Dakotas Over Duxford

[Nick]

I've wangled the day off tomorrow (4th June) to go see Duxford and the mass Dakota gathering! If you want to join me drop me a line ASAP. Tickets are £25 and must be bought today online.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/events/daks-over-duxford

4 June 2019
 IWM Duxford gates open 10am
 10am-6pm Large WW2 airborne exhibition (AirSpace Conservation Hall)
 10am-6pm 16th Air Assault brigade display and demonstrations
 11am-12.30pm Air Display: 4-ship formations, Single DC-3 Demo, Free-fall parachute teams
 12.30pm -1.30pm Air Display D-Day aircraft parade
 2.30-3.30pm Round canopy parachute drop (220 parachutes)
 4pm-4.30pm Air Display D-Day aircraft parade
 Gates close 6pm

[Captain Canada]

Wish I could ! Have a great day. Looking forward to the photos !

[zenrat]

That's got to be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Have fun.

[Nick]

Sadly the parachute drops got cancelled due to high winds and low clouds. Took plenty of photos though and will be sharing these soon.

I've only ever seen perhaps 3 DC-3s flying together at one time. Today I saw 6 in the air at once. Thursday will be a very special day for lots of people when 30 Daks fly together at once.

[PR19_Kit]

While I'm staying with my good friends in Northants for a couple of weeks, we're going to take the opportunity to park ourselves under the Duxford - Chelmsford flight path just after lunch tomorrow in the hope that the massed Daks will fly below cloud level en route to Caen.

Fingers crossed.

[NARSES2]

And this old gent will be one of those on board 

https://www.itv.com/news/2019-06-05/harry-read-veteran-d-day-parachute-jump-normandy/

[kerick]

Good for him!!

[Nick]

The BBC showed the 250 veterans who'd sailed to France today on the MV Boudicca. The Royal Marines were there to greet them in Poole and show off their latest weapons. They even took them out for a high speed boat ride around Poole harbour 
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/d-day-hero-93-whoops-16256555

One old boy, wearing a Scottish regiment glengarry, was given a modern rifle with grenade launcher attached and his face lit up like a kid at Christmas!

Then there was the chap playing with a heavy machine gun on a mount.... I thought he was going to make off with it! 

https://www.peeblesshirenews.com/news/17683262.d-day-veterans-take-trip-on-royal-marine-offshore-raiding-crafts/

[PR19_Kit]

Something went severely wrong with the Dak's departure for France today.

I trekked out some miles into North Essex, and directly under the published Duxford - Colchester flight path, but by 2.30 this afternoon not a sign of even a single Dak had I seen. There were lots of 737s and A320s around plus a couple of KC-10s, presumably operating out of Lakenheath or Mildenhall, but no Daks.

My return route took me directly past Duxford, by chance, not planning, and most of the Daks were still there! And this was some 1.5 - 2 hrs past their intended take-off time.

The size of the crowds and the numbers of cars parked on the verges were awesome to behold though, and it was pleasing that there wasn't a heavy Police presence around trying to move them on.

[Later] The event was apparently '.....delayed by over 2 hrs.....' but the organisers declined to give a reason. A bad show considering how many people showed up to see it........

[Old Wombat]

Hey, D-Day was held up for 24 hours, 2 hours ain't nuthin'!

[AS.12]

[Later] The event was apparently '.....delayed by over 2 hrs.....' but the organisers declined to give a reason. A bad show considering how many people showed up to see it........

The rumour on the field was that it was to synchronise with the itinerary of some unnamed dignitaries.  Which if true is a real kick in the teeth for those of use who *paid* to attend...

There was a large black limo that left with an escort around 16:00, just before the departures commenced.  Not sure if that was related.  But it was clear that the delay was intentional and not due to technical issues.  They got out just before the NOTAM expired.