worldslaziestbusker Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 I can't believe this was only twenty-five years ago. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thommo Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 That is great. And 1970's OH&S was even better. I remember a crop dusting plane buzzing & dropping Minties from 30m over a footy oval full of excited kids in Delegate, followed by a greasy pig catching comp. Couldn't do it now, for fear of some kid getting hit on the head by a Mintie, gobbling a little super-phosphate residue or getting bit by a baby pig Quote Link to post Share on other sites
midnightprowler Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Wow! Just wow! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cap'n Wannabe Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 I remember seeing Snoopy way back in the 80's at Mangalore airshow...awesome performance! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hawkwrench Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 That was totally cool! What an awesome piece of flying! You would never be able to do that now. The FAA would eat you for dinner here in the US. Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Whoa! That sure was something! Thanks for the link. Regards, Don. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
falcon20driver Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 Ive never seen that before, and its amazing. Entertaining sure, but the flying was beautiful. That was one talented pilot. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ross blackford Posted August 22, 2015 Share Posted August 22, 2015 :D, At the Bicentennial Airshow at Richmond in 1988 2 Chinooks did a close quarters (read intimate) mating dance which produced a baby Chinook from the rear end of the "female" Chinook. Or the Squirrel doing its thing at the show, or the Caribou doing the wheelbarrow or the QANTAS 747 doing the low fast run along the runway on its way to Europe via Singapore. That bird was so low its inner engines were no more than a metre of the ground or the An-124 doing its show stopping display. After his first display on the Monday afternoon the captain was called into the airshow director's office and told to tone it down. Indeed W.H.&S. these days wouldn't allow such things but I'm just glad I had the privelege to see them in my day. Another display I remember was Sqn Ldr Gerry Leach's display in the Sabre. He would fly low and fast along the runway with the canopy open waving his hand outside the open canopy to the crowd. Ah; those were the days before the nanny state took over. , Ross. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
worldslaziestbusker Posted August 22, 2015 Author Share Posted August 22, 2015 (edited) Richmon 1988 stands out as the best airshow I've attended. You touched on a lot of my highlights but Kiwi Red stole the show, for my money. 75 squadron RNZAF flew A4s until New Zealand gave up on having combat jets and their display team only performed for two years, with a mid air collision resulting in one death and two airframe losses brought their career to a premature end. I never saw anyone else attempt manuevres while hooked up My link That chinook dance you mentioned: my fifteen year old self watched in horrified fascination, certain that rotors were about to mesh and shatter. The Fletcher with the Pitts buzzing around it was impressive, too. Edited August 22, 2015 by worldslaziestbusker Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ross blackford Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 (edited) :D/>/>, Yes busker, the Reds did take their part of the show with those loops and rolls while hooked up to each other. The Kiwis also had a private team of Harvards that did aeros in such close formation I couldn't believe what I was seeing. One comment from a mate of mine during their formation loop was "If No. 1's engine so much as coughs on one cylinder in the upward vertical No. 4 will chew his rudder off." They were literally that close and I'm not kidding anyone. I think those days may be gone even here in Oz but we can always live in hope I guess. Another thing I miss is the annual Air Force Week airshows at every RAAF base as we had in the 50s and 60s when I was growing up. Every year Mum and Dad would pack us and our lunch either into the old Austin or FJ Holden and drive the 30 km to Williamtown along with the other 3/4 of Newcastle's population and enjoy a really great Sunday on the base. They were real family days and most of my cousins also attended with their parents. Air Force personnel would explain what they did and how. The queues to have a sit in a Sabre or Mirage or Herc were a mile long so to speak. And that was every year, not maybe once in 20 years the way it is now. And back then there was nowhere near as much money around as there is now. I think entry and parking was about 10s or equal to 1$ today. You could buy a 600 ml Coke for 1/6 or 15c and get 6d or 5c back on the bottle. They even had model kits on display by some of the modellers on base and on sale by one of the local hobby shops. We should get back to those days. Not the cheap prices, I know they're gone forever but at least show the community what we're paying for every couple of years. I know I wouldn't mind paying to get in and the AAL could puton a display etc. I know they do at Avalon every 2 years and I intend to get down there in 2017. Hopefully in the old Pontiac. :cheers:/>/>, Ross. Edited August 23, 2015 by ross blackford Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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