RAF Waddington Air Show - 05/07/14

After last year's sun-baked show weekend at Waddington, I had high hopes that the weather gods would smile on this year's display, however, anyone at the airfield on the Saturday will know what a miserable morning, weather-wise, it was.

Adding to the gloom was the announcement made a couple of days previously, that there would be no show in 2015 as Waddo's runway would be closed for re-surfacing.

Although things improved about lunchtime, the skies were still cloudy and leaden in the afternoon and didn’t make for a decent photographic background, so with this in mind, I thought I would have a go at shooting in black-and-white for a change.

Showing just how wacky things were, the leading edges of Swiss Air Force F18 J-5005 are distorted by heat-haze, yet the atmosphere still holds enough moisture to allow vortices to stream from the wingtips of the fighter

Red Arrows BAe Hawks XX177 and XX312 prepare for take-off as the background disappears due to the aircraft in the lead section priming their diesel pipes. XX177 subsequently had to make a precautionary landing due to a birdstrike.

 Nice to see Boeing B17G Flying Fortress G-BEDF/124485 'Memphis Belle' in action again.
 

Continuing with the theme of propellers, shown are the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Douglas DC3/C47 ZA947, Avro Lancaster PA474, and Supermarine Spitfire LF.IX MK356, the latter in formation with Eurofighter Typhoon ZK308.

The Typhoon returns to terra firma.

At the lighter end of the market, Grob 115E Tutor G-BYXZ from RAF College Cranwell
 

A trio of Waddington residents – Boeing E3F Sentry ZH101, Bombardier Sentinel ZJ692 and the ‘new’ kid on the block, 51 Squadron's Boeing RC135 'Rivet Joint' ZZ664.

   

 

Two-seat versions of fighters often look to me as though they are an afterthought. One exception to the rule has to be the trainer version of the Hawker Hunter, in this case privately-owned  T7 G-FFOX/WV318, the graceful lines of the nose looking particularly good in black.

One aircraft that does prove the rule, though, is the Saab Sk35C Draken, which looks as though the crew are sitting in a greenhouse - note the periscope between the two cockpits enabling the 'rear-seater' to see over the nose! SE-DXP/35810 is part of the Swedish Air Force’s Historic Flight.

Possibly not the wisest or safest place to stand when there is something bearing down on you at 200mph...

A photographer gets up-close-and-personal with Turkish Air Force GD F16 Fighting Falcon 91-0011 as it skims the boundary hedge after its solo display.

Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance McDonnell Helicopters MD902 Explorer G-LNCT was a welcome addition to the proceedings.

More rotary-wing antics from the Spanish Air Force, who brought along five Eurocopter EC120 Colibris as the ' Patrulla Aspa' display team. This particular example is HE.25-14.

 

Finally, Avro Vulcan G-VLCN/XH558.