Jubilee Flypast
Have to disagree with you, mr ripley - it just rubs it in to everyone that, thanks to the wretched politicians, our pathetically small RAF has been reduced from a once mighty force to a pale shadow of its former self.
27 Tucanos, eh. Can hardly wait....
27 Tucanos, eh. Can hardly wait....
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As much as it is arrogant to seem to even slightly disagree with Beagle on this site, I still think we are lucky to see what is on offer for the Jubilee.
I seem to recall from a piece over a year ago in Navy News that HM did not wish any great public expense to be spent on commemorations of the Jubilee. The Flypast we have now surely meets HM's qualification.
Please note that a Fleet Review is significantly absent from the programme of events..........
I seem to recall from a piece over a year ago in Navy News that HM did not wish any great public expense to be spent on commemorations of the Jubilee. The Flypast we have now surely meets HM's qualification.
Please note that a Fleet Review is significantly absent from the programme of events..........
No wonder. The logistics of getting some boats to sail down the Mall are mind boggling. Think of all the water you'd need to flood it. And that's without any submarines being involved....
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...and why no rotary AT ALL?
This fly past is billed as representing the "operational" RAF of today. So why Eurofighter? And yes I know any helo will struggle to match an F3 or VC10 for speed but it can't be THAT hard to do the maths surely?
Whoever got promoted out of this, well done, I feel thoroughly unrepresented.
(and reference the above message, do we have any working subs left?)
This fly past is billed as representing the "operational" RAF of today. So why Eurofighter? And yes I know any helo will struggle to match an F3 or VC10 for speed but it can't be THAT hard to do the maths surely?
Whoever got promoted out of this, well done, I feel thoroughly unrepresented.
(and reference the above message, do we have any working subs left?)
Talking Radalt - they manged to do the sums in 1953 when the flypast started with a Sycamore which pottered along at 75kts! And at several Yeovilton Air Shows when we had a real FAA!!
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Actually there WILL be a Helicopter flying the route in very lose formation.
So lose in fact, that it will be a few hours ahead and calling itself Winsdor Weather Check (Northolt T/S)
ALSO, there will be another Twin Squirrel overhead St Pancras Station at 2000 ft c/s Windsor Photo.
So........the rotary world is represented.....sort of!!
Look out for the Hawk Whip aircraft over Essex.......maybe it will have a SWO in the back shouting "Right Dress / Forward.....STEADY!!!"
Probably still be with them over Brize!!!!!
On a serious note, it is a shame that more isn't done.......what a great global PR opportunity for the RAF wasted.
So lose in fact, that it will be a few hours ahead and calling itself Winsdor Weather Check (Northolt T/S)
ALSO, there will be another Twin Squirrel overhead St Pancras Station at 2000 ft c/s Windsor Photo.
So........the rotary world is represented.....sort of!!
Look out for the Hawk Whip aircraft over Essex.......maybe it will have a SWO in the back shouting "Right Dress / Forward.....STEADY!!!"
Probably still be with them over Brize!!!!!
On a serious note, it is a shame that more isn't done.......what a great global PR opportunity for the RAF wasted.
Last edited by Bright-Ling; 2nd Jun 2002 at 07:54.
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It is no surprise to anybody who has been involved on Ops over the last few years that the flypast will be a shadow of those staged in the past. The RAF is overstretched. That is no secret. My fleet is struggling with a serious shortage of airframe hours at the moment due to ongoing Operational committments. There is no way the service could stage anything bigger. It's a shame, but it is the hand our politicians have dealt us. You want more, give us more.
You can not claim overstretch then try and emulate an event from a previous era.
The Portsmouth flypast will be representative (-Herc and Canberra).
I think the size and spread of this formation is appropriate in light of our operational committments.
mr ripley
BTW it is on BBC/ITV/Sky at 1755 local.
The Portsmouth flypast will be representative (-Herc and Canberra).
I think the size and spread of this formation is appropriate in light of our operational committments.
mr ripley
BTW it is on BBC/ITV/Sky at 1755 local.
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Mr Ripley. I think that was my point. The flypast we will have is one suitable in the present climate. My response was to those who seem to think we should be seeking to re-create those of past jubilees, which is out of the question. That said, it doesn't make it right.
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Am I right in thinking that the largest fly by was the RAFs own Golden Joob Abingdon bash in '68 - can any one point to a resource for that?
