Lightning photos

[Gaz]

Makes me wish I was an airshow patron, pre 1993

[Mackrick]

Nice shots Andy... even in the rain they look the part ... nice tail shot of VC10 K2 'B' ....

[Gully]

9 serviceable Lightnings 2 days running?!

Thanks for the photos, Andy. I'm suitably jealous as I only ever saw a single Lightning fly on a single occasion and have no idea which one it was as I have no piccies . In fact, I'm not even sure of the year, but it was mid to late 80's at what I believe was the last airshow at British Aerospace Hatfield (DeHavilland to everybody else)...

Gully

[320psi]

Some more for you, taken in 87






















The Q shed in its prime, the sumner of 87, with only months to go before the end, it dont look like this anymore





The tower on the same day, vandlised and burnt out in the early 90's, bulldosed not long after



5sdq hanger, all aircraft in store









904 prior to leaving for Warton





728





773 BR, now in SAfrica







Visitors





















773 again

















And the big day in April 88, the viewing day for prospective buyers, all 7 of the last servicable Lightnings lined up



Our lady









Q shed in the back ground







The day the 3 T5's left the Binbrook ramp for the last time





773 again





Detuners, which we wanted but they were cut before we could even think about it



Hangers in 87









And some sad ones, the scrap line



















Some summer 87 shots


















728 in bits



And that pretty well finishes the Binbrook stuff off, hope you have enjoyed

[Xplumberlives]

Thanks Andy, so what will you entertain us with next?

[320psi]

Thanks Andy, so what will you entertain us with next?

Why am I purely here for your entertainment

Seriously Ive been digging up shots of 904 and 728 spanning their RAF lives, but I havent finished compiling yet

Anyone else is free to add their Lightning pics if they fancy

[Xplumberlives]

Thanks Andy, so what will you entertain us with next?

Why am I purely here for your entertainment

Seriously Ive been digging up shots of 904 and 728 spanning their RAF lives, but I havent finished compiling yet

Anyone else is free to add their Lightning pics if they fancy

No, but I'm not the only one who has thoroughly enjoyed all of the pictures you have posted so far!

[320psi]

Thanks Andy, so what will you entertain us with next?

Why am I purely here for your entertainment

Seriously Ive been digging up shots of 904 and 728 spanning their RAF lives, but I havent finished compiling yet

Anyone else is free to add their Lightning pics if they fancy

No, but I'm not the only one who has thoroughly enjoyed all of the pictures you have posted so far!

Oh good, I hope from all these pics you can see why and where we get our dedication from, firstly buying 728 and then keeping two of them alive in a real Q shed

All this is as much for us and our memories as for anyone else

[Xplumberlives]

Andy, I doubt if ANYONE on this forum could mistake your wonderful enthusiasm, many of those shots take me back to Binbrook and the crash gate days!

[320psi]

Andy, I doubt if ANYONE on this forum could mistake your wonderful enthusiasm, many of those shots take me back to Binbrook and the crash gate days!

Well its where it all began for the little old LPG, just a hand full of blokes stood at CG3, watching Ligthnings in their dying days and muttering 'wouldnt it be great if we could just save 'one' of these'




Oh my miss spent youth


Right Ive been compling these pics of our two, hope you enjoy


XR728 first, these span her RAF life










































The famous 'Wet wet' Ligthning show when she and JS lead the 9 ship























And the morning of June the 24th 1988, as she began her life with us









Final landing at brunty







Chris Berner Price who delivered her to us




And our very first open day in May 1990, just look where the crowd are standing



And JS reunited with JS in 1991



904 next if you want ???

[Xplumberlives]

Lovely!

[Mackrick]

Fantastic Andy love the photos...

[Mags]

Great pics - love the formations
Will try to hunt out some old 8mm cine that we have of a formation flying at Leuchars in the 60's

[Saracenman]

superb as ever 320

have you ever considered taking one of your girls back to bare aluminium, as delivered new?

sm

[320psi]

Well seeing as my night out at the pub is off due to the bucket loads of snow coming down outside (its gonna be good tomorrow mind you )

Hey sm, simple answer 'no' way, to time consuming and the etch primer would have made a mess of the surfaces, and keeping one bulled up, would be a nightmare, we have talked about painting 904 silver however, which might happen one day, when time and funds allow
728 will always be in the grey JS livery, theres no question of it, we are all 100% on that one, she holds to many memories for us all.
She is the next to need a paint job though, her 18 years of outside storeage and us polishing her have worn her paint work out, again when time and money allows we might just get just round to it, but its gonna have to be a top notch job, done extactly with no corner cut.


