The BumpWithout a doubt he was Anna, I have several really special memories of Ray’s flying and in particular his Spitfire displays at Biggin Hill, His display in 1982 at my first ever airshow started my love of aviation and from then I was hooked.
I took every opportunity to see him fly at Biggin and some of my fondest memories come from the practice days.The Hanna legacy has to be that MH434 is still flown in a style that Ray and Mark would approve of in the hands of Nigel Lamb in particular, That is the finest tribute to two of the best pilots I have ever seen flying.
I agree, I would add Alister Kay to the list, his displays are very much in the Ray Hanna style.
My experiences are similar to Duxfordhawk, Biggin Hill airshow’s and Ray Hanna were always linked in my mind.
I saw MH434 last Sunday, and the Phantom in the hangar at Duxford, and spared a thought for Ray and Mark, thanks for the memories.
The BumpAaah, now the thread is making sense now I checked the date of the earlier posts:rolleyes:
The BumpOne microlight has already come down with one slight and one serious injury.
Be prepared for a weekend of incidents and airspace busts
Moggy
I quite agree…..and be prepared for the tetchy ‘weight shift crowd’s’ responses.
I attended the Headcorn Proms yesterday evening, some superb flying on show, well done to all:cool:
The BumpSorry to contribute to the stealing of this thread – somewhat on-topic…
For the Joe Public maybe it was a great show.
For an enthusiast and including the static displays, it was rather poor. And yes I have seen all displays (flying and static).
Access and parking was fine, but I felt the organisers only did the minimum for the publics comfort (endless cues for toilets and ‘official cars’ constantly blocking your passing by the corporate areas).
Somebody mentioned a diverse static display – do you mean the endless numbers of Hercules planes? They were diverse indeed. I lost count after a while…
Nice to see an USAF F16 that killed 3 Soko Galebs during the Balkan war. I wish some Galebs were also present, but no… 🙁
I would have expected at least one F15 flying, but no – only one in static and a Strike Eagle. Nice to see the B1 bomber though.
I enjoyed the Rafale and Gripen(HU) displays, also hte Dutch F16 and obviously the Vulcan.
Sadly, I only spotted the Vixen too late and couldn’t take a picture. Shame as it did only one pass. That’s OK for Joe public, but a big failure for the enthusiasts…
The Navy helicopter display was really good too.
Too many wing walkers and propeller trainer displays for my liking, but I guess they had to fill the time somehow. The commentary ofr the wing walkers was ‘exceptional’ with gems like: “It is too windy for the planes to get too close, but imagine what the girls feel when they can touch each other!” I am not kidding! 😀
I think I will leave RIAT to the locals and to Joe Public – for me it was the first (after last year’s fiasco – thank you Tim Prince! Not!) – and the last.
For enthusiasts, an underwhelming show.
I agree with the above, the enthusiasts are very much in the minority, its Joe Public that bring in the bulk of the money and its only natural the organisers would have them in mind when putting the show together, every fast jet the other day could have been a Hornet because most members of the public wouldnt be able to tell anyway….they just want a fast jet.
RIAT have realised that even after last years fiasco, people still keep coming back, and as Chox intimated they are unlikely to worry about too many of our gripes.
I appreciate the weekend is about the RAFCT, but the continual charges to the enthusiasts already touched upon is a concern, the analogy of a drug addict and supplier comes to mind!…….the organisers know the enthusiasts need their fix, and will be prepared to pay for it.
The entrance fee I don’t have a problem with though.
I also wish that with the reduced static displays which are the norm now, we could see more on-base parking, its not so much the walk back to the car, but you don’t feel very much part of the show sat behind the trees trying to watch the display whilst eating lunch, taking the lunch with you isnt an option because the security checks discourage this, I was waved straight through on sat because I wasnt carrying any baggage, if I’d taken my lunch, I would have been expecting to be searched.
As to the show itself, I was disappointed at the Sea Vixens limited appearance and do agree that the show would have been much the poorer without our triangular friend, but I did enjoy my day even though it was gone in the blink of an eye,it is impossible to do the show justice on one day when faced with a long journey there and back.
That though, I hasten to add, isnt the fault of the organisers.
I havent fallen out of love with the show, a part of me wants to try a Mach 2 package, but I have always been reluctant to book tickets and accommodation that far in advance when I’m not sure of my circumstances next year.
I’m told local B & B’s get booked up pretty much straight away after the current show finishes.
The BumpHi Bump
According to my old log book…May 19th 1979
I think our route was something like
Brawdy,Neath,Newport,Lyneham,Greenham Common…trouble is I was so busy sightseeing I didnt take any en route pics,I was not familiar with the south of england at all then.
I included the A10 because I was not sure if it had displayed at BH previously.cheers BV
Thanks BV, 1979 would have been the A-10’s first UK demo season as at that time the 81st TFW were still re-equipping with the Hog.
And Ray Hanna was one of those pilots who fully lived up to the praise he received over the years, Ray really did get down low.
May 19th 1979……..to think just over a month later at Greenham Common was one of my most memorable childhood airshows………’them’s were the days’, how many times do we mutter that phrase to ourselves when looking at old photographs?
The BumpGreat shots and memories thanks for posting, I didnt realise a Hog had displayed at Biggin as far back as 79……..was that a May show or the September BoB show?
