Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

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Hamster100
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Hamster100 »

Like Typhoon3 , I missed the 2 Lancs, I went to Shoreham as that was the only show I could get to with them both displaying! I was also at the Ill fated 2015 show and also regret the tragic events that day.

Missing out on years on displays, when had young kids and no money to be able to go to shows and it seems more important things to do.

Not getting back into photography sooner.

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pbeardmore
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by pbeardmore »

Easy one for me - not finding the cash to fly on Concorde. I was guilty of taking Concorde for granted.
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Ewart
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Ewart »

Not sending that letter that I wrote to 'Jim'll Fix It' to visit NAS Miramar to see the F-14's when I was about 6, as I was obsessed with Top Gun.


Actually on second thoughts…probably best I never posted the letter

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HeyfordDave111
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by HeyfordDave111 »

A few,

1) Not going on Concorde when the BA service was relaunched, and a 'mate' of mine winning a pair of tickets, and offering me his spare, then recinding it with 24 hours notice, and i never got a sniff afterwards.

2) Not going to 'That' Farnborough, with the Yak, Mig and Backfire from Russia due to having a cold

3) Not paying more attention to airshows i visited as a young'un, and therefore missing the lightning, and to all intents and purposes the RAF phantom

4) Not being closer when the big 80's Queens birthday flypast (you know the one, bucs, harriers, phantoms etc), flew onto Abingdon before dispersing, and i was in North Oxfordshire seeing them for a long way off!

5) Not, so far, getting a ride in a military aircraft. :sad:

6) Not seeing the SR71 fly, but hearing it! (yes really)

7) Not taking pictures of the wave after wave of C-141 arriving at Upper Heyford during the build up to G.W.1

8) Not seeing 558 back at Bruntingthorpe

9) Having no decent digital camera prior to 2001

10) Not visiting the Cad 15 years earlier than i started visiting.
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Steve p
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Steve p »

Too many to list really but here is a few
Never seen a Lightning, Concorde or Victor flying, missed out on the Russian stuff that all too breifly visited UK airshows in the 90s, not seeing many of the iconic US cold war warriors airbourne ie F101, F102, F105, F106, B47, B58. Finally would have loved to have seen a Mirage IV-A/P being put through its paces.
Anyone have a time machine i can borrow.

robertp
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by robertp »

No becoming an enthusiast till about 5 years ago
Not appreciating what I saw as a kid both over my house and at Airbourne in 2006
Not attending RIAT till 2016
Watching air shows through a camera lens too much and not appreciating enough with the naked eye.

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MicrolightDriver
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by MicrolightDriver »

robertp wrote:..Watching air shows through a camera lens too much and not appreciating enough with the naked eye.


With you on that one! Unless you're an exceptional photographer, there'll be better pics out there afterwards, and for me, watching through a viewfinder is to completely miss out on the spectacle and the experience of the display.

Seafurysmith
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Seafurysmith »

Biggest regret ever was driving down to Calshot in the very early 70's with my brother for a flight on Southern Cross only for the weather to scupper the day!! Never did fly on a big boat and will always regret it but you know your old when I did get to see loads of Lightning's, Phantoms, Buccaneers etc. plus all the SR71 displays at Mildenhall and flew on Concorde supersonic...............on reflection I have had many great days, oh for a time machine!

Shyft87
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Shyft87 »

Missing the Lancs at shoreham...

...and allowing my ex-wife to stop me going to see them at Southport.



I miss them more than I miss her.

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PeteM
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by PeteM »

Choosing to take an A Level exam (which I failed anyway) rather than take a flight in a 7 Squadron Canberra. Both at the same time on the same day.

Georgeconna
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Georgeconna »

Ewart wrote:Not sending that letter that I wrote to 'Jim'll Fix It' to visit NAS Miramar to see the F-14's when I was about 6, as I was obsessed with Top Gun.


Actually on second thoughts…probably best I never posted the letter


LOL, that episode would be probably called Top Bum.
Cheers

George

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AFKAMC
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by AFKAMC »

1. I visited the BBMF at Coningsby in September 2004. The Lancaster was outside waiting to depart somewhere, so after the tour everyone waited by the fence to watch her take off. Everyone except me; I ambled back to the car to eat my sandwiches. Of course, by the time I had heard the racket and legged it back to the fence, she’d receded into the distance. D’oh! I then went to the visitor centre shop; a further racket whilst I was inside the shop told me that I’d just missed one of the Spitfires take off and perform an impromptu flypast. Double d’oh!

Great day out, nonetheless. At the time, the Sentry fleet was in residence at Coningsby for some reason, so the tour guide had to battle to make himself heard above the jet noise. (No photos allowed, unfortunately.)

2. Not attending the 2013 RAF Cosford show because my wife decided I’d rather see Bon Jovi. As we were parking up before the gig, Sally B flew over – presumably on her way to /returning from the show – to remind me what I was missing.

3. Attending the 2017 RIAT on the Saturday; lousy weather and no B-2.

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BDL
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by BDL »

Good thread, glad to know that so many other have similar experiences.

Mine is giving up everything from the early-90's for about 15 years, getting rid of all my camera gear and not going to any airshows. Missing out on seeing an F117, Phantom's going, Jaguar's going, Harrier's going, Buccs going.......

Not going to RIAT Departures until 2012.

