Did you know that registration to Fighter Control is completely free and brings you lots of added features? Find out more....

Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Warbirds, Replicas and Nostalgic photos in here please.
F3
Posts: 2966
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:06 am
Location: Rotherham

Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by F3 » Wed Sep 15, 2021 9:49 am

Given today is an auspicious date, commemorating the Battle of Britain, felt it was an appropriate time for this post.
Hard to believe that it is now 30 years since this fabulous Finningley show which was the best in my view altho' the '93 show was also exceptional. The reasons it was the best are because of the Gulf War jets which featured in both the static and flying displays and particularly the amazing display by the Russian Knights with their Su-27 Flankers. Please feel free to add your own photos to this post and I would also be interested in seeing what was @ Leuchars on this day. I know that the Russians were and ditto the Gulf War flypast but I'm more interested on what was in the static.

ImageFinningley '91 - Programme cover by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFinningley '91 - Flying Programme by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFinningley '91 F-111E 68055 55TFS by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageTornado GR1 ZA492 - Finningley '91 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFinningley - Tornado with Gulf War nose art '91 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFinningley - Jaguar '91 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFinningley '91 - Display Bucc by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFinningley '91 - Display Tornado 45 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFinnigley '91 - Gulf War flypast Tristar + F3s by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFInningley '91 - Russian Knights by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFinningley '91 - Russian Knights (1) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFinningley '91 - Su-27 Flanker of Russian Knights by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFinningley '91 - Russian Knights (2) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageFinningley '91 - Russian Knights 3 by Michael Britton, on Flickr

H.A.Bucken
Posts: 1487
Joined: Mon Mar 04, 2013 6:21 pm

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by H.A.Bucken » Wed Sep 15, 2021 10:23 am

Remember it well; they were the first Su-27s I'd seen:- think their hosts were the Red Arrows.
Couldn't get anywhere near the fence-line when one did a taxi-by; next to me was a charity enclosure with no-one by the fence; couldn't see an official to give 'em a fiver to be in their enclosure.
Roger

Hunter49
Posts: 670
Joined: Sat Dec 19, 2009 7:46 pm

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by Hunter49 » Wed Sep 15, 2021 12:42 pm

Great show, as ever , what a treat to see now zilch! but it up north and it seems very few airshows around this part of the country. GOOD SHOW as always including the non flying events on base , was great for children! Rob

User avatar
paddyboy
Posts: 23688
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:32 pm
Location: Somewhere in Norfolk

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by paddyboy » Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:34 am

Hi Mick :P

T’was indeed a cracking show :thumbs:

It took us hours to get off as it was so crowded :@

Thanks for posting :thumb:

Paddyboy :clap:
XH558, always the first lady in my life
Just remember, please don't tell the wife


Image
GRIM REAPERS SUPPORTER

F3
Posts: 2966
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:06 am
Location: Rotherham

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by F3 » Thu Sep 16, 2021 9:39 am

paddyboy wrote:
Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:34 am
Hi Mick :P

T’was indeed a cracking show :thumbs:

It took us hours to get off as it was so crowded :@

Thanks for posting :thumb:

Paddyboy :clap:
Same here Paddyboy. It was the latest we ever got off the base. As I recall we had to wait until all the flying ceased and they opened an exit on the opposite side of the runway. Our normal practice of making an early exit before the end had to be dispensed with on this occasion in order to see the Russians who were the penultimate display. The Vulcan closed the show. We always preferred it when the Reds provided the finale as they gave you a twenty minute head start!

User avatar
paddyboy
Posts: 23688
Joined: Mon Oct 10, 2011 7:32 pm
Location: Somewhere in Norfolk

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by paddyboy » Fri Sep 17, 2021 4:09 am

Hi Mick :P

Not just us who avoided the Reds then :whistle:

Ended up dark when a few ATC boys with torches shepherded us off :Wow:

Didn’t get to our overnight B&B until after midnight :grr:

Best regards :D

Paddyboy :clap:
XH558, always the first lady in my life
Just remember, please don't tell the wife


Image
GRIM REAPERS SUPPORTER

Unknown74
Posts: 3946
Joined: Mon Nov 16, 2009 12:13 pm

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by Unknown74 » Fri Sep 17, 2021 12:05 pm

Think I was at Leuchars that day.

