Watching the BBC coverage. I'm in total awe of the stories some of these old pilots are telling in such a matter of fact way. True heroes, we are so lucky to have people like this keeping us safe.
Will always be on my bucket list to have a flight in one of those twin seater Spits!!
Cant remember what Birthday it was yet my Dad got a present to enjoy a ride in a Avro Lancaster ("Just Jane") in Lincolnshire, was only a taxi ride up apron and back but jealous of that alone!!
The first thing I'll buy when my lottery numbers come up.
Watching the BBC coverage. I'm in total awe of the stories some of these old pilots are telling in such a matter of fact way. True heroes, we are so lucky to have people like this keeping us safe.
Chilling just a minute ago when that older boy says he was minutes away from dropping a nuke
Will always be on my bucket list to have a flight in one of those twin seater Spits!!
Cant remember what Birthday it was yet my Dad got a present to enjoy a ride in a Avro Lancaster ("Just Jane") in Lincolnshire, was only a taxi ride up apron and back but jealous of that alone!!
The first thing I'll buy when my lottery numbers come up.
If I won the Lottery I'd pay to learn to fly one myself
Will always be on my bucket list to have a flight in one of those twin seater Spits!!
Cant remember what Birthday it was yet my Dad got a present to enjoy a ride in a Avro Lancaster ("Just Jane") in Lincolnshire, was only a taxi ride up apron and back but jealous of that alone!!
My mate works at Biggin hill, I think it step Heritage hanger, where they do the 2 seater, they've just got a ME109 airworthy and that is supposed to be flying soon. I think the basic price for 30 mins in the two seater spit is £2750 for 30 mins (20mins flying). I did the tour of the hanger, they have a few Spits including a Battle of Britain Mk1, Hurricanes, Harvards and the Me109. you get a ten min talk on each aircraft and you get to sit in a Spit k9 fro pictures, I think they charge around £80 for the tour. Remember these old warbirds cost a fortune to maintain and fly so its worth it. I understand that the Lanc runway ride is being extended to flights carrying passengers soon, now they have overcome the hurdles on insurance. And as there are only 2 flying Lancs in the world, there will be a hell of a waiting list.
There is a project to make a second UK based Lancaster airworthy again.
When I was at the show in Bicester, there were also a couple of stands run by enthusiasts making old planes airworthy. One was doing a Mosquito and another a Hawker Typhoon.
Will always be on my bucket list to have a flight in one of those twin seater Spits!!
Cant remember what Birthday it was yet my Dad got a present to enjoy a ride in a Avro Lancaster ("Just Jane") in Lincolnshire, was only a taxi ride up apron and back but jealous of that alone!!
My mate works at Biggin hill, I think it step Heritage hanger, where they do the 2 seater, they've just got a ME109 airworthy and that is supposed to be flying soon. I think the basic price for 30 mins in the two seater spit is £2750 for 30 mins (20mins flying). I did the tour of the hanger, they have a few Spits including a Battle of Britain Mk1, Hurricanes, Harvards and the Me109. you get a ten min talk on each aircraft and you get to sit in a Spit k9 fro pictures, I think they charge around £80 for the tour. Remember these old warbirds cost a fortune to maintain and fly so its worth it. I understand that the Lanc runway ride is being extended to flights carrying passengers soon, now they have overcome the hurdles on insurance. And as there are only 2 flying Lancs in the world, there will be a hell of a waiting list.
There is a project to make a second UK based Lancaster airworthy again.
When I was at the show in Bicester, there were also a couple of stands run by enthusiasts making old planes airworthy. One was doing a Mosquito and another a Hawker Typhoon.
Thats interesting @DaveMehmet, there are some seriously rich investors renovating WW2 aircraft. I think the last Spitfire sold at auction for £2m. Every year at the War and Peace show they have the complete front cockpit of a Lanc including the bomb aimers position, you could go in and sit in the pilots seat etc for about £2, I was surprised that the whole thing is made of the same kind of crap metal that a Citroen 2CV is made of, only the pilots seat was armour, and all the glass was made of perspex, its nothing short of mental that our boys attacked Germany etc in basically a chicken shed with four engines.
