Classic British Flight Sim

Just got back from visiting RAF Scampton today to view the Reds practise for the 2007 season, not only was the weather perfect but had a grandstand view near the Control Tower, one very pleasing fly-past before the practise got underway was that their entrance came from directly behind us and passed overhead, something that you will never get at an airshow now.

On our arrival (arranged for three of my colleagues to come, one being the head of services) yes I know what you are thinking but after all, I have to keep in his good books :tuttut:

Took many photographs including their display but...............the flying sequence came out as blurried Any advise on taking fast moving objects without blurries on a FujiFilm FinePix 4800 Zoom would be gratefully received.

However, thought I would post these for you anyway.

WOW, Nigel

Must have been a great day.
I remember before the introduction of the more stringent display criteria, the Reds would always start, coming from behind the crowd with the Gnats. A sudden roar of jet noise and flash of colour - wonderful.

With reference to blurred photos, a golden rule is never have a shutter speed below the reciprocal of the focal length of the lens (at least not unless you’re well practiced at panning).
Basically, this means that for a 250ml focal length; keep the shutter speed above 1/250 sec. You may need to increase the ISO to allow this.

The pictures you have posted are great.

I'm sure you'll treasure the day for a long time.

Regards

Kevin

That's what I miss about that Reds, their unique arrival from behind you and then pulling up into Diamond Nine with the sun on their backs. (if it was a sunny day!)

I honestly don't think the safety gurus should have put a stop to that (same as 'Vixen Break' and the Bomb-Burst manoeuvres - not over the crowd). As one Team leader once said, flying nine Hawks over the crowd is no more risky than a 747 over London.

As great as they are, some excitement has been taken away from them.

Anyway, glad you had a nice Day, Nigel.

we had some RAF hawks flying EXTREMELY low again yesterday around here, fantastic to watch them scream over for a brief second - must be even better when you know they're coming!

Great pics!

whos that in the last pic? Look familiar but can't put name to him!

What a great day out Nigel, you lucky man. Nice pics, sure you will remember it for many years to come.

Great Pics Nigel - I did the same thing two years ago and it's an eye-opening experience, especially sat in the back of the briefing. The day I was there they were practising the Vixen Break and a couple of the new chaps were loading the rolls as they split (applying a bit of back stick and pulling the aircraft out of formation when it should just have been rolled). Let's just say the language was 'colourful' when the post-sortie video was analysed in the debrief - their formation faux-pas was all too self evident. Great, great fun though - even if a couple of the chaps had a bad day at the office.

Cheers

Rich

One of our lot (ETPS) has just applied for the new seasons intake...all the best to the guy!

Thanks for your comments chaps, apparently they only allow four visits a year so feel very priviledged to having been accepted after applying and especially more so that the weather turned out as good as it was.

Kevin, thanks for the info on shutter speed, will have a look and see how I can alter it.

Merlin101, regarding your question of who that person was I assume you mean the Sergeant, if so...............sorry, already forgotten The other one is Steve Bird, Head of Services of our department.

One interesting point raised during the visit to the safety equipment section and although I am bound to the Official Secrets Act in my work, I think I can mention this as he quite happily told every-one else there.

Should a pilot eject over hostile territory the locals may be tempted to hand over the pilot to their government in return for a small reward so, to try to secure his safe return back here, the pilots carry £20,000 pounds worth of gold with them as many people of these countries such as Iraq, are very poor and to make sure that they do not just take the gold and then hand him over to the government of that country afterwards, there is another reward of the same amount should the pilot be safely returned to his side.