FighterControl

The 1992 Lee-on-Solent airshow was not one of the most memorable. It lacked a lot of the heavy metal seen in previous years and was very lacking on foreign visitors. Plus, it was wet.....God was it wet !! However, for me the show was memorable as it gave me the chance to see an aircraft that had almost iconic status in my family.

My late father completed his National Service in the RAF as a 'Wireless Mechanic' in the years 1950-52...he remembered those times very fondly. For a period he was assigned to one of the RAF's lesser known units - the Air-Sea Warfare Development Unit (ASWDU). Their operations were split between two airfields - their new Shackleton MR1's at St Mawgan and the 2 Bristol Sycamores - WV781 and 782 - at nearby St Eval. Near the end of my father's posting to ASWDU WV782 was destroyed in a fatal crash at St Austell Speedway and the unit were allocated a new airframe as a replacement - WV783. For years this aircraft languished in a small collection at Daedelus, yet at the 1992 show it was wheeled out into static. Of course it was subsequently restored and now has pride of place at Hendon.

Anyway, here's a photo of what she looked like back then plus a few others from the show....

WV783-Sycamore-LeeonSolent 92 by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

A pair of stored Gannets were also hauled out for the static
XG888
XG888 by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

and XL500
Lee on Solent by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

Foreign interest was in the way of a Marienenflieger Skyservant
59+16-DO28D-3-MFG5-LeeonSolent-110792 by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

The RAF sent a Herk
XV192-Hercules C1P-LeeonSolent92 by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

and a Tucano
ZF409 by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

and the Navy sent a Sea Harrier
XZ455-Sea HarrierFRS1-LeeonSolent May 92 by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

and a Gazelle made the short hop oer from Fleetlands
XW887 by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

And then Lee on Solent wouldnt have been complete without a large dose of Westlands wonderful Wessex !
Wessex line up-LeeonSolent92 by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

XS516-Wessex - Lee on Solent-May 92 by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

XT482-Wessex-Lee on solent-May 92 by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

XT761-Wessex-Lee on Solent-June 92 by Jon Wickenden, on Flickr

Hope you have enjoyed this trip down memory lane

Nice pics and agree about the weather, I was there and I think it was better to call the place Lee In The Solent.
One possible reason for the reduced Foreign participation was that it clashed with a show at Brize Norton, I went there first while it was dry. The German Navy sent an Atlantic, Lynx and Tornado to that show. Also USN Tomcat and Hornet. One of the few times I was able to get to two shows in one day!

Hi Jon

Nice record of what looks like a rather moist event

All those Wessex choppers

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

Interesting set there John. Particularly liking that Wessex line - up.

god this brings back a lot of memories for me as Daedalus Air days back in the mid 80s as it was my local airshow back in the day. so it was definitely partially responsible for my keen interest in aviation. as a wee nipper back in the day i'll always remember the Sea Vixen on jacks so you could operate the hook, gear and wing fold systems and the old faithful Wessex winch that we set up in the main hangar. that and seeing the Vulcan during ints final years before the display flight stood down.

I remember that very wet day. I was there on the C-130 tach demo but we did not display as the weather was so bad.

Every time ive been to Lee on SolentI've got wet

you need to avoid the sea then !

Super set of images

Nice to see a SHar again

And as for the Wessex line-up.....