My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 1966

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AMB
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My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 1966

Post by AMB »

I look at this "Golden Oldies" thread and see so many people posting their pics from the '80s and '90s, but for me these are not "Golden Oldies and can't wait to see shots posted from earlier decades. Anyway, I thought I would redress the balance by sharing my very first colour slide film with you. It was 18th June 1966 and the occasion was the Bristol Air Day staged by the RAFA at Filton, Bristol. I was 16 years old at the time and this was to be my transition from black & white prints to colour slides. The previous year my Grandfather had died and left his Braun Paxette 35mm camera to my father. Dad said the camera 'was too complicated', but said I could have a go and see what the results were like. Anyway, I purchased a single roll of Agfachrome CT18 50ASA slide film and went with two other friends, who had just started 35mm slide photography, so I got good advice as to the camera's setting and exposures.
The day was glorious, blue skies and puffy clouds - what British air show dreams are made of. :kiss: The RAFA had done a wonderful job of organisation and were well supported by Bristol Siddeley Engines and the RAF, Shuttleworth Collection etc. However there were only about half a dozen aircraft on static display, a Vulcan, Hastings, Belgian C-119G and a few others I can't remember.
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What else could I photograph without a telephoto lens? Then my eyes lit up when I saw two Belgian Air Force F-84F Thundersteaks out on the flightline alongside the Belgian aerobatic team "Les Diables Rouges" with Fouga Magisters, the RAF Red Pelicans Jet Provosts and several engine testbed aircraft....ah, but all I had was a 55mm fixed lens camera so these were all too far away! Ah, I spotted one of the Belgian pilots who was just about to cross the public barrier and walk back to his aircraft on the flightline. Well even in those days I was cheeky so 'befriended' this pilot and got him to 'escort' me out to the flightline and I manged to take these before I was 'escorted' back by a RAF Police LandRover!
Very first thing I aimed for was this lovely Belgian Air Force F-84F Thundersteak
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The reserve aircraft arriving during my visit to the flightline

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Les Diables Rouges Fouga Magisters

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The Red Arrows Gnats in their 1966 markings - note this is the 'real' XR991!

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Bristol Siddeley Engines tesbed Scout (note shortened engine exhausts)

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The first time a camouflaged Beverley had been seen, which caused quite a sensation!


Yes it's a poor standard lens shot when I was back behind the crowd barrier, but just LOOK how low that Belgian Thundersteak flew!!
:shock:

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Adrian

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by STCAAMEkid »

AMB - each to their own regarding what was their "Golden Period". Your Thunderstreak, Beverley and Gnat shots are really wonderful :clap: :clap: - the Thunderstreak beat-up really captures a different time, and the movement in the image oozes atmosphere. I recall a similar close ground proximity situation watching the Belgian AF "Slivers" display in their two Hooters during the early 1970s.

Certainly classic pictures, and maybe vintage too, if over 45 years old meets your criteria :wink: . Thanks to your luck/ cheek for capturing and sharing them with post 1966 mortals - keep them coming !
Phil

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MikeH
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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by MikeH »

Superb Adrian. It's easy to see why you carried on with the hobby. These are from an era a bit before my time (photographically,) but the thrill of the yellow, or in your case orange and blue boxes arriving in the post are just distant memories. :clap:

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Arthur Tee
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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by Arthur Tee »

Magnificent! :clap:

Particularly like the F-84's... :drool:

My first shows were Gaydon in 69 and Little Rissington in 70 and 71. Don't suppose you've got any shots from these have you?
If so - would love to see them!

Arthur
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PeteM
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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by PeteM »

I guess an individuals idea of 'Golden Oldies' is dependent upon their age. Being born in the early 1960's my 'Golden period' are the '70s / '80s.
Looking at these photos I wish I'd been born at least 10 years earlier :smile: , the down side to that is I would now be 10 years older :sad:

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AMB
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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by AMB »

Arthur Tee wrote:Magnificent! :clap:

Particularly like the F-84's... :drool:

My first shows were Gaydon in 69 and Little Rissington in 70 and 71. Don't suppose you've got any shots from these have you?
If so - would love to see them!

Arthur


I went to Gaydon in 66 but not 69. However I was at Little Rissington in 70 and 71 and have a full coverage of those shows. Moreover, the 1970 show at Little Rissington was very significant as I participated in it! I had got to know famed Fleet Air Arm pilot Pete Sheppard who invited me to fly in the RNHF Swordfish and here I am in the centre as we taxied out.
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I recall the weather was cool and overcast, but the following year at Little Rissintgton, we had wall-to-wall sunshine for the 71 show and here is a classic shot I'm very fond of. It shows Meteor T.7 WA669 (crashed at Mildenhall in 86) followed by Vampire T.11 XK624 (now preserved at Flixton), then Meteor F8 VZ508 and finaly the BBMF Lancaster. You can also see the Red Arrows Gnats lined up in the distance. Ah, those were the days!
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Adrian

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bigcrow
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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by bigcrow »

Great scans Adrian, love the last... :clap:

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Westy
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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by Westy »

That last image of Little Rissington truely sums things up but the funny thing is (and thankfully) with a fe more Gnats, you could recreate that scene still today, so can't be all bad!

Thanks for posting - awesome.

