consists of four Twin Otters and a Dash 7.

Brian

I had caught sight of what I though was a Skyraider disappearing into the cloud base to the north west of Duxford. Got out my radio just in time to hear the pilot call in to see if he could do a couple of barrel rolls over the airfield. Magic.

Brian

Air show are death waiting to happen.

Riding my motorbike up and down the A14 from St Ives to the M11 to get to Duxford ‘are’ death waiting to happen.

The A14 at the M11/Cambridge turn off was closed yesterday two hours after I had passed it because of a crash. There was a 3 car pile up on the A14 on Friday that closed it and a I passed an accident in the opposite direction when I went to Duxford on Wednesday.

Tell me again how ‘Air show are death waiting to happen’ when more people die on the roads every day?

Brian

Fortunately they will be at the top end of the museum and out the way. :dev2: 😀

Brian

19Jun13

Weather wise it was a hot and humid day at Duxford, cloudy in the morning and sunshine in the afternoon. Despite that it was very hazy which didn’t make for very good conditions for taking photos.

Cliff Spink took off from Duxford in a Buchon……….

….and touched down in a Spitfire. Neat trick that.

‘Taz’ flew in from a visit to Goodwood and parked up at ARCo………..

……..and a bit later the T9 taxied out for a short engine run before parking back up at ARCo.

Early afternoon and ‘Sword 1 & 2’, a pair of Tucano’s from Linton, did a run and brake before landing and parking up on the jet pan.

Apart from Classic Wings and a few GA visitors, the only other flying I saw was the Stearman.

The local wild life were competing in the noise stakes and trying to out do the noise from the F1 car that was testing on the main runway.

Brian