RNAS Yeovilton Air Day 2011

[john]

Looking forward to tomorrow.

I might go to bed soon as I will be getting up about 6:30

6.30 lol I am up at 3 lol going to bed now see you all tomoz

John.

[Mictheslik]

One for the record (it's not the best shot in the world) but this was the Rafale pulling out of the final high speed run down the runway



.mic

[Seamus]

The French were epic today, totally incredible. The agility of the Rafale is ridiculous; the thing turns and accelerates effortlessly, running rings around the Etendard as Rich alluded to earlier.

Whether it was a full on sonic boom during that pass, I'm not so sure. Chatting about if with my Dad, we reckon he was just about nudging it, with a fully supersonic pass likely to produce a much louder bang, possibly. Certainly loud enough though for me to let out a large "WOAH!!!"

Will be interesting to see if it happens again tomorrow....

[RichC]

That is EXACTLY the point it made the BANG! It overtook the Super E very fast.
I've certainly not heard that Bang before with other aircraft "that" close to the 1.0 number....... it was a very abrupt boom, i was standing (again) not far from you, under the green umbrella, Seamus
Think it was much more apparent to us directly under it.

[somerset]

It was the highlight of a soggy day me and my brother where under it when she went bang fantastic noise - i was in black shorts and a red jacket if anyone walked past

[Seamus]

It's an interesting one. I've never experienced a sonic boom, but I was under the impression they're pretty deafening? Wouldn't have put today's bang in that category, although it was certainly pretty loud. Surely though, seeing as supersonic flight is such a no-no over land, he'd have been immediately red carded?

However fast he was going, it was flippin' cool!

[RichC]

His overtaking of the Super E on that high speed pass was the last run of the display, they called it a day straight after they slowed down.
The Rafale never ceases to astonish me. I've seen F15s display, i've seen Typhoons display, i've seen Gripens, Su-27s and Mig-29s but everytime i see the Rafale it's agility it astounding compared to those listed above. The only other thing that is just as amazing as the agility is the ability to slow down so quickly without airbrake straight after a high speed pass. It goes from stonking fast to approach speed within a few seconds, literally. I've never seen a conventional fighter do this. It truly is a remarkable airplane and something the French should be very proud of. Not only that, the thing looks like a beast... unlike the bland horrible and boring lines of the Typhoon.

The boom today was similar to those on youtube as i said with the USN buzzing the carriers and booming. It was very localised though and seemed to be very, very noticeable to those underneath it and just to the side but not so much to those several hundred metres to the side of it.

Very similar to this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey6ZNxCi ... re=related" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; but just a bit quieter and with both the Rafale and the Super E together at the time of the overtake it was just a little less abrupt due to the engine noise.

[HunterF6]

heard the boom too Rich, did make me wonder lol. Gutted the Mig didnt go up, got some reasonable phots tho and a few rarer freqs in the bag too

[nick197]

Have an awesome day anybody thats going today , As my uncle says {stingrays4} were leaving at 6:30 so should be there for around 9 hopefully . Cant wait to see the Polski Mig29 .

[glasfryn]

We were told at 1800 that the Migs must do a routine to get passed for the airshow on saturday. The apache went went up in poor weather. We were informed around 1900ish that the Migs have been cancelled from the flying display on Saturday.Cant understand why they did not try earlier in day when the weather was fine and nothing else was around

[centaurus18]

The MiG 29 is validating NOW in the distance. Sounds good!
Off home though due to family things so will miss the show.

[Blackcat1]

Totally agree Glasfryn, annoying or what!! , also wondering why the F-16 didnt do a practice display? or even team viper?

[RichC]

Heres what was supposed to have happened:-

0845 Lynx (Skua) to HMS York for flypast (No Show)

0900 Seafire to Judwin (No Show)

0900 F4 Phantom from Wittmund arrives (Came at 10:00)

0930 PA28 from Culdrose arrives

1000 F16 x2 (Mace 95 Flt) from Koksijde arrives (Arrived eventually)

1000 Lynx x10 depart to formate

1015 Lynx x10 flypast then to Judwin

1045 Lynx x7 from Judwin to VLN (Blackcats and Blue Lynx to remain at Judwin)

1045 Lynx from HMS York to VLN (Nope)

1030-1055 Swordfish Westlands to Westlands for flypast at Judwin (No Show)

1040-1100 Sea Fury Westlands to Westlands for flypast at Judwin

1100-1115 Lynx x10 Maritime Display Practice (Not 10 was it?, lasted for 5mins)

