Classic British Flight Sim

Hi James

I didn't take it that way at all, but I have been to shows and heard the comentators blaming us for pulling out when in fact that wasn't the case at all. I don't know if thats what was said at Cosford but I didn't want there to be any misunderstandings about why the Canberra was a no-show. Believe me, it's as frustrating for us as it is for you!

Tom.

The first time at Southport they told us it had gone tech and this time nothing was mentioned.

I went.

I heard that the Canberra had gone tech as had Pete Vacher's Hurricane that was due to display with the P40.

Highlights for me were Pete Teichman in "Jumping Jacques",Coco in the RNHF's Seafury(doesn't she look superb in her new colours),John Beattie in the SPAD,Cliff Spink in the Buchon/"ME 109",Stu Goldspink in the immaculate(both in looks and sound)P40.

The BBMF was represented by the Spit V respendent in her new colours of Jan Zumbach's RF*D/BM144 and the Hurri in Karel Kuttlewascher's scheme,flown by (at a guess listening to the scanner) Russ Alchorne in the Spit and Bob Judson in the Hurri.

Talking to one of the BBMF guys on another forum,the fighters had an awful flight over from Coningsby even though they'd delayed their take off for a couple of hours to see if the weather improved.

The AA Dak did a great run and break over the 'drome before swinging into land on a pretty short final

At around 10.00 am a visiting(C172) Skyhawk came into the circuit and reported that the cloudbase was at 600' and the vis.was down to 2kms.

So for me the fact that a couple of kites had gone tech was far outweighed by the fact that some chaps had risked pride and joy in the
inclement weather to make it over to Cossie.


Mark :tab:

Brian Franklin wrote: That the RAF could only provide a Hawk, Tucano, Chinook & Typhoon (except the inevitable Reds) is a poor show, particularly at an RAF display.

Sadly Brian I don't think the situation will improve next year. In fact I suspect it will get worse from the point of RAF solo acts. Unfortunately people seem to be telling them everyone loves the new "role-demos"...

All of which begs the question: What the HELL were microlights doing up in that soup? Jail might serve as a warning, as these NOTAM infringements are definitely on the increase, and there is no excuse, not ever, for the inescapable disregard for proper planning and procedures or pi$$-poor pilotage of an infringement. It is only a matter of time before a serious incident ensues. Some really hefty, freedom-restriction penalties might be a wonderful way of re-focussing minds numbed by strict adherence to Gobsh**e Poositting Systems, or whatever they're called...

FWIW we had the same Weather Affected No-shows, Knowledgeable Enthusiast-Restricted, Extremely curtailed Display at Goodwood today, for the first of the Vintage Fly-in days this weekend. W.A.N.K.E.R.E.D. (you might say), by low cloud, hefty winds, some really nasty cells preventing southerly transit across the North Downs, and visiting aircraft stuck en-route by weather.

BUT it did enable a really good close look at the few aircraft that were there, including one of only two Marquart MA-5 Charger biplanes on the UK register.