Displays that have lived in your memory

Davidth88

People

Quite a few people on this forum have been , or go to airshows.

I know during the 80s/90s I went to so many that I started to find things like the Red Arrows ' boring ' ( I don't now by the way ).

It took a pretty special display to make me stop and look to be honest.

So what displays have made you stop and really look ?

My top 5

The Mad Australians at Greenham Common one year in their F111... they used to dump fuel then light the afterburners , cue a sheet of fire about 40 ft long. I think they stopped doing it when one backfired ( that may be rumour )

Canadian F104 breaking the sound barrier by 'accident' , jeez my ear were ringing for hours ( again Greenham Common I think )

The Italian Frecce Tricolori , ' The Drunken Pilot ' part where they do a tail slide IN A JET ... I had never seen this done until the ex Soviets became regulars on the display scene

My first Airshow ( Biggin Hill in the mid 70's ) Lightning , screaming down the runway , then going vertical and climbing to about 30k ft ( put it this way it was vapour trailing ( not smoke ) )

Middle Wallop one year where it seems most of the Army Air Corp took of in 2s and 3s.....then all you could hear is helicopters everywhere but you couldn't see them ( they were all below the surrounding tree lines ) . Next thing about 100 just appeared at once ( and this is being typed by a person who by and large hates helicopters )

Steyr

German Navy Tornado pair at Salthill a few years ago doing mid air refuel demo then the Navy solo act after refuel and flying below building height along the prom then kicking in the burners and going vertical at the slipway.

F22A Raptor at RIAT 2010.

Dauphin doing HIFR from LE Eithne at Salthill too.

xflyer

Fairyhouse 1984, showing my age here. Brian Lecomber in his Pitts Special just after the fatal crash of a Polish Wilga. Maybe it was the heightened awareness or that he put on a special one but most people agree it was one of his best seen to date.

Several others at Fairyhouse too, three F15s climbing vertically towards an airliner at altitude. F111s very low and fast.

Davidth88

Steyr wrote: »

German Navy Tornado pair at Salthill a few years ago doing mid air refuel demo then the Navy solo act after refuel and flying below building height along the prom then kicking in the burners and going vertical at the slipway.

F22A Raptor at RIAT 2010.

Dauphin doing HIFR from LE Eithne at Salthill too.

That sounds really cool

I missed out the fly by I saw at the German Navy Air show with I think 50 tonka toys ( about 1989 ish )

ambasite

Air Spectacular 2000 @ Baldonnel - the (ex?)RAF Canberra, beautiful sight & sound.

Davidth88

also forgot

Any display by the F104.... the weird whining noise they made when flying , would send shivers down your back.

The Canadian F104's were very good , but the WGAF ( West German Airforce ) ones were more common, along with the Dutch.

ednwireland

got a ticket to farnborough trade day (when i worked at rolls royce including bus !) great day (esp since all the stuff that disappears on public days - military stands, electric shock batons were stil there)

went to several airshows at church fenton in north yorkshire as a teen which were brilliant (vulcan bombers fly past stand out ) saw the last year of gnat perfomances and the first year of hawks by the red arrows as well

salthill 2009 red arrows for the volvo ocean race festival - just cos i hadnt seen them in years

Davidth88

Indeed the first Biggin Hill I went too the Red Arrows were Gnats still

Fratton Fred

I'm not a seasoned pro like most of you guys, but for me watching a Harrier "Bowing" to the crowd and the whole low routine they do is something special.

vulcan57

God! Thats a question and a half. I think the following would be mine, those that come to mind anyway.

70's Biggin Hills for sure. The Lighning as the OP has mentioned, that thing could just stand on it's tail and go.

Also at Biggin Hill when that Arrows where Gnats and they used to fly down the valley at the end of the runway and then you wouldn't see them till the very last minute when they would soar over the road and up over the air field.

RAF St Mawgan, way back (60's) and the V Bombers doing a fly past, Vulcan Valiant and Victor.

The Mig 29 OVT display at RIAT 2006, absolutely amazing.

An then the awsome F-22 at this years RIAT, just out of this world.

St. Leibowitz

xflyer wrote: »

Several others at Fairyhouse too, three F15s climbing vertically towards an airliner at altitude.

I remember that. AFAIR it was a DC-8 at about 30k feet, and the last F-15 looped around it. Lots of people missed it because the action was barely visible without binoculars, and another display was starting.

The Blades at the last Salthill show were fantastic. I don't usually get that enthused by props doing aerobatics. I can appreciate the skill and effort involved at a technical level, but the display doesn't do a whole lot for me. I was stunned by The Blades. Absolutely incredible display.

Davidth88

vulcan57 wrote: »

Also at Biggin Hill when that Arrows where Gnats and they used to fly down the valley at the end of the runway and then you wouldn't see them till the very last minute when they would soar over the road and up over the air field.

Jeez I had forgotten that

You and I must have been at the same airshows..........

My first one was Biggin Hill in I think 1976 or 77

St. Leibowitz , I sort of agree with you about the props doing displays , actually until I learnt to fly myself I didn't really appreciate the skills involved.

I would love to have seen the F22

I haven't actually been to an airshow now for nearly 20 yrs , other things have got in the way of spotting ( I used to travel the world spotting ! )

vulcan57

Davidth88 wrote: »

Jeez I had forgotten that

You and I must have been at the same airshows..........

