.....this weekend ! Anyone else going to the last of the year's big airshows ?

I'll be in the B-17 'Sally B' enclosure on Saturday so that means, yep, it'll rain on Saturday.......

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Aaaaah, Duxford! That brings back memories. I have not been there since 84 when I was stationed at RAF Alconbury. I bet Duxford has expanded its collection.

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

You're not kidding, PzJgr !
It's changed almost beyond recognition since '84. You can spend an entire day at the place now and literally not have time to see everything....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

greeooowwwww

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American by birth, TEXAN by the grace of GOD!

Well, it didn't rain.. a lovely autumn day. Thought some of you might like to hear what you can see flying for your 20 pounds at a normal Duxford show:-

B17, B25, P40, P51 (x3), P47 ( ), Wildcat,Hellcat, Avenger, Blenheim, Hurricane (x2), Spitfire (x4), Swordfish ( [img]smile.gif[/img] ) in addition to the usual Tornadoes, Harriers, aerobatic Yaks and Stearmans and a couple of F15s to keep the kids happy !

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Can we create a special threads were everybody who knows about them can post these "special events" , What, When and Where?

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Ahhh - let's resurrect an old old thread for the first of the Season's big airshows !

Roll on next Sunday....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

The duxford may airshow? I doubt I can make it this year, sadly re-enactments tend to coincide with airshows and I can not really afford to go so often now, though I used to go to everything Duxford did. I think the evening displays at Shuttleworth are fantastic, particularly when they bring out the bleriot and box kite.

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

Martin :

you are expecting some RAF "heavies" to be there correct ? maybe a Mossie ? taking your camera (please !), yes ?

~E

Erich, I don't think there is another flying Mossie over here, at least I haven't seen one. There will probably be the BBMF Lanc, a few nice early jets (those lovely vampires ) and some Spitfires. I love the final flypast at the Flying Legends show, quite something really, you can feel the sound of the engines. That is really the only good thing about the new jets, when they fly past with afterburners and you can feel the shockwave in your chest, heart stopping.

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

Stefan's right - except that there's no flying Mossie anywhere

Still, there's always the B35 in the Duxford static collection. That's the good thing about Duxford airshows - the entry ticket also gets you into the Museum, and then there are all the trade stalls - books, models, aircraft bits, book signings ....

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

Martin, I remember the day the last Mossie crashed, very sad. I can also remember California Cutie going down as well as Black Six. Tragic, that these beautiful machines built for war should survive to kill their final victim in peace time. I must admit duxford is probably the best museum in the country IMHO, I can spend a day there and would spend longer if it were possible, just walking around, watching the aircraft when they go up, enjoying the ones on the ground and even helping out if the ground crew need it. A fantastic day out, I just don't advise bringing the girlfriend as they never seem to understand blokes fascination with big loud machines

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There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

This coming weekend I'm gonna be strafed by a P-51 mustang. Even though its just reenacting, i still get chills from it last year. I love it and think its awesome, but its really intense. The plane comes out of nowhere and disapears in a second. I'll forget the sound of a mustang.

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I remember the air shows we used to have in southern Oregon with the biggest one yet that marked the 50th anniversary of the Normandy landings. Static displays everywhere, jeeps, Sherman tank, a couple of C-47's including several Spads and a Fokker Dr. I, a Beautiful B-25 and of course to my delight several of the bomber crew vets that I had interviewed in the past. My wife was impressed as they called me by my first name, which was a surprise to me too. All I can say is Duxford sounds like a total blast, my wife loves these things because she knows how much these old relics mean to me and great fun to see the refurbished ones flying again.
Aurora Oregon is planning two events with a B-24 and B-17 wings of freedom tour June 9th through 11th for the first one. Second is the 3rd weekend in August I beleive......www.auroraairshow.com

~E

Just got back from Duxford.

Superb sunny afternoon ( forgot my suntan lotion ! ) : horrors - the stiff but warm breeze 'grounded' the BBMF Lancaster up at Coningsby It was a bit like going to a birthday party only to find the beneficiary's gone down with 'flu....

Best display of the day ? Easily The Fighter Collection's P47 Thunderbolt - looking fabulous against an East Anglian skyscape.

AND - I got to meet and shake hands with one of the very few surviving 'real' Dambusters. Ray Grayston - here's to you, Sir !

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

sounds like a great time Martin. did you bring your books for an autograph signing by the veteran ?
Also was the P-47 in what colours and markings......8th aor 9th AF ?

*E*

Lucky b@$t@&d!

A real meet&greet! Must have been excellent, Martin. Pity that the Lanc didn't make it in to the air, but the sound and sight of that P47 must have sent chills down your spine...

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The Thunderbolt is in the post-D Day livery of 'No Guts, No Glory', 82nd FS, 78th FG. You can see it at : -

http://www.fighter-collection.com/p-47d/

Yes, I took along the recent definitive history of 617 to be signed by Ray Grayston plus Harry Humphries ( adjutant of 617 throughout the war ) and Tony Iveson ( pilot on the 'Tallboy' raids ); Humphries' own memoir of 617, ' Living With Heroes ' was launched at the airshow.

The queue for the signing session was amazing - luckily I was very near the front !

These airshows are always good for difficult-to-find books ; I was really pleased to find a new copy of W R Chorley's history of 158 (Halifax) Squadron, ' In Brave Company ' - a very elusive title.

It was a good day out - but I'm really hoping to see the 'Lanc' at Scampton in two weeks' time.....

[ 05. May 2003, 02:43 AM: Message edited by: Martin Bull ]

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....Grmpf....

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May I put in my pre-order right now for two fine pics of the Lancaster when you greet her in her glory come two weeks ?

by the way nice 78th fg T-bolt !

>E<

It all depends on the Great British Weather, Erich....

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