BBMF Dakota

[bigyetiman]

Just for once I was at home as the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Dakota flew low over us. Not bad for a couple of phone pics. stops OH bragging she has seen it over the house and I haven't

[Hen-Gen]

Though any kind of machine (cars, planes, lawn mowers, vacuum cleaners et al) are completely out of my comfort zone I bet the sound was dramatic.

[bigjim]

Talking of machines not often seen. I got my car back from the garage, let's hope it's fixed. Been borrowing cars off people for nearly two months.
Always good when you get something nice go over your house.

[bigyetiman]

Lovely sound, not as good as the sound of these beauties over, which we get several times a year, this time they were right over house and low
We get Apache helicopters over almost daily, minimum 2 max 6, boy do they make a noise,
Sally B is a regular over and she makes a lovely noise

[bigjim]

That's awesome. Like you say, those apaches make a distinctive noise, like they mean business. I saw them do a display at Silverstone grand prix one year, the things they can do blew me away.

[bigyetiman]

You are right bigjim, we hear the apaches long before they come into sight, the weapons array on them is pretty awesome as well. Typhoons are awesome as well what those pilots can do in them is amazing and the noise wow.
The Vulcan was pretty impressive when it went over as well.
OH's father was an engineer on Lancaster's, and for her 60th I got her a fast taxi run in East Kirkby's Lancaster Just Jane. To be standing next to it as those engines power up is something else.
The BBMF publish a flying schedule with timings during airshow weekends, so if the words Upminster or Biggin Hill appear we know they will appear over the farm or just to the side. So out to field at the front and we see them coming, this time we were lucky they went straight over. One of the nicest we get over is the Catalina flying boat, very elegant. Most regular are the Pride of Kent spitfire, De Havilland Dragonfly and B17 Sally B. She always goes low over us, and we have had a wave and wing waggle from them.

[Margaid]

Several years ago when the Vulcan was at the Cosford airshow I heard a noise outside and on looking up, the Vulcan was doing it's in-flight stall tests amongst other things. We had our own private display for about 20 minutes although obviously it was quite small.

In the mid-nineties when we lived in Suffolk we had one section of a huge memorial flight fly over our house. Unfortunately I can't remember the occasion but I think there were hundreds of planes assembling in two or three places before flying to London. Quite an amazing sight!

[Hen-Gen]

You know reading your accounts made me realise that I have never seen a plane of any description go over. The odd helicopter on its way out to the rigs and that’s it.

[bigyetiman]

Sounds like the muster for the Queens Birthday flight Margaid or a jubilee celebration of some sort, as they form up Suffolk way usually over the sea then proceed inland.
Guess you are a bit off the beaten track for most planes Hen-Gen especially heritage planes, we are on a direct line between Coningsby/Duxford/Biggin Hill which is why we do so well. There is also North Weald pretty close to us on the same line which is not operational but several heritage planes use it when the Eastbourne air show is on.
I read that Shetland is bidding to host one leg of the Tall Ships race in 2023 Hen-Gen, something a bit different to look at.
We did have Air Force One go over this year, where is the surface to air missile when you need one ?

[chrismahon]

Reminds me of a story my friends father told me. He was a fitter at Rolls Royce aero engines and said that the spitfires had an emergency boost level which, when activated, broke a wire seal. If the seal was broken the engine was immediately returned for a refit. During the war tools were scarce, so when a fitter lost one of his spanners there was a big search for it, to no avail. A few weeks later an engine came in for a refit having been overstressed in a dogfight over the English Channel and on removing the sump what did they find- the missing spanner!

We have an airbase 50 miles to the West of us and they often train over here. Fighter planes doing amazing upward spirals and helicopters skimming the treetops. The best display was a big troop carrier which dropped ropes down to the ground that the troops then absailed down. We had 10 helicopters came over in formation one evening very low- not only was it noisy but the house actually shook. Fortunately no structural damage.