Non-stop aerial action for East Fortune Airshow

A guest post by Norm Webster, Flight Display Director for the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013

Book your tickets before 27 July and save 15% - find out more here

Scotland’s National Airshow is a spectacular day out for all the family. Aircraft old and new take to the skies for an afternoon of breathtaking aerial displays. The RAF’s supersonic Typhoon display team will take centre stage, with a Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We welcome back the breathtaking Breitling Wingwalkers, the P51 Mustang and the Sea King helicopter amongst others.  

Following my trip north which I discussed in my first blog post, I have put together a tentative programme (in fact, I’ve put together four tentative programmes, three of which didn’t work!!) for the display.

A Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire to fly at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013 © Crown copyright

It has been a bit of a challenge due to the number of aircraft we are sharing with another display, and the need to allow pilots sufficient time between displays at the two sites to allow them to safely transit and refuel (if required). That probably doesn’t sound too difficult, but when you consider the differing speeds involved (the fastest at over 500 knots for the Typhoon, compared to the slowest at 80 knots for the Swordfish) it does become a bit of a riddle.

Typhoon FRG4 to fly at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013 © Crown copyright

I’m happy with the way things are progressing and I’m quietly confident that we can put on a display that will please almost everybody (I have to say almost, as you can NEVER please everybody, and it would be foolish to try).  We have a great mix of aircraft including more jets than last year which should wake the neighbours up, and with no break in the middle as has been traditional at East Fortune, I think we will provide a really excellent day of aviation.  And just to confirm; I HAVE booked good weather!!

Enjoy the air display at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013

 

I have a dream to become a Concorde pilot Part 2: Flying the world

A guest post by Captain Tony Yule, former British Airways Concorde pilot who will be speaking at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013.

Book your Airshow tickets before 27 July and save 15% - find out more here

Scotland’s National Airshow is a spectacular day out for all the family. Aircraft old and new take to the skies for an afternoon of breathtaking aerial displays. The RAF’s supersonic Typhoon display team will take centre stage, with a Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We welcome back the breathtaking Breitling Wingwalkers, the P51 Mustang and the Sea King helicopter amongst others.  

In two parts Captain Tony Yule tells us about his career as a Concorde pilot with British Airways. In part 1 he describes the Concorde pilot training programme he undertook and in part 2 he reveals tales of his adventures piloting Concorde. Why not see and experience Concorde for yourself at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune. 

USA, Caribbean and beyond

Once I had passed my Concorde training,  I began six years as second in command, flying primarily to the USA and back with Barbados included in the winter schedules. During my time, I completed just over 2500 hours with most of those hours being to New York and back.

Time zone clocks in Concorde hangar, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

I think I went to New York twice a week for six years. It was my favourite destination and I even wrote a “walking tour” of the city, for newcomers to the fleet. It was that tour that got me on BBC Radio 4′s “Going Places” in 1989, with Molly Price-Owen and Clive Jacobs, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Concorde’s first flight.

The Concorde operation, in my period on the fleet, 1987-1993, was two flights a day to JFK, three flights a week to IAD/MIA (Washington Dulles and Miami), one flight a week to BGI (Barbados) from mid-December to just after Easter. There were many charter flights to a wide variety of destinations around the world.

By the time Concorde had finished, she had made the equivalent of 250 round trips to the moon, flown to more than 250 destinations, of which 80 plus were within the USA.

British Airways Concorde in 1986 © Eduard Marmet

Flying Concorde was great fun

Flying Concorde was great fun. It was a very stable aeroplane and for half of my time on the fleet I never used the autopilot. It was a fabulous experience to handle such a great flying machine.

Supersonic flying was quite unique at first. Concorde flew two and a half times faster than subsonic aeroplanes and it took a few months of flying to become really comfortable with the operation. You had to be “on the ball” throughout the short flight. It was not an aeroplane where you wandered into the cabin to chat to the passengers. They in fact, came to visit us.

