Your first ever military spotting trip, where, when etc?

[johnwayne]

My first - RAF Burtonwood Lancashire U.S.Armed Forces Open Day 18 May 1957.

Based - USAF
WB-50D 's 53rd Weather Sqdn 48-071 , 48-116 , 49-261 ,49-302
C-47D 43-48809
T-33A 53-05150
Visitors - USAF
C-119C 51-2630
RB-66 54-506 (19th TRS Sculthorpe)
F-84F 52-6534 (55th FBS Wethersfield)
C-123B 54-630
C-124C 53-010 MATS
T-28A 49-1941
Visitors - USN
R6D-1 (C-118) 131620
Visitors - RAF
Beverley C1 XB285-J (Abingdon) , Valiant , Venom , Canberra B2 , Comet C2 , Hunter F6 , Vampire TII , Javelin FAW4

RAF stuff not properly logged 'cos I was totally mesmerised by US mil (and still am ) probably as I grew up as a nipper within 15 mins bike ride of Burtonwood. In those days you could bike accross the main taxiway (signal controlled) and watch flying literally within the base alongside the Crash Station ! How could you fail to get hooked on that ? Top memories - based T-33
landing wheels up , mass arrival of B-36's which took several hours , first visits of C-130 , C-133. Worst memory final demolition of control tower April 1988 (Fred Dibner's got a lot to answer for) . Sobs.

[graham luxton]

My first - RAF Burtonwood Lancashire U.S.Armed Forces Open Day 18 May 1957.

Based - USAF
WB-50D 's 53rd Weather Sqdn 48-071 , 48-116 , 49-261 ,49-302
C-47D 43-48809
T-33A 53-05150
Visitors - USAF
C-119C 51-2630
RB-66 54-506 (19th TRS Sculthorpe)
F-84F 52-6534 (55th FBS Wethersfield)
C-123B 54-630
C-124C 53-010 MATS
T-28A 49-1941
Visitors - USN
R6D-1 (C-118) 131620
Visitors - RAF
Beverley C1 XB285-J (Abingdon) , Valiant , Venom , Canberra B2 , Comet C2 , Hunter F6 , Vampire TII , Javelin FAW4

RAF stuff not properly logged 'cos I was totally mesmerised by US mil (and still am ) probably as I grew up as a nipper within 15 mins bike ride of Burtonwood. In those days you could bike accross the main taxiway (signal controlled) and watch flying literally within the base alongside the Crash Station ! How could you fail to get hooked on that ? Top memories - based T-33
landing wheels up , mass arrival of B-36's which took several hours , first visits of C-130 , C-133. Worst memory final demolition of control tower April 1988 (Fred Dibner's got a lot to answer for) . Sobs.

How I envy you John!
cheers,
Graham

[Blue Diamond]

First trip to see aircraft was a school trip to the Shuttleworth Collection in 1962/63. Started collecting c***l registrations in 1970, first airshow in 1973 and finally started logging military serials and going photting round the bases in 1984.

[ROB MkIX]

My first airshow was at Middle Wallop in 1986, the massed helicopter approach from behind the treeline and the hills was an absolute stunner and was always the highlight of the Wallop shows.
The first proper spotting visit was to Lyneham in 1989. My mate and I spent a hot sunny June day sat at the end of the runway with Herks thundering right over our heads. It was a great experience, I was so hooked that we went back the following week and I have been spotting ever since.

Rob

[markranger]

Good one this.
Mine was back in 1990,Just got my driving licence.

Many years before this is was on a week long school trip to Flatford mill (suffolk)1981 i think.
Every day there was loads of jet's and i mean loads,This gave my the bug then the Falklands kicked of and i got intrested.
Anyway i got my drivers licence and me and my mate headed of fishing,,We thought why not flatford mill as we can fish and see jets.
When we got there the river was in flood so could not fish.My mate said lets go and have a look round an Airbase,The firtst one that came to mind was Coltishall for some reason even though it was further away then many others.
So off we went to what was the best Base viewing wise there could have been.
Amazing day,saw Jags,Hercs,F3's Gr4's A10'a and F111 all over shoot.



