Lancaster Bomber

[spuddog0507]

Sorry the 80th aniversary of the dams raid is next year, its the 79th this year,,,

[skc101fc]

Our local village fete somehow managed to arrange a Lancaster Bomber fly-past today. We arrived (unknowingly) about 5 mins before and wondered why there were loads of photographers with massive lenses - turns out we were close enough for my old iPhone to get a pretty good view! 
 

Christ, you're village fete has got some clout to arrange a 3 pass flyover. You absolute lucky bastard!!. The sound of those piston engines in harmony actually drew real tears. - Thank you , and your village.
Shaun

[Mark Bolam]

Seeing a Lanc always reminds me of the classic exchange between Frankfurt air control and a BA 747 in the 60’s.

 

’Speedbird 206 cleared for take off, please proceed to runway 19’

 

’Hold on old chap, I’ll just check my map to work out where runway 19 is.’

(Imagine drawly voice, mirror shades, big moustache).

 

’Zis is unbelievable. Have you never been to Frankfurt before?’

 

’I have actually. A few times in 1944.

But it was dark. And I didn’t land.’

[Timbertom111]

I think it was around 3years ago we had a fly over at the local street market.

 

Amongst our group of friends was a war veteran who had unfortunately lost his eye sight. More unfortunately he's since died but anyhow...

 

His reaction as he heard the noise, brought a group of fully grown men to tears. It's a memory that will stay with me forever. 

[Gav73]

I was lucky enough to see the Lancaster flanked by a hurricane and spitfire fly over every year as a kid. They were on their way to an airshow. Never forgot the sound and they looked amazing. Can’t remember for the life of me where they were going, but I remember it being a big thing as people would phone to say they’d seen them in other villages and they were on their way.
Only other thing that got me in the same way was the Vulcan bomber when that did its farewell tour. I was stood at a petrol station as it roared over. Everyone stopped and looked up - amazing

[monkeybusiness]

1 minute ago, Gav73 said:

I was lucky enough to see the Lancaster flanked by a hurricane and spitfire fly over every year as a kid. They were on their way to an airshow. Never forgot the sound and they looked amazing. Can’t remember for the life of me where they were going, but I remember it being a big thing as people would phone to say they’d seen them in other villages and they were on their way.
Only other thing that got me in the same way was the Vulcan bomber when that did its farewell tour. I was stood at a petrol station as it roared over. Everyone stopped and looked up - amazing

The Vulcan flew near to here on its farewell tour and I managed to find a spot in a lay-by right underneath - I was amazed how relatively quiet it was. Another mega plane, very impressive seeing it flying. 

[monkeybusiness]

34 minutes ago, skc101fc said:

Christ, you're village fete has got some clout to arrange a 3 pass flyover. You absolute lucky bastard!!. The sound of those piston engines in harmony actually drew real tears. - Thank you , and your village.
Shaun

I was blown away that it was there - hats off to the organisers. There are only 350 people who live in the village!

[Mark Bolam]

I’m pretty lucky to live in Kent, so see Spits and Hurricanes pretty regularly, but it’s always special to see the Big Dog come over.

 

What’s really important is that the young stagers of today are often so impressed that they delve into a bit of history and realise what some of their great grandparents did.

They learn about the attrition rates of crews etc.

It’s sobering stuff.

 

Great thread Dan.

[skc101fc]

I was lucky enough to see the Lancaster flanked by a hurricane and spitfire fly over every year as a kid. They were on their way to an airshow. Never forgot the sound and they looked amazing. Can’t remember for the life of me where they were going, but I remember it being a big thing as people would phone to say they’d seen them in other villages and they were on their way.
Only other thing that got me in the same way was the Vulcan bomber when that did its farewell tour. I was stood at a petrol station as it roared over. Everyone stopped and looked up - amazing

Same experience here. I grew up in poynton, cheshire. We lived practically at the end of the runway from Woodford aerodrome, which was one of the production factories for A.V.Roe who produced both Lancs and vulcans. They used to have an enormous airshow each year which brought in so many fantastic planes of the 60's, 70's and 80's, alongside true veterans. The battle of Britain flight were always the real stars. They weren't treated with kid gloves then, pushed really hard in steep climbs, high speed banking and rolling turns. The sounds of those engines working hard and being pushed to the max never leaves the memory.
Whilst at primary school at end of 1969 to early 70's the vulcans and beautiful victors were brought in, some for dismantling and others for conversion to tankers. Each day the air itself would shake and vibrate with the sound of engine testing, where the planes were backed up to 4 giant pipes of about 40' horizontal length with a final 15' vertical end to send noise and fumes into the sky.
I was always breaking into the base at evenings and weekends, avoiding and hiding from guards, to sit in the chopped off cockpit sections of the dismantled planes, playing with knobs ,switches and firing a fantastic imagination.

[Billhook]

9 hours ago, David Cropper said:

My first wife's father was a rear gunner on Lancs, Wellingtons and then was waiste gunner on Catilina flying boats with Coastal Command for a spell. Nice little chap, about 5 foot 3 inches, typical of the Tail end Charlie, needed to be small to get into the turret.  He told me he remembered being freezing cold and frightened as you didn't see a lot on night raids, next thing you knew was the exhaust flashes from the German night fighters were alongside. He said you pointed the 4 Browning machine guns in the general direction and prayed and sprayed. Very brave blokes indeed. One of his good friends who went to the same social club to play cards was a German crew member of a Panzer captured and sent to a camp in U.K.  where he married and settled down. I never heard any adverse comments when ever I went for a drink with them although there was lots of ex forces from the war.

My father too was in Coastal Command, stationed at Davidstow in Cornwall.  He was initially sent to Canada then Pensacola to learn how to fly Catalinas.  Then ended up in 280 Squadron flying Wellingtons then Warwicks.  I visited the museum at Davidstow some time ago and they had a record of all his missions.  He flew Warwicks that had the bomb bay converted to house a large lifeboat that had its own engine and medical and food supplies.  I think it had two or three parachutes.

Like many he never talked much about the war.  However on his death bed he suddenly told the story which had obviously been haunting him since the war.  They were called out to a Flying Fortress downed in the Channel.  Father dropped the lifeboat closer to the crew swimming there than he was trained to do, maybe fifty yards away and they circled around helplessly as they watch all the crew succumb slowly either to the cold or their wounds and not one of them made it.

 

Going back to the wonderful Lancaster, we live only a few miles from Coningsby and from East Kirkby, where the non flying, hope to be flying soon  Just Jane just taxis.  Have not seen the flying one recently as it has been undergoing surgery so good to see it in the video

Here is a video I took at East Kirkby when the Canadian one visited and the sound of twelve Merlins filled the air.  As you can see at the end of the video I nearly fell over backwards!  Alas these amateur cameramen!

The only place in the UK where you can ride in a Lancaster Bomber - Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre

WWW.LINCSAVIATION.CO.UK

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Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Museum is based on a 1940's RAF Lancaster Bomber Airfield. The only place in the UK you...