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by CH2 »

Last image is a classic, but many thanks for posting this collection :clap: :clap:
Cheers,

Chris

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by Abingdonman »

What a great pic of the Beverley!...this particular time in the 60s I didnt do too much in the way of airshows,but the Bev and Hastings were very familiar to anyone who lived near Abingdon..
for me personally,the golden era of airshows was definitely from the 70s,that was when the IAT was born,and with it the bringing together of many air forces...to see the best of the RAF,USAF,European and Commonwealth aircraft in such numbers was a dream come true! :drool:

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by Phantom 892 »

Some great classic images. Excellent :clap:

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Arthur Tee
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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by Arthur Tee »

Adrian,

Thanks for the Little Rissington shots - much appreciated! :clap:

Didn't the Lancaster belong to 44 Squadron at that time as opposed to BBMF?

And as for the Swordfish - you jammy git! :lol:

Arthur
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AMB
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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by AMB »

Arthur Tee wrote:Didn't the Lancaster belong to 44 Squadron at that time as opposed to BBMF?
Arthur

I wouldn't say it 'belonged' to 44 Squadron at the time, as it was operated by the RAF Museum Air Historical Branch but it was 44 Squadron that assisted with its restoration and installation of its dorsal turrent which came from Argentina. I think this was the first time I had seen PA474 on the ground and it was wearing 'KM-B' (44 Sqn.) codes and devoid of top turret at the time. It didn't actually join BBMF until two years later, but I guess it will always be known as 'the BBMF Lancaster'.
Adrian

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Rick
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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by Rick »

Fantastic shots :clap:
Quality on the first is wonderful.


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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by AndyXH558 »

Adrian these are superb. Great to see a Vulcan B1a in there too and what was it like flying in the old stringbag?
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AMB
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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by AMB »

AndyXH558 wrote:Adrian these are superb. Great to see a Vulcan B1a in there too and what was it like flying in the old stringbag?


Damned cold and windy! I was allowed to fly in it, provided I stood up and saluted as we made a crowd flypast. I had trouble getting my arm up in the slipstream! Worth it though to have that in the logbook! :biggrin:
Adrian

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by Haskey »

Great pictures Adrian. Thanks for sharing these and very lucky and not at all envious of you having the Swordfish in your log book.

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by st24 »

AMB wrote:[codes and devoid of top turret at the time. .


IIRC, it didn't get the mid upper until '76??

Fabulous pics Adrian, if you have any more Rissy, Gaydon, Colerne pics they would be mopst appreciated - my Dads are not quite up to your standards!
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AMB
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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by AMB »

st24 wrote:
AMB wrote:[codes and devoid of top turret at the time. .


IIRC, it didn't get the mid upper until '76??

Fabulous pics Adrian, if you have any more Rissy, Gaydon, Colerne pics they would be mopst appreciated - my Dads are not quite up to your standards!


Thanks, but you will need to be more specific as my slides are filed by aircraft type, not by air show or location. What types would you like to see at these places?
I used Kodachrome slide film non-stop between 1966-2006, so there are an awful lot of them!
Here is another classic at the 1971 Little Rissington show - possibly the last time the Hawker Hart, J9941/G-ABMR was seen at an air show before it was permanently grounded and strung up in the RAF Museum at Hendon.

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Adrian

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by BriLlo »

Hi Adrian
Loving the Filton 66 Air Day shots, I lived a couple of hundred yards from Filton from 1955 (when I was born) until I left to go to college in 1973.
I've been looking for photos from the 1962, 64 and 66 (am I right in remembering they were bi-annual? Was there one in 1968?) shows for a long time.
I remember an F-84 (Belguim or Dutch?) splitting a drop tank on a very low pass and disappearing off trailing fuel vapour. And Tom Frost (Bristol Siddeley Chief Test Pilot) rolling Vulcan XA903.
I've found a picture of me stood next to the nose wheel of Valiant in a photo by Adrian Pingstone, but not many others.
I would love to see more from any of the Filton displays, or Colerne, Yeovilton or St. Athan from the late 60's and early 70's.
Great stuff Mr Balch! Thank you very much.
Brian

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by AMB »

BriLlo wrote:I would love to see more from any of the Filton displays, or Colerne, Yeovilton or St. Athan from the late 60's and early 70's.
Great stuff Mr Balch! Thank you very much.
Brian

1966 was the only display I ever went to at Filton, so I had no idea they were bi-annual as I never saw any others advertised. Whilst I went to the Colerne and Yeovilton shows in 1965, I was taking colour prints on a pretty poor camera which are not good enough to share! My second roll of colour slide film, although still on Agfachrome CT18, was exposed at the 1966 Yeovilton Air Day the month after Filton. However the weather was completey different and was very wet and overcast for most of the show, only breaking towards the end. Here I shot what was probably the first Royal Navy Buccaneer painted overall dark grey, as earlier they had been white overall or half grey/white. All codes and lettering was painted in white, subsequently changed to pale blue, so this was pretty rare.
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The late John Fairey taxying out in his Spitfire T.8, G-AIDN, during a brief break in the weather.
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The newly-delivered Sea Vixen FAW.2s of resident 766 Squadron were very much in evidence.

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...and when the weather finally broke after the show, I was delighted to be able to walk out and take this line of what were the last operational Sea Vixen FAW.1s still in service.
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Adrian

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by stevebond »

Fab Adrian!!!!!

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by nigelblake »

Some blinding stuff there Adrian, I remember seeing the Belgian Thunderstreak "silly low" at Wethersfield at about the same time!

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by King Cobra »

A most excellent selection if I may say so. Never tire of looking at shots like these.

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Re: My first roll of colour slide film - Bristol Air Day 196

Post by AlexC »

I was lucky enough to go to the 1964 Royal Review rehearsal at Yeovilton when the Buccaneer's were still white overall.
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