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Unusual aircraft overhead.

Hal1xHal1x
edited October 2021 in General Charlton
Just heard the sound of powerful piston engines overhead, looked up fully expecting to see the usual Spitfires or Hurricanes, and very surprised to see a Catalina Flying boat at about 1000 feet heading northwards extremely slowly wearing US markings. Never seen one in the air before.

After a bit of digging seems its called "Miss Pickup" based at Duxford which would make sense in view of its direction.


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    Pedro45Pedro45
    How'd you think Thomas got here today?
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    guinnessaddickguinnessaddick
    edited October 2021
    As long as on Saturday, it isn’t a flying Sunderland.


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    LincsaddickLincsaddick
    edited October 2021
    I had an Airfix model of a Catalina amongst my big Airfix aircraft collection .. where did they all go ??
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    LordflashheartLordflashheart
    guinnessaddick said:
    As long as on Saturday, it isn’t a flying Sunderland.


    Awesome plane - knocks a Catalina into a cocked hat - built at Rochester by Shorts 
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    fmaddickfmaddick
    I think this is the same aircraft that was involved in filming for A League of Their Own road trip. It dropped Flintoff and Redknapp off on Windermere I believe, then couldn’t take off again. 

    Huge rebuild effort required, there was a documentary about it a couple of months ago
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    Hal1xHal1x
    Pedro45 said:
    How'd you think Thomas got here today?
    If its parked up next to the ferry tonight we will know the answer.
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    carly burncarly burn
    Are the trains not running in your area?
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    EastTerraceEastTerrace
    You can sometimes hear the dull groan of an Antonov An-12 over London.
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    Justin20474Justin20474
    When I was in Chester a couple of weeks ago I saw this bad boy!!, it was massive 

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    GriftedGrifted
    Messerscmidt Bf 109E over Cliffe 29 Aug 21

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    Hal1xHal1x
    edited October 2021
    Grifted said:
    Messerscmidt Bf 109E over Cliffe 29 Aug 21

    Oh no its not!! Its a Fieseler Storch STOL, like what Martin Bormann escaped Berlin in.
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    DaveMehmetDaveMehmet
    Martin Boorman committed suicide and never escaped.
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    iaitchiaitch
    Justin20474 said:
    When I was in Chester a couple of weeks ago I saw this bad boy!!, it was massive 

    Its like a flying beluga whale.
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    SporadicAddickSporadicAddick
    iaitch said:
    Justin20474 said:
    When I was in Chester a couple of weeks ago I saw this bad boy!!, it was massive 

    Its like a flying beluga whale.
    Hence the name and the paint work...


  • Options
    Hal1xHal1x
    DaveMehmet said:
    Martin Boorman committed suicide and never escaped.




    Nuts, well some Nazi big wig did, was it proposed for Hitler to use it?
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    LordflashheartLordflashheart
    Hal1x said:
    DaveMehmet said:
    Martin Boorman committed suicide and never escaped.




    Nuts, well some Nazi big wig did, was it proposed for Hitler to use it?
    It was Hanna Reitsch and Robert Von Griem who flew out in a Storch
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    cafcfancafcfan
    Hal1x said:
    Grifted said:
    Messerscmidt Bf 109E over Cliffe 29 Aug 21

    Oh no its not!! Its a Fieseler Storch STOL, like what Martin Bormann escaped Berlin in.
    When the Iceland volcano was going off a few years back all the jets were grounded. So the skies were strangely quite. Then a propeller job came over the house at very low level. It was indeed a 109. At the time I was not sure any were still flying but a google search revealed there are a few here in the UK and I think more are being restored all the time.
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    Hal1xHal1x
    edited October 2021
    cafcfan said:
    Hal1x said:
    Grifted said:
    Messerscmidt Bf 109E over Cliffe 29 Aug 21

    Oh no its not!! Its a Fieseler Storch STOL, like what Martin Bormann escaped Berlin in.
    When the Iceland volcano was going off a few years back all the jets were grounded. So the skies were strangely quite. Then a propeller job came over the house at very low level. It was indeed a 109. At the time I was not sure any were still flying but a google search revealed there are a few here in the UK and I think more are being restored all the time.
    There are some with the correct DB engine now, but most are the ex-Spanish airforce Buchon hybrids with Merlins in them. There was one based at Biggin Hill recently.
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    DaveMehmetDaveMehmet
    Hal1x said:
    cafcfan said:
    Hal1x said:
    Grifted said:
    Messerscmidt Bf 109E over Cliffe 29 Aug 21

