O/T Spitfires on Top Gear

Hi Pete, The idea is getting you exited. I have just received your message five times. 8^)

Hi Dave, I must admit the idea sends a tingle down the spine :-)

As most of you know I am from Suffolk which is the wrong side of the Country from a lot of regulars on this NG however if anyone is in the vicinity of Bury St Edmunds next Weekend, Rougham Airfield is holding it's Annual Flying weekend. Last Year there was not too much going on on the Saturday except for the Wing Walking girls and Sunday morning was a bit lacking but Sunday afternoon was excellent with no less than FOUR Spitfires, a P47 Mustang, If I remember a P51 and a host of aerobatics including Denny Dobson in the Extra 300 and another guy whose name escapes me who was every bit as good as Denny, also in an Extra, Nigel Wilson in the Yak, etc etc. Needless to say I did not run my engine much that afternoon.

Oh and I nearly forgot, a trailer mounted Merlin and the rumor is the Griffon is coming this year.

Hi Dave, I must admit the idea sends a tingle down the spine :-)

As most of you know I am from Suffolk which is the wrong side of the Country from a lot of regulars on this NG however if anyone is in the vicinity of Bury St Edmunds next Weekend, Rougham Airfield is holding it's Annual Flying weekend. Last Year there was not too much going on on the Saturday except for the Wing Walking girls and Sunday morning was a bit lacking but Sunday afternoon was excellent with no less than FOUR Spitfires, a P47 Mustang, If I remember a P51 and a host of aerobatics including Denny Dobson in the Extra 300 and another guy whose name escapes me who was every bit as good as Denny, also in an Extra, Nigel Wilson in the Yak, etc etc. Needless to say I did not run my engine much that afternoon.

Oh and I nearly forgot, a trailer mounted Merlin and the rumor is the Griffon is coming this year.

Gentlemen,

Living where I am is a spotters dream of Vintage aircraft, Old Warden, Shuttleworth, Airfield is about four miles south of me, Duxford is about fifteen minutes flying time south east of me and Gransden Airfield is about twenty minutes north east of me. Last weekend Sunday, for instance I had an F86, P51, Spitfire, Anson and I think I caught site of the B of B flight as well. There is always something going overhead, on the Saturday a Dragon Rapide poodled over on its way to Duxford. That and the East coast main line with regular runs from Union of South Africa, Bittern and Sir Nigel Greasley all A4's running up and down it. Its almost paradise.

Martin P

Good God, Martin, I should never sit down if I lived in your house. Hazel and I watched a speck performing aeros at the balloon fiesta yesterday from my office window. Too far away for decent identification, from the engine note, I'd be pretty sure it was a Griffon engined aircraft & as the company Spit lives in Filton, surmised that it might be that one.

regards,

Kim Siddorn

Kim,

Binoculars and camera always at the ready, it is also under the flight paths for Luton, Stanstead and Heathrow, many a time I have seen my house from a few thousand feet on my way in or out of Luton to and from jobs. Until last year Air Atlantic's DC6 used to do the evening mail run from Coventry to Europe right over our house. Been to a Funday with the Rover today at a Sue Ryder Hospice with over 70+ Classic cars, only three miles from home.

Also forgot to mention Cardington Hangers are only two miles away, home of the R100 and R101, still occasionally get the odd Airship in one of the Hangers. As I said paradise.

Martin P

We went to Daughters for lunch yesterday & were surprised to find she'd laid on an extended Red Arrows display, an early straight winged jet that was probably a jet provost and another look at the Griffon engined Spit! She lives closer to the balloon fiesta than us!

Also, the bloke next door has several interesting Norton singles and a 1939 KSS Velo.

regards,

Kim Siddorn