The Tower bridge incident

[TallEng]

1968 was the RAF's 50th birthday, The main event planned to celebrate the Royal Air Force's 50th anniversary was a summer airshow at RAF Abingdon in Oxfordshire.
Many in the service felt let down that nothing else was planned in the air.There were going to be a few parades and a bit of marching up and down, but nothing that would show the RAF off to the taxpaying public in all its glory. Many RAF personnel were less than impressed with this, and one Flt Lt Alan Pollock of 1(F) Squadron decided to mark the occasion in style - he flew his E.E. Lightning F.6 (XS442), a single-seater, jet fighter, over London at low level, circled the Houses of Parliament three times as a demonstration against Prime Minister Harold Wilson's government, dipped his wings over the Royal Air Force Memorial on the Embankment and finally flew under the top span of Tower Bridge. knowing of the consequences of his unauthorised trip, he proceeded to beat up several airfields and landed to meet his fate. It would be the end of his RAF career....
Luckily for us shortly before, Flt Lt Pollock paid a visit to RAF Hiding in the Hedges, where the Station photographer was able to capture these images....

Lightning F. 6 by , on Flickr

Lightning F. 6 by , on Flickr

I've always wondered why 1Sqn went from premier Fighter Sqn to Ground pounder.? did they upset somebody high up?
Surely they should have flown the Lightning.
So I've rectified that for them.
(I think I started this for the RAF's 100th anniversary )

Regards
Keith

[PR19_Kit]

Wonderful model Keith, and you're dead right about 1 Sqdn being 'demoted' too. All very odd.

And the twist on the 'Tower Bridge Incident' is brill as well! 

[comrade harps]

That's one nice Lightning 

[NARSES2]

That's one nice Lightning 

It is indeed  Lightning's suit simple, clean schemes IMHO

[Old Wombat]

That's one nice Lightning 

It is indeed  Lightning's suit simple, clean schemes IMHO

Yep!

Lightnings in NMF & these simple spine-&-tail markings are perfect, they look wrong in camo.

[zenrat]

 

That's one nice Lightning 

It is indeed  Lightning's suit simple, clean schemes IMHO

Yep!

Lightnings in NMF & these simple spine-&-tail markings are perfect, they look wrong in camo.

[PR19_Kit]

Except F2As in all over dark green. Then they look AMAZING!