Celebrity Concorde

I met a few interesting people, Brigitte Neilson, Steven Spielberg, Jackie Stewart and Nigel Hawthorne, these last three always came straight into the flight deck for the take off, then returned for the landing. Incidentally, Steven Spielberg never used his real name.  It reminded me of Julia Roberts in the film ‘Notting Hill’.

At the latitude we flew, Concorde travelled two and half times faster than the setting sun. One of the most memorable things that occurred to every Concorde pilot was the first time (in the early Autumn), you took the late service, BA003. If you departed at 7pm, now darkness and by mid Atlantic, heading West of course, you experienced a sun rise for the second time that day, duly landing in daylight at JFK at 6pm local time. You never forget your first time – ever!

Serving champage aboard Concorde G-BOAA, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune © Jenni Sophia Fuchs

Over the years, other than the scheduled services to New York, Washington Dulles, Miami and Barbados, I flew charter flights to Lexington Kentucky, London Ontario, Seattle, St John’s Newfoundland, Santa Maria in the Azores, Cairo and Luxor – on ‘Red Nose Day’, while I talked with Simon Bates and the listeners on Radio One about the operation we were doing.

A Supersonic Christmas

One of the best trips I made was to Rovaniemi in Lapland in December, where the passengers went to see Father Christmas. On two occasions I spent Christmas there in the hotel. On Christmas morning, all the children from the town plus those returning on Concorde came to the hotel. The manager of the hotel led the children to a wood for them to select the tree that they would decorate in the hotel before lunch.

The crews always became involved in a sort of pantomime after lunch for all these children. I ended up on one occasion, as the back end of a cow while at the front end was a beautiful stewardess. I was given a yellow rubber glove to use for ‘udders’!

Supersonic Christmas, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune © Paul Dodds

I feel very privileged to have had a career as an aviator spanning 46 years, including being part of history in flying Concorde.  Lastly, it was my privilege to have introduced my replacement on the fleet, “The Crimper”, Barbara Harmer, who died two years ago on on 20 February. You can see my tribute to her on my page at, www.facebook.com/concordeheritage

 

I have a dream to become a Concorde pilot Part 1: Learning to fly

A guest post by Captain Tony Yule, former British Airways Concorde pilot who will be speaking at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013.

Book your Airshow tickets before 27 July and save 15% - find out more here

Scotland’s National Airshow is a spectacular day out for all the family. Aircraft old and new take to the skies for an afternoon of breathtaking aerial displays. The RAF’s supersonic Typhoon display team will take centre stage, with a Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We welcome back the breathtaking Breitling Wingwalkers, the P51 Mustang and the Sea King helicopter amongst others.  

In two parts Captain Tony Yule tells us about his career as a Concorde pilot with British Airways.  In part 1 he describes the Concorde pilot training programme he undertook and in part 2 he reveals tales of his adventures piloting Concorde. Why not see and experience Concorde for yourself at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune. 

A dream becomes reality

My stomach was churning with excitement as we sat in the stillness of the flight deck, waiting for the controller to give us our clearance, “Concorde AG you’re cleared for Take-Off, climb straight ahead and maintain three thousand feet”…..

Mach sign on board Concorde G-BOAA, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune © Jenni Sophia Fuchs

I looked around at the other crew members saying, “Everyone ready?” Then with their acknowledgement I said, “3-2-1 NOW” immediately pushing the four throttle levers rapidly fully forward. I was totally unprepared for the acceleration as she roared down the runway with the performance of a F1 sports car. She seemed to leap into the air climbing like a homesick angel…..We passed three thousand, then four thousand and I finally got her under some semblance of control at just under five thousand feet………….. A dream come true but long before this…

Captain Tony Yule with Concorde G-BOAA at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

