Battle of Britain Air Days - Early Finningleys 60s -80s

[F3]

Saturday is 15 September, Battle of Britain Day, which for 30 years (1963 - 94) meant an annual pilgrimage to RAF Finningley at first by public transport but mostly by car. For many years the weather for the show followed a familiar pattern with the day starting off bright and sunny (ideal for photography) but clouding over by lunchtime to produce 8/8 cloud by the start of the flying display usually with rain later. 1980 was different. No sun, no wind, just mist which never shifted. The only two display a/c distinguishable were the Vulcan, from its silhouette, and the Tornado briefly illuminated by its reheat. It is the only year that the King's Cup Air Race was postponed, to be flown the next day, when the Station was opened again for free. I only took a few pics of the static, the only one of which survives is of a 7 Sqn. Canberra TT18. 1981 witnessed the last Vulcan scramble, which had been a regular feature when Finningley was a V- bomber base back in the 60s. The 1982 show was interesting as it showcased many of the developments brought about by the Falklands War, such as Hercules and Nimrods with AAR probes (and also Sidewinder missiles in the latter case), a rare appearance by a Vulcan tanker, and captured Argentinian a/c.

At Homes 12 - An early foreign visitor was this FAF Paris seen @ Finningley in '63 - Copy (2) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

At Homes 13 - A former Finningley resident Defiant N1671 seen in '65 is now in the RAF Museum - Copy (2) - Copy - Copy - Copy - Copy - Copy - Copy by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - RNLAF F104G D-8091 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - F4 N 43 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - Slver Eagles AAC Display Team by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - Canberra TT18 WJ639 7 Sqn. '80 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - USAF C-9 Nightingale 10879 '81 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - RNLAF F5 K-3024 '81 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - DHC Beaver AAC King's Cup '81 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - Last Vulcan Scramble '81 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - Vulcan XM 648 101 Sqn. with King's Cup contetants '81 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - F4 XV469 A 56 Sqn. '82 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - French Navy Nord 262 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - Captured FAA Pucara '82 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - Captured Argentine UH -1 '82 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - Vulcan tanker '82 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - Nimrod XV234 '82 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - RNoAF F5B '83 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - Argosy 817 115 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Finningley - Lightning F6 with jet car '84 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

[paddyboy]

Hi Michael

You're spoiling us oldies yet again

Netherlands Northrop, Norwegian Northrop, Fighting Cocks 'Toom and the Whistling Wheelbarrow all in one set

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

[Tiger 1]

Great post... superb photos and great memories flooding back.

Do you have any photos of the Wessex dropping the car... certainly would not see that these days.

T1

[jaybee]

Lovely look back with them retro specs., on. Some good copies in there Mick and love the last shot of the Lightning and Jet car...

[The Phantom]

Cracking set

Camo Phantom looks seriously mean

[Knife 04]

The Vulcans do it for me mate (especially the shot with 3) - keep these coming F3 - love it

Cheers for taking the time to scan and post up

Darren

[F3]

Great post... superb photos and great memories flooding back.

Do you have any photos of the Wessex dropping the car... certainly would not see that these days.

T1

Fraid not altho' I do vaguely remember it. Think that might have been before I got seriously into photography. Do remember a Chinook lifting a MiG15 into one show in late '80s and I've got a pic of that somewhere.

[Tiger 1]

Thanks for looking... I have tried to find photos of this in the past but no luck.

On the day of the show, you would get a tanoy message asking the owner of vehicle reg???? to return to his vehicle.. . this happened several times during the day and then in the afternoon you see a guy running up the taxi way waving a rolled up news paper chasing a Wessex with the car underslung.


The Wessex would then climb in to an hover at several hundred feet and drop the car.