    Oh no its not!! Its a Fieseler Storch STOL, like what Martin Bormann escaped Berlin in.
    When the Iceland volcano was going off a few years back all the jets were grounded. So the skies were strangely quite. Then a propeller job came over the house at very low level. It was indeed a 109. At the time I was not sure any were still flying but a google search revealed there are a few here in the UK and I think more are being restored all the time.
    There are some with the correct DB engine now, but most are the ex-Spanish airforce Buchon hybrids with Merlins in them. There was one based at Biggin Hill recently.
    Like this one that was at the Headcorn show this year

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    AddicksAddictAddicksAddict
    Hal1x said:
    Just heard the sound of powerful piston engines overhead, looked up fully expecting to see the usual Spitfires or Hurricanes, and very surprised to see a Catalina Flying boat at about 1000 feet heading northwards extremely slowly wearing US markings. Never seen one in the air before.

    After a bit of digging seems its called "Miss Pickup" based at Duxford which would make sense in view of its direction.


    If I remember rightly, it was one of these found Bismarck after the Norfolk and Suffolk lost her.  Without that, she would have got safely to France, giving the Germans a massive propaganda win.
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    AddicksAddictAddicksAddict
    AddicksAddict said:
    Hal1x said:
    Just heard the sound of powerful piston engines overhead, looked up fully expecting to see the usual Spitfires or Hurricanes, and very surprised to see a Catalina Flying boat at about 1000 feet heading northwards extremely slowly wearing US markings. Never seen one in the air before.

    After a bit of digging seems its called "Miss Pickup" based at Duxford which would make sense in view of its direction.


    If I remember rightly, it was one of these found Bismarck after the Norfolk and Suffolk lost her.  Without that, she would have got safely to France, giving the Germans a massive propaganda win.
    And after a quick bit of research, I'm pleased to say my memory wasn't playing tricks on me:
    https://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/the-american-who-helped-sink-the-bismarck/
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    LordflashheartLordflashheart
    Lordflashheart said:
    Hal1x said:
    DaveMehmet said:
    Martin Boorman committed suicide and never escaped.




    Nuts, well some Nazi big wig did, was it proposed for Hitler to use it?
    It was Hanna Reitsch and Robert Von Griem who flew out in a Storch
    Actually they flew in using a Storch but it was damaged so they flew out in an Arado
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    LordflashheartLordflashheart
    I have a client who owns a 109 Buchon - it was used in the film Battle of Britain - came from the Spanish airforce - it’s in full flying condition and regularly used - he also owns the only flying Bristol Blenheim 
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    iaitchiaitch
    SporadicAddick said:
    iaitch said:
    Justin20474 said:
    When I was in Chester a couple of weeks ago I saw this bad boy!!, it was massive 

    Its like a flying beluga whale.
    Hence the name and the paint work...


    Fair enough, couldn't see the name on the first picture.
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    ForeverAddicktedForeverAddickted
    SporadicAddick said:
    iaitch said:
    Justin20474 said:
    When I was in Chester a couple of weeks ago I saw this bad boy!!, it was massive 

    Its like a flying beluga whale.
    Hence the name and the paint work...



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    killerandflashkillerandflash
    SporadicAddick said:
    iaitch said:
    Justin20474 said:
    When I was in Chester a couple of weeks ago I saw this bad boy!!, it was massive 

    Its like a flying beluga whale.
    Hence the name and the paint work...


    Airbus specially made them to transport massive aircraft parts around Europe. Their main UK factory is near Chester
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    BDLBDL
    Lordflashheart said:
    I have a client who owns a 109 Buchon - it was used in the film Battle of Britain - came from the Spanish airforce - it’s in full flying condition and regularly used - he also owns the only flying Bristol Blenheim 

    I know your client too ;-) Decent bloke! Love his Lyssie and that Special Spitfire too.....
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    Hal1xHal1x
    killerandflash said:
    SporadicAddick said:
    iaitch said:
    Justin20474 said:
    When I was in Chester a couple of weeks ago I saw this bad boy!!, it was massive 

    Its like a flying beluga whale.
    Hence the name and the paint work...


    Airbus specially made them to transport massive aircraft parts around Europe. Their main UK factory is near Chester
    This was its predecessor...
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