I’ve always wanted to be a pilot

“I have a dream….”  said Martin Luther King.  I too had a dream that was very different from his. It was as I remember, that from the age of eight I wanted to be a pilot. Ten years later in December 1958 that dream became a reality, when I was accepted for pilot training in the Royal Air Force. I had almost completed my four year tour as a QFI, Qualified Flying Instructor, at the RAF College Cranwell, when Concorde made her first take-off from Filton, Bristol on 9 April 1969. This beautiful slender delta aeroplane, even today still more futuristic looking than any other, caught my imagination. “Oh I wish I could fly her one day”.  I thought, little realising that in less than four years I would join BOAC, (pre British Airways), where in exactly fifteen years and twelve days after Concorde’s inaugural flight from Filton, I would be sitting in the right hand seat of Concorde G-BOAG on the end of R/W 31 at Prestwick airport, with my left hand on the throttled…

Beneath Concorde G-BOAA at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

Concorde training was very different

These days, the training of pilots to fly most, if not all modern aeroplanes, is undertaken using a CBT, Computer Based Training system, for learning the INS and OUTS of the workings of an aeroplane. The exams are set electronically at the end of each system and a pass of 100% is required. The British Airways Training Centre is at Cranebank – we called it Branecrank – less than one mile to the East of the airport at London Heathrow. All flight and cabin crew training is still undertaken there.  It takes about two months to learn to fly a Boeing 747 there. As part of the training the pilots make around three landings and one missed approach with the most critical engine(s) failed. These are legal requirements for the pilot to demonstrate his flying skills. Concorde, on the other hand, was very different. The course lasted around six months. I was initially put through seven weeks of ground school where the instructors, using the old “chalk and talk” method, stood in front of the blackboard and took me through the nuts and bolts of all the mechanical and electrical systems of the aeroplane. Every Friday there was a test with 100 questions on the previous week’s work. This was followed by a test of 150 questions on what I had learnt during the week.  At the end of the seven weeks, there was a three-hour test that had been set by the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority). This is a legal requirement for all, with a pass of no less than 85% being accepted. The Flight Simulator phase was next. The simulator is an exact replica of Concorde’s flight deck. This phase lasted seven weeks, with some to three sessions each week, each would be a briefing and flight preparation of one hour, and then four hours in “the box”, as the flight simulator is affectionately called, followed by up to two hours of debriefing.

Captain Tony Yule aboard Concorde G-BOAA at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

A complicated machine

It’s worth noting that Concorde was like two aeroplanes in one.  She had to operate in the same environment as conventional aeroplanes up to 40,000 feet – then to operate in the hostile environment of “Super Cruise”, that is speeds of Mach 2 – twice the speed of sound – 1350mph which is 23miles/min or 1mile every 2 ¾ seconds, at altitudes up to 60,000 feet – just over 18km. A lot of problems could ‘leap out of the woodwork’ at a moment’s notice and we needed to deal with them quickly. Much of the simulator flying time was spent perfecting the handling of major emergencies at 60,000 feet for example double engine failures, pressurisation failures and also engine failures on take off and landing. The penultimate phase was ‘Base’ flying. Base was airport used by British Airways such as Prestwick in Scotland or Shannon in Ireland, for the flight training known as ‘circuits and landings’. The Concorde pilot had to make 35 approaches and landings, over a period of about two weeks. Each flight, the pilot would make around five approaches.

Concorde G-BOAA’s flight controls, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune © Jenni Sophia Fuchs

A good pilot takes practice

The reason so many landings were practised, is that Concorde has this huge delta shaped wing that when she came into land, her nose was extremely high. Her delta wing created a high amount of drag, a similar effect to putting a hand out of the window of a moving car and feeling it being ‘dragged’ backwards. There’s a special technique to fly Concorde on the approach to the runway. Get it wrong, the end result could be a really bad landing that could damage the aeroplane. So it was practice, practice and more practice, to ensure we were competent. Remember, a ‘good pilot’ is one who has the same number of landings as take offs! My completion of the course was checked by an observer, in this case the Flight Manager Technical, on a scheduled flight from London to New York and back the following day. I passed!