My first one was Biggin Hill in I think 1976 or 77

I think that is almost certain. I was at a few during the 70's my first would be at the beginning of the 70's. I remember being there on 2 occasions when there was a crash, one was a bright yellow plane (think it was a bi-plane) and the other, if I remember right, was a spitfire. In those days air shows were risky places to be in hindsight, a lot of the displays, including the reds, took place right over the heads of the crowds, and very low at that. Nobody thought anything of it then.

Davidth88

Indeed the Red Arrows routinely flew over the crowd line in those days..... that all stopped after the Ramstain incident .

I vaguely remember a crash at one of the Biggin Hills , I also remember the Meteor and Vampire going down after a mid air at Mildenhall in 88

Mildenhall was always one of my favorites , the burgers and beer stalls set up by each squadron/unit .


You used to be able walk through a C5 and C141 , can't see them allowing that now

willier

Anyone remember the Shannon Air Spectacular in 1990 I think it was? Got to walk through a C-5 and saw F-4 Phantom and F-16 along with me109 and Spitfire. Excellent show that was!!

Steyr

willier wrote: »

Anyone remember the Shannon Air Spectacular in 1990 I think it was? Got to walk through a C-5 and saw F-4 Phantom and F-16 along with me109 and Spitfire. Excellent show that was!!

I was at one after that a few years later, i have pics on here. RAF Display Hawk (static)

Steyr

Davidth88 wrote: »

Indeed the Red Arrows routinely flew over the crowd line in those days..... that all stopped after the Ramstain incident .

They are kind of at that again, they arrived from behind at Salthill for the Volvo Ocean Race,

Here is a snap of same my Aunt's husband took. Very hot day!



Im top left at Airshow Control.:cool:

owenc

LOL the one at portrush the red arrows flew right over my house, like 200 foot above me nearly had a heartake, as well as the a380 of course.;)

jmkennedyie

The show in Shannon as mentioned before, and also the spectacular in Baldonnel where the Aer Corps helicopter wing stood out for me with a joint Gazelle, Alouette and Dauphin routine.

Must have been in 1993... yikes!
http://www.irishairpics.com/photo/1034456/M/Aerospatiale-SA316B-Alouette-III/197/Irish-Air-Corps/?&sid=7979620784&sp=0
http://www.irishairpics.com/photo/1001197/M/Aerospatiale-SA342L-Gazelle/-/Irish-Air-Corps/?&sid=7979620784&sp=28

owenc

Does the raf do airshows in southern ireland?

Ilyushin76

They do ya eoin

owenc

John85 wrote: »

They do ya eoin

Oh do they johnny do the irish force thingy whatever its called do ones in the uk then

Ilyushin76

owenc wrote: »

Oh do they johnny do the irish force thingy whatever its called do ones in the uk then

Its called the air corps and I dont think so ,I could be wrong do

EchoIndia

The Irish Air Corps do attend a few shows and similar events abroad most years:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24101413@N03/4813808150/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ian-ssc/819863477/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billkatygemma/4359663809/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billkatygemma/4355351345/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billkatygemma/4356097954/

owenc

EchoIndia wrote: »

The Irish Air Corps do attend a few shows and similar events abroad most years:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24101413@N03/4813808150/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ian-ssc/819863477/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billkatygemma/4359663809/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billkatygemma/4355351345/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billkatygemma/4356097954/

Hmmm maybe its just because the uk and the republic of ireland have good strong conections and are close?

shanew

a few of the displays that stand out for me..(showing my age a little..)

Arthur Wignal [sp?] in Pitt's Special
F111, F4, F15, A10 and Jolly Green Giant at Fairyhouse
flight of A4Bs, Rockwell turbo commander demo etc in Miramar
Lancaster & Spitfire at Farnborough
Red Arrows arriving for the first time at Baldonnel



Shane

Stovepipe

Hi there,
The Monday departure "displays" in Baldonnel, as the visiting aircraft left.They always threw in a bit "extra" for the Donners and we always egged them on.Several times, they were lower/faster/noisier than allowed at airshows:)
regards
Stovepipe

Steyr

owenc wrote: »

Oh do they johnny do the irish force thingy whatever its called do ones in the uk then

Irish Air Corps and yes they do go to Overseas events and not just in the UK.

Nforce

shanew wrote: »

a few of the displays that stand out for me..(showing my age a little..)

Arthur Wignal [sp?] in Pitt's Special
F111, F4, F15, A10 and Jolly Green Giant at Fairyhouse
flight of A4Bs, Rockwell turbo commander demo etc in Miramar
Lancaster & Spitfire at Farnborough
Red Arrows arriving for the first time at Baldonnel



Shane

+1 for Arthur Wignall...a true gent and a brilliant performer..RIP.
One of my other favourites was at an airshow in EIAB where a Ryanair RomBac 1-11 pilot carried out some low passes along the runway. I was (un)lucky enough to have blagged a view from the runway's edge. I'll never forget how loud those (Spey?) engines were at ~100ft over my head!!!:D

dasa29

I took this photos at an airshow in abbeyshrule in 1994. They are not great but you can see F15's and an A10.