Cool Moves

[CJS]

Well, I haven't started a pointless thread for a while, so...

I was wondering what individual airshow moves particularly spring to mind for you?

Ones I've seen include the Saturday take off at RIAT of XH558 in its last season, the B-1b being rolled in 2007 and the F-22 box loop thing it does.

Ones I've seen on screen include the Russian arrival at Boscombe Down and the wing over that was almost a roll by that new C-130 thing at Farnborough last (?) year.

What sticks in your mind?

[iainpeden]

Binbrook 1982 in clear blue skies. 11 Lightnings, one after the other, full ‘burner, vertical climbs at the end of the runway and the ground shook. Then a 43 squadron FG.1 did the same and a shiny new Eagle tried to copy them.

[Tomahawk]

Massed helicopter approach at Middle Wallop shows, especially the ones where they all climbed into view together from the low lying land on the other side of the airfield. Forget the exact numbers but believe it was around fifty or sixty.

'Ride of the Valkyries' or 'Crockett's Theme' on the PA....

Magic stuff.

[Wissam24]

Russian Navy Su-30SM pairs display, formation tailslide. Possibly the best thing I've ever seen.

[Seafurysmith]

It would have to be the late Neil Williams closing the display in MH434 at BH later of course it was Ray Hanna in the same a/c still going today!

[Ant.H]

A few spring to mind...

The old Dutch F27 Troopship display used to be a real eye opener; smoke trails, low passes, one engine shut down etc. Amazing what you can do with a regional airliner!

The first time I saw the TFC P38 display at Dux, think it was '94. Having heard all sorts of derogatory things about twin-engine fighters flying like buses etc, along comes "California Cutie" with a full aerobatic display. Couldn't believe the roll rate. I was absolutely heartbroken when she was lost in '96, thankfully I wasn't there.

Also from around the same time there used to be a Yak-11 duo, seem to remember the party piece of their routine was rolling inverted on the downwind leg and putting the landing gear down, rolling the right way up to turn onto finals.

Edited to add: The most memorable Ray Hanna display for me was in the Spit PR.XI at Biggin sometime mid-90's (the Spit was in USAAF colours at the time), I'd already seen a few of his displays in '434 but in the PR.XI he seemed just a little bit faster and a little bit lower, if that was possible!

[iainpeden]

Mildenhall in the early 1980s.
The Canadian Starfighter team started up with that characteristic howl of the J-79, took off and disappeared into the low cloud (the sun didn't always shine at the Air Fete).
USAF C-130 wandered along the display line with a helicopter in IFR trail.

Five F-104s crept up upon the crowd from behind, ahead of their noise/shockwave and everybody leapt, as one, into the air.

[FarnboroJohn]

The Red Arrows at Derwent in, I think, 1993. Opposition passes below us in the valley.

[Big Eric]

Massed helicopter approach at Middle Wallop shows, especially the ones where they all climbed into view together from the low lying land on the other side of the airfield. Forget the exact numbers but believe it was around fifty or sixty.

'Ride of the Valkyries' or 'Crockett's Theme' on the PA....

Magic stuff.

Oh yes, I remember that well and an incredible sight to see.

[HeyfordDave111]

For me, at one of the last good farnborough airshows 1995 i believe..... you know the ones..... aircraft, displays, and Russian stuff.

Anyway, the Su37 number 711, had thrust vectoring and showed it better than an F-22 ever could as it was 360 degrees TV.

So we had tailslides, cobras, no square loop, as it didnt need to do one, merely used the TV to back flip 360 degrees and carry on in the original direction of flight.

I remember the crowd going quiet, mesmerised by this special display, and thinking 'what if' and looking at the Typhoon.

Quite a moment for Farnborough and never really repeated over here at any show.

[WG655]

Concur with a couple of those already mentioned. There's so many choices, but the MiG-29 OVT backflipping at Fairford in 2006 is a standout for me, as was the first demonstration of C-27J aerobatics we saw in 2011.