65thAgressor
Posts: 368
Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2020 9:53 am

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by 65thAgressor » Fri Sep 17, 2021 5:18 pm

The Russian knights were based at scampton during their visit. I have a video somewhere of a practice display over scampton,they came low over my head on numerous occasions.

Sparky 119
Posts: 597
Joined: Thu Aug 15, 2013 6:15 pm

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by Sparky 119 » Fri Sep 17, 2021 9:18 pm

Always used to do Friday arrivals then overnight train for Leuchars, happy days.

BIFFOVSKI
Posts: 214
Joined: Wed Aug 28, 2019 8:09 am

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by BIFFOVSKI » Sat Sep 18, 2021 8:01 am

Hi F3 . There is a good report on Leuchars on the Scramble website . At Leuchars the Russian Knights support aircraft was parked by the crowd line and the crew were letting youngsters go inside for a look round ( which included my 7 year old son). Otherwise just a normal Leuchars show with a few U.S Navy aircraft off of a carrier etc. Mid afternoon it started raining heavy so became a bit of a washout , but worth it .
Wednesday 18 Sept was Russian Knights afternoon display at Scampton.. Friday tea time a trip around Finningley to view a photograph the static ....Saturday 0610 train from Doncaster to Leuchars and 1619 return from Leuchars arriving back to Doncaster 2025 and home by 2100 !

M

adderman
Posts: 3381
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 8:30 am
Location: Topcliffe NY

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by adderman » Sat Sep 18, 2021 9:07 am

Those were the days.

Friday working till midday, then collect hire car from St Albans Herts.
Route to various friends houses till car full...drive overnight to Leuchars arriving for gates opening on Saturday.
Depart 1300 to Errol(XG882 Gannet) Perth(tour) and Glasgow, night stop in Carlisle 710 miles on clock!

Sunday.
Carlisle Leeming Finningley(hoping that not everything had left or been put away!) Waddington(CF18 188797) Mildenhall(C2 162178) then back to St Albans!

F3
Posts: 2966
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:06 am
Location: Rotherham

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by F3 » Sat Sep 18, 2021 10:27 am

Seems to have been a very busy, but memorable, w/end for some! Just glad the Leuchars rain did nt come south.

User avatar
roughcutter
Posts: 2111
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 4:47 pm
Location: Widnes, Cheshire

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by roughcutter » Sat Sep 18, 2021 12:32 pm

Deffo the best Finningley show I've ever attended, infact I had been lucky enough to spend the day before, watching the arrivals from the Biffa track.😊

3Greens
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2009 7:35 pm
Location: RWY21 Grimsby

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by 3Greens » Sat Sep 18, 2021 4:07 pm

Indeed a great show Mick.
Remember having a good look in Hangar 1 (SAR Engineering) at the assortment of Wessex , Whirlwinds and Seakings with XZ594 in rebuild after a major prang.

Another great show long gone
Thanks for posting
Keith (3Greens :thumb: )

42307
Posts: 6
Joined: Wed Oct 06, 2021 3:08 pm

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by 42307 » Wed Oct 13, 2021 10:16 am

Brilliant show but memory tainted by the long wait to get off airfield. Mind you, i would do it again to relive that show.

Phoon
Posts: 463
Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:50 pm

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by Phoon » Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:26 pm

Great set, remember it well, we were queuing on the A1 to get in - unfortunately we didn't get in until around 1.00 and we parked right down past the Nimrod AEW3, there wasn't to many cars after us that got on the base.