WOW WOW WOW.....................


Mark.

[The_Edge]

Hi Guys,
It was RAF Leeming for me in 1986.
Think I remember rightly they had 6-8 Canadian F/A-18s for a couple of weeks on detachment..after that I caught the spotting bug!!

Regards

Gary

[teeonefixer]

there was Finningley 'show 1967

I have a feeling that show was the first one I remember. I think I went to earlier ones but I was in a pram! I can just about visualise a Voodoo taxying out of the static park at the end of th show but I'm still not entirely sure what year that was. Anyway I never missed a Finningley show after that - it was always the highlight of my year when I was a kid.

I went with the Scouts - uniform and all - I remember sheltering from the rain under a CF100 - I'll have to check the list I have.
One unforgettable memory is Finningley '72 and the RN Phantom screaming across the field then vertically skywards until well out of sight

Think the first "spotting" trip was to Strubby, probably 1969. Sadly I didn't have the means of getting to airfields much until I was older, so I didn't get a chance to visit lots of airfields until some years later. St.Mawgan was always my favourite port of call. Oh to see those glorious dayglow-striped Canberras again...

St Mawgan show '76....I was gobsmacked when the Sandringham flew majestically acros the airfield, a really beautiful aeroplane !

[Unknown74]

Can't exactly remember where it was but it was definately in 1987, now it was either to Leuchars on a Saturday (yes you've heard it right) and there was a French Navy Atlantic parked on the main apron, or Edinburgh RAF Turnhouse for the US Marine Corps VMFA-122 F-18 Hornet visit they were actully holding a vsitors day for the Hornets.

[swingy]

Prestwick in the late 60s but really got going when we moved up north in the 70s and Lossie was on the door step with RN Buccs, Gannets, Hunters and much more.

[Downrange]

My first - RAF Burtonwood Lancashire U.S.Armed Forces Open Day 18 May 1957.

Based - USAF
WB-50D 's 53rd Weather Sqdn 48-071 , 48-116 , 49-261 ,49-302
C-47D 43-48809
T-33A 53-05150
Visitors - USAF
C-119C 51-2630
RB-66 54-506 (19th TRS Sculthorpe)
F-84F 52-6534 (55th FBS Wethersfield)
C-123B 54-630
C-124C 53-010 MATS
T-28A 49-1941
Visitors - USN
R6D-1 (C-118) 131620
Visitors - RAF
Beverley C1 XB285-J (Abingdon) , Valiant , Venom , Canberra B2 , Comet C2 , Hunter F6 , Vampire TII , Javelin FAW4

RAF stuff not properly logged 'cos I was totally mesmerised by US mil (and still am ) probably as I grew up as a nipper within 15 mins bike ride of Burtonwood. In those days you could bike accross the main taxiway (signal controlled) and watch flying literally within the base alongside the Crash Station ! How could you fail to get hooked on that ? Top memories - based T-33
landing wheels up , mass arrival of B-36's which took several hours , first visits of C-130 , C-133. Worst memory final demolition of control tower April 1988 (Fred Dibner's got a lot to answer for) . Sobs.

John,
I came across your posting whilst doing some research into the WB-50 activities at Burtonwood (MJXB) and your mention of a mass arrival of B-36s almost brought me to tears!

If it's any help some of those RAF items were WH727 Canberra, WR783 Venom, XK695 Comet, XG185/T Hunter, XD458/49 Vampire, XA731 Javelin. Other aircraft on base were VC-47A 42-23966, R6D-1 131616, C-118A 51-3827, C-123B 54-623, SC-47 43-15284 & 42-93181, C-47D 43-15943, VC-47D 43-49771, C-47D 44-77218 and C-47D 43-48342.
(All thanks to Air Britain Digest July/August 1957)

Living close to this base with WB-50's and B-36's active must have been unreal!
Thanks for the memory,
Colin

[das]

Raf Alconbury on a winters Sunday afternoon, just 2 based Tigers and 2 based RF -4C's, 259 and 563, but I was hooked.

