Category Archives: Travel

Smokewinders Not Smoking

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My F-16 shots from RIAT didn’t just throw up vortices (like this post).  They also showed something that seems to be a common occurrence in flying displays.  That is the failure of a Smokewinder to perform.  Smokewinders are a smoke generating pod that fits on a Sidewinder launch rail.  They are controlled from the cockpit and should add a nice effect to a display sequence.  The Belgian Air Force display aircraft was using them for its display.

In the early 90s we used them on the BAe company Hawk demonstrators at shows.  The crews had got to understand the workings of the pods well and knew what could cause them to quit during a display.  At one Farnborough, they actually helped out one of the other companies that was having trouble keeping theirs running smoothly.  I guess the problem hasn’t gone away and the knowledge is not widely shared as the Belgian jet lost one pod during its display.  In the shot above, you can see a small amount of flame emerging rather than the intended smoke and, a short while later, the pod quit for the rest of the display.

Arrivals at RIAT

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Arrivals day at any air show is a good opportunity to catch the movements of aircraft that will only be in the static display as opposed to the flying display.  At RIAT, there are park and view areas at the east and west ends of the airfield.  I have used both over the years but the east end can be really hectic.  It does give you the chance to shoot the aircraft on final approach but you can really be fighting for space.

I chose the west end this year.  Planes were landing at the east end but it was pretty normal for aircraft to taxi to the west end to then be led to their parking location.  Of course, a few interesting types managed to turn off early or backtrack before they got to the end but, on the whole, we did well.  The weather wasn’t great but there was a fair bit of sun which helped.

Some of the more exotic types made it up our way.  The Ukrainian SU-27s and their IL-76 came up as did the special schemes on some of the F-16s.  The Luftwaffe brought some marked jets along too.  An F-15E taxied past twice and provided a couple of speed brake waves for the gathered photographers.  It could get a bit congested and, with jets holding in the turning loop, they did occasionally send their jet wash across the path of the incoming jets which sabotaged a few photo opportunities.

Later on the Thursday, a few practice displays were also flown by crews qualifying for the show which provided a different angle on some of the performances.  An F-16C of the USAF did its full routine and then added a few extra banana passes bringing out right over us at speed several times.  Much appreciated!

Another Rapide!

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I posted some shots of John Sessions’ Dragon Rapide in this post.  I was pleased to see another Rapide show up at Fairford for RIAT.  I managed to get a few shots of it.  It was painted in a nice color scheme and looked very elegant as it pottered by.  Not a speedy plane (despite the name) so plenty of time to enjoy it.

Ukrainian IL-76

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The IL-76 is a beast of a transport.  It is a rugged plane and looks like it could handle anything thrown at it.  I have seen them on a variety of occasions – most recently the modernized versions used for civil freight work.  The older versions with the original engines are a great thing to see though.  The Ukrainian Air Force brought an example to RIAT this year.  It was flying overhead when the Sukhois were landing and then it came in too.  It came up to the west end where we got a good view of it.  Then it was parked up on static display for the show.  Sadly, I didn’t get to see it depart at the end of the show.

Building an America’s Cup Challenger

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Ineos is a name I hadn’t heard until recently.  They took over the Sky cycling team and that was the first time I became aware of them.  I guess that sporting achievements are something that their management are quite focused on because, while waiting to catch the ferry at Portsmouth, I got a look at the building in these photos.  It is their America’s Cup challenger facility.  The building looks pretty impressive and I hope that the boat that they come up with is similarly so.  It would be good to see the cup make its way to the UK after all this time.

The Avanti Couldn’t Escape Me Forever

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When I heard an Avanti had showed up at RIAT while I wasn’t there, I was a touch annoyed.  I am such a fan of the type that I thought missing it would be very frustrating.  Fortunately, it was still at Fairford at the end of the show so the departure day was going to be the time for me to get a shot.  It took off in plenty of time before I had to go so I was treated to the sight and sounds that accompany a pair of pusher props.

Daring Class Destroyer

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The Royal Navy destroyer fleet’s most recent additions have been the Type 45 Daring Class.  These ships are an integral part of the groups that will support the new carriers.  The Type 45s preceded the carriers in to service by a number of years.  They have a superstructure that suggests more focus on radar reflectivity and the main mast is a larger structure than seen on previous ships.  This example was sailing out of Portsmouth and towards the English Channel while I was at Seaview on the Isle of Wight.  It was a bit distant but still worth a shot given how I haven’t seen one on open water before.

Re-Roofing Chichester Cathedral

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Chichester Cathedral was something I would easily recognize from a distance.  It has, for many years, had a copper roof and this gave it a bright green color.  It was very distinctive.  When we were in Chichester this year, we walked around the cathedral grounds and they were working to replace the roof.  Apparently, copper had been used in a previous re-roofing because it was cheaper.  However, it was not an ideal material for the roof as it was not heavy enough and had moved in the weather allowing some significant water damage to the wooden structure underneath.

This is now being repaired and the roof material replaced with the leads that had been used prior to the copper.  The project is underway in phases and has made good progress.  Some of the exposed roof sections are already done so the remaining work is under scaffolding.  However, there is still signs of the green roof.  Soon the cathedral will look something like its original configuration.  I shall miss the green but I imagine those looking after the cathedral won’t miss it so much!

The Train That Started It All

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The Japanese Shinkansen trains introduced in the 1960s became known around the world as bullet trains.  The shape of them was well known, often photographed with Mt Fuji in the background.  While other countries developed high speed rail, the Japanese bullet train was often the first one people would associate with the topic.  These first trains are known as the Series 0.  There have been several iterations of design since.  However, the Series 0 is still very recognizable to me and probably others of my generation.

I had seen a Series 0 vehicle once before.  I visited the Nippon Sharyo factory is Toyokawa many years ago and they have a cab vehicle on display by the main gate.  Sadly, I wasn’t able to get a photograph of that then.  Seeing an example at the SC Maglev museum was my second opportunity.  It was displayed alongside a number of the more recent iterations of the Shinkansen but, judging by the number of people taking photos of it, it still has a strong level of recognition.

Red Arrows Launch and Recover

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The Red Arrows operated from ramp space at the eastern end of the show grounds at RIAT.  I spent some time down there on one of the days.  It provided a chance to watch them brief, crew up, start and then recover after the display.  Here area. Few shots of the team in action.