Duxford September Bimbles *UPDATE 8~30Sep15*

[Pen Pusher]

90th visit to Duxford this year and most of today spent outside the American Air Museum. The C-47 Skytrain & AT-6 Texan had been extracted from AirSpace and were move up to the AAM. The B-52 had to be moved, as a rain shower passed over, onto the airfield to get the C-47 in. Inside the AAM, the F-15 had taken flight as it was hoisted into the rafters. Elsewhere, inside AirSpace the B-24 is more accessible now the C-47 has moved out and TFC had a bit of a shuffle around of some of their aircraft and the Catalina had an engine run before a fast taxi along the main runway before returning to parking outside 2 hangar. An annual visitor to Duxford was a Harvard with a rude German registration.

























Brian

[tankbuster81]

Interesting Registration on the German aircraft.

[Pen Pusher]

Classic Wings had a busy day with their fly in a Spitfire with MJ627 from Biggin Hill and fly with a Spitfire with MH434 and the two Rapides and Harvard 'Taz' and the three Tiger Moths up and down all day. Amongst all this various war birds flew out of Duxford, and some returned, for air show duty mainly at the Victory Show at Cosby. With wall to wall cloud for most of the time, lighting conditions for a spot of photography was a bit challenging. BBC Wales were also in attendance with camera crews wandering around the site before a recording of an interview with Si King for the 'People Remembered' TV programme in a temporary studio that had been set up by the Lancaster in AirSpace.













Brian

[PeterR]

Great shots as always Brian. Any more photos of G-PBYA on Thursday please?

[Pen Pusher]

Nope. Nothing was happening, getting boring waiting for something to happen so I went home.

Brian

[Pen Pusher]

Although the day started with wall to wall cloud, unlike Saturday, it soon cleared and we had wall to wall blue sky and sunshine and it was quite warm. Classic Wings continued where they left off yesterday. A bright yellow Stampe flew in and then in the afternoon flew in formation with the Duxford based Jungmann and later a spot of solo aerobatics over the airfield. With the arrival of the Blenheim and B-17/Sally-B around 5 o'clock all Duxford based war birds, apart from the Catalina, had returned back to base from air show duty so I called it a day. As I was just joining the M11 on my motorbike what looked like a two-seat Spitfire followed by what looked like the Seafire were starting a run and break. Good job I was wearing a full face helmet otherwise some of the passing car drivers might have heard some choice Anglo-Saxon words.

























Brian

[MRTT]

Great shots as ever Brian, looking forward to 2 weeks time even more now!

[docmattc]

As I was just joining the M11 on my motorbike what looked like a two-seat Spitfire followed by what looked like the Seafire were starting a run and break. Good job I was wearing a full face helmet otherwise some of the passing car drivers might have heard some choice Anglo-Saxon words.

It was the Grace Spit. It showed up on flightradar over the A10/A505 junction and I could see it in the distance from home in formation with something very similar looking. The Catalina flew over a little later looking very pink in the evening light!

[Pen Pusher]

The AAM Twitter feed said the U-2 would be outside today, once it's wings were on. Well it was, sort of. We were expecting to be pulled out next to the B-52 but it remained behind the barrier on the AAM side which disappointed some of the visitors who had turned up to photograph it. The HAC Hurricane left early morning and the peace and tranquility was disturbed as The fighter Collection had some of their fleet outside to make a bit of noise. Must be an air show coming up soon. The three Chipmunks arrived and after a briefing amongst the pilots left again in formation.













Brian

[Ronoz]

Brian,

Excellent series(s) of images, we were there on Monday two weeks ago ...absolutely pi..err, pouring with rain ...which somewhat took the shine off my long planned trip, so this will be some encouragement for the next one. thx, Ronoz

[Pen Pusher]

Duxford is a bit bereft of war birds as most of them left during the day for Goodwood and the Festival of Speed. TFC were off first followed by the HAC Spitfire then ARCo with the Blenheim in the lead. Mid afternoon and the Grace Spitfire and the Seafire III ventured into the sunshine. While the Spitfire was taken out onto the airfield I took advantage of the Seafire being left alone outside the hangar for five minutes. Last of the war birds out was the OFMC Spitfire, Ferocious Frankie having left the day before. They should be returning on Tuesday, subject to the weather.























Brian

[tankbuster81]

Lovely images Brian.Is the Seafire now a permanent resident? And owned by David Arnold,son of the late Doug Arnold who used to house quite a stable of Warbird's at Biggin Hill??

[Pen Pusher]

Not a permanent resident and no idea who owns it.

Brian

[MRTT]

Would be nice to see the Seafire at the show

[Pen Pusher]

A very quiet Sunday at Duxford and it was left to the Biggin Hill two-seat Spitfire/MJ627, flying with Classic Wings, to be the only airworthy Spitfire at Duxford as all the Duxford based Spitfires are down at Goodwood. An opportunity to have wander around the hangars with the AAM filling up and Airspace slowly emptying.













Brian

[Hasboman]

Not a permanent resident and no idea who owns it.

Brian

Owned by Air Leasing Ltd, based at Bentwaters.

[Pen Pusher]

Chartered by Air Leasing not owned by them.

Brian

[tommo999]

According to the Goodwood website (I think it was that anyway), David Arnold owns it. Richard Grace and co. just operate/charter it or however you want to describe it.

[Pen Pusher]

There were a lot of people at Duxford for a Tuesday but they were there for the return of the Duxford based war birds after taking part in the 75th Battle of Britain Day Anniversary flypast event from Goodwood. Had the weather at Goodwood not postponed the take off for two hours then the war birds would have arrived back at Duxford in blue sky and sunshine. Unfortunately a rain front was slowly sinking southward towards Cambridge and it became very cloudy and very dark and it was a question of which would arrive first. Rain or war birds. War birds won. Was only expecting three sections back but four turned up with 14 war birds in all. During the morning, the A-10 Thunderbolt was parked outside the AAM before moving in and the Victor was moved onto the jet pan to make room for the SR-71 which was taking part in a photo shoot with McLaren F1 cars on Wedensday.

























Brian

[tankbuster81]

Anymore photo's of the A10 from yesterday Brian?

[Pen Pusher]

A very quiet day but plenty of war birds were about but mainly for engine runs, fueling and generally getting ready for the weekend. Highlight of the day was the flight of North American NA-64 Yale 1/3349/(G-BYNF) as the last time I saw it flying was about 5 years ago when the engine decided it didn't want to play, just after take off, and it made an emergency landing. After a handling flight to the north, it returned with some 'low energy maneuvers' over the airfield. Not quite a noisy as the Harvard but does growl a bit in the turns. Unfortunately both Duxford based T.28's are not airworthy at the moment other wise there could have been a unique formation of three generations of trainers with the T.28 which replaced the Harvard which replaced the Yale. The B-52 and 29 have been moved back, temporarily, into the American Air Museum for the period of the air show.













Brian

[FGR2]

I went along today as well hoping to see some action, but it seemed quiet as you said.

[Pen Pusher]

Apparently the Seafire III went flying late in the day.

Brian

[Pen Pusher]

A very quiet day at Duxford and a very sad highlight of the day this afternoon as a Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Sea King helicopter did a very slow east to west flypast, as part of a fleeting visit to local airfields, before turning south as part of its final flight to the scrap yard, or HMS Sultan in Gosport as I believe it's called. Not sure who was photographing whom though. The ARCo two seat Spitfire was taking part with 'Taz' in a bit of a photo shoot.













Brian