Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, RAF Coningsby, Friday 27 April 2007

News Updates

13/06/2007 The July issue of Aeroplane magazine contains a six-page article on the events at RAF Coningsby on 27th April. This includes a potted history of the plane as it served in both 100 Squadron and 550 Squadron, and many photographs from the day including a nice photo of four of the 550 Squadron Association members in front of The Phantom. See: http://www.aeroplanemonthly.com/.

17/05/2007 Note that BBMF will be producing an official DVD of the event. No information yet on the date of availability, but it is expected to cost around £17. When I have more information about when, where and how it can be purchased I'll post that here.

A Day to Remember

A personal account of the events of the day.

Arrival hall

Lancaster PA474, City of Lincoln

Up-close and personal

Mid upper gunner. 100 Squadron HW-R call-sign & 550 Squadron BQ-B call-sign

Tail-gun position

The business end ...

The Phantom is unveiled ...

Pictures 1&2: Nose decoration: after the unveiling
Picture 3: Birds-eye view!
Picture 4: The original pilot (Flt Lt Ron Clark DFC, wartime pilot of EE139, 100 Squadron) hands over his flying jacket to the BBMF pilot

The Phantom call sign BQ-B: 550 Squadron

Picture 1: BQ-B: The Phantom's 550 Squadron call sign
Picture 2: BQ-B with the Navigator, DFC and Bar, from her last flight
Picture 3: The local press show an interest

The navigator is also the "wiry little Australian" from Jack Currie's Lancaster Target.

550 Squadron

Picture 1: 550 Squadron members and the current BBMF Lancaster Pilot
Picture 2: BQ-B Navigator, BQ-B Flight Engineer, 550 Squadron Association Secretary
Picture 3: 550 Squadron (various)

The Phantom: out in the open and ready to go!

Picture 1: Out of the hanger ..
Picture 2: ... starting up ...
Picture 3: ... and firing on all cylinders!

The Phantom flies again

No - still - photographs! All the pictures of the Phantom flying are as movie footage.
This includes video footage of PA474 firing up on the apron, taxing off to the runway and all of the Lancaster, and Spitfire, fly-pasts.
In order to enjoy those magnificent Merlins to the full do not forget to turn your speakers on!

Note that even the smallest of the AVI files will probably take a of the order of 20secs to download, depending on internet connection, and some considerably longer: see download-note for guidance on how long it might take for individual downloads.

If you have any difficulty playing the AVI files see here for advice.

Inside the hanger: Unveiling the Phantom

The sound quality inside the aircraft hanger is unfortunately not of the highest quality, so the speeches will in most cases not be very clear.

 Name                    Last modified      Size  Description

 Parent Directory                             -   -

 Chpt 9-6.avi		07-May-2007 20:19	10106K	After the unveiling, general milling about (550 Squadron Association Secretary, 550 Squadron BQ-B Navigator, Current PA474 pilot, various others)
 Chpt 10-7.avi	07-May-2007 20:19	5872K	After the unveiling, (550 Squadron BQ-B Navigator and current PA474 pilot, various others)
 Chpt 11-8.avi	07-May-2007 20:20	3976K	550 Squadron Association Secretary, 550 Squadron BQ-B Navigator, current PA474 pilot
 Chpt 13-10.avi	07-May-2007 20:20	3310K	Off to the Officers Mess for lunch (550 Squadron BQ-B Navigator, 550 Squadron BQ-B Flight Engineer)

