I'm already having Airbourne withdrawal symptoms and it's only been a few days! The show was a big success, the beach was packed on the Saturday (as were the downs) and the Vulcan caused a social media storm!
After the crazy, crazy weather on Thursday the sun came out and the show finally got started on Friday.
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| Hooray for sunshine! |
Opening the show were the Tigers Parachute Team representing the Army
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| I'd love to give this a try! |
We had a display from the Royal Navy Sea King demonstrating a search and rescue exercise with the lifeboat.
Continuing the helicopter theme it was fantastic to see the Chinook being thrown about the sky as if it was as light as feather.
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| Waving to the crowd |
There was also an interesting combination of training aircraft with the RAF Tutor & Scottish Aviation Bulldog flying together.
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| Bulldog (L) and Tutor (R) |
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| I like the angle of this photograph I took of the Tutor |
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| Bulldog |
We had the usual fantastic display from The Blades -
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| How close????? |
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| I really like this season's livery |
We had more aerobatics from the RV8TORS
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| Some more nice livery |
With the BBMF stranded at RAF Coningsby by bad weather further up the country (the tail end of our weather on Thursday!) and the Kittyhawk going tech for the weekend I was worried we'd be warbirds-less. Luckily John Romain saved the day with his gorgeous MK9 Spitfire.
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| Looking absolutely stunning in the sunshine. |
Next up we had the RAF's modern defender of the skies as the Typhoon thundered overhead.
Closing the show for Friday were the Red Arrows, proving my theory that the sun always shines for them! It's like a law of nature or something.
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| The Diamond Nine |
Highlights of Friday's show
On Saturday Helen, Mum, Dad, Chris, Vana and I headed to Beachy Head in hope of re-enacting the 'Vulcan over the lighthouse' video from
Youtube.
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| Chris looking most impressed with his seating arrangement in the Landrover |
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| Playing "How many people can we squeeze in the back of a Landroveer?" with Vana |
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| On the downs with Helen and Corney (in his flying goggles) |
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| Ello Corney |
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| Chris being tech-support to Mum's tablet |
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| Helen, Corney, Dad, Mum, Chris & Vana (and assorted plane geeks in the background) |
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| Plane geek with camera, radio and Vulcan top! |
I'd forgotten how much I like watching the show from the downs, it gives you a completely different perspective and you can frame your photos using the bay. You also have a good chance of some low flypasts with aircraft running in from Beachy Head (more of that later!).
The day started off with the lovely surprise formation of the Blenheim Bomber and two Spitfires running along the seafront.
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| I really like this photo *pats self on back* |
The show started properly with the Chinook
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| Look at the down-draft |
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| Jet Provost |
The Typhoon was just as noisy from the downs as on the seafront - especially when it shot past when we weren't expecting it 'till later!
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| Upsetting the seagulls |
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| John Romain's Spitfire |
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| You don't often get to look down on a Spitfire! |
The first of the visitors from the Norwegian air museum was the MIG-15 which I'd not seen before and had a really impressive climb rate.
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| Lovely looking plane |
The Sea King was up next with a repeat of her demonstration with the lifeboat ...... unfortunately all of us on the downs were a little distracted by a lady waiting in the wings .......
Me being the geek that I am, the moment she appeared I cried. It was ridiculously emotional knowing that this was the last time she'd ever grace Eastbourne's skies.
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| Sea King meet Vulcan, Vulcan meet Sea King |
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| Running in for her display |
She was even more stunning than I could have imagined, glinting in the sunlight, she also produced the longest
'howl' I've ever heard her do.
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| This has been my phone background since Saturday! What wouldn't I give to be one of those boats? |
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| Such a beautiful lady |
All being well I should see her at Shoreham this coming Sunday for our 'official' farewell (I will definitely need waterproof mascara that day!) but if we have a repeat of Thursdays weather or heaven forbid, she goes tech then at least I will have Saturday to cherish and remember her by.
The show cracked on with the Hawk role demo -
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| I love the look of the new Hawk T2 |
I really enjoyed the Blenheim, it was much more sprightly than I thought it would be.
The Norwegian museum returned with their pair of Vampires -
I finally got to see a Mustang after waiting all season! I love the whistle they make when they climb (from the wind passing over their gun turrets).
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| The Blades in action |
After being trapped at RAF Coningsby the day before I finally got to see the BBMF Spitfire & Hurricane, and best of all they circled over us before they ran in - giving us our own private show!
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| Hurricane |
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| You don't get much closer to a flying Spitfire! |
Our vantage point on the downs gave us a perfect view of the Red Arrows' formation flying finale -
The icing on the cake was having our heads taken off by the syncro pair as they departed -
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| Hello up there |
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| Sorry Goose but it's time to buzz the tower |
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| No zoom lense needed here! |
I watched the show from home on Sunday and wandered down to the end of the road to watch the Typhoon & Red Arrows.
We were also lucky enough to have the MIG-15 and Vampires fly right over the house!
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| Typhoon |
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| The Reds |
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| Not quite as good as the day before's low flypast - appreciated nonetheless! |
It was a really fantastic show again this year, the organizers did so well to put together a really diverse line-up that appealed to the geeks like me and to the 'civilians'. I just want to say a massive thank you to them for once again making Airbourne the highlight of my summer.
Until next year ....
Love Jen
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