Unusual place to see a Lancaster . . .
Discussion
14-7 said:
What, flying?
Joking aside, there are only two airworthy Lancasters left 
And only about 15 non-airworthy ones. Out of a total of around 7,500 which were built....They are, and will hopefully remain, an awesome sight (and sound) in our skies.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nick_milton/sets/7215...
I have one in the post. Spent my childhood looking up at them (flying out of Northolt). A truly fantastic noise.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Avro-Lancaster-Mickey-Mooche...
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Avro-Lancaster-Mickey-Mooche...
When I was about 16, I went on an Air Cadet camp to RAF Conningsby, home of the Battle of Britain memorial flight. At the time - mid Eighties - it was home to what I think was the only flying Lancaster in existence. At the time, Conningsby was also being used operationally to cross-train Phantom pilots onto Tornadoes.
Towards the end of our week there, we were all rushed out onto the side of the airfield, and rapidly joined by pretty much every non-essential member of base personnel for something special.
The "something special" turned out to be that they'd just finished the last conversion course, so the Phantoms were heading off to wherever old jets go, the Tornadoes were heading off to Cyprus or somewhere, and the BBMF just happened to be heading off to an airshow.
Just for us, we got a low level fly past of the Lancaster (flying its arse off at top speed), flanked in V formation by a pair of Hurricanes, a pair of Spitfires, a pair of Phantoms and a pair of Tornadoes (wings fully forward, desperately trying not to drop out of the air!).
I'm inclined to think if I ever go senile that this will be one of the last memories to go.
Towards the end of our week there, we were all rushed out onto the side of the airfield, and rapidly joined by pretty much every non-essential member of base personnel for something special.
The "something special" turned out to be that they'd just finished the last conversion course, so the Phantoms were heading off to wherever old jets go, the Tornadoes were heading off to Cyprus or somewhere, and the BBMF just happened to be heading off to an airshow.
Just for us, we got a low level fly past of the Lancaster (flying its arse off at top speed), flanked in V formation by a pair of Hurricanes, a pair of Spitfires, a pair of Phantoms and a pair of Tornadoes (wings fully forward, desperately trying not to drop out of the air!).
I'm inclined to think if I ever go senile that this will be one of the last memories to go.
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