One for the aviaphile

[LewisM]

Put on your headphones and crank up the volume. (it doesn't sound the same without headphones as it was recorded binaural)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL1hpG6Ll6o

The mass formation had my ears bleeding with joy

[pluto]

That's awesome! thanks for posting Lewis :D

I was fortunate, and surprised, on a recent trip through Temura to see 2 Spitfires, a Mustang, and another similar aircraft (which I didn't recognise) flying in formation.
I now know that of course there is an amazing aviation museum up there which flies it's collection regularly.
I'm planning on heading up there for the Warbirds show later this year, but at the time I had no idea so it was a bit of a surprise! :)

[Exfso]

Brilliant. Love those Merlins etc. When I was in Darwin, there was a guy up there owned a Sea Fury, he regularly did demos over the airfield, that was a lovely sound as well.
His name was Giudo Zuccoli, he was killed in 1997 when his restored T-6 crashed on take-off from Tindal when a supercharger had a seizure and the resulting engine failure was the cause of his demise.
I remember him because he landed at Katherine just after Cyclone Tracy when the aerodrome had been de-commissioned. I told him when he was taxying in to hide the aircraft out of site behind one of the on site buildings, and to report to the briefing office. He did so and I told him what he had done, said he did not see the white crosses. Anyway I said I would keep it quiet if he would do so as well.
unfortunately he was heard bragging in the aeroclub a few weeks later about what he did and it got back to my OIC and I was keelhauled as a result..but that is what one did on outstations.
From memory he did not do the mandatory circuit area report which would have been a give away but just did a straight in approach without telling anybody, the first we knew about it was when he taxied past the briefing office.

[barx1963]

The Flying Legends at Duxford is one of the great experiences, if you ever get a chance to go, it is awesome. Merlin heaven!!

Malcolm

[julianh72]

The greatest flying (and static) display I have ever witnessed was at Duxford in 1989.

I had heard about this amazing collection, so went to visit when I was travelling around Britain. I pulled into the car park just before opening time and got out of the car, just in time to see a B-17 coming in to land - one wheel down, one wheel up, one or two props not turning, and belching smoke out of a couple of engines!

Horrified and stunned, I and a few dozen other early arrives ran over to the perimeter fence to watch what happened next.

The B-17 executed a perfect touch-and-go, then climbed away, switched off the smoke, re-started the stationary engines, did a circuit, and came in to land.

It turned out they were filming "Memphis Belle" using Duxford as their base - and I happened to witness one of the takes for the climactic final scene where she comes in to land, all shot up after her legendary 25th mission!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memphis_Belle_(film)#Production

The film producers had collected the most amazing collection of war-birds for the flying scenes, from all over the world. That was the only WWII flying action that I saw that day, but all of the "extras" were parked just off the taxi-ways, so could be inspected at close quarters - amazing!