Waddington 2013

[NARSES2]

Great photos thanks for sharing Capt 

The Hurricane looks gorgeous in SEAC 

[Nick]

Nice shots Todd but you gotta clean that lens!

I was fascinated by the SAAB team cos I've never seen any of those flying before.

The blurry Harrier is the gate guardian at RAF Wittering. I'm not sure if you're allowed to pull in and take photos there, anyways we were heading home at that time.

The Sentinel is from 5 Squadron RAF who are celebrating their 100th Anniversary today. The Maple Leaf on the badge reflects their association with the Canadian Corps in WW1 and now they fly Canadian aircraft!
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/040D8418_5056_A318_A81858174AF8529A.pdf  for their story.

JG Magee (an American who joined the RCAF to fight for Britain!) is buried at Scopwick cemetery along with many other RAF, RCAF, US and other Allied pilots. He was based at RAF Digby just 1.5 miles away. Surprisingly there are also 5 Germans buried there from WW2, four from the same crash. If you didn't know, he wrote this poem -

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

[Mossie]

Great photos!  I was there on the Sunday, I'll download my photos when I get the time, if they're any good from my little point and click.

[Howard of Effingham]

so the visit was obiviously worth it then!? 

glad you had a great time.

[PR19_Kit]

It's possibly not the lens that generates those splodges, more likely the CCD itself. I have the same problem with my Pentax but the cleaning kit for the CCD costs £70 +! 

I take all the splodges out with PaintShoPro after the event, a lot cheaper.

[Captain Canada]

Thanks guys. It was an awesome day, if a little hot and long. We were pretty tired from all of our travels, but if I could go back and do it again, I'd have sat in the shade for an hour near the end, then did a proper walk about ! Way to much to see.....

As for the camera, it's defo in the body. The same blotches turn out with either lens attached. I need a new camera anyway...the new ones are like 24 megapix and this old D40X is only 10.2.

[Martin H]

Wish we would have stopped here. Poor old Harrier....


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That would be "Christine" as she was know to the tec's at Cottesmore and Whittering. They claimed she was a killer bird, constantly trying to kill ground crew.

She replaced a GR-3 on the gate at Whittering. 

[Captain Canada]

Interesting.....Thanks Martin !

[Martin H]

up untill 2006, Whittering was almost a 2nd home for me.
My cadet squadron did most of its shooting there. Our wing HQ was based there, and it was classed as our parent station. I have fond memories of that place. I used to put on a very whiff heavy model display in the airmans mess on wing field days. I spent more than a few evenings in the Sargent's mess (duty free beer for those who like their beer). And running the range when ever my old squadron was slated to use it. I still have my last and now long invalid station pass some ware here.

[PR19_Kit]

Co-incidence strikes again, I too have fond memories of Wittering.

I was 'helping out' the RAF with their oil sampling procedures in the mid-70s and we put some sampling points on the OCU's Harriers at Wittering. I lived in the Officer's Mess for three nights and met the AOC Strike Command there one night too. He seemed to think he knew my Dad '....when were in Bomber Command Plans....' but he was mistaking my Dad for an Air Commodore Spackman. 

[Captain Canada]

Good stories guys ! Some day I'll be back and peruse the place proper....as well as all the other spots Nick was alluding to, like where they built the Mossie !

[rickshaw]

That would be "Christine" as she was know to the tec's at Cottesmore and Whittering. They claimed she was a killer bird, constantly trying to kill ground crew.

She replaced a GR-3 on the gate at Whittering. 

Interesting piece of folklore there.  Any truth to it?  Was the plane involved in a large number of incidents?

[Martin H]

apparently yes. 

including some that could be called serious, like falling off her jacks while under maintenance. The fitter working underneath her just got out in the nick of time.

those involved dont call them accidents. They are convinced she was out to kill them.

The techies treated her with due caution and respect and still utter her name in hushed tones when ever she is mentioned.
Ive witnessed this first hand as two of the techies involved are fellow IPMS members that I get on well with.

[Mossie]

Probably why she's a Gate Guard, she regenerates every time they try to scrap her!

[Captain Canada]

Love it guys ! Thanks for the info