You can read part 2 of Tony’s story here.

 

Co-ordinates set for East Fortune Airshow

A guest post by Norm Webster, Flight Display Director for the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013

Book your tickets before 27 July and save 15% - find out more here

Scotlands National Airshow is a spectacular day out for all the family. Aircraft old and new take to the skies for an afternoon of breathtaking aerial displays. The RAF’s supersonic Typhoon display team will take centre stage, with a Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We welcome back the breathtaking Breitling Wingwalkers, the P51 Mustang and the Sea King helicopter amongst others.  

Another year has passed and here we are again preparing for the Airshow at National Museum of Flight -  this is therefore part 1 of my ‘East Fortune 2013’ story.

Last week a meeting took place at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune to discuss the coming show and to ensure coordination between the National Museum of Flight team, the emergency services and other interested parties.  I always look on this meeting as the start of the display planning ‘proper’, as it’s the first time all those involved get together to talk about our aspirations and plans.

A Sea King SAR helicopter will be appearing at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013.

The display planning involves quite a number of different agencies including the police, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance, East Lothian Council and St Andrews First Aid for emergency planning and support, the AA, Traffic Scotland and BEAR Scotland for road and traffic management, and various companies dealing in security, marshalling and car parking, as well as the usual agencies and the museum staff involved with actually delivering the show on the day.  I am pleased to say that the meeting was successful on all counts, with everyone satisfied with their place in the plan and all the changes from last year understood.

The Grob 115E, known by the RAF as the Tutor will form part of the air display at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013.

This meeting was only the start of a busy couple of days for me, so from East Fortune It was back in the car to Edinburgh Airport to speak with the Airport Authority, Air Traffic Control and the aircraft Handling Agents.  It would be impossible for me to organise the flying display without the help and assistance of these three organisations as Edinburgh is a busy airport, and the coordination plan for getting aircraft in and out on display day can be quite complex.  With this in mind, a face to face meeting with all concerned is always a good idea, and also helps build good working relationships.  I shall be parking several aircraft at Edinburgh for the display, and as always the Edinburgh authorities were helpful and understanding which gives me a warm fuzzy feeling about the developing plan.  It was also a fine opportunity to sort out display day domestic issues for the crews – even pilots have to eat!!

The RAF Tucano team will be part of the air display at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Sat 27 July 2013

After all these meetings I always try to find a little ‘me’ time while I’m up here, as it’s such a beautiful part of the world.  This time it took the guise of a flight in a pre-war biplane.  It was lovely to fly over the Bass Rock, and to check out all the golf courses along the Forth, especially Muirfield, with the stands in place ready for the Open.  I picked the right time as well; although the weather was glorious for the flight, an hour after we landed it was throwing it down with hailstones!!  I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to Scottish weather.  Then it was back in the car for a relaxing (?) drive back to Gloucestershire.

It’s always a good feeling to have these initial planning meetings under your belt and some decisions made.  Even at this early stage, the more things I have decided the easier the planning process becomes.  I already have numerous aircraft planned and allocated to the display – you can find out more about the display highlights here. Suffice it to say that I think we’re going to have an excellent display this year, and I’m looking forward to another brilliant (and hopefully dry) day at the Airshow in July.

 

On manoeuvres with Freya the fledgling Wingwalker

Guest post by Freya Paterson (A.K.A Princess) Breitling Wingwalker appearing at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 27 July 2013

Book your tickets before 27 July and save 15% – find out more here

Scotlands National Airshow is a spectacular day out for all the family. Aircraft old and new take to the skies for an afternoon of breathtaking aerial displays. The RAF’s supersonic Typhoon display team will take centre stage, with a Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We welcome back the breathtaking Breitling Wingwalkers, the P51 Mustang and the Sea King helicopter amongst others.  The Breitling Wingwalkers last appeared over the skies of East Fortune in 2011, when Danielle Hughes (A.K.A. Bird) wrote a guest post for the Feast Bowl, see what Danielle had to say in 2011.

