Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Photos of operational aircraft from bases, airports and "spotter" outings
User avatar
DamienB
Posts: 2620
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 8:28 pm
Location: Northants, UK
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by DamienB »

Spray and pray...

Image

Image

With the flypast canned due to poor visibility and cloudbase over most of the route, sadly we had to be happy with four ship run and breaks over the station. Didn't catch them all, hey ho.

Image

Image

And landing shots were even trickier, this is a crop through a narrow window of opportunity!

Image

Image

This really is "The final bow"

Image

The last landing itself was sadly out of sight on one of the northern hover pads - I hope the RAF had a photographer out there. The various jets made their way back to the ramp...

Image

Image

...and shut down simultaneously, putting an end to the Harrier in UK service. Now the rest of the world can only marvel at a supposedly maritime nation that cannot afford to operate aircraft carriers or the aircraft to go on them.

Image

Image

Another Hawker/Dunsfold product paid the final salute, with 3 of the Red Arrows flying overhead as the crews walked to meet their families.

Image

Air and ground crews all mixed together, duty carried out and beers well earned.

Image

The four 'specials' were parked in a crescent, and needed impeccable timing to arrive together - hence being the only jets not to travel the full length of the runway and give the crowd at the 22 end a look.

Image

The Boss and His Jet.

Image

Next retirement... well, I vote, politicians. We seem to have squadrons and squadrons of the buggers and they're all bloody useless. I'm sure their job could be done cheaper by UAVs.

Anyway, thanks to those who helped out today - they know who they are! And thanks to the crews who tried so hard and did so much to show off their aircraft to us over the last few weeks.
Last edited by DamienB on Wed 15 Dec 2010, 8:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
MarkL
UKAR Supporter
Posts: 1874
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 5:44 pm

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by MarkL »

Thank you for an amazing record of a very sad day.

Mark
HTAFC

User avatar
MarkL
UKAR Supporter
Posts: 1874
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 5:44 pm

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by MarkL »

DanO1978 wrote:Not bothering to taxi the "specials" past the taxpayers who'd made the journey specially to see them is the only gripe I'd have with the day's organisation, given the conditions.



Not bothering ????

I think you know why Dan, not like you to make a post like this.
HTAFC

User avatar
RichPittman
Posts: 1688
Joined: Tue 27 Oct 2009, 5:47 am
Location: Yeovil
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by RichPittman »

Thanks for sharing Damien Today and all the final Months, will email RE pm when home.

Cheers Rich
Always remember "If you cannot turn tight...you cannot fight!"

User avatar
RickIngham
Posts: 1832
Joined: Sun 10 Jan 2010, 7:09 pm
Location: Wiltshire
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by RickIngham »

Well documented Damien - bet your chuffed to bits with your collection.

User avatar
DamienB
Posts: 2620
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 8:28 pm
Location: Northants, UK
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by DamienB »

Not really Rick. Just saddened that I had to do 4 years worth of Harrier shooting in two months. That's my two local military airfields gone too.

User avatar
RickIngham
Posts: 1832
Joined: Sun 10 Jan 2010, 7:09 pm
Location: Wiltshire
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by RickIngham »

Well I would be...you have the best record of the RAF Harrier's last couple of months than anyone else... just a shame about the circumstances.

timuss
Posts: 4555
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 4:19 pm
Location: Sompting,West Sussex
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by timuss »

Great set of shots nice record of a sad ocassion :clap:
Canon 7Dmk2
Canon 7D
Sigma 18-200
Sigma 10-20
Canon 100-400 L IS II
Icom ICR-2 Scanner
PSN: timuss

User avatar
F16
Posts: 443
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 11:58 am
Location: Here, there and everywhere

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by F16 »

Great shots from someone who was gutted not to be there :sad:
Harrier book next? :smile:

User avatar
DamienB
Posts: 2620
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 8:28 pm
Location: Northants, UK
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by DamienB »

Shsssshh :shock:

User avatar
Seamus
Posts: 2776
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 3:51 pm
Location: Tiverton, Devon
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by Seamus »

Crappy circumstances indeed, but a superb record of the last few weeks nonetheless :clap: :clap: Your shots have been hugely appreciated by those of us who couldn't make it up there over the last couple of weeks, many thanks for taking the time to share them :up:
My shots on Flickr and Airliners

FGR2
Posts: 2952
Joined: Mon 15 Sep 2008, 11:12 am

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by FGR2 »

Nice selection :clap:

Overheard on someones Scanner the ATC asking about all the Harriers shutting down (awaiting the arrival of the Reds). The reply came "I counted them all out and I counted them all back." :clap:

Said it all really.

User avatar
DaveGriff
Posts: 370
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 7:25 pm
Location: Chelsfield, Orpington, Kent
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by DaveGriff »

Thanks DB - very evocative. Can't help but shed a tear at the demise of one of the greatest British designs ever. And we're keeping Illustrious until 2014 - presumably using it as a platform to lob cricket balls at the enemy. What a complete joke we really are - a maritime nation defended with a bucket and spade and maybe the odd candy floss.

User avatar
chrisward123
Posts: 2582
Joined: Thu 12 Feb 2009, 12:10 pm
Location: Blackpool

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by chrisward123 »

Fantastic Pictures, gutted I couldn't make it down.

R.I.P Harrier :confused:
Lakes Lightning Collection

User avatar
lynothehammer
Posts: 1926
Joined: Mon 26 Jan 2009, 9:45 pm
Location: Camberley, Surey

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by lynothehammer »

Thank you very much for sharing your photos over the last few weeks, it was just too far for me to travel to see them so your photos have made up for that... Very sad day indeed... :sad:

JohnF
Posts: 623
Joined: Wed 08 Apr 2009, 6:28 pm
Location: Reading

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by JohnF »

Fantastic photos of such a sad occasion. Many thanks for sharing.

Shame they couldn't organise a photocall at Cottesmore with all the harriers lined up. Think of the money that could be raised for Help for Heroes/RAF Benevolent Fund etc.

someguy1
Posts: 767
Joined: Wed 11 Aug 2010, 2:18 pm

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by someguy1 »

indeedy, great photos. The harrier will be missed :sad:

User avatar
Jorgo
Posts: 299
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 5:51 pm
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by Jorgo »

Great work Damien, thanks for braving the wet cold and bringing these photos to us all.

Did you get any of the four ship flypast last week? A buddy was in the formation and would love to see any such shots.

Regards, Jorgo
www.actionairimages.com

User avatar
DamienB
Posts: 2620
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 8:28 pm
Location: Northants, UK
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by DamienB »

Sorry, no - mid lens change...

User avatar
bluetail
Posts: 116
Joined: Tue 02 Sep 2008, 5:34 pm
Location: Scotland
Contact:

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by bluetail »

Very nice thread Damien, you captured the occasion perfectly, I,ve heard JFH provided 32 Serviceable Harriers for the day, a primary plus a spare for each of the 16 what an effort. Not a bad effort for an unwanted aircraft.
There,s only 2 states of flying, Boredom & Terror

Jimbo27
Posts: 153
Joined: Thu 23 Oct 2008, 5:31 pm

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by Jimbo27 »

Cracking images Damien. Nice to meet you at Cott, good to put a face to a name.

Such a sad day though...

User avatar
sebcoe
Posts: 191
Joined: Sun 31 Aug 2008, 7:32 pm
Location: Northamptonshire

Re: Harrier Drawdown - week by week

Post by sebcoe »

Great thread DB, thanks for taking the time to put it together. Thanks also for your company on the Fri and Mon.