Biggin Hill airfair 2009 27-28 june

[kiwitone]

this year's airfair line up looks full and varied; my picks are team "Viper" 4x strikemaster....folant gnat pair, vulcan and 4x SE5a replicas,.we are heading down to london, annual trip to "Biggin on the Bump".
Would be great to meet any other forum members, I reckon on going in the fields saturday and into the show on Sunday.
The R.A.F. has more aircraft at this event than have been seen this year at other venues(there is a war on after all).....and I will post pics this time Dave
tonyM

[Deleted]

Sounds fantastic! I'll pop over to the website - if there is one - to check out the rest of the programme so I can make photo requests! Any of this Strikemaster team would be very welcome amongst forumites, and for me the Gnats and Vulcan sound pretty darned good!

[Gavin Conroy]

Four SE.5a aircraft together would be great to see.
Is the four together a sight seen much in the UK?

Have got to get over and see the Vulcan fly, hopefully it is still flying next year.

[haughtney1]

Gavin, let me know when you are planning to come over and I'll put you in touch with the chief pilot.
I'm having a beer or 7 with him at Biggin next week after the show.

[Gavin Conroy]

That would be great, thanks for that.
If you are able to find out if the Vulcan will be on the airshow circuit next year that would be great.

I normally use the saying, a beer or three but a beer or seven sounds much better.

[Dave Homewood]

Where have they got four Strikemasters from? Or are they Jet Provosts?

Four SE5a's will be a treat to see, I'm looing forward to the photos.

[kiwitone]

Dave, they are BAC strikemasters, but I havent been able to find more yet. Going tech so far; B-17 sally B, the swordfish and seahawk. Must be really bad for these crews when they have worked all winter, then to have some slight problem at the last minute. I saw mention of a Hawker Nimrod attending, not a large maritime one, we know but a carrier aircraft from the past; perhaps someone will know here

[Peter Lewis]

This type of Hawker Nimrod:



Not this type of Hawker-Siddeley Nimrod:

[baz62]

I understand the Vulcan has got the funding she needed for another season! Phew close!Hate to see her grounded for lack of cash!!

[Dave Homewood]

There's a Nimrod based at Duxford, with the TFC or one of that lot. And a Demon.

[Deleted]

The Nimrod's a TFC aircraft

Shame Sally B and the others can't make it, but hopefully the remaining lineup will make up for the absentees.

Are the Great War team SE5as scale replicas or full scale?

[Dave Homewood]

Sally B has been buggered for ages, every time it gets a new engine, it blows again. I think they've been through a few in the last 18 months. Very sad.

[kiwitone]

Zac, the great war team SE-5a's are 7/8th replicas, three are painted in the markings of 24 squadron R.F.C; the fourth has the colours of 25 persuit squadron; their web site says that one of their current pilots is 84 year old Doug Gregory(D.F.C) who flew Beaufighters,mosquitos and spitfires!
Gavin the sight of 4x se5a's will cause a stir at biggin Hill, replicas have been more prevalent but nothing like the numbers of aircraft in New Zealands "jasta 11" that I saw at Omaka two years ago or the aircraft flying from Hood aerodrome of late

[glenn]

Dave, if you send me an email address I will send you a file that is too big to post here of the 4 Strikemasters in question and you can resize it etc. I'm on limited computer software here :-)

[kiwitone]

This year's Airfair was good for everyone, large crowds both days with capacity reached on the sunday. Variety is what Biggin Hill is known for and starting with a stunning display of lazy balletic rolls to music Caroline Grace showed how to display a spifire the crowd were treated with vulcan (sat only) reds both days and combined with a 747 flypass celebrating 25 years of virgin Airlines. W.W.1 tail chase and dog fight was great; I thought the hawker nimrod was outstanding...it has the fore runner to the merlin engine which was started with a shaft on what looked like an old morris truck and really roared and was quick for a biplane.
this years trip I had my daughters and a pal so, three teenage girls and my dog with London sight seeing was never going to make getting shots at the airshow easy..lol
My 2x converter went u/s, had to use film for some o sunday afternoon (batteries )

[kiwitone]

some more now i have the hang o it
should have mentioned the the comentary the kiwi who spoke of the role played by the antipodeans and mentioned N.Z often

[Dave Homewood]

Great shots kiwitone. Which one is you in that last photo?

[flyjoe180]

Some really nice photos, the Red Arrows with the Virgin Atlantic 747 are my favourites.

[sqwark2k]

Are ex-RNZAF drivers Simon Rea and Andy Keith still with the Arrows? I went to school with Andy...nice guy.

[glenn]

3 of teh 4 Strikemasters from Team Viper at Biggin Hill