Struck by Lightnings!

Timc

Timc

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Having recently acquired a collection of 6 x 4 prints I decided to try and "restore" a few to see if I could improve on the original processing. Well I'd totally forgotten about my film days and scratched negatives and the expectation of wondering how the shots turned out after all of them had been processed the same way, it makes digital seem like a walk in the park!

Anyway to start the ball rolling here's what I've done today from one of the albums dedicated to the BAC Lightning. Haven't a clue where these were taken or when so any help in this department will be much appreciated, although I know some of them were from the "Last last Lightning Show" way back on August 22nd 1987!

Tim

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A nice set, shame you didnt have a cloudy or darker sky as its blown in some of them.
 
Nice to look at. Undoubtedly a sad loss when they were scrapped and chopped up. I'm hoping to get to see the one being restored to fly in Mississippi in a couple of weeks.
 
great, best RAF plane ever too!! wish they would let them fly in the UK again - cape towns bloody far away to go - for people who dont know its worth going to see the fast taxi runs at bruntingthorpe with the lightning preservation group
 
Got to love those Lightnings. Airshows just aren't the same without the likes of those, F-104's, Buccaneers, etc. Ahhh, memories!
 
Vulcans were my favourite.

Especially when coming down the runway at 100 feet, then full burn skywards.

The earth shook.
 
The photos with the wet ground are probably from the "Last Last Lightning Show", I was only 16 at the time, but I can remember it was a miserable old day with a very low could base.

Super photos though, and I agree it was a superb aircraft.
 
Nice jets, I absolutely love shots on 35mm, have that nice warm feel to them.
 
I worked in the tarmac game when I first left school and we used to do all the perimeter roads at RAF bases all over Northern England, to see a Lightning take off at close quarters was an experience not to be missed, fantastic noise!
 
Best years of my life were spent around these aircraft. It's such a shame there isn't one still flying in the UK.

1,2, and 5 are Binbrook. I lived there during the school holidays when my brother was posted there. I had a free run of the base. I have sat in XR724 and XS 904!

As already stated the wet ones were probably the last lightning show in 87. I remember sitting on the tower waiting for the pilots to decide if they were going to fly. The aircrew all said, if the lightnings don't fly then we don't either. Such a sad day and shame about the weather.
2 would have been 1982. The grey scheme was just coming in.

The last one looks like it has a foriegn F4 in the background. My first thought was Germany although I have just read 56 Squadon was based in Wattisham with the lightning and Phantom. Wattisham has hardened aircraft shelters.

Number 3 could be Binbrook, but I don't recall any areas by the Hangers being so cluttered. I wonder if its a museum shot? Can you see the pilots name and tail designation on the original? (BZ?)

Number 4 could be anyhere. The extended tanks were used for trips to the likes of Cyprus for combat exercises. It could be Binbrook, Germany or....

Either way a lot of memories have come flooding back! thanks
 
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