Red Arrows over the Peak District this evening...............

Had an Avro Anson over work today on its way to the old aerodrome, I think they use us as a navigation aid LOL... And a Catalina at Southport airshow :-( Not seen one of those since the Woodford airshow days!
 
Avro Anson
My mother was in the WAAF and used to service those. It was strongly suggested that the mechanics went up on the test flight afterwards. Forty plus years later, on a the first flight (to Malta) that she'd taken since the war, she was being fussed over by the hostess, and when asked if there was anything they could do for her, she said "just don't expect me to get down on my hands and knees to crank the bicycle chain that raises the landing gear".

The retractable undercarriage was mechanically operated by hand; 144 turns of a crank handle, situated beside the pilot's seat, were needed
 
Passed over my head in two formations at Tissington Ford at about 7.15, quite low, heading towards Matlock…no camera at hand though ☹️
 
I've been doing a fair amount of work in Lincolnshire recently, and experienced the flip side of the Red Arrows more than once, with the poor sods who live under their practice area, and who often have a very different opinion of the outfit. One especially fraught morning with a council tenant and a broken chimney was made increasingly intolerable as these guys screamed around overhead, whilst the tenant screamed abuse into the sky from his back garden. I was quite glad to get out of there. Back there tomorrow! :(
 
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