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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 3, 2019 20:34:51 GMT 12
Great photos Col.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2019 22:50:41 GMT 12
Hear hear, what a range of hardware too! Very neat to see.
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Post by mcmaster on Jul 4, 2019 2:17:45 GMT 12
Thanks Col. indeed you can almost smell that new car smell with that bunch.. lucky RAAF times for now..at least. I’m thinking those F35s have pretty good endurance. Never a external tank to be seen.
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Post by colford on Jul 4, 2019 14:34:29 GMT 12
Thanks all. A couple more of the F-35. Couple of interesting points about photographing the F-35. Firstly, compared to the other aircraft, my camera/lens auto focus had real issues trying to lock onto the F-35 as it approached. Not sure if that is an aspect of the faceted shape or something else, but compared to the others auto focus was doing a lot of chasing its tail. Secondly, that dark paint scheme hides a lot of detail in anything less than brilliant sunlight. Given that the sun was behind a layer of high cloud and there was a bit of mist still hanging around, it really became a dark shape. Note in the first of these photos there is a hatch open in the upper spine of the aircraft on approach, but once it applied power and started to climb, that hatch closed and also around the same time the vortices started to become noticeable off the wingtips with the audible increase in engine noise/whine.  F35 3 by Colin Ford, on Flickr The white buildings in the background are the Mt Stromlo observatory.  F35 4 by Colin Ford, on Flickr Note the PC-21 four ship up in the background. Despite all four PC-21s carrying the Roulettes 'R' up on the fin, they were not regarded as a Roulettes formation and were using the callsign "Mustang" with local ATC. |
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Post by mcmaster on Jul 4, 2019 22:23:20 GMT 12
Thanks Col. Lucky you got pics of the F35 at all as Trump thinks they are literally invisible. 😉 BTW Did you happen to overhear the callsigns of the other aircraft?
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Post by colford on Jul 4, 2019 23:11:10 GMT 12
Hi McMaster, I heard some of the other callsigns, but because I was pre-occupied with getting the photos I don't recall them. 'Mustang' for the PC-21s stuck as there were a number of radio calls as they reformed and then landed over at Fairbairn to refuel. There was a RAN helicopter operating over to the north-east of Fairbairn at the same time that the flypast was going on, I kept hearing 'Taipan' callsign calls on the radio and the rotor thump out in the distance but didn't get a visual on it.
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Post by colford on Jul 4, 2019 23:13:34 GMT 12
On another tack, any Australia based forum members up near RAAF Williamtown? If so, tomorrow could be your day...... If 7's lucky... then 77 is doubly lucky, and tomorrow's the Hunter's "Classically" lucky day! On Friday, 5 July up to 16 x No. 77 Squadron F/A-18A/B Classic Hornets will take off from RAAF Base Williamtown, and fly in a "double seven" formation to celebrate the unit's 77 years of operation. ✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️✈️ The aircraft will depart the base around 11am and fly in formation over Nelson Bay, Medowie, Raymond Terrace and Newcastle between 11.20 – 11.40am, before returning to base at around 11.45am.* Details are available at bit.ly/AFFlyingActivity*All flying is subject to weather, air traffic control and operational requirements. I hope RAAF PR have got plenty of their service photographers lined up to cover this tomorrow. |
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Post by mcmaster on Jul 5, 2019 1:50:34 GMT 12
Wow that's great. Go Despots!. Easty I imagine will be leading the formation in the special green grumpy monkey machine. i.e. one of the ones flown to Omaka. I am bit cranky the formation is not coming a bit further south, to Sydney, just a few hundred ks ..geez.
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Post by ErrolC on Jul 5, 2019 22:59:28 GMT 12
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Post by colford on Aug 27, 2019 22:56:50 GMT 12
Next Temora Aviation Museum Flying Day is this Saturday 31 August, which they are billing as their Father's Day edition. Current draft program for the day is:
10:00 Museum Opens
10:30 Winging It With Scott Taberner
11:30 Tiger Moth / Stearman / Ryan
11:45 Harvard / Winjeel
12:15 Hudson / Boomerang
12:45 Cessna 0-1 Birddog / Cessna O-2A
13:10 P-40 Kittyhawk / Spitfire
14:30 Flightline Walk
16:00 Museum Closed
The weather forecast for Saturday is looking quite promising at this stage with a mostly sunny day with a maximum predicted temperature of around 19 to 20 degrees C.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 28, 2019 0:36:35 GMT 12
That's a fantastic line-up. I'd love to be there!