I have wanted to be a wingwalker for as long as I can remember. When I saw the Breitling Wingwalker display for the first time the excitement I felt was indescribable – the girls looked so graceful, the aircraft engines roaring and the biplanes looping and rolling through the sky; it gave me goosebumps and a burning ambition to be part of the team.

Freya Seymour aka Princess Breitling Wingwalker with Stearman display aircraft © Richard Seymour

Everything about wing walking appealed to me as I adored gymnastics when I was younger and couldn’t think of anything better than doing a handstand on the wing of a Boeing Stearman biplane! I had a fitness background and I was always told I was strong for my size which I would soon learn would come in handy. Most of all I wanted to perform and entertain the crowd and the audience due to my love of performing arts.

Breitling Wingwalkers appearing at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight on Saturday 27 July 2013 © Tokunaga

I persevered with my dream and eventually my dream came true last year when I was selected to join the team. I was on cloud nine!! I started my training in April and realised how hard the girls work to look as graceful as they do against winds of up to 160mph. I have never felt more alive climbing up onto the wing for the first time in flight, I loved it! My first display was in France and it was an amazing feeling achieving my dream of performing to an audience on the wing.

Freya Paterson and Danielle Hughes, Breitling WIngwalkers appearing at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight on Saturday 27 July 2013 © Richard Seymour

Working as part of the team is so rewarding, I particularly enjoy dancing in formation with Danielle Hughes while the pilots are also performing their routine.  My favourite manoeuvre is the ‘Mirror’, when myself and Martyn the pilot fly inverted above the other plane and Danielle and I try to touch hands!

I had a wonderful season last year travelling and displaying in countries I had never been to before; China, Australia and Switzerland were particularly amazing.  If I had to pick a highlight from last season it would be the Farnborough International Airshow when I wing walked in my first ever four ship display.

Display formation with the Breitling Wingwalkers, who are appearing at the Airshow, National Museum of Flight on Saturday 27 July 2013

I am really looking forward to my second season and especially displaying at the Airshow at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune !  It will be my first display in Scotland and being half Scottish I might even wear a tartan wing walking suit!

 

Tootle-pip, over and out and until we meet again at Airshow 2013!

A guest post by Norm Webster, Flight Display Director for the Airshow at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune that took place Saturday 28 July 2012

Well, it’s all over for another year.  For those of you who came and are probably still drying out, thank you for your enthusiasm and good humour.  I know it rained, and when the rain started I thought I’d be cancelling displays or at least delaying them, but believe it or not everything displayed on or near time, nothing cancelled, and from my standpoint it was a very successful display.

I did mention last week that something always comes up that you hadn’t bargained for – this year it was crew transport at Edinburgh airport.  Having had a system in place, for various reasons it collapsed completely on Saturday morning, leaving me with no transport to get the crews from the hotel to their aircraft.  The aircraft handling agent, Signature at Edinburgh airport stepped into the breach and saved the day, but not without it causing problems along the way.  So I’d just like to say a very public thank you to Scott McClaren and all his staff at Signature for making the thing work – we really couldn’t have done the display without them.

Red Arrows in battle formation arriving at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Sat 28 July 2012

Back to the display site – I have decided that the Red Arrows must have a direct line to the rain or sun gods.  As they arrived the clouds parted, the sun shone and they gave yet another tremendous display; a true credit to themselves, the RAF and the nation.  They’d had quite a busy couple of days up to the, flypasts over Edinburgh, Belfast and Cardiff, and the Olympic opening ceremony in London the day before, fly up to RAF Leuchars on Saturday morning, and another display later in the day.

I was also impressed with the Great War Display Team, flying their small open cockpit aircraft the length of the UK in order to display, and the Royal Navy Historic Flight.  The Sea Fury is such a graceful aircraft and the noise of its engine so evocative that it’s always a pleasure to watch.  The Swordfish crew also deserve a mention, and the final flypasts with the Sea King were an absolute joy.

