It’s forces day today in England, I had no idea anything was happening but found this parked in the upper square, along with various troop carriers, ambulance’s, ww2 weapons displays, veterans, current troops and cadets.
It was a fiver to sit in the pilots seat, I’m really gutted I had only enough time to take this snap, sitting in a spitfire is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I had to pass it by :-(. Anyhow, greatest respect to our armed forces past and present, they stand up for our beliefs and little or no credit, just disdain when they get home.
There was a news story that some soldiers were refused entry to a pub this week as they were in uniform, as it turned out, because they were going to a colleague’s funeral, things like this disgust me, soldiers and airmen truly have one of the shittiest jobs on the planet.
Thanks for reading and please have a thought tonight for all the people who did and continue to do what is necessary to protect our freedom and way of life, whatever your nationality.
“The gratitude of every home in our Island, in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world, except in the abodes of the guilty, goes out to the British airmen who, undaunted by odds, unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger, are turning the tide of the World War by their prowess and by their devotion. Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few. All hearts go out to the fighter pilots, whose brilliant actions we see with our own eyes day after day, but we must never forget that all the time, night after night, month after month, our bomber squadrons travel far into Germany, find their targets in the darkness by the highest navigational skill, aim their attacks, often under the heaviest fire, often with serious loss, with deliberate, careful discrimination, and inflict shattering blows upon the whole of the technical and war-making structure of the Nazi power. On no part of the Royal Air Force does the weight of the war fall more heavily than on the daylight bombers who will play an invaluable part in the case of invasion and whose unflinching zeal it has been necessary in the meanwhile on numerous occasions to restrain…”
I’d have given an arm and leg to get in that plane today :( just too busy with work and family car crap to have time to stop or do anything other than a quick nod of thanks to the veterans. :( still it was very cool to be within arms reach of a true icon of the twentieth century, it saddens me that my eleven year old step son was not arsed about sitting in it, I’d plat saw dust for the chance! (and would have been making plane and “dagga dagga dagga” noises :8)
It’s funny how some people LOVE equipment (military or otherwise) and some do not. My wife and sons were at the lake yesterday and two Chinooks flew quite low over the beach. Older son came home jazzed, and the younger boy was less excited than his mother. To be fair, she was pretty excited… for a girl.
I guess that for kids my age (grew up in the 80’s) a spitfire was still an icon, more so than a tornado will probably ever be, it saddens me that Dylan does not feel that way, but then he’s so far grew up with his mother and his dads not about so much I’m trying to get him into man stuff like cars, planes, guns and steam engines, I just have to fight his grandad who thinks football and rugby is it.
Lovely to get that close to a Spitfire! We live near Tangmere and I will never tire of the sound of a Merlin engine, the sound still makes the hair stand up on my neck!
My eldest girl isnt interested one bit, but my youngest (4) wants to be a helicopter pilot. We get Chinooks buzzing us from Odiham, the kids love them, the minute they hear the throb of the rotors they run outside to see and wave. At night when the windows in the house rattle they dont wake…
They are both too young to know of war and sacrifice, but as they get older I will be sure to make sure they understand…
I have some photos of WW2 planes in action:
There are more photos of planes on my website.
The Photos of the “Scat” (Mustang) are made from the edge of the runway.
I was the only photagrapher allowed so close to the runway during the Fly-In (Belgium, Malle, EBZR).
This year i have to stay 75m from the centerline of the runway (new safety rules because thera are some larger planes coming to the Fly-In).
Sweet photos, thanks for posting. Top one is a British Lancaster bomber? Last photo is incredible: My two favorite planes of all time. :party: :beer: :love:
Real nice pictures, thanks for sharing. I love the ww2 era planes, once cad came into play planes got ugly with only the Vulcan bomber still looking pretty.
I used to fly a few models, anyone interested check out the park flyers available nowadays, their awesome and fairly easy to fly, my favorite model though was a Waco bi-plane.
I’m trying to get him into man stuff like cars, planes, guns and steam engines, I just have to fight his grandad who thinks football and rugby is it.
