THE ENGLISH ELECTRIC LIGHTNING

[David TS]

My favourite cold war fighter, I saw it display many times in the 60's and 70's.

I had promised myself a retirement present flight in one of Thunder City's two seat Lightnings.

Sadly pilot Dave Stock was killed in an accident at the Overburg air show in 2009 in ZU-BEX, the Lightning featured in the video. The Thunder City fleet was grounded shortly after by the SA CAA due to maintenance issues, and did not take fare paying passengers again.

Owner of Thunder City, Mike Beachy Head, died of a heart attack in 2017.

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[David TS]

I can't remember the first time I saw the Lightning display exactly, but it would have been around 1967, probably at RAF Lakenheath or Mildenhall, or possibly Wethersfield.

The signature display for me was the classic take off, apply reheat, climb vertically, disappear very quickly!

I believe the Lightning still holds some brakes off to altitude records today.

[bigduke6]

Don't want to high jack the thread but on the subject of Cold War Classics, I flew in to Southend Airport just before the weekend, Just on landing my mate said "is that a Vulcan Bomber" sure enough it was there and I had a quick luck on the net, next month is visit the Vulcan day........ see link below

Home | Vulcan Restoration Trust

[mrclark303]

The Lightning certainly had an incredible rate of climb, it cought out quite a few unwary pilots.

I remember a story of a pilots first solo flight in the aircraft, as recounted in one of my many books.

He decided to 'showboat' on take off, so carried out the typical spirited Lightning take off ... wheels up ... full reheat, low down the runway and into a sharp vertical rotation .... And promptly blacked clean out!

He came to when the aircraft was climbing through 3,000 feet, still close to vertical and going like a home sick angel in full reheat!

Very sensibly, he kept the incident to himself for many years and treated the Lighting with respect due from that point on.

It could certainly bite, if not treated with respect.

I believe the Typhoon actually has a superior rate of climb than the Lighting and one of the initial points pressed home to converting pilots, is coping with the brute power of the aircraft.

---------- Post added at 05:00 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:53 PM ----------

Don't want to high jack the thread but on the subject of Cold War Classics, I flew in to Southend Airport just before the weekend, Just on landing my mate said "is that a Vulcan Bomber" sure enough it was there and I had a quick luck on the net, next month is visit the Vulcan day........ see link below

Home | Vulcan Restoration Trust

XL426 was the original Vulcan Display Flight aircraft Geoff, her place was taken by the famous XH558.

I always keep an eye out for her when flying back into the UK in that direction.

So many dedicated skilled people, keeping these aircraft alive and breathing mate.

[Charlie303]

Well, I wouldn't like to hijack the thread either... but while we're talking Vulcans, here's another from the same film (Greenham Common 1981).
Attachment 99305

[Gil Boyd]

I bet that Gazelle pilot in the background met some of the downwash