Sight of a warbird in 2009 that gave you goosebumps?

FOZ_1983 · #1 01-16-2010, 06:03 PM

Story to tell? share it.

What warbird did you see, whether it be on tv or for real last year that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and why?

Thought this would be a welcome change to the on going patch issues etc.

Here's one for me.....

It was August last year, the weather was nice and we were having a BBQ in the back garden. I live next to an airport so used to seeing passenger planes, private planes etc. Anyway this BBQ we had the whole family round, lots of us, including my grandad who flew lancs during the war doing two tours. He's the head of the family, love him to bits. Anyway we were all stood talking as you do, relaxing when i hear the distinct sound of a griffon... spot it a mile away. From nowhere the PR spit from the BBMF (Battle of Britain flight) comes banking towrds us and flies over, it looked and sounded incredible. Followed seconds later by the distinct sound of a merlin..... and the Hawker Hurricane, banking left like the spifire did and flying over, amazing sight.

A few minutes later after the buzz had settled down, we can hear this roaring sound! straight away my grandad says "i'd recognise that anywhere"

Banking left from the airport and flying over so low the mighty lancaster bomber in all her glory.

My grandad is a legend, and the smile on his face.... like a school boy in a sweet shop! it completely took us by suprise and right their at that moment...

It was his! his moment, you could see how proud he was, he was in his element to see his girl.

5 merlins and a griffon.... lovely sound.

draux · #2 01-16-2010, 08:44 PM

These are from last summer when Yankee lady stopped by Asheville Regional Airport. I had no idea there was going to be a B-17 in town, so it was quite a suprise when she flew over our house. They were offering a 25 minute ride for $450, but it was only $5 donation to climb around. That's my 3yr, not me in front of the ball turret btw. lol.

crashhappy1980 · #3 01-16-2010, 08:53 PM

thats a great story ww2 vets are some of the greatest people we'll ever know i've always been a big ww2 buff growing up hearing my grandfather tell his storys great men they all were but back to the goosebumps thing it wasn't in 2009 for me it was back in 1999 i was working in a lawn and garden center hey i was youg and needed money lol it was a friday i just got there after school and im walking across the parking lot and i hear this plane so i look up and wouldn't you know it its a b17 i think it was on its way to the westover airshow now im all excited im asking everyone around me if they saw it but no one really seemed to care witch was kind of sad but then i hear this guy telling his kid oh my god did you see that! that was a b17 and that made me smile cuz some one else did care

Vulcan607 · #4 01-17-2010, 09:08 AM

Vulcan XM558 on it way to southport airshow, those olympuses make the air crackle.
god im begining to get like Foz, always mentioning one type of aircraft.

Hero · #5 01-17-2010, 10:09 AM

P-51 D Mustang and a Spitfire Mk XVI on my local airshow.

winny · #6 01-17-2010, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vulcan607

Vulcan XM558 on it way to southport airshow, those olympuses make the air crackle.
god im begining to get like Foz, always mentioning one type of aircraft.

I watched it's display at Southport.. Loud, very loud. I'd also seen one of the last Vulcan Displays as a child (which was much louder and more of a proper display)

I also saw the B2 stealth bomber at Fairford Airshow (2003) which was very impressive if only for the 5!! F-15's that were escorting it (which happens because the B2 is so valuable that it needs escorting everywhere it goes when not operational) It had flown non stop from the USA with the escorts and did one flyby left to right and one back the other way and went back to the states (10 hours away) There were 5 tankers involved just to get them there and back and the whole display lasted 2 mins!

FOZ_1983 · #7 01-17-2010, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vulcan607

Vulcan XM558 on it way to southport airshow, those olympuses make the air crackle.
god im begining to get like Foz, always mentioning one type of aircraft.

It was about the lanc, not the hurricane. i mentioned the spitfire to, and how nice it sounded!!

Vulcan607 · #8 01-17-2010, 02:17 PM

I know i know, =)

Soviet Ace · #9 01-17-2010, 11:49 PM

Well, the video isn't from last year. Nor did I shoot the video, I just happen to find it on Youtube, while looking for some more recent 2009 footage of the Chino Air Show, but none the less. I always love seeing this little 'Flying Barrel' come flying over head. (IT'S GOT THE SAME ENGINE AS THE I-16!!)

F3F-2 "Flying Barrel"

flynlion · #10 01-18-2010, 05:36 AM

Some time ago I was flying a leg between Minneapolis MN and Charlotte NC at about 35,000 ft when ATC announced traffic at 11 Oclock and 2,000 feet below, oposite direction. Turned out to be a B-2 on his way home to Whiteman AFB after a LOOOONNNGGG mission overseas, probably Afghanistan. The thing was gorgeous, and HUGE, much bigger than I expected. It gave me goosebumps thinking about how the guys inside that plane had been in combat only hours before, how long their mission was, how many people might have died because of it or had been saved because of it, and once again the sheer beauty of the B-2. When I asked ATC how they coud track it on radar he replied that the B-2 crews need to have their transponders active whenever they're under ATC control