Back to a Wednesday wander...

Grey sky but a warm day, so roof down for my lunch break then a quick stroll down to "Area 51" catching PT462 taxiing back to 'base' after landing...
Tidy looking Diamond DA62 parked on the jetpan today flying in from Lelystad...

 

ZA947 flypast 👋

Treated to a flypast by the BBMF's Dakota ZA947 as she flew south to join the Trooping The Colour formation. 👋👋

As this year is the 70th anniversary of my first ever flight, in a DC3/C-47 Dakota operated by Silver City Airways, from Lydd to Wick, I'll accept this as a belated birthday flypast!

BBMF's ZA947 parked up at IWM Duxford in 2025

 

A Friday visit for a change...

As yesterday was my birthday I moved my working day to today. MJ444 still lingering in H2 and awaiting it's departure to sunnier climes with "Fighter Pilot Adventure Flights" in Queensland AUS (although today was quite warm and sunny!).
PL983 undergoing an engine run as it is reassembled following it's own journey down under.

Other residents soaking up the rays...

82 Years Ago...

...82 years ago today, my uncle Rhys, a driver/mechanic in Sherman tanks with 24th Lancers (as part of 8th Armoured Brigade) landed on Gold Beach on D-Day. His memoirs of his time liberating Europe were translated from Welsh to English by my uncle Arthur, who also served in tanks as a driver with No.3 Squadron, 2nd (Armoured Reconnaissance) Battalion, Welsh Guards who landed a couple of days after D-Day and was wounded in the battle to take Caen. 

"One day the heavy guns of the Navy were enough to deafen anyone and the air was filled with aircraft in their thousands going back and forth. By two o'clock the ship had gone as near the shore as she could and we waited while a large raft came alongside and started loading. The lorries first of all, then the tanks. We drove slowly on to the barge in case it capsized. The raft was so long the helmsman had great difficulty in keeping it heading for the shore, but land was slowly getting nearer. The co-driver and I were sealed in and eventually the order came "Start up, Taff" and into the water we went and slowly drove on to dry land. I believe our tank was the first of our regiment to land. We landed at 6.30 on June 6th. Our D-Day had arrived!

What was the reaction? Fear certainly with the heart pounding away. The bodies floating in the sea were proof that this was no child's play, but you had to hide your fears and listen carefully to the tank commander's directions as we were still under seal and could see very little ourselves. The vision through the periscope was minimal and we had to rely on someone who could see what was going on. I saw a row of men coming to meet us with their hands on their heads - these were the first POWs for me to see. We went out of the village into a large field to wait for the regiment to assemble. In the next field a cow lay feet up to show that everything was endangered here."

Rhys made it through to the end of the war returning to civilian life. Many of his comrades were not so fortunate...

 

Warm Wednesday...

Some shots from my post lunch saunter. ML407 came in from the NW for a fly through before heading back towards Sywell as I returned to work...

 

Warbird Wednesday and a bit smokey...

Under leaden skies, B-17 Sally B was towed out and three engines started...
Big biplane arrived and some of the regulars out in the showers...

Numberwang...

 Today's pics brought to you by the numbers 40, 9, 16, 47 and 14...

 

A warm Wednesday wander...

A warm day attracted a lot of visitors with some Spitfire action as PT462 was flying...
Meanwhile Aero Legends MJ444 "Lady Luck" was resting in H3...

 

Twenty Years!!!

A little lunchtime warbirdery...

From a regular 'tog, it's been some years (?) since Mk XVI TD248 was last at Duxford. (A little help from AI to remove that pesky fence!)
P-51D "Tall In The Saddle" was pulled out for an engine run.
MJ444 was parked up in H3 and MH434 was cover off for a change, having a wash down.