To Biman or not to Biman

The date was set, the days off were booked and the transport was arranged. The destination was Birmingham Airport, the time was 9am the event was the last flight of the Biman DC10 and last passenger flight of the type in the world the question was would we make it ? The answer was only just but more on that later but first let’s go all the way back to the start of the day. 

The day started early with us departing at 4.30am to ensure we could fit in a few other destinations before our arrival at Birmingham. Our first port of call was to visit East Midlands Airport to log and photograph what we could on the deck. We arrived there around 5am to be greeted by a few nice items with one being a Southern Air 747 N400SA and another being EI-FDP Belgium Air Force Airbus A321 which was sat outside the paint shop after being repainted into Belgium Air Force colors after spending around 30 minutes at East Midlands we moved on to our next destination which was Coventry Airport. We arrived at Coventry just as the sun was rising at around 7am which made for some lovely photos of the based aircraft which are left outside and we were also lucky to be able to bag the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire air ambulance G-RSCU as it was pulled out of its hanger ready for another day of life saving. 

Southern Air 747 N400SA

Warwickshire and Northamptonshire air ambulance G-RSCU

Avro Shackleton WR963

             Everything was going to plan at this stage and running to time so we thought we could spare an extra 5 minutes at Coventry to try and log as much as we could, how wrong where we after planning a stay of around 30 minutes at Coventry which turned into almost an hour we left heading direct Birmingham and For the Biman the sole reason for our trip, now Coventry is only a 20 minute drive from Birmingham so we thought we would have ample time to comfortably get to the airport and be set up in time for the departure of the DC10 well this is where things started to go wrong we departed Coventry at 8am and thought everything was going well until we hit the queue now at this point we were still thinking we would get there with time to spare until we got around the corner, then we saw this queue went on for miles and we were not moving an inch now we were starting to panic a little as the time was now 8.30am and we were still 20 minutes from Birmingham, so we started to make plans to rearrange our schedule and go for the 12pm take off but then we had some luck and the traffic started to pick up speed and soon we were out of the queue heading full steam direct Birmingham. The time now 9.50am and still over 15 minutes from the airport we hear the Biman call up on the scanner requesting taxi to the runway at this point our hearts stopped, thinking that was it and we had missed the opportunity we then drove past the end of the runway and saw him taxing to the active we still thinking it was too late were preparing to come back for the 12pm take off then our driver remembered all his training and turned into Colin Mcrae taking less than 20 seconds to get to the top of the multi-storey car park at Birmingham airport. We could see the DC10 lined up at the end of the runway and like men possessed we whipped our cameras out and ran, Hearts pounding and still in shock from hair raising ride the Biman took off and like a majestic bird lifting into the gloomy Birmingham sky, we made it just in time being one of the most intense moment in my spotting career.  After our hair raising experience for the take-off we thought we needed a safer way to catch the landing so this time we left with plenty of time to get to a new location however this was not without problems as we got lost and still only just made it for the landing just not our morning but we still bagged both landing and take-off so we still achieved what we set out to do. 

 

Biman DC-10 S2-ACR

Biman DC-10 S2-ACR

After the landing it was straight back in the car and direct Half Penny Green or was it despite having a sat nav in the car our driver thought he could take a short cut over the middle of the roundabout narrowly avoiding the bollard in the center.  After another brush with death we continued our journey now for those of you who do not know spaghetti junction is located in Birmingham and yes you guessed it we had to navigate it thankfully there was not much traffic and we had a simple route around it so we survived this leg without incident and arrived at Half Penny Green safe and sound. Our main aim here was to simply collect registration’s and move on but me being me and loving Police Aviation and it being the home of NPAS Half Penny Green I just had to get some photos and we were lucky they were on pilot training and went up twice in the short time we were there making me a happy chappy indeed. 

