The plane enthusiasts thread

[Mr Whyte]

Use to love going to our local airshows, but stopped not long after the Shoreham crash.

F16 by Dave, on Flickr

Breitling Wingwalkers by Dave, on Flickr

B-17 Sally B by Dave, on Flickr

 

[classic33]

Going home after delivering a load of PPE from China.

Scheduled to depart 0900 hrs, Friday 12th June.

 

[Drago]

According to FlightRadar24 theres not a single civil aircraft in the sky over the UK at this moment in time. Reduced demand due to the virus and foul weather combine to produce weirdness...or a glitch somewhere in their system?

 

[DaveReading]

According to FlightRadar24 theres not a single civil aircraft in the sky over the UK at this moment in time. Reduced demand due to the virus and foul weather combine to produce weirdness...or a glitch somewhere in their system?

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Tea-time, today

'As in' the centre of the RaceCourse/Park

https://abct.org.uk/airfields/airfield-finder/pontefract/

 

[Cycleops]

Interesting that you should post that Richard, made me think of when I lived in Hunsdon a small village near Harlow there was an abandoned WW2 airfield at the back of my house where a mosquito squadron was based. I see they have ne erected a memorial there. Don’t know why it took so long.

http://hamg.co.uk/RAF-Hunsdon.php
A microlight club has established itself there recently.

 

[MichaelW2]

For a couple of weeks in 1980s I worked at a nature reserve next to an Israeli Airforce bombing range. Every night they would put on a spectacular display of flying at full speed.

 

[Cycleops]

For a couple of weeks in 1980s I worked at a nature reserve next to an Israeli Airforce bombing range. Every night they would put on a spectacular display of flying at full speed.

That has reminded me, when I visi Israel around that time I flew in to a commercial airport, can’t remember which one, but was rather surprised to see wrecked fighter jets littering each side of the runway. The plane was escorted by a jeep with a heavy machine gun mounted on the back pointing at the plane

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Interesting that you should post that Richard, made me think of when I lived in Hunsdon a small village near Harlow there was an abandoned WW2 airfield at the back of my house where a mosquito squadron was based. I see they have ne erected a memorial there. Don’t know why it took so long.

I knew that the memorial was there, but whenever I was in Pontefract Park, it was generally for the ParkRun, so wasn't too interested in it. as we were at (about) the 2 & 1/2 mile mark
So it was 'head down' & try to make up a few more places


There is also a Squadron crest in the main buildings at Yeadon Airport
(October '18)

 

[oldkit]

There is a privately owned P51 Mustang which comes out quite often locally, I think it is based at Halfpenny Green airport.
About three weeks ago I was outside a friends house when we got treated to a mini aerobatic show directly overhead. He certainly wasn't holding back at all,nor the next day when I was out near the airfield.
I hung around at the end of the runway for about 1/2 hour hoping to video him landing on my phone,but he didn't return.
Nothing else sounds like a Merlin,well wound up in a shallow dive,and I will confess, it really does make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, especially when you are not expecting to hear one whilst out in the countryside.

 

[figbat]

There is a privately owned P51 Mustang which comes out quite often locally, I think it is based at Halfpenny Green airport.
About three weeks ago I was outside a friends house when we got treated to a mini aerobatic show directly overhead. He certainly wasn't holding back at all,nor the next day when I was out near the airfield.
I hung around at the end of the runway for about 1/2 hour hoping to video him landing on my phone,but he didn't return.
Nothing else sounds like a Merlin,well wound up in a shallow dive,and I will confess, it really does make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, especially when you are not expecting to hear one whilst out in the countryside.

Reminds me of a motorcycle weekend away I had a few years ago. I had ridden for 4 hours or so to North Lincolnshire. I pulled up at my accommodation, switched off the engine and took my helmet off - glad to have arrived, bit fatigued, quite sweaty. On cue, almost to the second, a Spitfire flew over and gave me a brief aerobatic display. It was a perfect moment.

It turns out the display was probably meant for an event being held at the nearby Petwood Hotel, where the Dambusters used to spend their downtime.

 

[Cycleops]

There is a privately owned P51 Mustang which comes out quite often locally, I think it is based at Halfpenny Green airport.
About three weeks ago I was outside a friends house when we got treated to a mini aerobatic show directly overhead. He certainly wasn't holding back at all,nor the next day when I was out near the airfield.
I hung around at the end of the runway for about 1/2 hour hoping to video him landing on my phone,but he didn't return.
Nothing else sounds like a Merlin,well wound up in a shallow dive,and I will confess, it really does make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, especially when you are not expecting to hear one whilst out in the countryside.

I don’t think I’d like to be doing aerobatics in a seventy five year old machine but all power to him. There are still 250 mustangs still in existence with around 80 still flying.
if you’ve got the money you can buy a new one made from carbon fibre available with a variety of engines but which can also take a merlin if you happen to have one lying around:

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/kitspages/mustang.php

Mustangs are also popular for air races most notable for the one held annually in Reno:

View: https://youtu.be/YvRmZZZEzF8

 

[DaveReading]

There is a privately owned P51 Mustang which comes out quite often locally, I think it is based at Halfpenny Green airport.
About three weeks ago I was outside a friends house when we got treated to a mini aerobatic show directly overhead. He certainly wasn't holding back at all,nor the next day when I was out near the airfield.
I hung around at the end of the runway for about 1/2 hour hoping to video him landing on my phone,but he didn't return.
Nothing else sounds like a Merlin,well wound up in a shallow dive,and I will confess, it really does make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, especially when you are not expecting to hear one whilst out in the countryside.

Probably Shaun Patrick's Mustang, based at Duxford but often to be seen at ½d Green. It was in RAF camouflage, complete with shark's mouth, until earlier this year, but he had it repainted in USAAF colours and it looks fantastic.

https://www.norwegianspitfire.com/p-51d-mustang-g-shwn/

 

[MichaelW2]

Our farm in Hoxne, Suffolk used to a prime location for plane spotting. A10s from Bentworth flew over at pilot waving height. The Red Arrows performed the Eye Show acrobatics right above our house. We even has an unscheduled auto rotation landing from an RAF helicopter.

 

[oldkit]

"DaveReading" That's the one! It's round here a lot, whilst talking to a guy also hoping to catch a pic he said he had heard that the Mustang owner also had a Hawker Sea Fury. I don't know if that is correct or not.