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Post by colford on Sept 1, 2019 15:43:45 GMT 12
Well it was a great pre-Father's Day Aircraft Showcase at Temora Aviation Museum yesterday. 10/10 blue skies, light breeze, and a good sized crowd for the day. A couple of new additions to the ground support features, namely an additional coffee cart and an additional food outlet which was a smoked meats crew who looked to have done a roaring trade with their pulled meat rolls and ribs packs. Given the larger crowd, well worth having them there. As usual, once through the entry and after my early morning drive over to Temora, I made a bee-line for the coffee cart for a caffiene infusion before wandering the flight line and seeing what was going on. Aircraft line up for the day was: Tiger Moth & Stearman Ryan - 'streamer' cut (first appearance after major repairs to its engine) BT-13 & Harvard (ex-RNZAF aircraft) Cessna O-1 and Cessna O-2 Lockheed Husdon Boomerang Spitfire VIII and P-40 None of the jets were flying due to unavailability of the qualified jet pilots for the day. In the engineering hangar, the Spitfire XVI had the cowlings off and work underway which included removal of the fuel tank in front of the cockpit; the Canberra is looking further along in its return to airworthiness with most of the panels buttoned up, all control surfaces back on and a 'dummy' engine in place for checking clearances before the overhauled engines return from the UK; and the Vampire has the engine out as a part of its return to airworthiness activity. There was a media shoot - both stills and video going on with the 0-2, something I understand may have been for local media. Also seemed to be a few people attending wearing 'Official Guest" lanyards on the day. A few photos from the day follow.  Golden WIngs by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Trainer Break by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Ryan Sorbent Hunt 2 by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Ryan Wave by Colin Ford, on Flickr  BT AT Pair by Colin Ford, on Flickr  BT AT Trail by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Harvard Flyby by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Smoking Deuce by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Hudson Flyby 2 by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Hudson Wing Over by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Boomerang Taxi Out by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Boomerang Hi Side 2 by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Boomerang Belly by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Tight Pair by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Fighter Pair Pass by Colin Ford, on Flickr Ando as usual provided the commentary for the day and he was able to extract a few good comments out of the pilots in their after flight interviews. Oh and Ando, Spitfire XVI has a Packard-Merlin, not everything after a XII had a Griffon. Next scheduled Aircraft Showcase is 28 September. |
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Post by planecrazy on Sept 1, 2019 18:49:56 GMT 12
Thanks for sharing those Col, much better day than the June showcase,
like the Ryan with the confettied loo roll, great stuff!
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Post by colford on Sept 1, 2019 23:16:08 GMT 12
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Post by Mustang51 on Sept 2, 2019 8:44:15 GMT 12
Yes..............Mk.XVI error..................realised as soon as it was said..........my excuse is standing in front of a crowd and talking about eleven aircraft as types and individual machines without notes for three continuous hours without a break means sometimes a 'blue' can be made...........mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa......
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Post by colford on Sept 2, 2019 12:29:20 GMT 12
Ando, these things happen. For your penance you have to keep on commentating at Temora for as long as your voice and legs hold out! You should also seek insight into your Spitfire sins by consulting the Great Book of Spitfire the History by Morgan and Shacklady. I had been thinking that it was maybe time that they (TAM) looked at getting you an off-sider who could be trained up to give you a short break from the commentary position around mid-innings at a flying showcase, to allow you to go and have a break, a drink, answer natures call and revitalise yourself for the remainder of the day's commentary duties. Would probably be useful from an OH&S perspective on the days when it gets really hot out on that apron and no one should be out there that long without a break. Would also give a back-up if you were not available for some reason. Seen here interviewing Doug Hamilton after his display in the Hudson.  Commentary Position by Colin Ford, on Flickr |
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Post by Mustang51 on Sept 2, 2019 14:25:17 GMT 12
Thanks Col. Having a break is the worst thing. You get into a mental rhythm and the break interrupts that severely. Takes a bit to get back up to speed.
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Post by colford on Sept 29, 2019 23:07:00 GMT 12
Temora Aviation Museum held their September Aircraft Showcase yesterday. Was a fine sunny day, with a strengthening breeze into the face of the crowd as the day progressed. Region is certainly looking very dry with a lot of fine red dust coating everything. Aircraft lineup was: Tiger Moth/Stearman/Ryan Cessna O-2/Winjeel Harvard/Wirraway Hudson Boomerang Spitfire Was a busy day for the available pilots, most flying at least twice, some three times during the day. Our usual commentator was absent - arrived after driving down/up? from Sydney, but was sent home ill. So the 'B' team had to fill in and provided some interresting moments. Before the formal display started we had an impromptu attraction/distraction ? in the form of two Transavia Airtruks that took off, and made a couple of low circuits over the airfield before landing back and disappearing behind the hangars. Because of the strong breeze towards the crowd line, the pilots had to conduct their flypasts a bit further back than usual to counteract the breeze. They also had to keep an eye out for a couple of feathered soaring intruders who looked to be catching the thermals rising off the hardstanding. The Hudson also cut short its routine after it was noted that following a cycle of opening and closing the bomb bay doors on two passes, one of the undercarriage legs was hanging noticeably lower than it normally should. This is related to the operation of the hydraulic system used to open and close the bomb bays, which normally causes the undercarriage to droop slightly under their weight as the hydraulic pressures cycle in the system.  AirTruks by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Basic Trainer Trio by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Golden Wings by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Sorbent Strafing by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Ryan Wave by Colin Ford, on Flickr  )-2 Gear Up by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Winjeel Over by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Intruder by Colin Ford, on Flickr  NAA-CAC Cousins by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Kiwi Harvard by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Hudson by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Hudson Target View by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Boomerang by Colin Ford, on Flickr  Spitfire VIII by Colin Ford, on Flickr  TAM Flightline by Colin Ford, on Flickr Work still progressing in the maintenance hangar on the Spitfire XVI, Canberra and Vampire. Also noteworthy, HARS did fast taxi runs yesterday afternoon on their Vampire Trainer as another step towards getting it back in the air fairly soon. Could be good to see two Vampires back in Australian skies. Next TAM Showcase is a full on Flying Weekend on 12-13 October |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 29, 2019 23:09:43 GMT 12
Very cool, thanks for the coverage Col.
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Post by colford on Sept 29, 2019 23:38:44 GMT 12
I thought I had seen that eagle somewhere before...........  Gandalf Eagle by Colin Ford, on Flickr (Wellington Airport enroute to Nelson thence to Blenheim for Classic Fighters 2017) |
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