Just caught the Beeb’s coverage of the Flaklands War parade down the Mall. Very mixed feelings about it. We all salute our brave troops but this makes me so cross – having Thatcher there was bad enough but it was what wasn’t there that will cause us plane fans gnash our teeth the most. That and that p*llock Snow doing the Janet & John commentary.
He told us some pish about why the SHARs were absent. Single engine planes not safe over London – durh. It closed with the Reds in their Hawks… and what about the BBMF?
OK the Victors are long gone (without them it would have been a non-event) but to ground the SHARs and not permit even a trio is shameful. We had a quartet of Typhoons and various other planes with vague relevance (Dominies…?) nice to see but dubious when there’s no SHARs and even ADVs (for their RAF Stanley duties).
Some explanations as to types of aircraft that you saw
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/HistoryAndHonour/FlypastBringsCurtainDownOnFalklandsCommemorativeEventsvideo.htm
http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.9435
The Dominies were from 55 Squadron. 55 Squadron flew Victors during Operation Corporate. The Typhoon, although not from 29 Squadron in the end, was to represent the Phantoms air defence coverage of Ascension Island during Op Corporate. The Apache was to represent the AAC Squadrons involved etc. The Hawks were representing the Vulcan (Vulcan formation) and the Harriers (FRS.1 & GR.3s). It is suggested that it was the poor glide ratio on engine failure that would have prohibited a Sea Harrier overflight if they had still been available or even in service.
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