F3
Posts: 2966
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:06 am
Location: Rotherham

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by F3 » Thu Nov 04, 2021 4:47 pm

Phoon wrote:
Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:26 pm
Great set, remember it well, we were queuing on the A1 to get in - unfortunately we didn't get in until around 1.00 and we parked right down past the Nimrod AEW3, there wasn't to many cars after us that got on the base.
Yes. And then the problem was getting off it! Scheduling the RKs almost at the end of the display prevented us playing our usual get off the base card which was an early exit. Never failed when the Reds provided the finale but sadly on this occasion the wife nearly posted me as a missing person.

Phoon
Posts: 463
Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2010 5:50 pm

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by Phoon » Fri Nov 05, 2021 11:37 am

F3 wrote:
Thu Nov 04, 2021 4:47 pm
Phoon wrote:
Thu Nov 04, 2021 2:26 pm
Great set, remember it well, we were queuing on the A1 to get in - unfortunately we didn't get in until around 1.00 and we parked right down past the Nimrod AEW3, there wasn't to many cars after us that got on the base.
Yes. And then the problem was getting off it! Scheduling the RKs almost at the end of the display prevented us playing our usual get off the base card which was an early exit. Never failed when the Reds provided the finale but sadly on this occasion the wife nearly posted me as a missing person.
Thankfully, getting in late we were not that far from the gate!

Malcolm
Posts: 4169
Joined: Tue Jun 22, 2010 8:26 am

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by Malcolm » Fri Nov 05, 2021 12:00 pm

Happy days. I think we went to this one on the Sunday :whistle:

Normal schedule was Yeovil Penn Mill to Bristol, arriving around 9-10PM. Two hours in a pub anethnetising oneself, then buy a day return* to Leuchars and onto the 00:01 train from Bristol to Edinburgh, and then whatever the first train to Leuchars was. We were usually there before the gates opened. All day at the show, then get something around 5PM back to Edinburgh. Dinner in the Pizza Hut near the station before boarding the last (and slowest we could find) train for Doncaster. Get off at Donny, and sit in the station buffet eating British Rails best microwaved bacon rolls for breccy. Then Cycle out to Finningly. Most years you could get in on the Sunday morning after a quick chat with the guard on the gate. Nip round the deserted static taking photos, then back to Donny for a midday ish train to Bristol, and home to Yeovil Penn Mill in time for Sunday dinner.

*Apparently as long as you started the return on the same day as the outbound, you could complete your journey the following day. And breaks of journey were allowed too. It was usually about £6 return Yeovil to Bristol, and sub £20 Bristol to Leuchars.

F3
Posts: 2966
Joined: Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:06 am
Location: Rotherham

Re: Best ever Finningley - Sat 21 Sept '91

Post by F3 » Sat Nov 06, 2021 12:03 pm

Malcolm wrote:
Fri Nov 05, 2021 12:00 pm
Happy days. I think we went to this one on the Sunday :whistle:

Normal schedule was Yeovil Penn Mill to Bristol, arriving around 9-10PM. Two hours in a pub anethnetising oneself, then buy a day return* to Leuchars and onto the 00:01 train from Bristol to Edinburgh, and then whatever the first train to Leuchars was. We were usually there before the gates opened. All day at the show, then get something around 5PM back to Edinburgh. Dinner in the Pizza Hut near the station before boarding the last (and slowest we could find) train for Doncaster. Get off at Donny, and sit in the station buffet eating British Rails best microwaved bacon rolls for breccy. Then Cycle out to Finningly. Most years you could get in on the Sunday morning after a quick chat with the guard on the gate. Nip round the deserted static taking photos, then back to Donny for a midday ish train to Bristol, and home to Yeovil Penn Mill in time for Sunday dinner.

*Apparently as long as you started the return on the same day as the outbound, you could complete your journey the following day. And breaks of journey were allowed too. It was usually about £6 return Yeovil to Bristol, and sub £20 Bristol to Leuchars.
Sounds like an ideal weekend break. Unaffordable at today's rail travel cost!

Post Reply

Return to “Warbirds, Replicas and Nostalgic Photography”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 54 guests