Old Warden Evening Airshow 18 may

[johnr]

Well the flying was excellent and the weather was good for flying but no so for photography as it was grey all day with just a few shafts of sunlight in the evening. Flying went on until after 9pm which made photgraphy of the Edwardians challenging, to say the least as it nearly dark when they flew.

As if that wasn't enough it was the first time out with my new camera - one of those that needs some sort of qualification to operate.

However the Bleriot and Deperdussin flew, something I have not seen for some years.

The day started with a couple of passes by a BBMF Spitfire




Then we had the Lysander pair. The ARCO one was making its first public appearance. For some reason they couldn't seem to synchronise the bank angles



Lysander departing



Next a Hurricane leading three Spitfires




Shuttleworth Sea Hurricane







Mark 1




Mark V




Mark 1X




Miles Magister and Avro Tutor




The Eon Primary glider




The Fauvel AV36 glider was supposed to be fitted with smoke generators on the wingtips but these did not function - no explanation as to why not.




There was a three ship formation of the Comet, Mew Gull and Hawk Speed Six but ,alas, no decent photos but here is the Speed Six taking off




The show ended with the Edwardians. The blueish haze in the background was caused by the smoke left by the previous act, an Extra 300, that lingered long enough to make us wonder if the old timers would be able to see enough to make their runs

Bristol Boxkite




Blackburn Monoplane










Bleriot







Deperdussin - by now it was VERY dark - the camera said ISO 12000!







Hope this wasn't too many

John

[LN Strike Eagle]

I've said it before and no doubt I'll say it again, but they need to start these shows an hour earlier. What's the point of an airshow when you can barely see what's going on?

[AlexC]

I've said it before and no doubt I'll say it again, but they need to start these shows an hour earlier. What's the point of an airshow when you can barely see what's going on?

I totally agree, even earlier perhaps, say around 12.30.

[LN Strike Eagle]

I've said it before and no doubt I'll say it again, but they need to start these shows an hour earlier. What's the point of an airshow when you can barely see what's going on?

I totally agree, even earlier perhaps, say around 12.30.

If you start it at 12:30, it ceases to be an evening show!

[Stagger2]

And there you have it! The unpredictable weather in the UK can scupper a daytime air-show making it a 'night-shoot' in photographic terms. Naturally everybody dreams of the 'Golden-hour' with shafts of silvered light on elliptical wings.....but "BANG" reality strikes & what you get is the final acts flying in barely VFR due to darkness & mist.
It was just like that at the olden Prom's Nights at Middle Wallop. Oh how we loved the Iconic sound of the Merlin & green/Red lights cartwheeling overhead....Not!
Always the coldest darkest night of the Summer with people falling around in the dark trying to find their cars in an ocean of blackness....stooopid!
PS:- I don't do night-shoots or Evening Air-shows.