Just some plane pics

[Falcon61]

These were taken during the recent Wings Over Homestead Air Show. Hope you like them especially one for any Nanchang CJ-6 fans out there.

[expat]

Looks like a nice day out

Matt

[B-Valvs]

I love the paintojb on the A-10.

Great shots.

8-)

[SteveH]

I love the way static displays are presented completely unrestricted at American shows, as opposed to our barrier smothered statics over here.

[expat]

I love the way static displays are presented completely unrestricted at American shows, as opposed to our barrier smothered statics over here.

Have to disagree (a bit). As much as a person such as yourself would love to get up close to these aircraft, there is a real danger to the aircraft itself. Back in my time that involved life in a blue suit I was involved in a couple of air diplays in the USA. The RAF was having kittens that the aircraft were display in a manner that the general public could just about crawl all over them. Post display when the aircraft where towed away we had to do a FOD check. You would be shocked to know what had been "placed" into the aircraft AND the engines. On one aircraft behind the LP 1 fan I found three spent 9mm cartridges. If the engine had been started it would have been toast!!! There are people out there who would love to see a Martin Baker fly by at an air display I can go on, dog ends in Pitot probes, food wrappers jammed into flight control surfaces to name a few things that we found. That is why in the UK (at least) you do not get access to the aircraft. There are people who will and have managed to damage and or remove bits in the past. It is not the hardcore spotter that is the problem, but, well you can easily guess the type of person I am trying picture.

Matt

[Frequent Flyer]

The "Spirit" looks like a typical example of "Charlie bit my wing" 

[C]

I love the way static displays are presented completely unrestricted at American shows, as opposed to our barrier smothered statics over here.

Have to disagree (a bit).

Back at Biggin Hill in the late 90s, the nose of Sally B was poking over the fencing - some little scrote (aided by their father, who presumably was a scrote too when he was their age, and still may have been a scrote) decided that the chin turret guns would be great fun to hang off... At the same show, or another year, a scrote ran a coin down the side of one of the RAF exhibition flights Spitfire XVI (the ones now with the BBMF for restoration/spares recovery).

As for open aircraft, at a major public event, other than an aircraft such as the C-130/C-17, I'd be very wary, due to the supervision issues.

[Hagar]

Speaking of Biggin Hill I found this only today. The 1965 Air Fair. Not a barrier in sight. http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=40876
Some rare footage of Neil Williams lucky escape from his crashing Stampe.

I remember an air show when I worked at Shoreham in the early 1960s. I got back from lunch to find my hangar full of "spotters" armed with screwdrivers & busy removing instruments from the aircraft. These were full-grown adults much older than me who should have been ashamed of themselves. I shouted at the top of my voice for them to stop what they were doing & leave immediately before I called the police. Nobody was more surprised than me when they did, most of them looking very sheepish.

We had to taxi the aircraft over to the clubhouse where we could keep an eye on them for the rest of the day. Even then, parents were encouraging little Johnny to clamber into the cockpits, poke the fabric & move the props & control surfaces. It's no surprise to me that spotters aren't popular on so many airfields nowadays.