Hello from a new member!

Malc · April 14, 2020

that blue looks so amazingly artificial and touched-up .... so it must be REAL, after all, it's Anglesey 😊

Malc

Onslow · April 14, 2020

Hello Kish, I'm a new boy here too 🙂 Where in the West Mids are you? As far as the airplanes go my Daughter is an engineer at the RAF Museum Cosford in the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre so gets to work on some interesting machines.

Welcome..

Steve

Sled Driver · April 14, 2020

That Vulcan howl! Oh yesssss - what a sound! :yahoo: Me and the missus saw a Lancaster Spitfire and Hurricane fly formation at RIAT 2018 - brought a tear to my eye - makes you feel proud to be a Brit!

Hi Steve, I'm in Birmingham. How's about you?

Cosford is a cracking place to go and get that aviation fix!

Onslow · April 14, 2020

29 minutes ago, Sled Driver said:

Hi Steve, I'm in Birmingham. How's about you?

Cosford is a cracking place to go and get that aviation fix!

I'm in Walsall, once this lock down is over I'm hoping to join in with the local meets that I think happen.

llyrrr · April 14, 2020

5 hours ago, Malc said:

that blue looks so amazingly artificial and touched-up .... so it must be REAL, after all, it's Anglesey 😊

Malc

One of my favourite spots for a good old photoshoot - Menai Straits down towards Anglesey Sea Zoo 😁 highly recommend a cruise around the coast if anyone's local. Image quality doesn't do the view any justice when the sky was as blue as it was that day.

Seen a F35 here a couple of months back, along with the usual MH6s/AH64s, chinooks and such the Americans bring over. I see the Typhoon and the Arrows often too. Anyone seen any of the F35s floating around yet?

Sled Driver · April 14, 2020

Be good to have a Lexus Owners Club meet someday!

Seen the F-35 at Marham in Feb last year 2019 - managed to see two Tornado GR4s for the last time too that day :sad: . I'm not a huge F-35 fan but when I saw her flying display at RIAT 2018 and 2019 - I was impressed!

On the topic of light scratch and swirl marks removal any ideas guys?

Before the lockdown I looked at a local, well-rated, bodyshop here in Birmingham gave me a quote was pricey, but thought possibly that as a last option. If I could do it at home myself with elbow grease and lots of microfibre cloths I'd like to try!

Sled Driver · April 14, 2020

Not sure if any of you guys are on it but Fighter Control is a very informative forum for military aircraft spotting.

Barry14UK · April 15, 2020

The Russians built some very interesting planes too, although surprisingly their version of a Concorde was a failure. I remember many years ago watching with amazement a display by two SU27 Flankers at Biggin Hill when they performed their 'Cobra' manoeuvre. Yet in complete contrast Sukhoi SU 26 was a great aerobatic plane in it's day which I also saw at Biggin Hill where I attended many an air show. (Sadly no more airshows there now).

If anybody has not been to Brooklands it's worth a visit to see over the prototype Concorde which has some cut away sections inside and also some interesting cars. Many car clubs have a meet there - don't know if Lexus have ever done so but a thought for the future. Bit of an irony that Brooklands provided many planes for battle with the Germans in WW2 but was in due course saved by Mercedes buying part of the land for it's Museum and test area. Before this happened and the strip was lost there was a 'Final Fly-in' (out) by light air craft. An old aero engined record car also made a run down the strip. (Can't remember if it was the John Parry Thomas car that was resurrected from Pendine Sands but if not similar) I was given some in cockpit instruction on flying the static VC 10 and remember the day well.

Watched interesting documentary on TV last night on the Messerschmitt Me 262 that started the jet age as seen in this video. Fascinating!