 

NPAS Half Penny Green G-HEOI

After our short visit to Half Penny Green it was onward and upwards to RAF Cosford another straight forward trip that started far from it, with the main road that we had to use being closed for access only and after much debate we took a risk and went down it anyway we could see the road we needed but our access was blocked by no more than 200 yards so we contemplated going off road, but then we found another road leading to the road we needed and the rest of the trip to Cosford went uneventful. We arrived at Cosford at around 2.30pm and we planned to stay around an hour that idea quickly went out of the window when we spotted that there was two jaguar’s sat on the apron engines running. We dashed over thinking they were getting ready to do fast taxi runs we waited theres for something to happen for around 15 minutes excitement building then we saw the chocks get taken from under the wheels of one of them at that point we thought all our Christmases had come at once we watched as he taxied out and then parked to let two grob tutors past but then to our disappointment he taxied back to his original position and shut down.

 

RAF Jaguar xx119

RAF Jaguars

After waiting a few more minutes we decided to go tour the museum and hopefully have time  to catch a few late returners to RAF Shawbury. Things were going to plan and then we were approached by a nice member off staff who told us a lot of information on the Dornier 17 aircraft they have which they plan to conserve including its possible registration and crew, after a nice chat for around 10 minutes we then proceeded to go around the remaining areas of the museum. We then departed Cosford but not before finding the best petrol station in the world which had its own subway proper spotters food !

 

Dornier 17

Dornier 17

After our refuel at subway we headed off for our final destination of the day RAF Shawbury with the hopes of bagging a few late flyers unfortunately for us we were 5 minutes too late to see the last aircraft land for the night but we proceeded down to one of the crash gates still with the hope there would be something in the area but unfortunately that was it. Now this is where the fun and games starts as we were standing around waiting we had a visit from the military police to check us out and see what we were doing,  thankfully they were nice chaps and they just let us get on with it. Seen as there was no flying we decided to call it a day and head for home but on our way out of Shawbury we spotted a very spooky looking building which turned out to be Moreton Corbet Castle so we spent about 5 minutes there taking photos before headed off home finally arriving back for 9.30pm after a long but enjoyable day. 

Moreton Corbet Castle

A day with the Red Arrows

The date was February 14 2013 a very cold winters day which from the outset was set to be one of the highlights in aviation for me and by god it was and it was all thanks to this lady Maureen Hanson. 

The day started with a 1 hour car ride from Barnsley to RAF Scampton where i was treated to a tour of the Brand new museum which celebrates the bases history from the 2nd world war with the Lancaster's and 617 squadron all the way up to present with the Red Arrows and everything in between. 

After the tour of the downstairs of the hanger i was taken upstairs to see Guy Gibson's office the ex commander of 617 squadron the team at the museum have down an amazing job in recreating how the office would of looked and felt in war time.

 

After the tour of the museum was complete i was treated to a tour of the gate guards at RAF Scampton one being a folland Gnat XR572 and the other a Bae Systems Hawk T.1 XX253 and i must say i felt very privileged to be able to be so close to these two very special aircraft and i have to thank Maureen again for making this possible. XX253 particularly is very special as it was one of the hawks which was involved in a mid air collision over Kasteli Airport, Crete, Greece in 2010.

Now the exciting part began the time was 10.10am and i heard the distinctive voice of Red#1 Squadron leader Jim turner Call up over my scanner asking for the team to form into arrow formation then i saw them four bright red Hawk T.1 aircraft flying down the runway from the right. I immediately realised that 3 of these aircraft where Red#6 Chris Lyndon-Smith, Red#7 James McMillan and Red#8 Ben Plank or more formally known as Gypo the daredevils of the team you may call them.

 The team then preceded with there practice sortie over RAF Scampton one of three which they do daily during the winter training season but this training session was no normal one as i was soon to find out. It began by the team setting up for there trade mark Gypo break and i must say they did it perfectly as you would expect from the worlds best aerobatic team.

Immediately after the break we where then treated to many passers from the death defying synchro pair  Red#6 Chris Lyndon-Smith and Red#7 James McMillan.

Now at this point i thought this was just a normal practice they normally last for around 30 minutes but at this time it had been going for around 40 so i thought this was a bit strange the next thing i knew i saw the synchro pair heading directly towards me they then proceeded to do two complete orbits above mine and Maureen's head's and wave at us i thought well that's something a little special.

I then watched as the pair went off in the distance behind us only to hear the words on the scanner pulling up now so i look directly in front of me think it was the other pair of aircraft but after not seeing anything i was wondering to my self if i was hearing thing or not but then as i turned to my left i saw the synchro pair just completing the heart right behind our heads it was a very special moment and it was as if they had done the heart just for us.

