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By: - 1st September 2005 at 14:18 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
An era is coming to an end gentlemen. I count myself privileged and lucky to have had the chance to be part of it in the days when the RAF was a "proper" air force. :(
In the days Les when it would take 7 days to get to Singers :rolleyes: , when there were 'lots of RAF Islands in the Sun' :D and some of those kites flew on a wing and a prayer, yeah! :eek:
By: - 1st September 2005 at 14:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Yeah John, but it was fun :D . . . as long as you didn't run out of black tape. :rolleyes:
Spent a fair bit of time on an island in the sun - happy daze! :D
By: - 1st September 2005 at 14:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
What a shame, still, at least the Canberra B.2 of the Air Atlantique of the classic flight is flying, at least i think it is.
By: - 1st September 2005 at 15:02 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Ah, close enough, all look the same to me! I'll never forget the day me and my dad had a casual trip to Bruntingthorpe, it happened to be the same day WK163 was flying off to Bruntingthorpe. We were the only ones there, apart from a few volunteers there, and the pilot put on several VERY low high-speed passes just for us! Magic! Wish i had a camera back then.
By: - 1st September 2005 at 16:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
During its last pass over RAF Wyton at 14.35ish.
Brian
By: - 1st September 2005 at 16:21 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
A bit of history indeed. Strange to think folks will be as sentimental over the current tin as this, one day.
By: - 1st September 2005 at 16:37 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Ah, close enough, all look the same to me!
What a confession to make on an Historic Aviation Forum! :eek:
By: - 1st September 2005 at 16:43 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Well, i was about twelve at the time! :D
By: - 1st September 2005 at 16:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
It passed directly over my head at Duxford at about 2.20 'ish (didn't look at my watch but know it was sometime between 2 and 3 :D)
It looked absolutely stunning...such a shame to learn it's airtime is coming to an end :(
By: - 1st September 2005 at 17:13 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Where's she going....
Anyone know where is she going after this afternoon's flight is over - is she to be retired to a museum or is she destined for the scrapman?
I sincerely hope it's the former.....
Not many of the old girls left now - In 1977 I was on ATC camp in Malta, and we visited 9 Sqdn (IIRC) who still had operational Canberras there then, alongside 203 Sqdn Nimrods at RAF Luqa, I never thought any Canberras would still be operational with the RAF 18 years later.....even if the number is dwindling further still after today.
I was also lucky enough to see a four ship (IIRC) of Canberras as they overflew RAF West Raynham the day they closed the base or finally retired the Bllodhound missiles, sorry grey cells failing me... (back in about 1991 or 92?).
Paul F
By: - 1st September 2005 at 17:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
We were taking the dogs for a walk at Swavesey nature reserve just north of Cambridge when a Canberra flew over,did'nt realise it's significance,what a shame.
By: - 1st September 2005 at 21:47 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Paul,
I think it would have been 13 Sqn aircraft that you saw in Malta. The squadron was there at the time (relocating to Wyton in 1978). 9 Squadron were back at Waddington with their Vulcans (after the sojourn in Cyprus) by this point.
I'd have thought, given the Cold War connections of the Canberra, that a space ought to be found for the airframe at Cosford. I know they have a PR9, but one can never have too many Canberras on display.... I wonder if someone will have the gumption to rescue the B(I)8 from NZ? A display of three Canberras - to show their versatility in Cold War roles - would be quite acceptable...
By: - 1st September 2005 at 23:41 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great shots from a great, if rather poignant day, Damien. :)
By: - 2nd September 2005 at 01:30 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Paul,.... I wonder if someone will have the gumption to rescue the B(I)8 from NZ? A display of three Canberras - to show their versatility in Cold War roles - would be quite acceptable...
No way buddy...it's ours!!!
By: - 2nd September 2005 at 01:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This particular airframe is 51 years old, but still has bags of life left.
It's a surreal thought that of the century plus two years we have of sucessful heavier than air flight, this one airframe has been flying for all of half that time.
It's something like having a roman galley in the navy, or an oxcart in the army!
By: - 2nd September 2005 at 03:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
My view
Would it not make sense that as this is a trainer with minimal restoration /maintaince issues then it would be an ideal aquisition for various historic jet operators around the world. I can think of two here in aus who would profit from having this aircraft in the fleet. I would not imagine it will secure a huge bag of gold at auction so is a "Cheap" investment for a jet warbird operator- no doubt there would be a fair mountain of spares on the market soon as well.
Regards
John P
By: - 2nd September 2005 at 07:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I was near RAF Marham a few weeks ago and noticed a few PR.9s in the circuit. At some point I saw a darker coloured Canberra which seemed to sport a bubble type canopy. Never realised it was this one at the time! Good thing that I did get to see her fly though.
By: - 2nd September 2005 at 07:53 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Great pics as usual, on the Air Eng HQ pic obviously the AOC-in-C hasn't visited this building lately, the paint is flaking off the entrance :eek:
Looking at the start up I guess that these are still the three cartridge in the breech starters, over 50+ years I wonder how many start ups she has seen.
Start 1
Start 2
Flaps open.........flaps closed
Bomb doors open.......bomb doors closed
Pitot head........on and warm
Air Brakes open.........air brakes closed
Chocks away.........seems just like yesterday! :p
By: - 2nd September 2005 at 12:16 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
T4's fitted with the Avon 1 so only single breach start. The B6 had - has! Avon 109's and have triple breach starting (TBS720) with No 10 carts. Just think in the next year or so we'll be the only flyer's of the type in Europe
Dave
Posts: 758
By: LesB - 1st September 2005 at 14:03
Today, well, this afternoon actually, the last Canberra T.4 in the RAF will do fly-pasts at several ex-Canberra airfields including Wyton, Warton, Bassingbourne, Binbrook, etc.
This Canberra is, now, the oldest Canberra in the RAF. Ready for issue on 24 December 1954, it spent its early service life with various Station Flights - Gaydon, Binbrook, Conningsby. It was next transferred to 231 OCU for a while before going to the RAF's Handling Squadron at RAF Manby. Then a total change. In November 1969, after 25 years of RAF service, WJ874 was transferred to the charge of the Royal Navy's Fleet Requirements Unit to train the TT.18 (Target Tug) pilots in the art of Canberra flying. Seventeen years later, in 1986, WJ874 was returned to RAF charge and issued to 231 OCU at RAF Wyton.
Put into open store at RAF Wyton in February 1988, it languished for a few years until it was re-activated and issued to the charge of the newly formed 1 PRU. It moved to RAF Marham when 1 PRU was re-designated as 39 Sqn.
WJ874 gained fame in 1999 when it was repainted in overall blue and given the identity of the prototype Canberra, VN799. This was in commemoration of the Canberra's 50th Anniversary and WJ874 (as VN799) took part in many airshows that year.
As the attached picture shows (from the RAF web site), it still looks graceful in the skies, even if it is 51 years old!
An era is coming to an end gentlemen. I count myself privileged and lucky to have had the chance to be part of it in the days when the RAF was a "proper" air force. :(