Great story, I hope the gentleman concerned also makes a full recovery. This is the RAF at its best.

This story sums up all that is good about the RAF and British Armed Forces. As are BA pilots – e.g. safe emergency near crash landing at Heathrow on flight from China when engines failed with supposed H2O in fuel/fuel lines.

For all they are maligned by PC type people the UK Armed Forces are still the best in the world.

Above and beyond the call of duty and succeed they did on this and many previous occasions.

It comes also just before Remembrance Sunday. God, miracles and skill all combined saved the light aircraft pilot and a possible fatal accident that may have taken more innocent lives on the ground.

Both RAF pilot and RAF Air Traffic Controller deserve wide acclaim.

Budgets for the continued training of good armed forces must continue in the UK as should comprehensive UK defence budgets.

In all this we must not forget the tenacity of the light aircraft pilot in being determined to get himself safely down. So what he ‘bounced’ when landing while nearly blind. I did when training with all my faculties.
God speed a full recovery if such is medically possible for Mr Oneill.

The Tucano is an excellent basic trainer and it served it’s purpose well in this respect.

TJ

Hi

I was talking to a current Eurofighter Typhoon pilot at Duxford on Sunday 07 Septmber who was waiting to take up a Spitfire.

He reliably told me that Matt Elliot had left flying Eurofighter Typhoons and had joined BA.

The other jem he told me was that they had a new routine going where a Eurofighter and Spitfire were doing joint appearances at some air shows and he thought Leuchars was going to be the next.

In doing this joint appearance supposedly the Spitfire does a unique/traditional ‘Spitfire’ rolling manouvre and the Eurofighter does similarly as a tribute to the Spitfire and also portraying two great British aircraft (Eurofighter being not purely British ofcourse).

Is this what you saw or got the impression of was happening when you took these great shots ?

Cheers

Jay

Yes I can confirm what looked like puddles of water under the Phantom. It was a pity that a quick mop job or a bucket or two could not have been placed strategically (that is if the hangar does leak or the rain lashed under doors).

For a 90th year anniversary weekend though the Phatom was in a sorry state with panels and bits open all over.

Jay

Super shots and an additional souvenir as I was there both days.

Jay

Brian

Good photos. I was there and yes to see 3 ‘Gooney Birds’ together at Duxford and in the air was something that took me back to Air Ceylon days as they had 3 or 4 and they sometimes would be in the sky together but never in formation.

I have done the right seat in a DC3 and they are a ‘bummer’ to trim if passengers walk about (as they do). Pity none of the ones seen are permitted passengers due to the new rules.

I agree maybe we shall see 4 together soon.

Those alive who can remember the Berlin Airlift will feel nostalgic.

Jay

Great shots of both 6 & 7th – I was there

Martin

Great shots on both 6th and 7th at Duxford.

I was there both days and Vulcan 558 made it on Saturday but not Sunday and Sunday was more an inside pavilions days due to the weather.

It was fun though.

Jay

Interest in not just where they may finally be based but actual production in the UK is good for boosting UK-US economic relationships.

http://www.asd-network.com/press_detail/16920/BAE_Enters_Production_Phase_of_F-35_Lightning_II_Programme.htm

“BAE Enters Production Phase of F-35 Lightning II Programme
(Farnborough, UK., July 14, 2008) — BAE Systems has completed, on schedule, the first detailed machining component for the first production F-35 Lightning II aircraft, signalling a major milestone for the F-35 programme.

Produced from a solid piece of aluminium at BAE Systems’ dedicated machining facility in Samlesbury, North West England, the component will form part of the first production aircraft’s rear fuselage.”

I was at some recruitment events that BAE held over the last two years and I believe the plan is that 1 JSF (any of the 3 variants) will roll off their UK plants daily .

If this does come through as planned it will be excellent for the UK defence industry and could be a way of doing for the US what they did for the UK/Allies in WWII by producing B-17s, Liberators, Mustangs,etc that made the European and Far Eastern war end in the favour of the Allies.