Another wonderful show this year, no complaints at all from me about the aircraft taking part.
The weather just about held but a lot of the lighting was challenging for photography so I just put the camera down and enjoyed the show.
There are a few shots here if anybody wishes to see some of the formations: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmF7G88r
The highlight for me was watching the DH.9 fly for the first time – living so close to Duxford (and Old Warden, for that matter) and being exposed to such an amazing variety of airworthy aircraft flying the whole year round can sometimes make one forget just how lucky we are. I will never get tired of waching a dozen or more Spitfires tailchasing eachother all over the sky.
5Z2A5515 by SimonR
5Z2A5278 by SimonR
I couldn’t believe how busy Duxford was yesterday. The car park was full, with people parking inside the airfield fence and at about 1pm there was still queuing traffic on the A505, waiting to get in. Great to see.
The Tornados approached from the East, performed a single flypast and then banked in formation to fly North, around the back of the Land Warfare Hall and American Air Museum.
Three Tornados on the run-in to Duxford. by sboreeves, on Flickr
Three Tornados by sboreeves, on Flickr
Three Tornados by sboreeves, on Flickr
Three Tornados over American Air Museum. by sboreeves, on Flickr
Duxford was quiet and seemed pretty sleepy today. The Conservation area in Airspace was providing accommodation to the replica Spitfire Mk1A, the Typhoon prototype (isn’t this due to be leaving Duxford this year?) and also ‘Ole Bill’ – a 1911 open-top AEC bus, used in WW1 as a troop carrier:
This must be the most under-used space in the whole of the IWM – calling it ‘Conservation’ seems a bit of a misnomer.
In Hangar 2, most, if not all of the Fighter Collection seemed to be undergoing winter maintenance, with Engine Inhibited notices all over the place and lots of engine covers, cowlings and spinners removed.
Sally B’s winter maintenance continues at the back of Hangar 2,
5Z2A2806_7_8_Enhancer by SimonR, on Flickr
And today’s game of ‘spot the Cosmic Wind’ was made a lot easier by it being positioned right next to the walkway, with Miss Pickup’s winter maintenance continuing behind:
The impressive collection of Spitfires, and assorted other aircraft in Hangar 3 are still covered to protect them from the owl that has also taken up residence in the building. We couldn’t see any evidence of the owl though!
There wasn’t a huge turnout on the airfield today, and absolutely no flying while we were there. It’s odd how spoiled we are as visitors to Duxford, that we’re so used to their always being something interesting flying that it’s worthy of mention when this is not the case.
Finally, the new buses (although still apparently un-named!) were doing a lot of business today.
I’m looking forward to the milestones that mark the changing of the seasons in Duxford, my favourite of which is seeing Sally B’s first flight of the year.
Finally, here are some upcoming Historic Aircraft Collection events that are forthcoming in 2019:
IMG_20190101_152106 by SimonR, on Flickr
We were very lucky with the weather in the end today. The rain all but stopped by the beginning of the flying and aside from the aircraft from Old Warden and a few spitfires at the end, everything was able to get off the ground. My favourite parts of the afternoon were the Lanc, Tornado and Lightning formation, the Mustangs with the Mig and also all the Spitfires at the end. It was particularly effective I thought to use N3200 as the Joker between passes of the Spitfire formations – some pretty amazing history for Duxford there.
It was a notable day in many respects with the RAF 100 airshow season coming to an end, the last airshow appearance for the the Panavia Tornado GR4, the final Red Arrows appearance of the year, and the last display for Tim Dunlop in command of the Lancaster. I was very pleased to be there to see those milestones.
Here are a few pics.
5Z2A1564 by sboreeves, on Flickr
5Z2A1625 by sboreeves, on Flickr
5Z2A1643 by sboreeves, on Flickr
5Z2A1680 by sboreeves, on Flickr
5Z2A1736 by sboreeves, on Flickr
5Z2A1857 by sboreeves, on Flickr
Album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmsyW7n5
I have tickets for Sunday but the weather doesn’t look too promising, so I booked the day off work today and spent the day at Duxford instead. It was pretty blustery with windspeeds being reported at about 30 knots plus and although skies started off clear and bright, the afternoon was very cloudy with few sunny intervals and a bit of rain here and there.
Starting where Brian left off:
The incoming clouds yielded some very pretty cloud iridescence, and some pretty cold rain:
5Z2A1417 by sboreeves, on Flickr
The Norweigian Vampires went up together, and flew information with the Jet Provost:
5Z2A1429 by sboreeves, on Flickr
5Z2A1449 by sboreeves, on Flickr
5Z2A1465 by sboreeves, on Flickr
The Catalina looked absolutely superb against the cloudy sky, especially when caught in the sun. It also executed a very interesting turn into wind at one point – I’ve never seen a big bird like that drift quite so much!
5Z2A1505 by sboreeves, on Flickr
Soon after the Catalina, we were treated to a spirited display by the Mig 15 and two P51s:
5Z2A1512 by sboreeves, on Flickr
5Z2A1519 by sboreeves, on Flickr
Finally, as I was about to set off for home, the RAF Pembroke came in over the M11:
5Z2A1546 by sboreeves, on Flickr
Full album here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmsQNue2
I got the email about it today – this is an absolutely stunning photograph:
How unusual to see a Lanc and Mosquito together out in the sun.
Jolly good luck with the event – it looks like a great celebration.
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