Heres the story of Norman jackson VC, the bloke was just crackers.
I was hoping to see some aircraft over Chelmsford but I think the flight path was just too far North of my location.
But I was in Runnymede a few weeks ago and got treated to a couple of passes by the Lancaster. (Not sure why - think it must have been something to do with the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial.)
Anyway, I fired off a couple of shots and they worked out quite well.
Got a pretty good spot at Admiralty Arch at the top of The Mall. Here's one I took on the back of the camera, will have a look at them on the PC and will share if they're any good
We had our visa interviews at the US Embassy earlier and as we stepped out of the building to walk back to Vauxhall, the flypast started. Didn’t know it was happening until then, so it was a lovely treat. My 9 year old daughter was absolutely mesmerised. Brilliant.
Towards the end of the war (or possibly shortly afterwards) in Germany, my grandad said he got to fly a Lancaster bomber. The pilot was after driving my grandad's tank and in return he said he could have a go of his Lancaster (like you do). He said when they got to 10,000ft the pilot got out of his seat and gave instructions to my grandad to hold it steady at 10,000ft and then promptly disappeared down the back of the plane to answer a call of nature. So, my grandad said he was sat there nervous as anything, not moving a muscle when the pilot returned a while later and told him not to worry as he'd put it on autopilot! I think that was the only time he ever got in a plane.
Towards the end of the war (or possibly shortly afterwards) in Germany, my grandad said he got to fly a Lancaster bomber. The pilot was after driving my grandad's tank and in return he said he could have a go of his Lancaster (like you do). He said when they got to 10,000ft the pilot got out of his seat and gave instructions to my grandad to hold it steady at 10,000ft and then promptly disappeared down the back of the plane to answer a call of nature. So, my grandad said he was sat there nervous as anything, not moving a muscle when the pilot returned a while later and told him not to worry as he'd put it on autopilot! I think that was the only time he ever got in a plane.
I've been in the copilot seat of a small plane (a Cessna Caravan) on a sightseeing flight which had only one pilot. Really weird to see the stick moving around in front of you, as the 2 control sticks move together. When the pilot put the autopilot on and did his paperwork it was a strange feeling!
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Wonder what City that would have been dropped on
When I was at the show in Bicester, there were also a couple of stands run by enthusiasts making old planes airworthy. One was doing a Mosquito and another a Hawker Typhoon.
Every year at the War and Peace show they have the complete front cockpit of a Lanc including the bomb aimers position, you could go in and sit in the pilots seat etc for about £2, I was surprised that the whole thing is made of the same kind of crap metal that a Citroen 2CV is made of, only the pilots seat was armour, and all the glass was made of perspex, its nothing short of mental that our boys attacked Germany etc in basically a chicken shed with four engines.
Heres the story of Norman jackson VC, the bloke was just crackers.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/military-obituaries/air-force-obituaries/8328601/Norman-Jackson-VC.html
But I was in Runnymede a few weeks ago and got treated to a couple of passes by the Lancaster. (Not sure why - think it must have been something to do with the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial.)
Anyway, I fired off a couple of shots and they worked out quite well.
Watching the flypast shows how small the RAF is now, and how its role has shifted to surveillance and transportation.
Flight path was a tad too far north for a clear view but what a sound.
Park was rammed though.
Got a pretty good spot at Admiralty Arch at the top of The Mall.
Here's one I took on the back of the camera, will have a look at them on the PC and will share if they're any good
Didn’t know it was happening until then, so it was a lovely treat. My 9 year old daughter was absolutely mesmerised.
Brilliant.
I think that was the only time he ever got in a plane.
So... thought I'd upload this one! No introductions needed
where were you standing to take that?
Never seen the red arrows before in real life. Unbelievable.