Outside the hanger: Starting up, taxing, fly-pasts

 Name                    Last modified      Size  Description

 Parent Directory                             -   -

 Chpt 14-11.avi	07-May-2007 20:21	4052K	Lancaster PA474 on the apron, awaiting starters orders!
 Chpt 1-0.avi		07-May-2007 14:50	5611K	PA474 starting up
 Chpt 2-1.avi		07-May-2007 14:51	5702K	PA474 starting up
 Chpt 3-2.avi		07-May-2007 14:51	2085K	PA474 starting up (modern jet formation fly-past salute)
 Chpt 4-3.avi		07-May-2007 14:51	6016K	PA474 starting up (chocks away!)
 Chpt 7-6.avi		07-May-2007 14:52	5992K	PA474 begins to taxi
 Chpt 8-7.avi		07-May-2007 14:52	5794K	PA474 taxiing
 Chpt 9-8.avi		07-May-2007 14:53	5301K	PA474 moving off to the runway
 Chpt 12-11.avi	07-May-2007 14:53	4710K	PA474 taking off
 Chpt 13-12.avi	07-May-2007 14:53	681K	PA474 taking off
 Chpt 14-13.avi	07-May-2007 14:54	5967K	PA474 Turns for 1st fly-by
 Chpt 15-14.avi	07-May-2007 14:54	3029K	PA474 1st fly-by
 Chpt 16-15.avi	07-May-2007 14:55	3949K	PA474 Back she comes again
 Chpt 17-16.avi	07-May-2007 14:55	4540K	PA474 flying overhead (close up)
 Chpt 18-17.avi	07-May-2007 14:55	4141K	PA474 Turns to fly overhead again
 Chpt 19-18.avi	07-May-2007 14:56	4624K	PA474 flying overhead again (close up)
 Chpt 20-19.avi	07-May-2007 14:56	1122K	PA474 turns to head away
 Chpt 21-20.avi	07-May-2007 14:56	5337K	PA474 flying overhead (close up)
 Chpt 22-21.avi	07-May-2007 14:57	2105K	PA474 turns and flys into the distance
 Chpt 23-22.avi	07-May-2007 14:57	4196K	1st Spitfire takes off
 Chpt 24-23.avi	07-May-2007 14:57	3925K	1st, 2nd and 3rd Spitfires take off, Lanc in the background
 Chpt 25-24.avi	07-May-2007 14:58	4646K	PA474 makes a super-smooth landing ...
 Chpt 26-25.avi	07-May-2007 14:58	4979K	... and taxis close by
 Chpt 27-26.avi	07-May-2007 14:58	4629K	Spitfires in formation ...
 Chpt 28-27.avi	07-May-2007 14:59	3541K	... and again
 Chpt 29-28.avi	07-May-2007 14:59	3651K	... and again, rolling away
 Chpt 30-29.avi	07-May-2007 14:59	2070K	Spitfires just having fun ...
 Chpt 31-30.avi	07-May-2007 14:59	3072K	Spitfires just having fun ...
 Chpt 32-31.avi	07-May-2007 15:00	4127K	Spitfires just having fun ...
 Chpt 33-32.avi	07-May-2007 15:00	3811K	Spitfires just having fun ...
 Chpt 37-36.avi	07-May-2007 15:01	4381K	Spitfires just having fun ...
 Chpt 39-38.avi	07-May-2007 15:02	3467K	Spitfires just having fun ...
 Chpt 40-39.avi	07-May-2007 15:02	4424K	Spitfires just having fun ...
 Chpt 43-42.avi	07-May-2007 15:03	4801K	Sadly it is time to land ...
 Chpt 44-43.avi	07-May-2007 15:03	5640K	... and they ...
 Chpt 45-44.avi	07-May-2007 15:03	5374K	... all come home again

Lancaster taxiing past the control tower after the fly-past

Spitfires (and probably a Hurricane somewhere!)

Champagne and goodbyes

Picture 1: 550 Squadron BQ-B Navigator walking back from the fly-past
Pictures 2&3: The champagne tent attracts interest
Picture 4: 550 Squadron BQ-B Flight Engineer and Navigator

Contacts

For general questions or issues about the web-site please contact webmaster@coulterfamily.org.uk.
For questions about 550 Squadron or Lancaster call-sign BQ-B then please email BQ-B@coulterfamily.org.uk or go to http://www.550squadronassociation.org.uk/.

Disclamer

All efforts have been made to respect copyrights. If you suspect that a copyright has been infringed please email details (addresses above).
As far as I am aware, all information is correct. In the event of error please send an email (addresses above) and I will endeavour to correct the error on the site.