Ray

[Bobcode]

From about 1956 we lived in a house that was the last one on the direct flight path to Northholt. We had a landing light in our garden !
Pembrokes, Avro Ansons, Queens Flight aircraft, ( Dove ?) and some twin boom aircraft I think were Blackburn Beverlys
If I stood in my bedroom at the window, I could see directly down the runway, nothing between us and it, save a playing field.

[Unknown74]

First Spotting trip was RAF Leuchars Airshow 1986, didn't stay that long on that occasion but once my ears had been bashed by 4 Phantoms add to the Red Arrows arriving as we were arriving plus the first viewing of a Vulcan Bomber I was addicted to Aviation, couldn't stop talking about Aircraft - I was hooked you might say.

[Vulcanone]

Probably Binbrook mid 70s, but as it was only 14 miles away from home quite a lot of stuff used to come over the town daily. The French Mirage III exchange arrived over us, although one of them went home as cargo....

And you can't beat a 115 Sqn Argosy at low level over your town sometime before they were retired!!

Tim

[LM47]

Like 'onemac' above mine was at HMS Fulmar 1960 and BofB day at Kinloss (logged my first C-130!) same year.
I did visit the drome with my uncle who was in the Navy in 1958 and now know I was dwarfed by Wyverns,Sea Hornets and such exotic stuff!

I am very jealous of you guys down south in that era as I never got to see a B-36 or B-47

[stavid]

Leuchars 87. I'd have been 14. Walking up from the train station I could see the high tails of the heavies then the smell of burnt kerosene in the air. Gave me butterflies.

[tm74sqn]

Possibly my first, if not then one of my earliest:-

13.6.56 Coltishall
===================
Main Gate
---------
Meteor F.4 EE419
Meteor F.4 EE424

The next notes I have:_

(Sat) 15.9.56 Horsham St Faith (PM) 'Battle of Britain At Home Day'
====================================================================
Static Aircraft Display
-----------------------
Shackleton MR.2 ..... "P" 228 Sqn
Valiant WZ397
Venom NF.3 WX866 "C" 23 Sqn
B-45 7084
C-119 18242
Anson .....
Mosquito .....
Hastings C.2 WJ332
In Hangar
---------
Hunter F.2 WN917 "E" 257 Sqn

I wasn't too good noting things those days - have tried to improve since!

Cheers, TM74

[daggerfan]

My dad was a civilian worker at HMS Fulmar and he used to drag me to the base air days every year in the early 1960s and I hated it! It wasn't until 1967/68, aged about 12, that I suddenly realised this wasn't a bad hobby to get into, and I haven't regretted it since. What I do regret, however, is not paying more attention to those earlier shows my dad took me to!

[merlinhunter]

My first non-airshow trip was to Coltishall too. But in October 1977 when there were some Dutch NF-5s on a squadron exchange. My family always used to go to Norfolk in the October half term because my parents were keen bird watchers We would sit in bird hides, my parents watching the waders but with me binoculars trained on the Jaguars, Buccaneers, F-111s etx flying along the coast.
David

[Grahame W]

I first got interested in aviation in the 1950s. I grew up in South Devon, which was a bit of a backwater, but the skies seemed full of aircraft in those days: Meteors, Vampires, Venoms, Gannets, Canberras, Skyraiders ...I remember seeing an early Swift diving over the Teign estuary (from Boscombe Down, maybe?). I used to go to Exeter Airport to see 3 CAACU in action: Mosquitos and Balliols, and later, Vampires and Meteors. The Exeter Air Day was a regular event. One year, it was opened by Frank Whittle, and 3 CAACU put up a formation of Balliols in a W in his honour. My dad used to take my brother and me to Farnborough (the first time was, I believe, in 1954 or 1955), but that's another story.