  

The pair then departed and so did the rest of the team back to RAF Cranwell which is there temporary home until the runway at RAF Scampton is replaced.

After standing outside for almost 1 hour it was time to go back into the hanger and have a cupper and warm back up as it was so cold outside and i could not feel my finger tips which is not good when you are trying to take photos. After about 30 minutes inside i was told to my surprise that i was going to RAF Cranwell to watch the 2nd sortie. So we hopped in the car now at this point i would like to say a big thank you to roger who was my driver for the day and without his help in transport i would not even have got to RAF Scampton in the first place. We set of at around 11.30 destination RAF Cranwell the drive there was beautiful going through the countryside of Lincolnshire. As we got closer i could hear activity on the ground at RAF Cranwell on my scanner it was the Red Arrows doing there ground checks so we knew we did not have long to get there or we would miss there takeoff luckily we where only around the corner and just as we arrived we could see all the aircraft lined up on the parking ready to go.

We parked up in a near by lay-by just in time to catch them taxi to the runway unfortunately they where using the far end of the runway to take off from so it made it difficult to get any photos of them. 

We watched as they taxied all the way down to runway 27 at the far end of the airfield then as they lined up ready for take off then the loud roar as the engines where pushed into full power and the breaks released and they began to role down the runway and before no time at all they where airborne bang on time.

 

They then proceeded to climb and make a right hand turn away from the airfield at this point we began to worry thinking that we had got the timings wrong and that they where going to display over RAF Scampton instead we watched on as they where still heading in the direction of Scampton. They put there smoke on and at this point we where almost certain that they where going to display over Scampton.

As we continued to watch i took my eye's off the reds for a few seconds and i noticed a small crowd of people had gathered along this small lay-by along with a few lorries and a white van. As i looked back towards the Red Arrows i noticed that they had now began to turn back towards Cranwell a huge sigh of relief came over me as i now was sure that we had got the right time and they where going to display over Cranwell.

As they came closer they once again put there smoke on and spread out into line a breast to form up to do the Gypo break again just like what we had seen earlier over Scampton but this time it was going to happen right over us.

The light was spot on with the sun just in the right place to reflect off the smoke and the aircraft we watched as the 4 aircraft approached us from almost directly behind they then proceeded to do the gypo break just in front of us but we where standing behind it this time and a very unique opportunity to get some different photos as it is very rare to get photos from behind a display.

 

The team then proceeded to do the same as they did over RAF Scampton earlier in the morning. Where the synchro pair split off from the other two aircraft and did there head on passes and because we where behind where the runway was we where treated to a number of low passes as the synchro pair repositioned for there next run in. 

 

 

 

 

After around 30 minutes it was time for the team to land and as the they had took off from runway 27 that meant that they had to break to land from the same side so we watched as they ran in from the right with white and blue smoke on and then break off one by one to land and to our surprise they broke right over where we where standing and each aircraft passed just feet above our heads. 

 

They then proceeded to land in turn and taxi back to the parking area. 

It was now time for us to head back to RAF Scampton but first we had to stop of for a toilet break and some food thanks to Maureen and roger again here. On our way back to Scampton we had quite a surprise as when we where stopped at a roundabout a boy racer behind us was not paying attention to the road and came inches from smashing into the back of us.We arrived back to Scampton at about 2pm where i was in for another treat and this was to go and meet the red arrows photographers Rob "Kodak" Travis and Craig Marshall too very friendly people. After a good chat with them i was invited out onto the pan to watch the last training session of the day with Rob "Kodak" Travis in front of the control tower.

Being out in front of the control tower was a experience in its self let alone i was standing with the red arrows photographer and about to photograph the reds with him. I thought the session was going to be the same as the ones i had seen before during the morning but little was i to know that in actual fact it was going to be the full 2013 display flown as a 5 ship for the first time this year. 

  

And that was that the end of an amazing day with some amazing people thank you to everyone who made the day possible and a big thanks to Maureen and roger and all base staff.

If you would like to see more photos from this day you can find them on my facebook page here : http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.457011691031562.102232.415137828552282&type=1&l=ce14588178