A time machine, a DSLR and 3 choices-where would you go?

[GOOSE]

Please all, we are not and never will dictate that members have to post. We just want everyone to get involved and share their love of the hobby. The more opinions, thoughts, recollections, photos - the better.

[Flyingmonster]

Can I choose 3 more?

[Davef68]

(i) 23rd September 1917, to photograph Werner Voss take off on his last flight - and settle the eternal argument as to the colour of his Triplane's nose!

(ii) RAF Collyweston, WW2, Enemy Aircraft Flight

(iii) RAF Drem, October 1939, 602 and 603 Squadron in action over the Forth

[das]

(1) Bergstrom AFB, TX circa 1986

(2) George AFB, CA circa 1985

(3) RAF Wyton circa 1981

Ray

[Victor5]

A difficult choice, but in no particular order:

I had a ropy old kodak 126 camera with me for the first two, If only I 'd had a decent SLR - let alone digital!
1. ATC Annual Camp, RAF Brawdy 1980. Lots of Hawks, Hunters, a Meteor and a few visitors.

2. ATC Annual camp, RAF Wildenrath 1979.

3. RAF St Mawgan during any of the big Maritime exercises back in the 1970's / 1980's.

[beefsteak]

May 17th 1943, Mohne Dam (With a bit of night vision too !!)

Woodford 1955 to watch 'Roly' Falk do his infamous Vulcan Barrel Roll..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4r0Kk-xX4o" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And me too for being around Roswell in the summer of 1947 !!

[np1991]

The first two arn't that long ago but:
Joint Warrior 071 - Phantoms and the last visit to Lossie of RAF Jaguars
October 13th (I think) 2007, 5 Greek F16s on a fuel stop at Lossie.
Vass at Lossie in the 80s.

[Parrafin budgie]

Hello first post so be gentle.

13 september 1962 hatfield airfield. The famous lightning accident when the pilot ejected but landed in a green house!
RAF Coltishall wing 1960's hunter, javelin and Lightning times.
The last one would have to be Dam buster's testing and low level flying training.

[radical99]

1. Anytime in the mid 80's here at home in Wales when i was ages 6-9. Instead of running in to our garden shed blocking my ears at another imminent loud phantom low pass i'd like to go back and this time stay outside and look at them passing without worrying about my ears drums being purforated!

2. Back to august school holidays of 89 or 90 when A-10's were as common as flies.

3. Brawdy airshow of either 87 or 88. Can't remember any of it except a tristar i think which flew out at the end.

[teeonefixer]

Interesting set of entries on this thread...I'd chose

a) anywhere in the past 50 years I've been without a camera or with a camera and got naff shots !
b) A Battle of Britain airfield, as many have said before
c) anywhere aroud here (East Yorks) in 1944-ish to see such a wide variety and numebrs of heavies, fighters and training types within easy cycling distance

One thing does spring to mind...how would you explain to a horde of RAF police in WW2 locking you away for being a spy etc what a DSLR was ????

[reheat module]

1. Any busy day at Binbrook in its heyday.
2. Reliving the Victor Black-Buck mass launch and recovery phases at Asi.
3. Seeing the faces of the returning Tornado crews taxiing in after the long, long, long sorties in GW1 at Dhahran.

[Tanker Ray]

Gosh this a great thread but very tricky to narrow down to just three. Well after a bit of head scratching here's mine:

1. RAF Benson and RAF Mount Farm 1943ish. My late father lived at Ewleme on the outskirts of these stations, which although home to RAF and USAAF photo recce units, also witnessed more than their fair share of emergency diverts. As well as seeing those glorious resident PR blus Spits and Mossies, I would loved to have been around to stand alongside my father to view battle scarred B-17s looking for a safe landing field or taking cover from the raid of JU-88s which he often talked so animatedly about.

2. RAF Greenham Common early 1960s. Reflex Action B-47s on alert or on approach to land with with streamed braking chutes, and multiple take-offs of 20 or so deployed SAC KC-97s!

3. The RAF transport corridor mid to late 60s - Lyneham, Brize, Abingdon, Benson. Airfield patterns alive with the rumble and whistle of Beverlies, Argosies, Comets, Britannias, Andovers, Belfasts and yes, 45 years on, VC-10s! Happy daze.

Mark

[TankBuster]

Station 150 RAF Boxted, during WWII.

RAF Martlesham Heath, during WWII.

RAF Bentwaters, during the 60's when the F-101 Voodoos were based there.

Sounds like a good plan to me .


TankBuster

[GOOSE]

The time machine isn't being used at the moment, anyone want a go?

[reaperops]

1) ATC Summer Camp, RAF Binbrook in 1987.

2) Mildenhall April 1986, when all the white KC-10's were around and Lakenheath flew 6300 miles to smoke a camel!!!!

3) Sunderland Airport in 1983ish when the Vulcan arrived at the Airport for the museum, shortly before the runway was dug up and Nissan moved in.

[The Phantom]

Tough choice, but;

1. RAF Coningsby in the 1970s (to see all those gorgeous camo F4s )

2. Mach Loop during the 1970s (to see all the great fighter jets we had then going low level )

3. Any of the fighter or bomber bases during WW2 - for the historical value and patriotic pride.

[DanBeeden]

Lots of things come to mind but top 3 must be:

1) Upper Heyford during the mid/late 80's. Varks and Ravens galore, plenty of nosart
2) East Anglia during WW2 - hopping between Hardwick, Deenethorpe, Polebrook, Thorpe Abbotts.........
3) Loring AFB in the 1980's - big SAC base with lots of smokey tankers and interesting visitors stopping off prior to hopping across the pond.

[nick197]

For me it would be
1. Tomcats on a US carrier
2. Greehnam common airshow any year
3. Lancasters in WW2 launching on a raid

[Thunderbird167]

[quote="
3) Sunderland Airport in 1983ish when the Vulcan arrived at the Airport for the museum, shortly before the runway was dug up and Nissan moved in.[/quote]

It was 21st January 1983. No DSLR but have a look on You Tube for XL319 and the video is there of it landing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQKL_5YVuVE

For me my three places would be

1) RAF Usworth 15th August 1940 to see 607 squadron return safely after combat over their home town

2) The airfields of Germany during the Berlin airlift

3) The Farnborough airshows of the 1950's

[reaperops]

Excellent,Thunderbird167.

Brings back a few good memories. I lived in Sunderland until April 1985, before moving to Suffolk, and always remember the Vulcan landing.

Thanks for sharing

Gary