Lovely to see Ray and MH434.
The BumpThats because its a modern military airshow.
Yes, I’m fully aware of that, and thanks for pointing that out, the hordes of note book wielding individuals and fanatical photographers vying for shots like their lives depended on it had already confirmed the ‘modern military’ slant……..the point I was making 3xHornets and 2xGripens?……..a bit of variety would’nt go amiss.
I’d have happily traded one of the Hornets or Gripens (as great as they were) for a Sea Vixen display.
Having said that,given the present situation in the world, the organisers did a good job with what they had to play with.
The BumpIt was a shame that the Sea Vixen was only down for the 100 years RN flypast……..another jet of the calibre of the Sea Vixen was sorely needed amongst what appeared to be rather alot of Gripens and Hornets:rolleyes:
The BumpI can’t recall where I read it, but it seems the reason for the ‘power loss’ is still being investigated and there is damage to the spar.
The BumpYes, the other day the ‘Horsemen’ ventured down as far as Dover for a photo shoot with Dibbsy.
The 190 was obviously popping home gingerly with a support plane.
The BumpAs long as it isnt the former commentator from one of the biggest airshows in the world who on finding out that 2x F-15’s performing a flyby at Dux, had crews of Polish descent claimed that immigration works:rolleyes:
Being a US citizen (with Polish ancestors) and getting educated to degree standard,then passing the rigorous USAF training is hardly the same as a chancer stowing away on a lorry to Britain to abuse the benefits system.
Back to the discussion in hand, I didnt think any of the weekends commentators covered themselves in glory, the same with Biggin a couple of weeks back, there the only decent MC…..Brendan O’Brien, disappeared after a couple of acts.
At Legends, the entertainment was such, that I scarcely noticed the commentators enough to get riled.
The BumpI have to agree with post 31. Legends today really was an enjoyable show and without doubt the best I’ve seen in the past 10 years that I’ve been going.
As a mere 26 year old, I obviously don’t have the airshow/aviation memories and experiences that many others on here do and I have to admit that I’m pretty pleased at being able to see and hear so many wonderful sights and sounds at Legends. People may be ‘fed up’ with seeing “the same” aircraft year in year out, but I find Legends exciting each year, regardless of what is there. I thought today was exceptionally good with an incredible line up of aircraft, all of which displayed in a thrilling and entertaining way. I thought the addition of music to various sections e.g The Horsemen and Anna Walker’s Jungmann display was very well done and added something else to the displays.
It was a shame that TFC’s fleet remained in the hangar but I think Stephen Grey should be commended for putting on such a great show without most of the ‘host’ fleet. To put it another way, who’d have thought that you could take away Europe’s only Hellcat and Wildcat, a Pearl Harbour P-40, one of only 2 Gladiators worldwide etc etc and STILL have a show that boasts a line up including 2 FW190s, 2 Sea Furys, 3 B-25s etc.
As for the commentary – I read earlier comments in this thread after people came back from the show yesterday (I only did the Sunday) and so listened out for our French friend today. Have to say, at times my friend and I swapped looks wondering what he was talking about, but to be honest I found him informative and humorous for much of the show. There were many occasions when the commentary was drowned out by Merlins, Wright-Cyclones, Griffins and more anyway, but I was easily able to simply ignore the commentary if I found it going off at a tangent. He is a part of Legends and brings something extra to the show – if you disagree or find it annoying, stand further away from the tannoys or just don’t listen! If we can all ignore most of what our respective partners say….
Anyway, that’s all my opinion, so juts want to echo my previous sentiments that today really was a delight and I’ve come home revelling in the atmosphere created by what I believe is the best Flying Legends show I’ve seen. Many thanks Mr Grey and everyone at TFC, I cannot wait to see what next year’s brings!
Rich.
Thats a great review which neatly sums up my take on things.
RE. the commentary conundrum, its impossible to satisfy everyone, Biggin Hill had a nice line up with occasionally Ron David which worked really well , but then I read negative comments about Ron ‘Leslie Nielson’ David, hope that isnt why he wasnt at this years show.
I dont know how to take the Bernard Chabbert criticisms, is it genuine dislike of a commentary style, or his nationality? One of the most predictable things about RIAT (apart from people bemoaning the entrance fee) is people unjustly slagging the USAF commentary teams, I’ve found plenty of the home grown commentary teams pretty dire, but then again maybe others find them ok.
Like I said in the first sentence …..’its impossible to satisfy everyone’
Maybe Duxford should consider Brendan and Melvin, always a good commentary team, but I think there is a place for Bernard,I love his insight during the ‘joker’ routine, I’m sure BC is there because Mr Grey wants him to be, it would be a shame to see him hounded out.
The BumpThat is good news, I was going to ask PT himself at Biggin, but by the end of sat I was fairly well barbecued:o
The BumpAs has been said, its not clear how up to date G-INFO is……..if it is up to the minute and things stay as they are, I won’t be banking on seeing any ‘Cats’ at the show……….right, where is the Guinots phone number.
The BumpThose able to see the Sea Vixen this year are in for a treat, its a superb display.
I saw it at Biggin yesterday and was mightily impressed with the display and flyby with the Skyraider.
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