Flippin' Lancasters!

It's the airshow season. Last summer I heard a rumble in the air and saw a B-24 in the distance--and watched it until it flew out of sight. Great.

We live near Jones Beach on Long Island - air shows all weekend for Memorial Day - a Lanc and many others flying over going from Republic Airport to the Beach area - really interesting.

Val Kruat

Enzo Matrix said the following on 10/06/07 14:06:

I've now got an image of you sitting there writing a letter to the War Department as it's messing up your hens and their egg-laying whilst you hold on for dear life, the table and crockery rattling away.

I just had the Red Arrows flying over yesterday on their way into Brize. Whether they practice manouvers on their way across the countryside I don't know as there was a vic of five leading aircraft and a diamond of four lining up on them from port but not an airshow in miles.

Don't get me started. I live about ten miles from RAF Marham and can hear the aircraft there when they take off. I fully understand that "jet noise is the sound of freedom", but I get concerned when I hear the aircraft taking off and then, about a minute later, they fly directly over my house.

The secondary runway at Marham points directly at the local town. In the

50s, a whole flight of Hunters were attempting to land on the runway in fog but had to go round again. They were all sort of fuel and all flamed out as they climbed away. The pilots ejected and five of the aircraft crashed around the town. Fifty years later the town has expanded considerably. One of the crash sites is about 200 metres away from my house.

Statistically, most aircraft crashes occur immediately after take-off. When I worked at Marham, SOP for use of the secondary runway entailed the aircrew making a sharp turn as soon as they lifted off to take them away frm the town should anything untoward occur. It seems that in the past few years, that SOP has been altered because the Tornados are now ageing aircraft and their fatigue life has to be conserved. So, instead they lift off and fly directly over the local town. Given that they *are* ageing aircraft, I would have thought that the likelihood of a safety related incident has increased considerably. Therefore the measure that is supposed to maximise the fatigue life of these jets is the very measure that will ensure massive civilian casulaties if one crashes just after take-off.

I get the Dead Sparrows fairly often here as well. I live about ten miles from RAF Marham and about twenty from RAF Lakenheath, so I see Tornados and F-15s every day. The Lancaster made a nice change.

I was at a conference in London a few years back when S for Sugar came out of rebuild. They took it out for a spin and came down Whitehall at about 500 feet at full throttle. I was in a men's loo at the time and when the sound hit me nearly sprayed the wall!

Didn't get outside fast enough to see it, alas.

Cookie Sewell

LOL Had the same happen to me when they started up an engine in the museum hanger one night!

That was probably fortunate for all concerned :-)

that must jabe been without the flame dampers. an old bomber command guy told me they cut the noise by about 1/3 and mad the sound very "flat", kind of hollow rumble. any merlin at speed unmuffled is like the voice of god....

Reminds me of the '70s when I lived under the airway to one of the runways at the local airport. My neighbour was constantly calling Harrisburg and complaining about the ANG doing practise landings and takeoff in Herkys. Me, I was running out the door to watch, or lying back on the lawn if already out.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

Zipper burns can hurt.

Bill Banaszak, MFE Sr.

I know. It's amazing how often a woman walks in when you're trying to have a quick pee in the kitchen sink :o)

(kim)

PA464 flew very low over Worcester a few years ago - very loud!!!!

Be really concerend if they don't make it over your house.

EB

Enzo Matrix wrote:

Yeah, the Quadrangle magnifies the sound a bit doesn't it Cookie?

;0)

Chris

Hey Enzo,

We is virtually neighbours!

I'm just t'other side of the A1 - literally!

Chris

Yep, sure did! As you can figure out I was about three floors up and a long way from the front door, as well as the "Star Trek" tubes for passthrough to get outside to see it.

Cookie Sewell

The shortest distance from me to the A1 is at yet another RAF airbase... so you probably get a lot of aircraft noise as well!