Lancaster at East Kirkby (Photos)

The link below will take you to my photos of Lancaster NX611 "Just Jane" as seen during a day's photography that was recently organised by Neil Cave at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby.
Without a doubt I most enjoyable non-railway photography event.

Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre - Saturday 16th March 2013 - Paul Gildersleve's Photos | SmugMug


Cheers,

Paul

 

Lovely atmospheric images Paul. Must take a laptop up north next time I go to see my Father, 97 years young. He was ground crew( engine fitter) on Lancasters at RAF Scampton during WW2, and those images will no doubt bring back particular memories for him.

I had hoped to take my Dad to East Kirkby, but I think he is too frail now. A few years ago my Sister arranged to take him to RAF Scampton where he was made most welcome, and he even went round one of the now "listed" WW2 hangars there, where he used to work servicing engines such as the RR Merlins off Lancasters.

Seeing the young lady shouldering the "bomb", reminds me of a tale Dad tells that he was once ground taxiing a fully bombed-up Lanc to dispersal at Scampton when one of the bombs fell out of the bomb bay onto the taxiway. Fortunately nothing happened, I suppose it was not fused at that point, but still dangerous. Made him sweat a bit though! Before anyone says that an engine fitter would not normally be allowed to taxi an aircraft, well "correct" they were not officially allowed to, but given the shortages of flight crew the ground crews frequently did move the aircraft about under power.

46118

 

Thanks for your kind words and for sharing some of the exploits of your Dad.

Regards,

Paul

 

Paul
May I share the link in order for other people to see what happened at the event please?
Robert Bester

 

Hi Robert,

Please feel free to do so.

Regards,

Paul

 

Paul: Just a quick question: Was anything said at the photoshoot about plans to get this aircraft flying again? I'm sure I saw/read about it recently.

 

Info re 'Just Jane return to flight' Lancaster NX611 Return to flight? - Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre

and

East Lindsey district council publish a good brochure re 'Aviation in Lincolnshre, past and present'
http://www.visitskegnessandmablethorpe.com/dbimgs/Aviation Guide pdf version.pdf

Hope thats useful.

PS. East Kirkby still use the highly effective string barrier to keep viewers away from rotating Merlin props!!!!

 

Thank you very much Paul. I have posted the link on Iconic Aircraft Forum.

 

Nice photos Paul! For anyone who hasn't visited, I can say (from experience) that East kirby is well worth a visit.

While on the subject of Lancasters, here's the Kiwi Lancaster:

Avro Lancaster MK VII NX665/WU13 at MoTaT, Auckland | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Avro Lancaster MK VII NX665/WU13 at MoTaT, Auckland | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Like Just Jane, she is another ex- French Navy Lanc, that for many years was stored outside, but has now been moved indoors into a purpose-built hanger and considerably tidied up. See MOTAT

The "Grand Slam" is a replica.

There are some interesting aircraft at MoTaT (in Auckland): As well as this Lanc, they have examples of a Mosquito, a P40E Kittyhawk, one of only two Short Solent flying boats still preserved (an absolute monster!); a Short Sunderland V; a Lockheed Hudson and various other aircraft.

Tom

 

East Kirby is well worth a visit apart from the Lancaster there is also a complete DC3 Dakota at the rear of the hanger in which the lancaster is housed.
There is a lot to see at East Kirby it also has a very good restaurant/cafe on site with good meals, i left my wife in there while i went walkabout, well worth a visit
then you can go a few miles down the road and visit the Battle of Britain flight museum at RAF Coningsby.
I had to take my wife for an expensive meal afterwards, but well worth it

 

Please note that East Kirkby is NOT open on SUNDAYS.

Sometimes, mainly on Saturdays there is also a vintage Bedford lorry tractor unit hauling a 'Queen Mary' wartime aircraft recovery trailer that does trips round the airfield perimeter with a talk by a very interesting 80 odd year young lady who was there during the war years. Well worth doing.

There is also a sign at the entrance that I wish preserved railways would copy. It states..

NO HIGH VISIBILITY JACKETS/CLOTHING OF ANY DESCRIPTION TO BE WORN BY ANY PERSON, OTHER THAN A MEMBER OF STAFF ON DUTY, WHILST WITHIN THIS SITE.

Also at Coningsby just down the road from the BoB site there is a purpose built free car park and viewing enclosure virtually on the end of the runway. A tea wagon generally there in the summer, but NO toilets. Typhoons etc taxying past under your nose and taking off over your head.

Waddington also has a 'runway end' viewing site on the A15.

 

Sad to report that Fred Panton, one of the brothers that set up the site at East Kirkby, died yesterday.

 

Oh dear sorry to hear that.....very accommodating gents when I visited with a friend of mine who's father was a Lancaster flight engineer in WW2.....and survived it.....