Memories of Fighter Meet - The Season Opener

[F3]

Back in the day (80s/90s) this mid May w/end was eagerly anticipated by aircraft enthusiasts as it marked the start of the airshow season with North Weald's Fighter Meet. First held in '84, when it had a markedly 'homespun' character and was exclusively a warbird display, the show grew and diversified (esp after securing the sponsorship of the Daily Express) to become one of the cornerstones of the airshow calendar with a truly international status. Reaching its peak in the mid '90s with the D-Day and Victory shows (the latter featured a/c from four nations), the show thereafter underwent a marked decline and after a disappointing '96 show we ceased to attend, switching allegiance to the Duxford Spring shows. However Fighter Meet was for a period one of the premier shows and certainly left a lasting impression.

N.Weald '84 - Fairey Flycatcher 75% by Michael Britton, on Flickr

N.Weald '84 - John Watts Tornado GR1 27 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

FM '94 - F3 ZE789 AU 45% by Michael Britton, on Flickr

FM '94 - Mirage 2000 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

FM '94 - C-130 NZ7005 RNZAF by Michael Britton, on Flickr

N.Weald '94 - F27 C-8 RNLAF by Michael Britton, on Flickr

N.Weald '95 - Sally B + little friends by Michael Britton, on Flickr

N. Weald '95 - Pilatus P-7 RNlAF by Michael Britton, on Flickr

N. Weald '95 - International line - up incl. Italian + Norwegian jets by Michael Britton, on Flickr

N.Weald '95 - SHARS on flightline 40% by Michael Britton, on Flickr

N.Weald '96 - Tucano + Herc by Michael Britton, on Flickr

N. Weald '96 - Nimrod 33% by Michael Britton, on Flickr

FM 90 Programme cover by Michael Britton, on Flickr

[Fibrous Freddie]

Nice selection... In pre-internet days it was always nice to attend and see what had turned up. I do remember that wooden paling fence! I have it in the background of photos!

[Mustang531]

Thanks for sharing these, I attended them all and they were great shows until the last one in 1996. I think what killed it was that someone decided that the supply of emergency services needed to be paid for and it was a massive bill. But there were some interesting modern machines turning up. There was also the chance for a pleasure flight in a propliner, in 1987 I enjoyed twenty-five minutes in Convair CV440 LN-KLK for fifteen quid.

[raptor9]

Mustang. I missed that and did the same at West Malling. Took a DC3 ride instead. Rode a CV440 in Venezuela some years later. Good old days those!.

[paddyboy]

Hi Mick

Yes, Fighter Meet was unmissable for several years for us, back in the day

Thanks for a great post

Paddyboy

[F3]

Hi Mick

Yes, Fighter Meet was unmissable for several years for us, back in the day

Thanks for a great post

Paddyboy

My pleasure. We enjoyed it while the shows were good but the fall off in quality after the Victory show, combined with the start of the Duxford Spring shows marked the end of it for us. Duxford was closer, cheaper and the shows were just as good if not better. BTW the Canberra framing the Victory show static is the one which returned to the air Down Under recently. Shame we have nt got one of our own. Can't ever see the Vulcan to the Sky one ever being made airworthy. The Kemble ones are a better bet!

[Sparts99]

Have you got any pics of the CASA352 (Ju-52) from the 84 show? I was ground crew on that, if memory serves correct we were parked next to the Tornado, I had a long chat with the pilot.

[F3]

Have you got any pics of the CASA352 (Ju-52) from the 84 show? I was ground crew on that, if memory serves correct we were parked next to the Tornado, I had a long chat with the pilot.

Sorry mate. Sadly I don't have any. In fact there are only a few surviving pics from the film I shot.

[Sparts99]

Oh well. Thanks anyway.

[mancman]

Do you know what the reg or code was on the Casa 352? Don't have a pic from North Weald but do have one from the same year taken at Cosford.

[Sparts99]

Bit of internet fishing, N9012P, we were registered under the US Experimental category so we could do our own maintenance as we saw fit. The fuselage code was 1Z+EK, see here https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File ... 133978.jpg that shot must have been taken sometime around a European trip as we painted the swastika out when flying in Europe, although the pic is captioned as being taken at Brize Norton. Info says it still exists in Germany, I thought it had been written off but it seems not.

[mancman]

Here it is at Cosford a month after North Weald.

N9012P Casa 352 June 1984 Cosford by Andy Bird, on Flickr

[Sparts99]

Great thanks, lovely shot. I didn't do Cosford so none of those legs are mine.