Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 12~30May15*
- Pen Pusher
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Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 12~30May15*
It was a moving day at Duxford with the B-24 being moved down to the jet pan and parked up just before the doors opened. Up in the AAM, the DC-3/C-47 was lowered from the ceiling but needed the lightweight wheels changing for proper ones to take its weight and that hadn't been completed by close of play otherwise it would have been in AirSpace as well. While that was going on, the SR-71 Blackbird was moved into the sunlight and then moved down to AirSpace followed in by the B-24. After all that, the Buchon took to the air with a practice display for its appearance at Old Warden on Sunday.
Brian
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
Maybe a strange thing to say but don't these aircraft look so much different outside the hangar in full natural light?
Nice photos Brian!
Looking forward to seeing the TSR2 on static at Cosford even more now!
Nice photos Brian!
Looking forward to seeing the TSR2 on static at Cosford even more now!
Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
Not arranging a photo call for the (very) rare occasion the 71 is outside is a massive missed opportunity for some publicity.
Almost as if Duxford have no clue about the significance of such things to the enthusiast and the opportunity it represents....
Almost as if Duxford have no clue about the significance of such things to the enthusiast and the opportunity it represents....
Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
Indeed, even for it to be positioned just outside Airspace or something for a day which looks like having favourable weather would work wonders and be very popular too I imagine. I'm sure many enthusiasts would make the trip at fairly short notice; look what happened with the HS125 nightshoot.
Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
Be interesting to see if they'll pull them out of Airspace and park them on the flight line for Flying Legends. But, I doubt it.....
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
Yup deffo great to see them in daylight and in more photographer friendly positions!
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- Pen Pusher
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
The area the AAM aircraft are in is open to the public this weekend so take the opportunity now while you can
Brain
Brain
Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
Perhaps they may organise some sort of photo shoot when they move the aircraft back?
If life gives you melons then you're probably dyslexic
Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
boff180 wrote:Not arranging a photo call for the (very) rare occasion the 71 is outside is a massive missed opportunity for some publicity.
Almost as if Duxford have no clue about the significance of such things to the enthusiast and the opportunity it represents....
Wouldn't you rather have it done once they've been cleaned?
Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
Great minds think alike, I was thinking about the dust on the SR71.
Lovely set of photos and it is nice to see them out in the fresh air, allbeit briefly, once again.
Lovely set of photos and it is nice to see them out in the fresh air, allbeit briefly, once again.
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
When they go to put them back they could quite easily pull them out in front of AirSpace and leave them there for the morning for photographers to fill their boots, like they did with the B-24 left on the jet pan most of the day, and then move them back to the AAM in the afternoon. Simples
Brian
Brian
Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
Well assuming the IWM don't bother to organise anything... wouldn't it be nice if those who knew the dates for such aircraft moves shared them for other enthusiasts to enjoy...
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 1~02May15*
The TFC Nimrod was out on the airfield for an engine run this morning but the engineers were still working on the engine in the hangar when I left. Sitting out on the jet pan this morning were five French registered GA aircraft who departed during the afternoon for Headcorn. Classic Wings were busy having one of their 'Tiger & Tanks' days where you go flying in a Tiger Moth and have a spin in an APC up at the Land Warfare Hall tank track and a Chipmunk being the only war bird visitor. The 'temporary' American Air Museum in AirSpace is open to the public over the weekend but liable to close come Tuesday when more airframes are moved in.
Brian
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
PeterR wrote:Well assuming the IWM don't bother to organise anything... wouldn't it be nice if those who knew the dates for such aircraft moves shared them for other enthusiasts to enjoy...
As that seems to be a dig at me I only knew the B-24 was being moved as I had seen pictures of it being made ready the day before on the Key Forum. I only knew about the SR-71 being moved after I had arrived on Friday. The DC-3/C-47 should be moved to AirSpace on Tuesday.
Brian
Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
Pen Pusher wrote:As that seems to be a dig at me
Not just you Brian, it seems there were plenty of people who had sight of the move schedule document.
Shame the IWM don't realise they could have pulled hundreds of extra punters through the door by publishing the fact they were being moved on that day.
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 1~02May15*
The move schedule was only a rough guide and hasn't really panned out so far. It's running behind the schedule at the moment. We've said lots of times that the museum could do more to advertise events but it seems to fall on deaf ears. There was an Alfa Romeo Owners Club meeting at Duxford last Sunday but nothing on the IWM web site about it.
Brian
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 1~02May15*
Is it just me or is that Black Bird really dusty grey could do with a Wash?
