Right as promised the airshow thread
After the 'big year' of 1993 David was keen to get Bruntingthorpe on the aviation 'map' as it were, and so kicked off plans to hold a big airshow at Bruntingthorpe in July 1994, he hired an events 'team' and the 'ball was then rolling'
There were only ever two Big Thunder airshows, 1994 and 1995, 1996 was a much toned down version of the previous two due to lack of income from them.
Both shows were blessed with lovely weather and some great 'before and mid' airshow parties in the hangar where 558 now stands, extremely good fun, belive me
Ive dug these out for you from my 'stash of stuff' they havent seen the light of day since then, hope you enjoy
1994 poster
1995 poster, Ive also got my copy of the programme here, but not a 94 one
And the 1996 poster, as you can see, a much lower key event than the previous two, pretty much going back to our 'taxying' open days we began in 1989 and continue to this day
I always thought the crowds were really good considering the event was new, loads of stalls and a big fun fair, really good fun
These following shots/snaps were taken over the 5 days I spent at each event, Thursday, press day, Friday,arrivals day, Saturday, practice/prep day, Sunday show day, wonderfull memories
On personal note in 1993 I had just met wife to be, she wasnt into 'planes' and still isnt, and this was her first taste of airshows, she only ever came to the 1994 one, couldnt have impressed her much, hey ho
1994 and what an opening, two Buccs with not much time left before they retired, came hammering down Bruntingthorpes runway, top to bottom at zero ft, even to the point of vanishing below the line of the crest of the hill
I didnt lift my camera, just stood mouth hanging open
We made our way round to greet the crews
And the rest in no particular order
The Lanc in 1994, which we got in while the lads were changing a couple of exhaust stubs
The driving seat
And 1995
Sally B, which we got in as well
The 'AN' of the Crunchie team
Harriers just landed
Herc
Hunter, from Delta Jets
Home based TR9 Spitfire just fired up for the press boys
Jordanians in their Extra 300's
Lovely looking Jag in this very fetching scheme, love the saint motif
BBMF Dak and with its nose just in shot, Paul Morgans (RIP) P51 'Suzy' he was a really nice fella and we met him many times when he visted Bruntingthorpe, his party piece was on a good weather Saturday, he would go for local flight from Sywell, he would come in low and fast along Bruntys runways, we would always wave, he would then pull up into a near vertical climb and waggle the wings to say 'how do' , he was saddly killed in his newly aquired Sea Fury when it turned over as the prop touched the ground and pulled the aircraft over on the soft grass at Sywell and crushed him in the cockpit, very sad and he is much missed by us
F16, display 'ship'
Bruntingthorpe based single seat Vampire, from Sandy Topens collection
And his two seat Vampire, there was also his Venom which is on the bottom photo
A real gem, a TTTE German Tonka
And the TTTE display Tonka, very nice in black I must say
You know this lady
And this one
Oh and these two
I was constantly amazed at the comments we got and unbeliveably still get :
'Where are they based and have they just flown in for the day ?'
I tell you
1994
1995
Display Hawk
F27 display areo, what a display as well, staggering
The Russians
BBMF Spit
BBMF Hurricane
And Caroline Graces Spit, which not long after this shot was taken got stuck in the grass, we then pushed her out, phewwwww
Nimrod
The press day line up of the some home based stuff
And thats all I can find, Im sure I have more somewhere, but Ive got to go and lie down now
Do hope you have enjoyed this little lot
