Northern Ireland Aviation Enthusiast's Forum
General Aviation Discussion => Spotting Trips => Topic started by: Mark on September 16, 2009, 01:06:45 PM
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Just putting the feelers out to see if anyone will be heading up (or down) to Aldergrove to see what hardware is flying for the farewell salute to the RAF?
I wonder where would be the best to spot from without getting hassle from the airport police or Mil Police??
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I'll be heading 'up'.
Will be on the base tomorrow night so I'll make inquiries about Sunday.
Dec
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Was hoping to head up as well. Hopefully Dec can list something that will really entice me :)
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Hi fellas, I work on the base and all that is confirmed as now is 4 harriers for the flypast plus the usual mix of Aldergrove based aircraft.
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Thanks Nige - if you can get a ball-park time for the flypast that would be great :)
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Hi All
I'm also planning a run up thanks for the heads up so far.
John
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Hi Mark, Flypast scheduled for 13:00, Harriers arriving tomorrow
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mmm I might get myself up if the weather is decent.
Where abouts are people shooting from?
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Hi Mark, Flypast scheduled for 13:00, Harriers arriving tomorrow
Cheers for that....
Looks like both events can be catered for on Sunday :)
Head off to EKN after the flypast to catch a couple of hours of rotary craft messing around :)
Now...Where is going to be best to see these Harriers ? Anyone?
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Probably Killead area would be as good as any if 25 is in use-if 17/35 is being used for the flypast that is an all together more tricky propostion.
Accesss to any decent viewing area on the 17/35 side is damn near impossible without getting moved on by the Police.
Any idea of approx arrival time of Harriers tomorrow?
Anbody checking the NOTAM`s-they can yeld some good clues if you can understand them!
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No, but I will be listening on the scanner and will post if they make an appearance
Nothing on the Notam's as of yet
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Guys, just heard at work that Harriers are due to arrive at 17:00 today and will be leaving on Monday morning (sorry no tim as yet.)
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Was just going to reply to this that I'm gonna take a spin up to see the Harriers then I realised it clashes with the United v City game >:(
Paul
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Was just going to reply to this that I'm gonna take a spin up to see the Harriers then I realised it clashes with the United v City game >:(
Paul
Getting the priorities right! :D
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Thats what video/dvd recorders were invented for :)
See you guys up there
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Was just going to reply to this that I'm gonna take a spin up to see the Harriers then I realised it clashes with the United v City game >:(
Paul
Getting the priorities right! :D
Ha, yea think you have got it right this time ! Should be a cracker !
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Made it up to Aldergrove today, met Mark and I'm sure there were a few others there too :)
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A few more..
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Casper,
Looks like you and I were in the same spot, again :)
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2546/3937530438_fa5ffb1714_o.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3496/3937530238_8f0c6f6ea4_o.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3421/3937529976_2eaeb48b6b_o.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3455/3937529750_aee63a22ba_o.jpg)
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Great set of photos guys. I'm gutted to not have made it up :-\
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I second that!
For those who couldn't make it up there today, could some of the lucky ones briefly tell us what actually happened?
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For those who couldn't make it up there today, could some of the lucky ones briefly tell us what actually happened?
Well I don't know what happened on the base but what I saw was both flights, Harriers and Islander/Puma/Gazelle, doing separate passes along 35 - to far to photograph. The Harrier flight then did a pass along 25 before breaking and returning to land. The Islander/Puma/Gazelle flight also made a pass along 25 before landing as well.
Looks like you and I were in the same spot, again
We're going to have to devise a system so that we can all recognise each other at these events - a red rose in our lapels or something :)
BTW I was the one in the black Rover with the family and crying baby :)
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Here is a few shots from inside the base today.
First 2 is of the parade moving towards the front gates of the base for the flag lowering ceremony.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2644/3937179973_04500d9dc1.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3429/3937186103_3e01457e9e.jpg)
Next is the rather sad image if truth be told of the RAF flag being replaced with the flag of the Army Air Corps.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2505/3937964990_e3eabfe3cd.jpg)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3521/3937186867_8cc5ba1386.jpg)
I have a few other shots but have to go through them all yet, if I find anything decent I will stick it up.
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Looks like you and I were in the same spot, again
We're going to have to devise a system so that we can all recognise each other at these events - a red rose in our lapels or something :)
BTW I was the one in the black Rover with the family and crying baby :)
Doesn't ring a bell :(
I was the one in the [clean and shiny] red Ibiza :)
I was chatting to one of the guys there who said he'd been on this site last night for info on the Harriers but I didn't get his name.
