B2 at Mildenhall air fete

[Darren50]

Hi, In the years before I had anything more than a casual interest in aircraft, I went with my wife, who was the fan , to the airfete twice .

At 1 or the shows, or maybe both, either 1998 or 1999, I can clearly remember a B2 flying along with an F117 if that helps with year.

My question is, did the B2 take off and land or did it just do a flypast?? The only part of the display I remember is a sort of lowish pass along the runway.

Many thanks
Darren

[Gary]

Would have been 1997 or 2000, didn't appear in 1998 & 1999 was cancelled due to the bombing campaign again the Serbs

Video on YouTube have it taking off in 2000 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkyxF14_QHs

Bit of info here viewtopic.php?f=335&t=61327

[Darren50]

Thanks Gary, it must have been in 1997 then as I went on 2 consequetive years. One of the years I seem to recall it rained at some point of the day.

[Londoneye]

93-1086 appeared in 1997.
90-0040 appeared in 2000.
These would be flypasts, as it was one of the Fairford's that it first landed, and changed crews.

Pete.

[reaperops]

B-2A 93-1086 'Spirit of Kitty Hawk' overflew the 1997 Air Fete on the Saturday only escorted by two 493rd FS F-15C

B-2A 90-0040 'Spirit of Alaska' arrived on the Thursday prior to Air Fete 2000 and was there for the whole weekend departing
on the following Tuesday.

HTH

[H.A.Bucken]

I remember the A.F. 2000 occasion as I'd parked just outside the temporary one-way systems and walked round to the gate near the water tower which must have been opened around 0700. We had unrestricted photo opportunities of all the heavies near to hangar 538(?) before they took down the barriers for all those in the main car-parking areas at 0830!
For reasons beyond my control that was my last visit to an Airfete; 2001 I had to return home on the Friday evening having photographed all the arrivals over the previous couple of days.
'The man in the Clan', aka Roger

[Darren50]

Thanks everyone ☺ I only wish that I had taken more interest and a camera now. I don't suppose I'll ever get to see another one.

[Pauls2805]

I remember going to Mildenhall as a young boy for the air show. I was amazed by the Blackbird. Remember watching it take off at the end of the day. The suggestion was it was heading back to the states...

[Unknown74]

The F-117 Nighthawk Stealth Fighter and B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber in 1997 and 2000 for me made up for never having seen the SR-71 Blackbird which I am disappointed about, I have however seen the SR-71 Blackbird at Duxford but it's still a shame I never saw one actually flying.

[gyvespa]

Not wanting to provoke jealousy.
But the Blackbird flew over my house more than once.
Great Yarmouth had it’s positive points in the eighties.

The Air Fetes were awesome though.

[wclark1238]

Further to not provoking jealousy...my Dad was stationed at Beale AFB as his last duty station prior to retirement (and settling back in the UK) so I used to see SR-71s flying all of the time. Amazingly enough less than 20 years later and I ended up working with quite a few civilian contractors (on the U-2 programme) who had previously worked on the SR-71. Shame that I was less interested in planes when I was 10-11 years old than I became later on in life.

[STN RAMP RAT]

I remember seeing the flyby in 1997, it was almost totally silent from where I was stood and I remember thinking that if I had not known it existed I would have thought I had seen a UFO. The B2 and the SR71 a few years earlier were for me the highlights of what for me the best show of the year

[slogen51]

Thanks everyone ☺ I only wish that I had taken more interest and a camera now. I don't suppose I'll ever get to see another one.

Heard there was one rumoured for RIAT Sunday?

[Essexscannerbod]

I clearly remember the commentator bigging up the stealths appearance and telling everyone to look to the runways left (circuit was clear) then playing the sound of a passing jet the reaction was hilarious as he said "told ya'll it's invisible"