Sea King descending at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Sat 28 July 2012

Away from the aircraft, sat in our control cabin overlooking the site we do see some amusing things.  On Saturday it was very excited and happy small children, giving their new wellies a proper work out.  There was one little girl in particular, about four or five years of age, who had found the deepest puddle she could find that she could walk in without the water flowing into her pink flowery wellies.  It made us laugh!

Crowd sheltering from the rain at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Sat 28 July 2012

Once again you have proved to me that we have the most appreciative spectators in the UK, with very vocal support of virtually every aircraft, but especially the Red Arrows, and a very big thank you must go to all of you who did as you were asked and waved your umbrellas at David Cyster as he flew past in the Tiger Moth – It was one of those unique airshow moments I’ll never forget.

Crowd watching the air display at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Sat 28 July 2012

So it’s back to the drawing board for next year, with a heartfelt thank you and good luck to Grant Mackenzie, my partner in crime from the National Museum of Flight, who has been the display project officer for several years and who now moves on to pastures new, and who has been so good over the past two years, allowing me to almost do as I wish with the display.

Having fun in the Concorde Hangar at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Sat 28 July 2012

Until I start my pre-display blogs posts again next year, have good summer (!?) and a Happy Christmas to you all from myself and my entire team.

Norm Webster

 

My bags are packed and I’m off to the Airshow!

A guest post by Norm Webster, Flight Display Director for the Airshow at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 28 July 2012

Not long to go now… to the much awaited Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 28 July.  You can purchase tickets on entry from 10am.

You wouldn’t believe the change in the weather.  I realise that those of you in Scotland reading this are still being rained on, but here in Gloucestershire summer has finally arrived, if only for a few days.  It’s almost 30°C outside, with not a cloud in the sky.  It would be wonderful if I could bring this weather with me for Saturday.

RV8tors aerobatic display team will be in the air display at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight © Paul Johnson / Flightline

Just a few days to go and I have had my first, and hopefully only, cancellation. At this stage there’s not a lot I can do to replace things as there isn’t time enough left to complete the necessary paperwork.  We’ve unfortunately lost (or probably lost) the Hot Air Airship due to a technical problem – a great pity as I had hoped to have it flying around before the display proper as homage to the beginnings of East Fortune as a Naval airship base.  My one consolation is that it doesn’t leave a hole in the display.  The operating company is still hoping to be able to resurrect it, but the chances of this happening are very slim, and I have to plan accordingly.

Jungmann at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight in 2011 © Andy Flyer

The cancellation of display items is one of the Display Directors greatest headaches, as the knock on effect can be immense.  For those of you that read my blogs last year you may remember that we had a whole host of cancellations over the last three weeks before the show, a problem which we only overcame with great effort.  This time though the show is so close, and I have only one full day left in the office (I leave here for National Museum of Flight on Thursday), that the chances of finding a replacement and carrying out the copious paperwork involved is very slim indeed.  Never mind, these things are sent to try us.

Watching the air display at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune

I have been busy over the past few days trying to make sure that everybody concerned with the display, be they pilots, airfield staff, air traffic control or anybody else has all they need to successfully support the display.  I think I have it all covered, but as we all know, something will have been missed which will only become apparent on Friday or Saturday.  My view is that as long as I have a robust plan and a strong team, anything that arises will be dealt with efficiently and successfully.  In my mind, I have that plan, and I couldn’t wish for a better team.

Topside of Hawk T1 XX278 flown by Flight Lieutenant Phil Bird © MOD Crown Copyright

I’m gathering all my kit together now, radios, books, files, office stores; everything in fact needed to run a display from a ‘bare bones’ site.  My management are also keen that we have our ‘branding’ in place, so I have a large banner folded up in the corner of the office waiting to be loaded into the vehicle on Thursday morning; I just mustn’t forget the means to hang it up.

