Hmmmm…. I have (on loan for photographing) a pair of brass models, a Spit and a Hampden along with a plinth they sit on. The owner got them from his father, Squadron Leader Spencer, who said they were given to him by an erk. Photos later. They’re not for sale though.

The IAF does Passing Out ceremonies very well, it seems. The photos on that page look like it was a solemn, giving thanks for the service, ceremony.

But thats just it, Newforest, they don’t tag. Any tags in the photos are done by vandals and graffiti “artists”. The UEs explore the building, take photos and leave. Unless they find an open door or window, a gap in a fence or similar they don’t go in. It’s one of the rules, no breaking and entering. Like I said earlier, enter, take photos, leave footprints, nothing else.

And regarding chavs and “pikeys”, it’s amazing how many of the explored buildings have been trashed by chavs and the “pikeys” have stolen the cores of the wiring.

All the above said, I also do not think it’s right to clamber all over delicate airframes and climb fences, although I did enjoy urbexing myself and fully support the hobby.

Anyway, nuff said.

I am in complete agreement with RAFRochford and others who support his views on this. Although I’m in Ireland and thus don’t have much of a military bent to explore, I have been an Urban Explorer for many years (although now lapsed due to unrelated injuries handicapping my agility) and – as has been mentioned – only took photographs and left footprints – this is the mantra of the UE community. Another mantra is to record urban locations for posterity before they disappear, not dissimilar to what we, lovers of old aircraft, surely can empathise with?

As has also been observed here, the UE 28DaysLater members abhor theft or vandalism, never do it and frequently condemn it in their threads. It’s not UEs we should be condemning, it’s the trashers, litterers, daubers and likewise who help old buildings on their way to collapse sooner than they would have.

So ease up please, some UEs may not know what, to us, is obvious (ref. Concorde @ Brooklands) but whom here would admit to having never breached what is good and decent by mistake? No-one’s perfect.

Nice feature on BBC Breakfast TV this morning (with the nose art covered) and (short) interview with Squadron Leader Al Pinner standing in front of a Spit. The Lanc does look good!

From what the reporter said, there should be an item on the unveiling ceremony on this evening’s news bulletins.

“If he hadn’t made it to Shannon, it could have been the end of him. You could tell that he was very relieved.”

Oh. Dear. God. Give. Me. Strength.

Fantastic shots! Thanks for those, they really give the huge aeroplane some scale with the people around her.

I love the one with the captain looking out the flight deck window right at you! 😀

2000 (or was it 2002? I can’t recall) and last Baldonnell (Irish Air Corps HQ) Airshow in Dublin with a lot of visiting heavy metal flying in to show off (including the Swiss AF F/A18s – fabulous displays!).

Anyway, the aircraft would sashay in from the West and do their thang over the airbase and mosey off and then all was quiet for a while with just a JP tootling by to entertain the crowd. I was recording the flybys on Minidisc when all of a sudden out of the corner of my left eye I saw this grey shape hurtling towards us.

I swiftly turned and saw it was a tomcat in full wingback mode at just under the speed of sound and braced myself.

WHAMMMMM!!!!!!

No-one else was expecting this holy earsplitting sound accompanied by the grey streak and as a result there were cups of drink and plates of food flying everywhere with bodies hitting the deck and screams and…. you get the drift. Very funny! 😀 What was even better was the total silence as the grey dot disappeared in the distance rapidly… when eventually the commentator recovered his composure he said “Well, he won’t be invited back again!”.

I listened back to the F14 later on the MD and it had been so loud the recording was distorted to feck.