Hi folks, I run a small side hobby digitising old video tapes from various interests including aviation. I have some archive clips of my own and have recently been given a stash of tapes with a ton of local footage from the late 80s and 90s. I'm sure some of you will enjoy the trip down memory lane from the Ards/Ulster Airshows - we have both amateur camcorder recordings as well as some of BBC TV coverage from the post-event shows. There's some camcorder footage from the Buccaneer arriving at Langford, as well as some Wessex footage of the 72 Squadron farewell in 2002.

Our first upload to share here is from what I understand to be a UAS visit to Aldergrove Apron. This was at some stage in 1996 just before the Merchantman retirement, but after the Parcelforce Vickers Viscount had a gear up landing at Aldergrove in March 1996. It makes me feel old to think I was alive when these old birds were still doing the cargo runs, but the highlight for me is the British Midland. That's the livery I remember most from childhood.

If anyone has any similar footage I'd love to digitise the tapes and share the footage. If anyone can help find videos of spotting at Aldergrove in the 1990s I'd be well chuffed.

Enjoy.

Next up is a UTV Segment from 1993 - some of the terminal interior looks the same today! Nice to see the Midlands, the shuttle and the shuttle check-in desks.

Another new upload and this one is easily the best - 72 Squadron farewell including air-to-air footage. Enjoy!

That Wessex Farewell video is very good. I was lucky enough to have a flight in Wessex XR525/G which I believe is in RAF Cosford Museum. I had a tour around 72 SQN late 1990`s with a Canadian pilot named " Mack " He had the ye olde handlebar moustache et all, he joined the RAF specially to fly the Wessex. He was some charachter.

I think I may have some VHS and Video 8 stuff from mid 1990`s airshows at Newtownards,one features the MATS Lockheed Constellation amongst other things.I will have to dig them out

Quote from: angry turnip on Aug 01, 2025, 18:54That Wessex Farewell video is very good. I was lucky enough to have a flight in Wessex XR525/G which I believe is in RAF Cosford Museum. I had a tour around 72 SQN late 1990`s with a Canadian pilot named " Mack " He had the ye olde handlebar moustache et all, he joined the RAF specially to fly the Wessex. He was some charachter.

I think I may have some VHS and Video 8 stuff from mid 1990`s airshows at Newtownards,one features the MATS Lockheed Constellation amongst other things.I will have to dig them out

Nice! I'd have loved to have seen around the apron, especially when it was full of Lynx, Gazelle, Puma, Wessex and the odd Chinook. The ATC guys would have earned their keep back then with so much mil traffic as well as the passenger stuff.

Didn't see the Constellation in any of the stuff I've worked on so far - it might have been into the 2000s?

I think the Connie was over from USA for Berlin Airlift 50th, so it would have been 1997 or 1998.
John Travolta owned it for a while according to the commentary at Ards. I maybe horribly wrong.

Quote from: angry turnip on Aug 02, 2025, 18:28I think the Connie was over from USA for Berlin Airlift 50th, so it would have been 1997 or 1998.
John Travolta owned it for a while according to the commentary at Ards. I maybe horribly wrong.

You were bang on - looked up the 1998 video in this pile and sure enough there's a silver one doing a few passes!

Another video from the archives - Shorts 330 transported to Ulster Aviation Society. This one is likely 1992 or 1993.

" Excuse me sir, is this your vehicle? " Looks like a bit of head scratching as to how they were going to get onto the bypass out of the harbour estate.
Those highviz jackets are tiny lol,driver with the tash looked rather fed up,no forward planning?