Canadian Lancaster to visit UK in August 2014!

B*gg*ration! I missed the pair at Shoreham due to non-availability of the Canadian Lanc, and now find I was 5 miles away this afternoon but may as well have been 500!

I assume they were using HK as a staging point on the way to / from Goodwood for the Revival meeting. Probably a consequence of a combination of recognisable landmark and available flight corridors in the South East. A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to see the Vulcan circling over Sheffield Park, I assume waiting to make its final approach to Shoreham.

Tom

 

They would've been heading north to Duxford where they arrived at 1440ish and very good they were as well. A beautiful sight and sound and probably the only time a Spitfire duo display has been ignored with so many of the crowd looking behind to where the Lancs were circling waiting their turn in the distance

 

http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/news/index.cfm?storyid=29250E9D-5056-A318-A861958C0A76C57F

Lancasters over Derwent Dam on Sunday, 4.45pm.

 

Ooh. $64,000 question - where's the best spot for a phot?

 

Not Rannoch Moor, which is where I will be at the time!

 

Look forward to seeing some photos - sadly I have to be elsewhere this Sunday

 

I'd already booked rail and airshow tickets for Southpiort when the news broke so to do the dams will mean kissing goodbye to the money spent on that little lot. I think it may be worth it though. I expect chaos in the area so an early arrival will be require.

 

When Vera leaves the uk next week to return to Canada, are there any plans for a guard of honour to escort her on her way up the east coast ?

 

Have not seen any plans published. It's all a bit fluid at the moment anyway as she will need a 25hrs inspection before she goes. The original departure date of the 22nd has already slipped to the 23rd and there is talk of it being put back until the 25th. Worth keeping an eye on the tour website for updates.

 

Tough call - but I think I'd be tempted to do the same. Out of interest, would you normally attend all the shows you appear to have been to this summer, or is that the 2 Lancaster effect? (I have to admit that attending air shows is a rarity for me these days, as my son prefers trains to planes, but we do pop over to Duxford every now and again for a wander round.)

Stu

 

Thanks for that, do you think that the BBMF would ever be allowed to take a good will visit that would take in Canada and the USA, just the lanc and maybe the 2 PR19 spitfires ? how would the uk react to not having the the lanc for one season, when you thing about the good will it would create, the americans i think would go mad to see it, especially if at the same time the Reds were to be over there then there would be the chance for the Canadians to see and experience what we have and with 2015 being 70 years since the end of ww2 when would there be a better chance?

 

Any idea of the route that will be flown to / from the Derwent Dam?

 

I've been into planes longer than trains so there's always a conflict of interests for me during the season. I get to most of the Sunday shows at Old Warden as I help man the 34081 stall there and I usually do a couple of Duxford shows as well. Little Gransden has become a regular visit for me. Have threatened to do Shoreham for a few years now and this year the two Lancs decided me to go but of course Vera was poorly. Southport wouldn't normally be on my "to do" list because of the distance but 30 years ago I drove to Newquay and back from Beds for a show. East Kirkby was the three Lancs effect. So the two Lancs have had an effect most definitely although I would have gone to some of the shows anyway.

 

There is a rumour that the BBMF Lanc will visit Canada in 2016 but I stress that it's just a rumour.

 

After working with them, i should expect that the Canadians must have established very good relations with them, so its possible, i guess, and hopefully then JJ could very well be airbourne and would take thumpers place on the airshow curcuit i guess that an agreement that allows the BBMF to operate with her isnt going to be to hard to arrange , and on her return , prehaps with 3 flying lancs, Vera could accompany thumper back to the uk with JJ making another trip to canada in a further 2 years

 

Hold your horses a bit. First of all we have to get Just Jane airworthy and that's at least an 18 months task if they had £3,000,000 drop throughout their letterbox tomorrow. They are slowly but surely doing NDT testing on her but that's between her regular taxi run dates and as these are an important source of revenue, they aren't going to stop doing these until such time as all the money they need is in place. Thus the NDT testing won't be a quick job. I believe quite firmly that it's a matter of "when" not "if" JJ flies again but I think it will be quite a while yet.

 

Not forgetting the possibility of appearing alongside 2 more in the process of overhaul in Canada.

 

Have been told that they are further away from flying than Just Jane so it may be a long wait for those.

 

Did I say they would be flying?

 

True but then again if they're in the process of being overhauled, they'd need to be capable of ground movement to facilitate an appearance.