Malc · April 15, 2020

5 hours ago, Barry14UK said:

at Biggin Hill

remembering my first and last flying lesson there in mid 1983, just divorced ( for the first time ) and decided I would learn to fly ...... thought i wanted to fly across Southern Africa solo so ...... up I went and jeez it was such a scary time, just the one single propeller and no safety net .... wafer thin fuselage and when going upwards not being able to see a darn thing ........ if i was flying into anything ............ 20 years later up for the second time ( from Lydd ..... I had moved ) in a tiny learner aircraft with my young lad of a stepson ( his lesson ) and jeez ............ exactly the same feeling then too :wink3:

Can't imagine how I would feel in some sort of fighter plane ........... terrified I guess

so it's just regular scheduled flights now, or not as i can't see this travel mullarkey getting back to any " norm " any time soon

Malc

sorry i digress a little

Mincey · April 15, 2020

I've just remembered - way back in the late 80's I went to an air display at Mildenhall. I think it was one of the last shows by the Lightning and it did the take off and straight up thing as everyone expected. Anyway, then there was this which some kind soul has uploaded to YouTube

Sled Driver · April 15, 2020

Guys what have I started!!! 😊

Knew from reading this forum since July last year after getting the CT, that the info and "togetherness" of like minded folk was there in abundance - glad to have finally signed up!

I just wish I was old enough to have seen the SR-71 actually fly, by the time I got into aviation it was 1993 - too late for the Blackbird . Thank God for Youtube to see footage of great aircraft from the past in their true element up in the clouds!

thanks guys :cheers:

right gonna vacuum the car as need something to do!!!.....

llyrrr · April 15, 2020

I'm not 100% certain, but in around 2005 I remember staying at my grandparents and seeing something particularly fast, low flying, and very, very aerodynamic in its shape flying over head.

Convinced myself it was either a F117 or a B2. But, I was 5 at the time so... 🤔

OldTrout · April 15, 2020

Not rare like the preceding pictures but exciting nevertheless. DC10 refuelling and being docked for practice back just after my car was first sold.

John

Sled Driver · April 15, 2020

The F-117 Nighthawk that was futuristic - good old Lockheed Skunkworks again!

Whenever I see pictures and vids of VC-10's, Victors, Buccaneers, Tornados, Jaquars - I feel like a teenager again watching the news on Gulf War 1 over the Iraqi desert. Great aircraft, and not forgetting the Harrier - was so special to see two fly at RIAT last year - as I'd never seen one fly before.

I may sound daft, but I prefer the Harrier to the F-35. Nostalgia I guess! But the wife she loves the F-35!

Cleaned and vacuumed the interior of the car today. One more job done during lockdown!

Shahpor · April 16, 2020

Poor Kish, he thought he was joining a car forum

Thanks for the book recommendation, I will have a look.

And speaking of books, if you want to read about the Skunk Works, you should check out 'Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed' by Ben Rich. It highlights his time mainly during the development of the F-117.

I remember seeing a Spanish Harrier at one of the shows I went to in the last few years (can't recall which one it was) and the most impressive thing when it was hovering in front of us was the noise!

Mincey · April 16, 2020

If I may digress a bit, does anyone remember this?

...which LED to this:

I'd just graduated and was working at an Engineering company in Peterborough. At the time I was on a placement to the Experimental Department and each afternoon for a week when the practice formation flew back to Wittering, they'd come slap bang overhead. We'd nip up to the roof and get a great view of them coming over.

Sled Driver · April 16, 2020

That vid Mincey was ace! Seeing all those Tornado GR1s!

Added that book to the list now Shahpor. I've seen Ben Rich on a number of docs and what a guy! Would love to have been a fly on the wall when he and Kelly Johnson where in the same room back in day at the Skunk Works!

Over Birmingham we've had an Atlas A400m fly over going towards the airport. Was too slow in getting camera out! But often get F-15s overhead high flying through the Lichfield corridor and passing through North Birmingham!

Car stuff! Got some microfibre cloths and some simoniz diamond polish and wax for £3 at tesco on offer whilst done the weekly shop. My once a week only chance to drive at the moment. I'll let you know how it goes. Just gonna try a small area first to see...