Tag Archives: Fleet Air Arm

Naval Wildcat Being Thrown Around

I shared some images of the Royal Navy’s Wildcat in formation with the Swordfish. The Wildcat also did some solo demonstration manoeuvres and, while the lighting was still a bit difficult, I quite liked some of the angles it was possible to get on the airframe. While the Wildcat is quite an evolution of the original Lynx, it is nice to see that it still has the agility that the Lynx was renowned for.

Photographing a helicopter, I am looking for a more dynamic angle on the airframe. Their ability to keep the speed low and have things close to the crowd line means you can get head on shots, underside shots and topside shots as they throw the helicopter around. The topside is the one I want the most. Things went pretty well and I am overall quite happy with the results. Oh, to have something like this on a summer evening with the light behind me.

Vintage Harriers Pulled Out for the Show

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The static displays at RAF Cosford’s air show included quite the variety of out of service types that are kept at Cosford for training purposes. This included the first generation of Harriers. A pair of Harrier GR3s were on one lineup while a Sea Harrier FA2 was on another. The sun was out on the GR3s which made their ‘80s camouflage look great. Funny how, after years of Harrier IIs in service, when I think of Harriers, it is still the GR3s and the SHARs that come to mind.

The Wildcat’s Pilot Must Have Had Their Mum Nearby

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While the Merlins departed for base after the arrival of HMS Prince of Wales, the Wildcat wasn’t going anywhere. I suspect that they had a film unit on board that was recording the arrival of the carrier strike group, so they were getting aerial shots from different angles. A number of times they flew out of the harbour and then turned to run back in. It is possible that this was necessary for a shot that they were trying to get but my suspicion is that the parents of the pilot were in the crowd and a few flybys were for their benefit instead. Who knows???

Flyby of RN Helos for the Returning Carrier

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The arrival of the carrier strike group was the big theme of the day, but the Fleet Air Arm was going to support the process with a flyby. A pair of Merlins and a Wildcat were assigned to the role, and they were initially noted off Bournemouth as they joined up before heading to Portsmouth. As they came over Portchester, we could see them from where we were, and they flew up the harbour and over our location to head out and meet the carrier.

We would see them a bit from a distance as the manoeuvred around the ship and this allowed us to have a reasonable idea of where everything was at any point. Then, as the ship entered the harbour, the formation flew over the top to celebrate the return to home port. The Merlins then peeled off while the Wildcat hung around.