# Most impressive air display



## Readie (Jun 7, 2011)

I have been mulling over the various airshows I have been too over the years and was trying to decide which aircraft display had impressed me the most,
As always its hard to choose one so, in the best spirit of British compromise I'll choose three 

1) West Malling circa 1982. Grumman Bearcat. Huge propeller, Huge power and that rate of climb was amazing.
2) Plymouth in the early 1970's. English Electric Lightning our own cold war warrior with its trademark vertical climb on afterburn. The sheer noise was awe inspiring.
3) Farnborough mid 1970's.Concorde. I worked at Heathrow when this Anglo French beauty was in service. Amazing then and now. I wonder if we'll see the likes of Concorde again. Why were the American's so churlish in its early days?

Cheers
John


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## Lighthunmust (Jun 7, 2011)

Near Mesa, Arizona, watching as a P-51 from 4 o'clock rapidly closed the distance on a B-17, fly in formation, then accelerate away, while I was manning the right waist gun position. Absolutely thrilling! It was my first flight on a WWII heavy bomber. I have since flown in a B-24 and B-29. For me no flying display of aircraft at any air show has equaled the sight of that Mustang closing in.


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## Readie (Jun 8, 2011)

Lighthunmust said:


> Near Mesa, Arizona, watching as a P-51 from 4 o'clock rapidly closed the distance on a B-17, fly in formation, then accelerate away, while I was manning the right waist gun position. Absolutely thrilling! It was my first flight on a WWII heavy bomber. I have since flown in a B-24 and B-29. For me no flying display of aircraft at any air show has equaled the sight of that Mustang closing in.


 
I bet. That is one experiance !!


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## evangilder (Jun 10, 2011)

Chino's opening act in 2010 was a P-36 Apache leading 10 P-51s in an impressive formation.







From an participant standpoint, being in the 9th ship of a nine ship T-6 formation for Memorial day in 2009






Then of course being in a photo ship for some tight, well executed formations


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## Lighthunmust (Jun 10, 2011)

A think you meant an A-36 not P-36.


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## evangilder (Jun 10, 2011)

Yep, wrote that before I had my coffee.


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## Lighthunmust (Jun 10, 2011)

evangilder said:


> Yep, wrote that before I had my coffee.


 
I see you are in Moorpark. Great area to live in SoCal. Please say hello to my folks in Thousand Oaks if you see them in the mall. Do you know if they have that Spitfire put together at the CAF in Camarillo? I saw it in pieces a couple of years ago? For a smaller CAF facility they have a nice display of artifacts and aircraft.


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## BikerBabe (Jun 10, 2011)

Værløse 2002.
Standing not very far away from a Harrier taking off vertically, turning, hovering and taking off, was both impressive - AND loud!!!


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## Readie (Jun 10, 2011)

_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_CaOmKUztY_


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrDWYOlLA-w_


_View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52IqDlCikrQ_


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## evangilder (Jun 10, 2011)

Lighthunmust said:


> I see you are in Moorpark. Great area to live in SoCal. Please say hello to my folks in Thousand Oaks if you see them in the mall. Do you know if they have that Spitfire put together at the CAF in Camarillo? I saw it in pieces a couple of years ago? For a smaller CAF facility they have a nice display of artifacts and aircraft.


 
It's not so small anymore. They have quite a collection of aircraft there now. The Spitfire is indeed together and flew last year at the airshow with a newly refurbished Griffon engine. Here is a shot of it from that show


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## Lighthunmust (Jun 10, 2011)

Thanks. That's beautiful. I may be visiting my folks in August. I'll make sure I visit Camarillo.


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## evangilder (Jun 10, 2011)

The Camarillo air show is in August as well. August 20-21
Wings over Camarillo 2011 - Home


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## vikingBerserker (Jun 11, 2011)

Man, that's one beautiful plane!


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## Lighthunmust (Jun 11, 2011)

vikingBerserker said:


> Man, that's one beautiful plane!



There's a good reason why the word Spitfire and Super-model sometimes appear together in sentences.


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## renrich (Jun 11, 2011)

I was taxiing a Piper Thomahawk at Addison Airport a number of years ago in preparation for a takeoff and what looked like a brand new Corsair was two or three in front of me. I then watched him take off while I was still on the taxi way. I got to the end, turned into the wind and did my pre takeoff list and called the tower for permission to go. They said "wait one as we have a Corsair doing a low pass." I looked to the north and here he came like a bat out of hell. He must have been doing at least 350 mph right down the runway about 50-75 feet off the ground and not more than 100 feet horizontally from me. To think that I was "kind of" sharing the same airspace with him made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.


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## Lighthunmust (Jun 11, 2011)

renrich said:


> I was taxiing a Piper Thomahawk at Addison Airport a number of years ago in preparation for a takeoff and what looked like a brand new Corsair was two or three in front of me. I then watched him take off while I was still on the taxi way. I got to the end, turned into the wind and did my pre takeoff list and called the tower for permission to go. They said "wait one as we have a Corsair doing a low pass." I looked to the north and here he came like a bat out of hell. He must have been doing at least 350 mph right down the runway about 50-75 feet off the ground and not more than 100 feet horizontally from me. To think that I was "kind of" sharing the same airspace with him made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.



That must have been thrilling! I had a similar experience in 1978 when tubing down the Salt River near Phoenix. I heard this sound approaching. A sound of an aircraft, but not like any I had heard before. The sound very rapidly increased in volume until suddenly a P-51 flew directly over the river canyon walls and was gone in a flash. I was stunned with surprise and then screaming my delight. My best friend and our girlfriends thought I was nuts! It was the first time I heard a Merlin and saw a Mustang in flight. I have never forgotten the unmistakable sound of the Merlin.


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## evangilder (Jun 11, 2011)

renrich said:


> I was taxiing a Piper Thomahawk at Addison Airport a number of years ago in preparation for a takeoff and what looked like a brand new Corsair was two or three in front of me. I then watched him take off while I was still on the taxi way. I got to the end, turned into the wind and did my pre takeoff list and called the tower for permission to go. They said "wait one as we have a Corsair doing a low pass." I looked to the north and here he came like a bat out of hell. He must have been doing at least 350 mph right down the runway about 50-75 feet off the ground and not more than 100 feet horizontally from me. To think that I was "kind of" sharing the same airspace with him made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.


 
That's awesome! Nothing like getting buzzed by a Corsair.


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## Readie (Jun 11, 2011)

Lighthunmust said:


> There's a good reason why the word Spitfire and Super-model sometimes appear together in sentences.



The Spitfire is so graceful and has an enduring ethereal beauty.
It is beyond iconic and should be England's true national treasure.
But, then I am totally biased...
Cheers
John


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## rochie (Jun 12, 2011)

as a kid at the local airshow watching a Vulcan take off, near vertical climb out and wing over.
the sound even now if i hear it on T.V makes my hair stand on end, i remeber you could "feel" the sound vibrating through your body, and to see such a large aircraft being chucked about like a Spitfire was amazing


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## Readie (Jun 12, 2011)

rochie said:


> as a kid at the local airshow watching a Vulcan take off, near vertical climb out and wing over.
> the sound even now if i hear it on T.V makes my hair stand on end, i remeber you could "feel" the sound vibrating through your body, and to see such a large aircraft being chucked about like a Spitfire was amazing


 
Yes indeed, a truly fabulous aircraft. Boy, could they thunder.
Have you seen Lightings do their vertical climb?
Cheers
John


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## rochie (Jun 12, 2011)

Readie said:


> Yes indeed, a truly fabulous aircraft. Boy, could they thunder.
> Have you seen Lightings do their vertical climb?
> Cheers
> John


 
yes, a very similar experiance


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## Readie (Jun 12, 2011)

rochie said:


> yes, a very similar experiance



Ground shaking and to paraphrase Slade 'a wall of noise'
Shame they have all but disappeared.
Cheers
John


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## Lighthunmust (Jun 12, 2011)

rochie said:


> as a kid at the local airshow watching a Vulcan take off, near vertical climb out and wing over.
> the sound even now if i hear it on T.V makes my hair stand on end, i remeber you could "feel" the sound vibrating through your body, and to see such a large aircraft being chucked about like a Spitfire was amazing


 


Readie said:


> Ground shaking and to paraphrase Slade 'a wall of noise'
> Shame they have all but disappeared.
> Cheers
> John



Perhaps you both are aware of this already; we have a Vulcan here in the States. I saw it at the Museum located at the old Castle AFB in central California. Very impressive just sitting still and it gave me flashbacks of the opening of "Thunderball".


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## renrich (Jun 12, 2011)

Another experience just popped back in my memory. In the summer of 1953 I along with a few other guys had just graduated from high school and we spent a week camped out on Padre Island down on the Gulf Of Mexico. We were out in the surf and a hotshot from Corpus Christi NAS in an F8F decided to do a low pass over us. He came screaming down parallel to the beach line right over us and his prop wash was disturbing the surf. WOW! He was low!


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## Readie (Jun 12, 2011)

Lighthunmust said:


> Perhaps you both are aware of this already; we have a Vulcan here in the States. I saw it at the Museum located at the old Castle AFB in central California. Very impressive just sitting still and it gave me flashbacks of the opening of "Thunderball".



They are HUGE on the ground aren't they.
I'm not sure if any are still flying these days....
Cheers
John


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## Readie (Jun 12, 2011)

renrich said:


> Another experience just popped back in my memory. In the summer of 1953 I along with a few other guys had just graduated from high school and we spent a week camped out on Padre Island down on the Gulf Of Mexico. We were out in the surf and a hotshot from Corpus Christi NAS in an F8F decided to do a low pass over us. He came screaming down parallel to the beach line right over us and his prop wash was distubing the surf. WOW! He was low!



Oh for a camcorder I bet that was an fantastic sight Renrich.