1128 Seafire Display at Westlands

1145-1230 Commando Assault Rehearsal

1230 Merlin (Navy 812) from Odiham to VLN (Very late)

1230 Lynx x3 Blackcats & Blue Lynx to VLN

1230 Lynx AH7 (Eagle 1) display at Westlands

1230 Wasp to VLN

1230 Blackcats Display at Westlands

1230 Wildcat to VLN (No Show)

1230 Apache (WHE) to VLN (No Show)

1245 Hawk from Culdrose to VLN (No Show)

1300 Chipmunk to Thruxton with Wasp pilot onboard

1300 Apache (Hawk 01) from Gilze Rijen to VLN flypast Westlands enroute (Was late, didn't go to Westlands)

1300 Tucano from Koksijde to VLN

1330 Scout to VLN

1345 Seaking ASAC7 (Navy 811) from Odiham to VLN (Went U/S and another was drafted in from Culdrose very late)

1430 Tornado GR4 x3 (Alien) to VLN (1 came in on its own, the other two came in later)

1500 Seaking HUR5 (Navy 810) to VLN

1500-1515 Team Viper Rehearsal (20mins) (No Show)

1520-1532 F16 Rehearsal (12mins) ( No Show)

1535-1555 Piper Cub Rehearsal (20mins) (No Show)

1600-1615 Mig-29 Rehearsal (No Show, tried at 7:30 but cancelled)

1615-1630 Rafale x2 (Lascar) arrives and straight into rehearsal (Only 1 Rafale and 1 Super Etendard)

1615-1630 Super Etendard x2 (Quina) arrives and straight into rehearsal (As above)

1635 Tucano (twister 1)

1645 AN-28 (PNY585)

1645 - 1800 Civilian arrivals

1700 RAF King Air arrives (Cwl 82)

1700-1715 Apache (Dutch) rehearsal (Happened at 19:30)

1715-1725 Lynx (Eagle 1) Rehearsal (No Show, stayed at Westlands

1730 Falcon 10 (FNY55A2)

1730-1745 Maritime Rehearsal

1750-1758 King Air Rehearsal

1800-1845 Finale Rehearsal

In all, everything was late, 90% that was down for rehearsing never did, and quite a bit didn't even show up on the arrivals.

I would have been asking for my money back if i had gone into the Photocall!

[Blackcat1]

Pretty dissapoining really, i had all hope for one of the best arrival days ever at Yeovilton for myself anyway, still had a good day out though, just too many gaps, gutted i never got to see the Mig or Belgian F16 fly i did hear "Polish Mig29 ask for a radio check, so got my hopes up that he was about to crank up and taxi out but didnt!, was hoping for a gander at Team Viper too, hope to see them at Swansea tomorrow, just hope they dont cancel! did the British Apache, RAF Merlin/RAF Chinook turn up this morning?. I know there was a 20-30mph wind but watching the Chipmunk and the other civvy light aircraft land, i just couldnt believe the big boys didnt take off!, then again it was free, so i shouldnt grumble, but yeah if i had gone into the photocall and paid £20 i would be EXTREMELY annoyed!

[eagle driver]

Well today i am £20 lighter ,extremerly p++++d off and fed up being lied to for the whole day.
To top it all off we did not get into the static at the end of the day .After sitting around until 8.00 pm we were still not getting any info .
So sorry yeovilton this is directed to this mis-management I want my money back.

[RichC]

And some people complain about those freeloading and should support shows... if yesterdays photocall event is what you get for paying, then its no wonder people go on the outside isn't it?
This is the second time this has happened in 5 years with the arrivals day with hardly anything happening throughout the day and photocallers stood in the enclosure looking dismayed.
I stayed as usual, in the field, but many went into the field in the morning and paid 20 quid to get in the enclosure in the afternoon.
I was sat there and said to my mate "poor buggers". And rightly so.

[eagle driver]

Any one know what the phantom ,s serial was because at the end of the day i did not know that it had even arrived and it was not visible even from inside

[Blackcat1]

Hi eagledriver

The Phantom was 37+01.

Cheers

[eagle driver]

Thank you blackcat 1
thankfully not required if i had that really would of p++++d me off .

[Blackcat1]

It came in just after 10am, straight in approach to land, thought it might have beaten the airfield up a bit, but pilot wasnt familiar with Yeovilton, so he chickened out lol