RAF fly past today A12 corridor maybe?

[Steve]

Anyone live along the planned route today and can get a few pics for our gallery?


http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2018-...thday-flypast/

[Tomvart]

Being a northern git - I'll watch it on TV I think, however I will be watching the flypast with sadness - as almost all of those aircraft have been built either overseas, or here by foreign owned corporations or in collaborative ventures.
(other than the BBMF aircraft and the venerable Hawk I think).

[BobClay]

I'm inclined to agree with Tom given the aircraft industry of this country up until the late 50's early 60's was innovative and thriving, before it was sold down the line.

Hence we have aircraftless aircraft carriers waiting for planes, (about as useful as a pogo stick in a minefield) and an industry like many others, thrown to the wind.

It really is all very sad.

[Gulpers]

Like this one?

[Tomvart]

What we are seeing today is a very sad indictment of decades of lazy Defence Procurement in this country Bob. It saddens me immensely.

The cancellation of many many projects in favour of 'cheaper' imported options (dating back to the 60's) has absolutely destroyed what was one of the most innovative of British industries - with all of that innovation and expertise now long gone.

Our politicians are our worst bloody enemies - peacefully achieving what Kaiser Wilhelm and Hitler failed to do by war!

[Bob Smith]

Originally Posted by Steve

Anyone live along the planned route today and can get a few pics for our gallery?


http://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2018-...thday-flypast/

Heard a few of the bigger ones go over, didn't see anything , too cloudy.

[erimus]

Do we need an Air Force, do we need a Navy???
Would we need to 'defend' ourselves?
Answers on a postcard please as this isn't stormy weather season.

geoff

[BobClay]

A reasonable argument Geoff ... but what you lose is the outlet for imaginative innovators and the spin off that generates.

You could say that about the space race, ... of what possible value is there in examining and travelling to distance objects which are unlikely to be of any material interest in our lifetimes. But the spin off has changed the world !!! (I'll leave you all to decide whether it's for the better) and that repayment is well worth the investment.

[Dartskipper]

A lone Spitfire flew over Northampton around noon today. I think it was the one based at Sywell.

The unmistakable sound of the Merlin still sent a little shiver down my spine.

[Ron Stringer]

Went up to Terling, a village just North of the A12, to watch the aircraft go by today and was treated to a view just as good as the Queen's as they flew directly overhead. In fact my view was rather better because the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight arrived early and took a large round turn, flying over us twice. Unlike the other aircraft, the Lancaster arrived not from the Northeast but from the North and soon after it arrived it was joined by a group of 6 Hurricanes/Spitfires before circling round and eventually departing in the direction of London, following the A12. On the TV I think the group of WW2 fighters accompanying the Lancaster over Central London only numbered 5, so one must have gone AWOL, or it was a reserve intended to fill in any gaps if one of the others had problems. Clearly the Terling/Hatfield Peverel area, straddling the A12, was the rendezvous for the vintage craft, although I didn't see the C47/DC-3 go by, it must have joined the track somewhere nearer to London, as did the helicopters.

When they arrived with us, there were 4 of the Lighting/F-35s but one climbed away to the right and headed NNE as they passed. I suppose that too was a reserve because only 3 went over Buck House. I can understand having a backup for a 70 year-old aircraft, but for one that only entered service a couple of months ago it seems a little pessimistic!

Nevertheless it was a very impressive display and I enjoyed seeing and hearing them go by (that isn't to say I wouldn't have enjoyed it even more had there been a higher proportion of British designs to American aircraft).

Unfortunately I no longer have a camera and my hand is not steady enough to take sensible photos at long range using the camera zoom in my cellphone, so no pics to post.

[erimus]

Anyway the Hawks have not returned to RAF Leeming yet,would have seen if not heard,

geoff

[Steve]

Originally Posted by Ron Stringer

Went up to Terling, a village just North of the A12, to watch the aircraft go by today and was treated to a view just as good as the Queen's as they flew directly overhead. In fact my view was rather better because the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight arrived early and took a large round turn, flying over us twice. Unlike the other aircraft, the Lancaster arrived not from the Northeast but from the North and soon after it arrived it was joined by a group of 6 Hurricanes/Spitfires before circling round and eventually departing in the direction of London, following the A12. On the TV I think the group of WW2 fighters accompanying the Lancaster over Central London only numbered 5, so one must have gone AWOL, or it was a reserve intended to fill in any gaps if one of the others had problems. Clearly the Terling/Hatfield Peverel area, straddling the A12, was the rendezvous for the vintage craft, although I didn't see the C47/DC-3 go by, it must have joined the track somewhere nearer to London, as did the helicopters.

When they arrived with us, there were 4 of the Lighting/F-35s but one climbed away to the right and headed NNE as they passed. I suppose that too was a reserve because only 3 went over Buck House. I can understand having a backup for a 70 year-old aircraft, but for one that only entered service a couple of months ago it seems a little pessimistic!

Nevertheless it was a very impressive display and I enjoyed seeing and hearing them go by (that isn't to say I wouldn't have enjoyed it even more had there been a higher proportion of British designs to American aircraft).

Unfortunately I no longer have a camera and my hand is not steady enough to take sensible photos at long range using the camera zoom in my cellphone, so no pics to post.

excellent report.

[Jolly Jack]

Originally Posted by Tomvart

What we are seeing today is a very sad indictment of decades of lazy Defence Procurement in this country Bob. It saddens me immensely.

The cancellation of many many projects in favour of 'cheaper' imported options (dating back to the 60's) has absolutely destroyed what was one of the most innovative of British industries - with all of that innovation and expertise now long gone.

Our politicians are our worst bloody enemies - peacefully achieving what Kaiser Wilhelm and Hitler failed to do by war!

I watched it on TV and the same thoughts crossed my mind but isn't that the way every industry has gone. Very sad, as like a lot of us, growing up in the 1950s, we saw how well we advanced especially in aviation.


JJ.

[Tomvart]

Sadly JJ your right, most of our industry has gone today, however I think that Shipbuilding and Aviation were particular industries that we could have saved - given a little investment after the many years of rot when they were nationalised.

[Gulpers]

Neat animation here showing assembly and dispersal of RAF aircraft involved in the #RAF100 flypast.

[Ron Stringer]

Amazing, and they even got the round turn made by the Lancaster and its escort. I can identify that track but I wonder if anyone is going to I/D the type of aircraft in each track?