Post by lordevanelpuss on Nov 9, 2021 19:56:00 GMT
Going home day, however, after breakfast we headed south straight away with our first stop being Birmingham:- B767 G-BNYS, N330AA; B737 G-MSKA, EI-CJE, D-ABIC (originally seen on a B727-100 in the early 1970s) Fk50 EI-FKD; Fk100 G-UKFN, BVJC; SD360 G-CLAS; ATP G-BTPE; JS41 G-MAJC, MSKJ; Bae146 G-JEAS, JEAT, JEAU; Lear OE-GNL; Ce414 C-GFSW; Gulf N105Y; Ce500 N501CF. Then on to Coventry where we had a look at the museum:- DH104 G-ALCU; HM14 G-AEGV; HS125 G-ARYB; Argosy G-APRL; WS55 G-APWN; Other vintage / highlights:- Fk27 G-CEXB; L188 G-LOFB, LOFC; SD330 G-BITW; DC3 G-AMPZ, AMSV, PH-PBA; DC6 G-APSA, SIXC; P40 G-AOKO; Vulcan XL360; Shackleton WR963; P66 N4234C; and probably the star of the show AN12 LZ-BFD. Then to Wellesbourne Mountford where another Vulcan was there to greet us in G-VULC (aka XM655) Of course, really a light field full of Cessnas & Pipers plus a few other types like:- Yak 52 G-BWSV, BXID; PA34 G-CEGA; Luscombe G-AKUF; Cub G-AHIP; Quickie G-BWIT; Rallye G-BKGT, AXHT; Auster G-ARUY; The helicopter hanger was visited, which topped up my R44s! G-OPHA, POLT, POWE, URUH, JANI, FLYS; R22 G-WIGL, RIAT, WURL; B206 G-OCBB.
A trip that I still have very fond memories of. Weather wise we were fairly lucky, even Manchester didn't really live up to it's rainy reputation. Most rain happened on the first day as we were driving north. Then some at Liverpool and overnight 7th into 8th November. Thankfully it had subsided as we started out. We did hit more heavy rain as we drove south after leaving Wellesbourne which was to stay with us all the way to Aldershot, where the annual firework festival still went ahead, though how much fun it would have been to watch in such weather, I still wonder. 1997 was my 25th anniversary of being a 'spotter' and I had been noting those aircraft first seen in 1972 and which were still going strong in 1997 and on this trip I noted Ce172 G-AYGX at Barton and which was first seen overflying Portchester in 1972. Also at Barton was PA28 G-AWAZ, first seen overflying Aldershot in 1972. And at Coventry on 8th November 1997 was T61 Falke G-AYZU, first seen a month earlier at Lasham in 1972. So that makes next year my half centenary. What a scary thought!!!
