NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbGO1BBWt_A



Jim.

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

Real shame they don't do North American tours much these days. That one was from 2008. The Blue Angels are good but can't hold a candle to the Reds IMO.

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

Brilliant. I love the Red Arrows. I remember the first time I saw them, at the Belfast Air Show in probably 1987. The first time they flew overhead the noise of those Hawks was just unbelievable. I loved planes before then but that show cemented my obsession with aviation that lives with me to this day.

That was the first time I'd seen Concorde up close too. Great days :)

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

me too me too I love planes :) As a kid my Mum took me to the big RIAT shows at Greenham Common, Milford Hall, Middle Wallop etc. and saw some fantastic displays, including the Blackbird, Vulcan, and of course Concorde. It seemed every country had their own aerobatic team - a full 8 hours plus of flying display and miles of static display. Loved it.

Here's a few links for you plane buffs:

http://www.airliners.net/
Fantastic photo database of commercial and military stuff.

http://www.portaharborinn.com/AviationVideos.html
This guy has the best collection of aviation videos Ive come across, although he is in the middle of uploading to his new page here, so check him out periodically. His old page was fantastic.

And finally, if you really have some time to waste....
http://www.airlinemeals.net/browse.php
Very interesting in it's own right, if not just to have a look at what Air Kazachstan are serving for lunch :eek:

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

Brilliant! I've been addicted to airliners.net for years now :)

I subscribe to these guys on the YouTube as well - definitely worth a look if you have a few hours to kill.

I loved the noise of the old planes myself - Concorde, the VC-10, BAC 1-11. Just brilliant. I used to work in a building that is on the approach for Aldergrove, and a VC-10 went over when I was out on smoke break. I hadn't heard a noise like that in ages :)

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

Yes, I can definitely waste a few hours on that youtube page, great stuff. Have you tried spotting near Ohare? I'm in north Cook County, so not that far. I havent been able to find a good spot, what with airport security n'all. I did try Ohare oasis but it was a bit lame. My sister was a taxi driver specialising in Heathrow and knew all the service roads. I used to get her to take me up there sometimes (pre 9 11) and we had a lot of fun. I'm about 1/2 mile from Palwaulkee now which is nice but not as good as the big birds of course.
My brother was a helicoptor pilot for Esso, pipeline inspection and all that. I never got to go up, (and I never forgave him for it either :frown: but he picked my Mum up once from the local beach (highly against regulations) bought the whole promenade to a standstill, mum said she felt like a rockstar lol.

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

I have only done incidental spotting around O'Hare when I'm picking up family from the airport. There are places around Mannheim Road, Irving Park Road and Higgins Road that are good though, depending on the runways in use. I was at the Allstate Arena once, and the car park is right at the end of one of the shorter runways (maybe one of the 4's) and the 737s were taking off right over our heads. Got a good view of the long runway 9/27, as it was called then, too. Saw a BA 777 taking off from a good side view. Next time I get down that way I'm bringing my camera.

Palwaukee is cool too though, I was at a red light on Dundee Road once, and a learjet shot up out of nowhere! They scream overhead by my place on approach to Waukegan Rgl and Kenosha airports too, and usually where we have my son's footy is right on the departure for a lot of the 747s/777s and the like.

Still looking out for the A380 though :fingerscrossed:

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

We used to see the Red Arrows practising quite frequently in Lincolnshire. A free show, it was great. But my absolute favourite was when we would see the Lancaster flying around. The distinctive sound it made and what a fantastic sight. I miss it. It would always bring a lump to my throat and a tear sometimes even though I am post WWII! My dad used to work on them during the war though so it has special meaning. The Red Arrows were practising the day of my dad's funeral and were flying all around on our way to Lincoln for the memorial service. Fitting I thought. He would have loved it.

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

It has been long time since I was through O'Hare. I wonder how many people know who the airport is named after. I would like to see the restored F4F-3 commemorating Lt. O'Hare now on display at the airport.

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

Des Plaines Oasis is the place to be for take-offs if the wind is in the right direction.

Most of the Big Jets take off right before the Oasis and Bank to the right, over the building. I should add that 4pm-8pm is the best time, as many Long-Haul flights take off around this time.....including some 747 Freighters.

You will also get some sights, like this;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXkSQ...eature=related

if the Pilot uses the full length of the Runway, too.


Jim.

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

I took these photos at Des Plaines Oasis, last year. Mostly American, but with a United Jet thrown in for good measure.

Also, a rare visitor in the form of the Chinese 747 Freighter.


Jim.

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

I'm going to have to find an excuse to head back down that way now I think. Maybe when I head out in June to pick my folks up I'll leave a bit earlier and bring my camera . . .

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

I flew in the DRA's BAC 1-11 at Boscombe a few times back in the day. I think the pilots were frustrated fast jet jocks because they liked to really throw it around. 45 degree banks in the pattern LOL

My favorite flights were in the BAe Jaguar. 450kts and 35 minutes Boscombe to West Freugh (Scotland) :D Never got to do the low level corridor through Wales though :( Takeoff in one is something else. The kick in the back acceleration, twin afterburners at full throttle, I watched the fuel gauges peg at max fuel flow (60 gallons a minute I think). Boscombe's 11,000ft runway disappeared in seconds. I'll never forget that.

Had tons of flights in the "Herkybird" (C-130), Gazelle and Lynx helos too. I took some aerial pics of the last flight of the prototype UK military Sea King when they retired it about 1995.

They were still flying the Buccaneers back then. Always fun to hear them start up. A sort of accelarated whooosh and whine accompanied by the cloud of smoke. 1950s hi-tech one-shot cartridge starts :)

Ah the memories...

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

Brilliant!! I'm so unbelievably jealous now, you have no idea . . .

I have a pretty decent 1-11 model for flight simulator that I fly pretty regularly. Not that I'm doing everything correctly but I do find it one of my favourite planes to do short hops in, when I'm not speeding around in a Lightning of course.

If only I could go back in time and tell my 18 year old self to forget about uni and join the RAF. Damn hindsight :lol:

Re: NYC - Red Arrows Display
 

Hindsight is a great thing eh? At least I did fulfill my aspirations of being a pilot, even if it's only flying a C208! Nothing like flying the Jag though. It's hard to describe but it's just like flying a fast jet simulator only better. The roll rate of the jag is fast and the controls are hydraulically assisted so you literally think how much you want to move the stick...and it moves by exactly that much. 90 degree banks are easy as is inverted flight ;) Just pure power behind you in an almost quiet cockpit save for the airflow noise.

I never signed up on the dotted line so to speak but did serve 7.5 years as a photographer in the MoD, which is how I managed to land the job based at Boscombe Down for 2 years. Here's the proof. Yours truly in front of XX145 in 1996 just before I left for the USA.