Not having a camera when the three last Concorde flights arrived in London and lined up to land, right over us. What a noise!

King Cobra
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by King Cobra »

My list would be endless if I put a mind to it but to keep it simple, not taking enough photos on my spotting trips. Used to burn film at most shows but sat at a crash gate I'd just take a few shots as "there's always next time".

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Chris G
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Chris G »

After 30 years in this hobby i've got one bit of advice. never say there is always next time. get off your bum and go get the pics! Not seeing the Vulcan at Windermere from the hills, as there will always be next year is top of my list. :sad:

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Wissam24
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Wissam24 »

Not getting into it all until 2011. One year earlier and I'd have caught the Harriers.

I do regret not going to the Phantom Retirement in 2013, it would've been, by some way, a massive step up for me at that time, going abroad for planes etc. And I don't think I'd really have known what I would've done, but I was giving it some thought for sure.
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borismorris
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by borismorris »

I wish I'd been born 10 years earlier... or that the Jet age had started 10 years later..That way I'd properly remember the Lightning...

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paullangford
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by paullangford »

The Barbie Twins............a long lonely night flight back to the uk .........an unopened bottle of champange.........a nearly empty aircraft........and respect for my partner who as it turned out, didn't respect me :lol:

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Brevet Cable
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Brevet Cable »

Not accepting some of the cabbies I was offered whilst in the Air Cadets & TA.

Being gullible enough to accept a cabbie in a Gazelle piloted by a typical AAC certified maniac......the high-speed very-low-level runs through forestry fire-breaks were entertaining, the aerobatic stunts he pulled for the obligatory "I'm not landing until all the squaddies have puked" session was not! :sick:
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Slinger65
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Slinger65 »

In May 2001, arriving at Tebay services (Cumbria) with one year old son in one arm en route home from a holiday in Scotland. Video camera buried somewhere among various baby equipment deep inside the car, as the RAF treated us to a full-on low level dogfight. At least 3 types involved - hawk, typhoon and harrier. Never seen anything like it before or since.

And as for the noise...

Yes, junior was not impressed so pretty much managed to drown out the jets.
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Unknown74
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Unknown74 »

Two massive regrets even though they may have both reduced me to tears were that I never made it up to Leuchars on the day or on either day that both 6 Squadron and 1 Squadron respectively left Leuchars to be re-based at RAF Lossiemouth.

Steve p
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Steve p »

Slinger65 wrote:In May 2001, arriving at Tebay services (Cumbria) with one year old son in one arm en route home from a holiday in Scotland. Video camera buried somewhere among various baby equipment deep inside the car, as the RAF treated us to a full-on low level dogfight. At least 3 types involved - hawk, typhoon and harrier. Never seen anything like it before or since.

And as for the noise...

Yes, junior was not impressed so pretty much managed to drown out the jets.



I remember back in the 80s when i was a wee nipper seeing that sort of thing overhead over rural Herefordshire, usually hawks (remember when some was grey and wierd up for aim-9s) and F-4s or tornados, sometimes jags or harriers would also take part. Just to think back then it was all done at low level too. Never see that sort of thing anymore

duxfordhawk
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by duxfordhawk »

I have a few big regrets,

1) Never seeing an SR-71 fly
2) Never seeing an F-14 Fly
At least I have seen both on the ground

3) Taking for granted that we would always have an abundance of classic jets on the scene, I fondly remember the late 1990's where we had plenty of Vampires, Venom's, Hunters etc at airshows regularly.
4) Not having a good camera from the 1980's until early 2000's, although I was only a child in the 80's to be fair.
5) Witnessing so many fatal accidents
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captainfurious
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by captainfurious »

This is a good thread!

Echoing much of the above is mostly the don't worry I'll see it next time theme. Most recently on Thursday RIAT last year I don't need to watch the F22 as I'll see it 3 more times. Oh, I didn't think about the cloud base. Most upsetting was that the Harrier was staple air show affair, I'll see it next year. And bang. Gone.

I'm quite happy with what I've seen but born a few years earlier I could say I had seen a Lightning, F14 and SR-71. And despite living in Bristol I still can't work out where I was when Concorde made its final landing at Filton but I wasn't there! And I really did see but cant remember a proper Bone display.

Prior to the start of the new season this thread has inspired me to not look through a lens to take awful photos I'll never look at. And appreciate everything in the sky. Tornado. F15. A10. Mig 29. SU 22. Dare I say Phantom? No idea what we will see but savour it as you never know if it will be the last chance! Save the toilet break for the Jordanians. They will always be there.

Unknown74
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Re: Biggest regret in aviation enthusiasm?

Post by Unknown74 »

One massive regret I do have which I forgot to include in my list in the earlier post was that after I had won a trip in the RAF Leuchars Phantom Flight Simulator in 1990 a day which was utterly awesome and totally brilliant, my regret is that I never did try for the Tornado F.3 Sim at Leuchars. In turn due to the closure of the base I also never got to chance to try what would have been the Typhoon Sim.

Another regret was that I was given a voucher as a present for one of the DC.3 Farewell Trips from Edinburgh Airport, anyway day of trip arrives a Sunday if I seem to remember and I was all set to head out to Edinburgh Airport for the Flight had my Camera(s) ready but unfortunately I checked the Edinburgh Ceefax Page on TV - FLIGHT CANCELLED due weather!. AAAARRRRGGGHHHHHHH :mad: