Most impressive air display

[Readie]

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

 

[Lighthunmust]

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.

 

[Readie]

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 !!

 

[evangilder]

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

 

[Lighthunmust]

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

 

[evangilder]

Yep, wrote that before I had my coffee.

 

[Lighthunmust]

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.

 

[BikerBabe]

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

 

[Readie]

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

 

[evangilder]

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

 

[Lighthunmust]

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

 

[evangilder]

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

 

[vikingBerserker]

Man, that's one beautiful plane!

 

[Lighthunmust]

Man, that's one beautiful plane!

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

 

[renrich]

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.

 

[Lighthunmust]

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.

 

[evangilder]

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.

 

[Readie]

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

 

[rochie]

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]

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