I seem to recall an F4 jock got into trouble on the rehearsal day for loosing his concentration on the display line, and going past M1.0 in a shallow approach dive, resulting in aheap of houses losing their rooves on the apporach end of 26. There was muttering about ATC having asked the guy if he had visual on a C130 in the circuit - so he looked out of the window while maintaining -3 degrees and full chat .
Lots of A/C Jones' seen with 3 tonners and large tarps a little later. I heard it cost the Staish lots of cases of wine to settle the natives. HM was there the next day.
Can anyone tell me I am wrong, or is the memory still firing on all 12
I seem to recall an F4 jock got into trouble on the rehearsal day for loosing his concentration on the display line, and going past M1.0 in a shallow approach dive, resulting in aheap of houses losing their rooves on the apporach end of 26. There was muttering about ATC having asked the guy if he had visual on a C130 in the circuit - so he looked out of the window while maintaining -3 degrees and full chat .
Lots of A/C Jones' seen with 3 tonners and large tarps a little later. I heard it cost the Staish lots of cases of wine to settle the natives. HM was there the next day.
Can anyone tell me I am wrong, or is the memory still firing on all 12
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I was in both the '53 coronation review (Odiham) flypast in a 25 Gp Meteor IV, and in the '68 (Abingdon) flypast (for the RAF's 50th anniversary) in a Vulcan B2. The former was by far the largest flypast and, IMHO, much the better organised (by HQ 11 Gp).
In 1968 the weather in the forming-up area for the Vs - a "trombone" between Wittering (who were leading) and the Humber estuary -was solid clag from 500ft to 15,000ft, but OK over Abingdon. The V's were allocated altitudes between 1500ft and 2500ft (if I recall ). I was leading the Waddo contingent and had great difficulty persuading anyone to make a decision on a join-up altitude. I Gp Ops thought the whole show was Strike's responsibility, until I showed the Staish the Op Order where it said that forming up the Vs was HQ 1 Gp's job, and told him that all we needed was for someone to shift the datum to FL150 and we could do a good, old-fashioned, "snake" climb (à la Meteors in the '50s) under Midland until we were in the clear. And that is what we did and it worked perfectly. But the captains were left wondering what the hell was going on until crew-coach time. After that, I would believe anything of the "bomber" culture! Which was driven by everyone covering their own 6 o'clock.
In 1968 the weather in the forming-up area for the Vs - a "trombone" between Wittering (who were leading) and the Humber estuary -was solid clag from 500ft to 15,000ft, but OK over Abingdon. The V's were allocated altitudes between 1500ft and 2500ft (if I recall ). I was leading the Waddo contingent and had great difficulty persuading anyone to make a decision on a join-up altitude. I Gp Ops thought the whole show was Strike's responsibility, until I showed the Staish the Op Order where it said that forming up the Vs was HQ 1 Gp's job, and told him that all we needed was for someone to shift the datum to FL150 and we could do a good, old-fashioned, "snake" climb (à la Meteors in the '50s) under Midland until we were in the clear. And that is what we did and it worked perfectly. But the captains were left wondering what the hell was going on until crew-coach time. After that, I would believe anything of the "bomber" culture! Which was driven by everyone covering their own 6 o'clock.
So that was F/O FV from 205 AFS flying RA456 in the 'box' of the leading Flying Training Command Meteor formation, I guess? Funnily enough the chap flying box in the right hand 4-ship, Joe L'Estrange, also flew many a Vulcan flypast in later years - and I think he was also in the Silver Jubilee Vulcan formation flypast at Finningley!
Somewhere between 118 and 400 probably - i.e. on the aeronautical VHF or UHF bands.
Once when I was doing a small RAF airshow commentary, I put Les Girls' air-to-air chat out over the PA. It was so utterly cringeworthy and embarrassing that we cut it after half a minute....
Once when I was doing a small RAF airshow commentary, I put Les Girls' air-to-air chat out over the PA. It was so utterly cringeworthy and embarrassing that we cut it after half a minute....
Last edited by BEagle; 4th Jun 2002 at 12:36.
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Flypast now delayed for at least half an hour due to procession overrunning.
All spectators in Suffolk, Essex and Greater London stand down.
ETA for Buck House is now 18.25
All spectators in Suffolk, Essex and Greater London stand down.
ETA for Buck House is now 18.25