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## evangilder (Jun 12, 2011)

I have to say the Mildenhall Air Fetes in the mid-80s were very cool. We got to see the Vulcan, EE Lightning, Lancaster, Spitfires, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Phantoms, Aardvarks, starfighters, Blackbirds, Dragon Ladies, and number of other really cool aircraft. I don't think we will ever see days like that again, sadly.


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## Park (Jun 12, 2011)

I was a teen in the mid 70's when in Harlingen, TX and saw Bob Hoover fly a dang good show in a civilian twin with the engines off, I will never forget that.


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## tyrodtom (Jun 12, 2011)

I've seen the Thunderbirds perform, 4 times, F100, F4, T38, and F16, from 68-95. But I was always more interested in the prop jobs.

The airshow that got my attention the best probably only lasted 10 seconds. Four black T28s, in a diamond 4, about 50 feet above the ramp, inverted, at Nakhon Phanom, Thailand, in 1967. 

It got my undivided attention, because I was driving across that ramp in a tractor pulling a trailer loaded with about 10- 66 or 100 gallon napalm bombs.


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## evangilder (Jun 12, 2011)

That's a big pucker factor, tyrodtom! T-28s are a real blast to ride along in, and they have so much room in the cockpit for a warbird.


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## Geedee (Jun 13, 2011)

I've been to some great airshows over the years both here and in the States.

Back in the Eighties, I used to go to the Great Warbirds air displays at West Malling and the Fighter Meet at North Weald. A good selection of warbirds and even some of those jet thingies !.

I've been to Oshkosh twice and the Confeder...sorry... Commemorative Airsho, once. Oshkosh is just so beedin huge, you really do need to spend every bit of daylight on every day to try and take in about half of whats there.

Therre is one event that stands head and shoulders above the rest that I've been to and tha was back in 2007.

The Gathering of Mustangs and Legends at Rickenbaker International. OK, I might be a little bit biased because it was based around the Mustang, but the supporting events, the schedule and just the whole experience was just so good, it'll never be beaten as far as I am concerned. I've nearly worn out my copy of the DVD of the event, I've watched it soo many times !

I posted a few piccies.... out if the 5K plus I tooks !...here
http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/warbird-displays/gathering-mustangs-legends-2007-a-10088.html

Truly an unforgetable excperience !


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## Readie (Jun 13, 2011)

Geedee said:


> I've been to some great airshows over the years both here and in the States.
> 
> Back in the Eighties, I used to go to the Great Warbirds air displays at West Malling



I lived in Maidstone from 1981 - 1985 and went to West Malling. We may have been there at the same time !
Cheers
John


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## Geedee (Jun 13, 2011)

Readie said:


> I lived in Maidstone from 1981 - 1985 and went to West Malling. We may have been there at the same time !
> Cheers
> John


 
Dont think I missed any of them..still got some of the brochures up in the loft !


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## Readie (Jun 13, 2011)

Geedee said:


> Dont think I missed any of them..still got some of the brochures up in the loft !



If you could scan the 1982 1983 ones that'll be good, I remember the Bearcat and had a flight in the Dakota that was giving joy rides.
Great days
John


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## billswagger (Jun 13, 2011)

I remember seeing an F-18 fly a low pass into a steep climb right over my head.
The blue angles flew out of the local airbase near San Jose.
They did the trick where each plane fans out from a center point at low level, then they pull up and climb looping back.
The smoke trail they form looks like a big pumpkin. It was the only stunt they did that brought all the jets out away from the main show. 
After seeing this a couple times, i knew exactly where to stand.
I got a good view of the plane going up as it passed.


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## tyrodtom (Jun 13, 2011)

I was sort of lucky being stationed at NKP, RTAFB, I got air shows every day for 6 months, in 67.

It only had a psp runway at the time, so the only jet that ever took off from there was C-141's. Since we were the nearest base jets returning from N. Vietnam could reach, damaged F-105's and F-4's would land there, but they never took off. They'd return to their base under a Skycrane.,

It was a daily diet of A1E H's, A-26's, P-2's, O-1 2's, AC-47's ( puff the magic dragon ) All the various C aircraft in the enventory, various aircraft operated by Air America, Helio Couriers, Dorniers , Pilatus's and of course those black T-28's, that were definitely not trainers. The had guns and bombs, and were usually flown by little guys in black flight suits ( Thai Laotian ) Not one visible marking on the aircraft, like nobody could figure where they came from.

The A1's and O 's were the only ones that operated by day, but we saw the others doing their check flights. We'd see the ocassional A1 or O-2 coming in trailing smoke, or more often we'd see Jolly Greens and several A-1's going out to try and rescue downed crew.

I can remember when one of the Navy's P-2's went down over the trail, and the shock I felt when I was told it had a crew of 12, and they were all gone.

I remember when a Constellation with the radar dish did a emergency landing, since it couldn't be Skycraned, they offloaded all the electronic gear they could, and flew it away. It barely made it, I think it defolated some trees and scared some monkeys.

I used to built models when I was young, when I really really retire, I think I'll build a model of every aircraft at that base, i'd better do them in 1/72.


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