Mildenhall Air Fete 1982 SR-71A & U-2R

[xkekeith]

Some days the weather co-operates and you are in the right place at the right time!
Working at the 82 Air Fete on a stand allowed me to photograph the SR-71A and the U-2R being positioned before Joe Public arrived to gorge themselves on burgers & beers plus 'Little Johnny' sticking his ice cream up the engine intake take and spoiling the composition of my photo......

Lockheed SR-71A 17974 (incidentally the last SR-71A lost in an accident 21st April 1989)

17974 SR-71A 9th SRW by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

17974 SR-71A 9th SRW by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

17974 SR-71A 9th SRW by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

17974 SR-71A 9th SRW by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

17974 SR-71A 9th SRW by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

17974 SR-71A 9th SRW by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

Lockheed U-2R 10337 being rolled out of the hangar.

10337 U-2R 9th SRW Det 4 by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

10337 U-2R 9th SRW Det 4 by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

10337 U-2R 9th SRW Det 4 by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

More to follow on my Flickr feed...

[Nighthawke]

It would have been rude not to What a great flashback. Thanks for posting.

[stamford4782]

Thanks for sharing the nostalgia. Forgive any naivity but Is the 10337 U-2R the same as U2S 68-10337 currently at Fairford.

[xkekeith]

Yes same airframe - not quite 'Triggers Broom' but with a lot of maintenance and upgrades in-between !

If you don't get the Triggers Broom reference its from Only Fools and Horses - In the episode "Heroes and Villains": Trigger wins an award for having owned the same broom for 20 years. He reveals that it has had 17 new heads and 14 new handles, but insists it is still the same broom.

[Seahawk 11]

Wow, what a fantastic set of photos there of some great aircraft,
many thanks for sharing these,

Rob

[Weazel69]

those SR71s were never the easiest of A/c to photograph
even when they did approaches/PDs at Colt it was always hard to get a good image

[fisherman]

Yes same airframe - not quite 'Triggers Broom' but with a lot of maintenance and upgrades in-between !

If you don't get the Triggers Broom reference its from Only Fools and Horses - In the episode "Heroes and Villains": Trigger wins an award for having owned the same broom for 20 years. He reveals that it has had 17 new heads and 14 new handles, but insists it is still the same broom.

A bit like some of us? Good memories from some better days, very nice.

[paddyboy]

Hi Keith

Fab shots

Ah, the Air Fete memories will never fade

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

[SW Sky Blue]

Very nice

[david14]

Pretty sure I went that year - very nice, thanks for posting

[Knife 04]

Love these old ones of the SR-71 and U-2 - always good arriving for Air Fete wondering if an SR-71 would be in the flying display!

Like the one of the U-2 coming our of the hangar!

Thanks for posting Keith

Darren

[stealthmanb2]

Good times Air Fete .and strangely U-2 10337 is current based at Fairford

[Stroudy]

Imagine if SR-71's were operating from Fairford now instead of the returned U-2's....!