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 2~04May15*
Being a Bank Holiday Monday, I wasn't expecting much flying to be taking place at Duxford apart from Classic Wings and a few GA visitors. I was wrong about that. The Grace Spitfire started up first thing and went off to the North during which time a red and white Gnat, based at North Weald, flew in for two practice displays after which the Spitfire returned with a run and break and landing. Apart from the high cloud diffusing the sunlight, which cleared for the afternoon, I had problems trying to photograph the Gnat as it was to small, to fast and to high. Photographing piston engined aircraft is much easier. The Catalina was up next with a training flight including a display and lots of circuits. It went up again after I had left. Just before mid-day another Gnat from North Weald, yellow this time, flew in for a practice display and again to small, to fast, to high. The Yak-3, which had been parked next to the Grace Spitfire in hangar 2 for a couple of weeks for a bit of maintenance, powered up and took off for home but not before a couple of passes over the airfield. Photographs in the order they were taken.
Brian
Brian
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 3~07May15*
Started out a nice day at Duxford. The Catalina was crew training again with plenty circuits and the Grace Spitfire was flying passengers again and the Red Bull Matadors Aerobatic Team arrived and parked up on the grass opposite the tower. Come lunch time and a rain front was heading toward Duxford but the Red Bulls took off just as it arrived and headed to the North. I went and had my lunch in the old gun butts between hangars 2 & 3. Just as I finished lunch, the rain eased and the Red Bulls returned for a practice display. The Harvard that had been hanging from the roof of the American Air Museum, was trundled down to the AAM Annex in AirSpace to join the C-47 which had moved in earlier. In the AAM the B-29 had been slightly re-positioned and preparations were being made to lower the A-10 Thunderbolt. Highlight of the afternoon was the Blenheim going for a short flight as it was being filmed, again.
Brian
Brian
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 4~08May15*
The day started with another aircraft movement from the American Air Museum with Christine, the big yellow tug on loan from the Yorkshire Air Museum, slowly pulling the B-29 down to the jet pan to park it up for about a week. The B-52 will be pulled out of the AAM only as far as the front hard standing so the other aircraft can be removed and then it and the B-29 will be returned and only pulled out as and when the contractors require it. Classic Wings were having another one of their 'Fly In A Spitfire' weekends with MJ627 having flown up from Biggin Hill. To round off the morning Spitfire Mk.IX/TD314 went flying to the north and then a spot of aerobatics over the airfield on its return. Early afternoon and the Buchon and Spitfire Mk.1a/N3200 took off and we had a tail chase/dog fight over the airfield primarily for a group of Americans tourists that were visiting the museum and ARCo at the time. Only down side to the day, photography wise, was the wall to wall cloud, bad lighting and light rain that started when the Buchon/Spitfire pair took off.
Brian
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 5~10May15*
A busy Sunday at Duxford. Classic Wings were holding one of their 'Fly With A Spitfire' days with the Dragon Rapides and Harvard flying with the OFMC Spitfire/MH434. TFC were out to play with the Mk.V Spitfire/EP120 going up for a test flight and later for a spot of aerobatics over the airfield. Late in the afternoon the Wildcat fired up and flew to the north on a test flight with aerobatics over the airfield on its return. B-17 'Sally-B' had her first flight of the year spent mostly at Cambridge Airport on crew training.
Brian
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 6~11May15*
The morning entertainment at Duxford today was outside the American Air Museum where the B-52 was pulled out onto the hard standing a week earlier than planned. It had a brief excursion onto the airfield so they could reposition it on the hard standing for parking outside the AAM. How long it and the B-29 remain outside depends on how long it takes to get the rest of the aircraft down off their wires. The afternoon entertainment was at the other end of the airfield when the Shark Mouth Mustang went up for a test flight with Harvard 'Taz' doing circuits.
Brian
Brian
Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ 01May15
Pen Pusher wrote:When they go to put them back they could quite easily pull them out in front of AirSpace and leave them there for the morning for photographers to fill their boots, like they did with the B-24 left on the jet pan most of the day, and then move them back to the AAM in the afternoon. Simples
Brian
The background of your three SR-71 shots would be just nice for me. Remove the towbar and get Mr Hi-Viz out of shot and spot on.
Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 6~11May15*
Great to see the B-52 outside in all its scale! - Brian will you be at Duxford this Friday? I am flying in to meet a friend at Classic. Will be in a PA-28 G-BPOM WX dependant. If you managed to get a cheeky picture I'd be very grateful
keep flying
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Re: Duxford May Bimbles ~ *UPDATE 6~11May15*
Should be at Duxford on Friday if the weather forecast holds
Brian
Brian