I think we are all concerned about the weather this weekend.  I have purposely not checked the met office web site as I feel that it can only depress me, and as we can’t do a thing about the weather the best thing I can do is carry on regardless and concentrate on running the display as planned.  If I have to modify it due to weather, I will deal with that on the day and not before.

So:  here’s looking forward to another enjoyable and successful Airshow, or should I more rightly call it, the Scotland’s National Airshow.  We have the aircraft, we have the team in place, and with a bit of luck we’ll have a small break in the weather.  See you all on Saturday.

Please note all information is correct at the time of publishing. Flights and timings are subject to change, prevailing weather conditions and operational requirements.

 

High flying vintage Avro Anson at the Airshow

A guest post by Trevor Bailey of Air Atlantique’s Avro Anson, which will fly at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 28 July 2012

Not long to go now… to the much awaited Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 28 July. There’s still time to get 15% off admission: book tickets here.

I am the Aviation Director of Air Atlantique Ltd, who operate the Avro Anson G-VROE on behalf of the Classic Aircraft Trust, a new charity devoted to keeping iconic vintage aircraft like this operational, in the air where they belong. This time of year is very hectic as we prepare for and participate in airshows across the UK, displaying the Trust’s aircraft both as static exhibits and as with the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, in the air.

What do I do? Well, my role is to promote the aircraft to display organisers initially, as we want the public to see them: they are in reality our shop window. Once bookings are confirmed I then liaise with the organisers over fees, fuel, crew accommodation and the type of display required. There is a mountain of paperwork to go through for each organiser given the litigious world of Health and Safety and the regulatory environment in which we live.

Once all the boxes have been ticked, in the final days leading up to a display it is time to ensure that the aircraft are serviceable and the crew are current, and to organise the positioning flights where required. In National Museum of Flight’s case, this is a long flight from Coventry so we need to decide whether to stop and refuel or whether we can make it in one sector, and what other support is required, such as engineers, our ground support team for selling membership and promoting the Trust, etc.

Avro Anson G-VROE will be part of the air display at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 28 July.

Often we need to position several aircraft and because of the peculiarities of our vintage types there are only a few authorised pilots so I might find myself flying one of our aircraft or possibly a support aircraft to a show as well. For Farnborough Airshow this year I did both!

Jon Corley our Chief Pilot will our display pilot for the weekend, and I will join him during the transit flight to Edinburgh so that I can help out with the commentary and be present as a representative on the ground as the Aircraft cannot land at National Museum of Flight – yet more logistics to be resolved. We have just finished a major schedule of airshows, with Duxford, RAF Cosford, RAF Waddington, RNAS Yeovilton, RIAT at RAF Fairford and Farnborough FIA 2012 all on consecutive weekends, involving up to eight aircraft, plus numerous smaller events in between, so we are really looking forward to a relaxing transit flight and a slightly less hectic schedule over Airshow at National Museum of Flight.

See you there.

Please note all information is correct at the time of publishing. Flights and timings are subject to change, prevailing weather conditions and operational requirements.

 

In Top Gear for the Airshow!

A guest post by Norm Webster, Flight Display Director for the Airshow at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 28 July 2012

Not long to go now… to the much awaited Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 28 July. There’s still time to get 15% off admission: book tickets here.

As the National Museum of Flight is  far away from the main centres of aviation in the UK, many aircraft have to make the journey up on the Friday before the show.  For those that read my blog posts last year, you’ll recall my comments about the complications of running an airshow when the aircraft come from a different locations. Well, this year things are different. Aircraft are coming from three different locations: Edinburgh Airport, RAF Leuchars and the small strip at Archerfield.  This has caused a coordination plot of devilish complexity, but with time in hand I think I’ve got it sorted– I’ve got a few more grey hairs as well, but never mind, no one will notice the difference, and I think we’ll have a display to remember.

