Old airshow scans

[ij001]

Not just mine, this is a thread for anybody & everybody. Post your pics and wallow in the nostalgia !!

Here's a few of mine to set-the-ball-rolling:

International Air Tattoo, RAF Fairford 1991

Taken with my first 35mm SLR, an Olympus OM30, man that thing devoured batteries !! - Not 'technical' nor cleverly composed, just an average enthusiast enjoying all four days with like-minded friends !!. I'll post some more during the week from all sorts of shows and all sorts of years !!.

In the meantime, over to you folks.

Ian

 

[moon puppy]

Great idea Ian. let me see if i can find mine. I got some from Friends and Neighbors day at GFAFB way back in 1984, and several from the Beaufort MCAS.

 

[Sherman 18]

Thanks for sharing!

Not sure what it is about the F4 but I just can never get enough of them. :hmmm

 

[ij001]

Couple more:

RAF Finningly one-day show, September 1990:

Flying-in on the Friday was always good at Finningly if you knew where to go, but on this occassion it was simply incredible due to the brewing late summer storm in the background !!

Think this was the very last time we saw AdA Mirage Vs in the UK aswell:

...and the only time I saw a Sembach Herky in these colours:

Arrows always photograph well, as did the home-based Toucan:

More in a minute or two.

Ian

 

[ij001]

Couple from Coningsby in 1990. The airfield was in my 'patch' when I worked as a rep between 1989-91, somehow found an excuse to drive past every ten days or so. This day was particularly productive !!

The 17 Squadron (RAFG) anniversary pair followed on to the 'active' by a 5 Squadron F3, visiting from Leeming !!

Then there was Alconbury !! - There's a whole raft of pics from the six or seven Alconbury one-day shows that I went to over the years. These first ones are from my very first trip in 1986.

On the Friday practice-hop, the leader of the 527th F-5E formation (rumoured to have been a senior pilot, possibly a Colonel) apparently 'went supersonic' during this manoeuver - I didn't see it, but I heard any number of stories from folks I know who really were there. Suffice to say he was on 'other duties' when I snapped this pass on the show day... I need to add they were pretty close to 450kts as they went through :frantic

As for the F-4J(UK)/Phantom F3, they were delivered in US versions of the British low-vis scheme (the actual colour used on the topside was said to be Flight Interior (FlInt) Grey), and trust me, in that light on that day this machine was pretty d*mn close to pale turquoise !!

Ian

 

[SA Dave]

Thanks for sharing!

Not sure what it is about the F4 but I just can never get enough of them. :hmmm

I agree but that Tiger F1 is great also

 

[moon puppy]

What the hell is that rig on the back of that C130? Antenna or trapeze?

 

[SA Dave]

What the hell is that rig on the back of that C130? Antenna or trapeze?

Its an english plane so it might even be washing line for the pilots wife

 

[ij001]

Compass Call EC-130H... Basically a flying TV Station for propoganda broadcasts. Not many of them ever built, getting one of these ultra rare birds to a relatively small one-day show in the north of England was a h*ll of a coup !!

Dave you need to Google Sembach AFB... European home to a lot of American 'secret squirrel' stuff.

Ian

 

[moon puppy]

Sembach is closed??? I had no idea.

 

[ij001]

I went past it about four or five years back... it was closed then, Bob. Same as Zweibrucken & Hahn (although they are used as regional civil fields now), and the 'clutch' RAFG bases in the north are all shut/mothballed or civil now - Bruggen, Laarbruch, Gutersloh etc - Cold War is over (maybe :idonno ).

Ian

 

[lupanzer]

Great photos! ...thanks for posting

Luiz

 

[moon puppy]

Found them but missing a year. I'll post what I got when I get them cleaned up. Think they were the last 35mm photos I took and I wasn't very good at it.

 

[ij001]

Look forward to it, Bob. I'll post some more if I have time later today.

Ian

 

[ij001]

Phantoms anyone ??

111 Squadron FG1 this one is from RAF Leuchars right next-door to St. Andrews golf club.

An E & G from Spangdahlem at Alconbury in 86 (I think), so dangerous they need to be kept in a cage, Grrrrr...

Alconbury again, this time 1987... These two were shipped-in as BDR trainers, caused a h*ll of a stare amongst the enthusiasts and 'Phreaks'... Only time I ever saw a USN F-4 (until we got the beautiful F-4J at IWM Duxford), and a Pacific fleet one aswell !!

A pair of Luftwaffe F's and an RF - Man, Alconbury was a great show in the 1980's !!

The only time the IAT was held at Boscombe Down. An OCU FGR2 taken from the 'enthusiasts bus' in the early morning.

Another 'IAT bus pic', Fairford 1993. This 'G' looked like it had just flown to the show straight from the paint-shop.

Finishing with another OCU FGR2, this time at Wyton in 87 for the Canberra 50th birthday event. Thanks for taking the time to look and/or comment.

AFN

Ian