Duxford 2016 - Meet the Fighters

[JudgeDredd]

Well, what can I say. This was almost a complete washout. Half the stuff meant to fly didn't and the weather was awful making for difficult picture taking. We were soaked, then dry, then soaked etc, etc, etc. A real shame because tomorrow will be amazing weather.

Thing is, I booked early to get a discount on tickets. I shan't be doing that again because if I'd held off, I could've been there tomorrow...and I saved £6...what's that worth when the weather is rubbish and some of the planes don't fly.

Regardless, I grabbed 1600 pictures (lots of multiples as they flew by) and I'll post them later. Please be aware, I'm not a photographer and I've recently just taken ownership of a Nikon D40X DSLR (my first ever DSLR - I always used a bridge camera) with both a 55-70mm and a 70-300mm lenses...so I'm not entirely sure I knew what I was doing. Sometimes the flash came on, sometimes it didn't. Sometimes I noticed I was on AUTO mode, others I noticed I was on Sport mode and others, some other mode!!

So the images will be the best I could do given a new camera and the bad weather. If anyone has any tips for future bad weather airshows, please feel free to enlighten me.

Pictures to follow. I've got some conversion to do, selection and uploading them - so they may be on here tomorrow.

Here's a preview




Spits being chased by an Me109


Some stunning aircraft. Unfortunately the weather was awful and the Sally B (B17) didn't fly, the Mig-15 didn't fly, the Vampires didn't fly, the mass of Spitfires (about 10 or 12) didn't fly, the WWI biplanes didn't fly....overall, not the best day at the airshow.

I will definitely hold off until I see the weather next time.

The US Hanger is superb 

One cool thing they did this year was hold a bomber briefing. We all sat in a room as "pilots, navigators, bombadiers, gunners, rad-ops" and had a briefing on our bombing run that evening. Very cool.

Also, there was a US Marine there who was injured 4 times in the Pacific who got a standing ovation during the briefing. 

[Asid]

Nice pictures JD.

Great rivet detail....I am counting 

Pity about the weather....You should be used to it.

Thanks for posting.

Regards

[JudgeDredd]

Thanks Asid - my pleasure. I love planes.

We didn't have enough time to go into the hangers (apart from the US one)...next year, mental note to self - go earlier or book for both days.

Ok - get ready. There's about 300 pics here.

The Sally B - beautiful






















A beautiful PBY Catalina




There were no boards that I could see on the Flight Line walk, so I may be wrong with some of these
A Bearcat - you can actually proper see the rain pouring down if you look carefully enough


A Seafury


A Harvard


The Mig-15 and Vampires didn't fly, but they did a pass by on the runway. Man - the sound of those bad boys! And the smell of the fuel was gorgeous
Mig-15


Vampires - two different types







Some "arty" shots - I was going to use these to "guess the plane"...but all this conversion, selection, uploading has tired me out somewhat. And besides, they were hardly difficult for you bunch.

[JudgeDredd]

Some Spitfires. Unfortunately, due to the weather, the mass fly-by of these Spitfires (there were about a dozen) didn't happen.


















Some more "arty" stuff








Safety first


Gloster Gladiator - I love this old biplane



Some other biplanes - Hawker Nimrod Mk1 and Mk2, Hawker Fury Mk1 and Hawker Demon (not necessarily in that order)

[JudgeDredd]

A Hurricane




What Staggerwing said...






Yak-3




Acrobatic aircraft - these put on a lovely show. Unfortunately they were doing it in really bad light, so I didn't get any good ones of them flying

[JudgeDredd]

The American Museum. This was closed last year for renovation so it was the only hanger I made it into and the one I was definitely heading for

[JudgeDredd]

[JudgeDredd]

And a very poignant way to leave the US Museum - a piece of the Twin Towers. There was also a video next to it (which I believe is around on Youtube also) showing the speed that the US grounded over 5000 aircraft

[JudgeDredd]

I missed the Hawker Fury and Bearcat flying because I was in a bomber briefing






A Bloodhound missile


A couple of shots of the aerobatic aircraft



Hispano Bushon



Spits







And more flight stuff...


























































Battle ensues








Of course - the Spitfires had to win...

[JudgeDredd]

These decided to bolt whilst there was a very, very small window of opportunity

[JudgeDredd]

The final flyer was the PBY Catalina. She was actually just taking off to go to another airshow...presumably somewhere with better weather. However, it decided to do a few flybys to cheer the ever dwindling and ever wetter crowd on. The Sally B had taxied to the runway but sat there and it came over the speaker that she wasn't going to fly. With her not flying, that meant the Spitfires wouldn't be going up either - so it was time to bail and get dry (and warm)

I have to say, she was superbly graceful and seeing her banking, lights on, angry sky and with huge bubbles for visibility, it made you think of the relief downed airmen or shipwrecked sailors would feel when seeing her overhead...not to mention the dread of the enemy navy when they spotted them.

[Asid]

Great pics JD

I really like the PBY Catalina. I have it for FSX by Aerosoft. Shame about the weather

I really like this shot




Thanks for posting

[JudgeDredd]

My pleasure

I was looking at the sky today with HUGE envy! I could've got some right corkers!

[JudgeDredd]

I have ordered this one as a print

[Asid]

I have ordered this one as a print

Very nice