Nothing cool about it but the infamous manoueuvre in the Typhoon rehearsal at RIAT 2005 is still firmly imprinted in my mind, along with many others there that day I'm sure!

[ExCPONPC]

The signature move of the "Aussie Pigs" doing a dump and burn never failed to impress, the night time display ay "Riverfire" in Brisbane is the one that sticks in my mind.

[FarnboroJohn]

First time I saw the G222/C-27 barrel roll!

[phreakf4]

Two for me.

The Su-27/Tu134 arrival at Boscombe especially considering that by then most had given up hope of the Sukhoi actually arriving.

The double roll by the B-1 at Fairford (can't remember which year that was) even though by the time it rolled it was some distance away.

[Andyph]

German Navy Vikings F-104 Slow/Fast pass.

and also the Canadian Red Indians arrival pass - 5 F-104s from behind the crowd.

Those that are old enough and have seen/heard will understand!

[Tuckat]

Very interesting thread, I would echo the sentiments regarding that Saturday at Boscombe Down in 1992, and the slow/fast pass of the F104s. I had forgotten the F27 display in the late 1980s/early90s, absolutely barking mad. The photo below is a scan from 1988 (I think) at RAF Chivoner Air Day, gives a fair impression of their display standard despite the quality of the image.

img808 by Phil Roberts, on Flickr

[AndyXH558]

the vikings F104 Starfighter team from the Marineflige. One going very slowly and the other almost hitting Mach one as it went past at the IAT Fairford in 1985.

Blackbirds display was always breathtaking. As was the RAF interceptor reenactment at Mildenhall in 1986, Lightinings, Phantoms, Tornados and Hawks.

[cometguymk1]

Mine seem a little slow compared to some but i still remember the Vimy at Old Warden (it made the SE5a look very fast)

Watching The Hawker Demon and Hind in the evening sunshine do a lovely pairs display

And the A380s first turn after take off at Farnborough was always impressive

[Spiny Norman]

One stands out, at a very misty, dreich Leuchars in 1992. Very few aircraft took to the air, I remember the Sea Harrier, the last-ever RAF Phantom display and the Su-27 Flanker. The latter took off and performed what looked like an ad-hoc display that seemed to keep it within the airfield bounday at all times. It was a great piece of flying in terrible conditions.

Oh, and another was the missed approach by a SR-71 at Fairford in 1985 I think it was. It came down on approach then at the required moment put the gear up, the reheat came on and it zipped past accelerating at a phenomenal rate. It was like nothing of this world! I think there's video of this, but for a big machine to move like that was very memorable.

[aceyone]

Middle Wallop- 1984-massed helicopter approach

Farnborough -1988- 6x RN Sea Harrier Display( the noise )

Biggin Hill-not sure of the date ( late 70s or early 80s ) Canadian F104 Team

[verreli]

How about the Hungarian Gripen dump and burn at RIAT? Only time I've seen it from a modern jet.

[MiG_Eater]

Another one for the Su-37 in '96. Unforgettable.

It's not quite at the same level of the Russian insanity, but I still get a kick out of the Swiss Hornet display. An (almost) flat spin in a non thrust vectoring, 1970s aircraft is just amazing to witness.

[Seahornet]

B-52 fast pass and awesome zoom climb at Finningley - someone with better records might know the year...

[AndyXH558]

Sea Hornet I think it was 1993.

The first SU27 and SU30 displays at Woodford in 1992, the first time id seen a tail slide in a jet.

the best display though was not on the day of the airshow, but the practice on the Friday. They did not go outside of the perimeter of the airfield. They outdid both the tomcat and the hornet displays in style.

[cabbage]

The sight, and sound of a Vulcan carrying out an airtest, at Scampton, will always remain with me. it was the only time everyone stopped what they were doing ,so they could watch.

About the only manouver it didn't do was to fly inverted.

i was stationed at Scampton between 1978 and 1982.