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Couple from me
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/Paultojo/IMG_2385.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/Paultojo/IMG_2393.jpg)
(http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y235/Paultojo/IMG_2401.jpg)
P
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Paticularly like the Islander & Puma pic.
We're going to have to devise a system so that we can all recognise each other at these events - a red rose in our lapels or something
Bright blue NI Aviation baseball caps! That'll do it
...I'll get me coat...
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Doesn't ring a bell :(
I was the one in the [clean and shiny] red Ibiza :)
I was chatting to one of the guys there who said he'd been on this site last night for info on the Harriers but I didn't get his name.
Me and Casper were standing right beside you in that case, and I was parked next to you.
In fact I am almost sure I was behind you on the road when you were at the other side of the airport before driving to Killead, and you drove in behind me !
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Turns out I got watching Utd beat City and seeing the Harriers too.
Was sitting in the beer garden when us lucky lot in Craigavon
were treated to a 10 minute mini display by the Harriers.
They must've circled us 3 or 4 times just before one o'clock before
heading to Aldergrove. Just my luck I was drinking and didn't have the
camera.
Paul
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Nice photos Casper and Keegster
P
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Hi Guys nice shots of a sad but memorable day. I was also there in a Blue Scenic with Wife and three girls, most of them peering out the sunroof or door.
(http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq133/canonjohns40d/IMG_6505.jpg)
(http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq133/canonjohns40d/IMG_6567.jpg)
(http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq133/canonjohns40d/IMG_6586.jpg)
(http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq133/canonjohns40d/IMG_6604.jpg)
(http://i441.photobucket.com/albums/qq133/canonjohns40d/IMG_6606.jpg)
John
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52Postroc, by the looks of your photos from the flag ceremony, I would have been standing about ten feet or so to the left of you, at the edge of the hangar.By the way guys, Iam getting up close and personal with the three harriers tomorrow morning ! ;D Nige
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Good clip from UTV. Mr Clark looks as though the Puma flight disagrees with him and his breakfast is about to reappear.
Interesting choice of heli pic on the front of this article
http://u.tv/News/Flag-lowered-at-RAF-Aldergrove/b78af3e6-0660-48da-b438-4014d1b41d46 (http://u.tv/News/Flag-lowered-at-RAF-Aldergrove/b78af3e6-0660-48da-b438-4014d1b41d46)
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Me and Casper were standing right beside you in that case, and I was parked next to you.
In fact I am almost sure I was behind you on the road when you were at the other side of the airport before driving to Killead, and you drove in behind me !
You were the one in the black Audi estate with the aerial on the roof?
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Feared the worst when the Harriers made their first pass down 35/17,but came good in the end-lucky with the good weather also.
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You were the one in the black Audi estate with the aerial on the roof?
Thats right !
My photos are online now - click the link below.....
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Nice photos all. One thing that struck me about the whole thing though was the lack of participants. I mean 3 visitors and 3 residents? Not much of a send off is it. I'd have thought there would have been a 72Sqn Tucano over :(
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Guys, just been out to see the three four Sqn Harriers at 8:20 this morning, nice walkround with one of the visiting techies. Boy is that cockpit tiny, trying to get out was extremely difficult (Iam 6 2) gives you a real sense of the special breed of person it takes to sit in that position for up to four hours on an operational sortie. By the way Casper, I totally agree that that was not a good sendoff, we had Typhoons, Hawks, Tornados plus foreign aircraft at the recent families day, why not pull out the stops for such a historical occasion ?. Anyhow, will post some photos of Harriers sometime this week.
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I agree Casper,I expected a few other aircraft would attend-
Tucano from 72SQD would have been the obvious choice and maybe something a bit larger like a Tristar tanker or a Hercules.
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Some fantastic pic's of the harriers wished i could have heard them. if anybody has got them on you tube put them on here.
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Some fantastic pic's of the harriers wished i could have heard them. if anybody has got them on you tube put them on here.
They were quite loud compared to the 'civies' landing before and after them.
Was rather amusing to watch a herd of cows in a nearby field stampeding when the harriers came in to land :)
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An old thread I know but I came across this video of the hand over ceremony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM5lAf8Zu8U
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That is the best video I have seen of the event. 1) It shows alot more than just the flag lowering, 2) I'm in it ;D . Have to say that it was a very sad day but it is something the tell the grandchildren about.