Heres the next lot, this time its 904's turn







Poor shot but shows her havig her first coat of camo





















We now jump frward to her post RAF days, these are all Warton in the late 80's early 90's





Jimmy Dell reunited with his flight helmet he lost when he 'banged' out of the 'proto' T4 over the Irish sea





Wildenrath 1991, 92 sdq disbandment













I love this one



Last Warton photocall

















And Jan 23rd 1993, her delivery day to us and the last flight of a Lightning in the UK







Peter Orme signs her 'out'




Bye bye Warton





Hello Brunty

















And there we were, two Lightnings !!!

OMG



That wraps it up for piccies,

See ya

[Mags]

Two very lucky ladies!!

[Crew chief]

I reckon you should write a book 320.

cc.

[Mackrick]

Thats a book I would buy Crew Chief

[Mags]

Thats a book I would buy Crew Chief

Seconded!

[MadNaddy]

Bloody Amazing!

Fantastic!

Thank You 320 xxxx

[320psi]

Yeh one day, when we get to our 50th year maybe, it aint my 'bag' though

I like the 'hands on stuff'

Glad you all like 'em'

Ive got a few of our two over the 21 years if your interested

[Mags]

Andy - what about a photo book? with the relevant info?

[320psi]

Andy - what about a photo book? with the relevant info?

Ummm yeh, but I can think of at least a dozen Lightning 'photo' books, Ian Blacks two books being the best there is, for pure Lightning photo books, they are spot on, he was there, with his camera doing it for real, Ive not seen any better

Theres tons of published info out there on Lightnings, they have in my opion be done to death abit

Remember most of the pics here arent mine, all the gooduns are Terry Seniors, he has many of his pictures published in Lightning books over the years

And then theres the two volumes of Stewart Scotts exellent books, these are the Lightning bible, belive me, he has spent most of his life researching each Lightning and its history,compling photos of each, even when they were thought to be impossible to find, staggering really
Vol 1 was the early devo stuff and the early sqds, Vol 2 has just come out and concentrates on the aircrafts sevice life (685 pages of it ) and Vol 3 will finish off with what happened towards the end and the 21 years since, including a big portion on our history.
He is however struggling with funding for it, but Im sure he will one day finish it off

These books are massive information libaries that are correct to unbelivable detailed levels, and I cant think anyone could better Stewarts dedication to the 'craft' , and he a really nice bloke as well

Now Im not saying that in 25 years time there wont be an need to cover our 'little' hobby, which is a story in its self

Mind you saying that we have a book done a few years ago, complied by our own, very cabable Hugh Trevor, its called 'lightnings live on' and its a cracking read, full of stories from lots of people in the lightning world and loads of great photos

Theres 12 books dedicated to Lightnings on our web shop 'book page' alone

http://www.lpgestore.com/english-electr ... p?prdid=58

Cheers

[Mackrick]

Yeh one day, when we get to our 50th year maybe, it aint my 'bag' though

I like the 'hands on stuff'

Glad you all like 'em'

Ive got a few of our two over the 21 years if your interested

Yes please Andy

[320psi]

Yeh one day, when we get to our 50th year maybe, it aint my 'bag' though

I like the 'hands on stuff'

Glad you all like 'em'

Ive got a few of our two over the 21 years if your interested

Yes please Andy

Ok, if you fancy

Before I get to the brunty stuff, I found these today, July 1988, Cranfield, all six Ligtnings sat together, lots of big talk, which all ended up being total c***














All very sad, but at least 458 and 452 got away from the steel saws

Right Bruntingthorpe in no particular order

728's delivery day, 24th June 88




Pre Q shed, parking spot of 19 years



No2 Engine pull in 2005





No1 engine 'pull' Dec 2005





Me on the tail in 1989 after a pipe pull, 'mk 1 eye ball' check of the reheat fuel connection seal



728's office June 24th 88



The group with some invited 'lightning' guests at our 10th anniverary do in 1998









DC3 low flyby 2005



728 in the fog, one Saturday in 1989 with Andy Williams in the seat (he was our first pilot to attempt our aborted takeoffs), probably the the nicest bloke Ive ever met



Gear cycling in 1990



Roly Beamont visits us for our 2nd anniversary, to give 728 a little run and do an brilliant after dinner speech, I wont forget that evening





904 with over wings on, in 1995, me kneeling in the grass



Another personal favourite and sadly missed, Brian Carroll, our star 'turn' for many years, RIP Brian



And another Lightning name and a true gentleman, Jimmy Dell RIP Jimmy



Sums it up I think





Big Thunder airshow, 1995






Some of 'our' pilots

L-R Brian Carroll, John Spencer,Jimmy Dell, Dennis Brooks and Keith (supersonic) Hartley



904 in the wet



728 in the dry





And our first pairs run in 1995ish



Thats all for tonight