P51 D Mustang Jumpin Jacques will fly at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 28 July.

One of our more unusual items is the airship.  Unfortunately there aren’t any rigid airships left in the UK any more, so we’re having a hot air airship built by Lindstrand, a world class balloon manufacturer based in Shropshire. We have the actual craft that was used in the Top Gear programme some time ago, with a small caravan as the control car. The caravan is now in a museum in southern England, so the ship has a normal control car fitted; I think it will be an impressive sight, motoring around the National Museum of Flight before the display proper starts.  I have put it on prior to the display as, in the words of one of my team, airships don’t go away quickly. As the ship only flies at about 20 knots, we have to ensure he’s safely out of the way before we put another aircraft on the display line, so he will be flying around, visible from miles away, setting the scene and the tone for the day as people arrive.

I think that’s it for today. Hopefully now the plan is fully formed, set in concrete and ready to go– who am I kidding? I’ve been in this business for years and the plan always changes at the last minute. At Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) last week we were re-writing the flying programme as it happened!

Please note all information is correct at the time of publishing. Flights and timings are subject to change, prevailing weather conditions and operational requirements.

 

So you want to become a Red Arrows engineer?

A guest post by Flight Lieutenant Rob Staveley, Officer Commanding Engineering Support Flight, the Red Arrows

Not long to go now… to the much awaited Red Arrows appearance at the Airshow at National Museum of Flight, East Fortune on Saturday 28 July. There’s still time to get 15% off admission: book tickets here.

The Blues are the support team of the Red Arrows. They provide engineering such as essential routine maintenance and daily servicing for the Team’s Hawk aircraft, as well as many other ancillary services.  There are approximately 100 Blues. Included in their number are engineers, administrators, flight operations staff, photographers, drivers, logisticians and survival equipment fitters.

Flight Lieutenant Rob Staveley © MOD Crown Copyright.

Before the display pilots can fly their aircraft for a display, the Blues will ensure that they have the correct amount of fuel (they don’t always fly with a full tank to reduce fatigue), conduct pre-flight checks and also clean excess dirt and oil off the aircraft so that they are looking their very best. We also have a dedicated ‘Dye Team’ who refuel the smoke pods (attached to the bottom of the fuselage) with diesel and red and blue dye, so that the Team can deploy their signature Red, White and Blue smoke.

Red Arrows with smoke on © MOD Crown Copyright.

The Red Arrows’ home base is RAF Scampton. Throughout the winter training season, the aircraft fly from here, but after March we are not seen so often in the skies over Lincoln. From March to May, the squadron deploys to RAF Akrotiri, in Cyprus, to take full advantage of the good weather to practise the full display routines.

When we return in May, the airshow season is already in full swing and the aircraft will base themselves at a choice of several airfields depending on their display commitments. For example, if we are doing displays in the Southampton area, the aircraft will be deployed to Bournemouth Airport, along with all the engineering staff required to support them.

Blues engineer working on the tail of a Red Arrows Hawk jet © MOD Crown Copyright.

The Circus Team travel with the pilots in the aircraft to all the airshow locations. They are a specifically chosen group of engineers, with a wide range of expertise, and they are expected to deal with any issues the aircraft have whilst away from RAF  Scampton. Becoming a member of the Circus Team is very prestigious and is therefore highly sought after. The other Blues, unfortunately, have to travel by road to the operating airfield in our fleet of vehicles, taking with them any spares which may be required.

Completing paperwork for maintenance of the Red Arrows © MOD Crown Copyright.

The Red Arrows is the only RAF squadron operating the Hawk that still uses military engineering personnel, so the only way to become an RAF engineer for the Hawk is join the Red Arrows. Piece of cake! If you would like to know more about the team visit www.raf.mod.uk/reds. To find out more about becoming a Red Arrows Engineer, visit www.raf.mod.uk/careers

Please note all information is correct at the time of publishing. Flights and timings are subject to change, prevailing weather conditions and operational requirements.