I watched the flypast of the "Battle of Britain Memorial Flight" on telly today. That was an absolute national shame and disgrace.

Is this what "call me Dave" means by cuts in public expenditure? We leave out the Hurricane, the aircraft that actually won the Battle of Britain, from the flypast?

Or are we such pathetic engineers that we can't keep a Lancaster, a Spitfire and a Hurricane airworthy enough so they can all appear together on an important national occasion?

What an absolute shambles. No wonder we got booted out of Iraq with nothing to show for all those dead soldiers, and are about to "strategically withdraw" from Afghanistan with the same result.

Don't ask me to celebrate national armed forces day.

Or are we such pathetic engineers that we can't keep a Lancaster, a Spitfire and a Hurricane airworthy enough so they can all appear together on an important national occasion?

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has two Hurricanes. I have no idea why neither were present today – if that indeed was the case.

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That was an absolute national shame and disgrace.

There is nothing quite like keeping things in perspective – is there eldridge ?

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Don't ask me to celebrate national armed forces day.

Well now I understand the reason for your strop when you were asked to celebrate national armed forces day on the other thread………there was a Hurricane missing from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight today.

You really are a complete wally 😀

EDIT : a quick search reveals that there will be a Hurricane flyover at the Old Buckenham Air Show tomorrow afternoon at about 4.45………best get your arse down there then eldridge.

………there was a Hurricane missing from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight today

I surmise you missed out on the CSE English lesson on symbolism at your secondary modern school

If a nation elevates any object or person to iconic status in its national celebrations, and then fails to put said object or person on stage in its high-profile national celebrations, that is a fail by anyone's estimation

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is, and has been for years, a Lancaster, a Hurricane and a Spitfire. Anything less than that is not the BBMF, and therefore raises legitimate questions.

I know you have a weakness for personal insult over reasoned argument, but would you think I was

a complete wally

if England turned out against Germany with only two lions on their shirts when everyone expects three?

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has two Hurricanes

So we can't even field one out of two Hurricanes?

pathetic

I surmise you missed out on the CSE English lesson on symbolism at your secondary modern school

Quite possibly …….. I only got about a grade three or four in CSE English. Why, what's the validity of that point ?

btw, there were no secondary modern schools when I went to school – only comprehensive schools.

a Hurricane flyover at the Old Buckenham Air Show

and will it be with a Lancaster and a Spitfire in close formation?

The emotional power of the BBMF is seeing all three iconic aircraft in the air, in close formation, together.

One Hurricane at some poxy little local airshow with no media coverage is not the same as all three flying over central London on a national armed forces day with global media interest.
Only

a complete wally

could mistake the two.

there were no secondary modern schools when I went to school – only comprehensive schools

OMG – you went to a comprehensive school?

Nuff said. No wonder you don't get symbolism

will it be with a Lancaster and a Spitfire in close formation?

Apparently not. It appears that the Lancaster bomber will be flying at 2pm and then at 4.45, there will be a flyover from a Spitfire and Hurricane.

So now the issue is what formation they will be flying in 😀

"an absolute national shame and disgrace" LOL !

OMG – you went to a comprehensive school?

Yes, all ILEA schools were comprehensive – you sound surprised ………and you're a teacher ? 😀

Come off it Ernie- you didnt go to school 😆

So now the issue is what formation they will be flying in

A very long triangle.

I did MooMonkey – although I won't deny that I spent alot of time looking out of the window 😐

I spent alot of time looking out of the window

At airplanes?

"not the same as all three flying over central London on a national armed forces day with global media interest."

If you are talking about the national event that was televised earlier….It was Cardiff anyway.

So now the issue is what formation they will be flying in

Your attempt to be satirical founders on the facts.

They always fly in what those real heroes would have called a "vic" (vee-shape) with the Lanc at the tip and the two fighters tucked in close with the Hurricane on the left and the Spit on the right.

Not

A very long triangle

but a very short, compact one.

At airplanes?

Funny you should say that……… no.

But I did spend alot of time watching some geezer's racing pigeons……he used to let them out for training during school time.

Anyways, nice to chat and all that, but I've got a bike ride tomorrow morning …… up on the North Downs, and then ending up at Biggin Hill to watch the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast – believe it or not !

I well rememder the BFF holding, before display, a pattern around the local high rises. Shortly after 9/11, it was well appreciated by the residents!

Has anyone seen the plot? Eldridge appears to have lost it.

One Hurricane at some poxy little local airshow with no media coverage is not the same as all three flying over central London on a national armed forces day with global media interest.

Only a complete wally would be so parochial in his view.

Have you been drinking?

Only a complete wally would be so parochial in his view.

FFS do you even know what parochial actually means?

It means "only of interest within this parish", i.e (for those of you who don't know what a parish is) only of interest within a very small area

If you thought one poxy Hurricane at your local airshow was really important – that would be parochial

so to think that

some poxy little local airshow with no media coverage is not the same as all three flying over central London on a national armed forces day with global media interest.

is actually the complete opposite of parochial

Eldridge – are you an english teacher by any chance?

I know exactly what parochial means and your view that only London counts – ie that there is nothing of importance or significant outside London is parochial IMO You are only interested in what happens in your parish.

If I had called you provincial it might have been wrong. You are parochial thinking the world starts nad ends at London.

Have you found the plot yet?

I sincerely hope all the pilots have well groomed moustaches and at least one is call Ginger, otherwise eldridge may well do himself an injury.

I sincerely hope all the pilots have well groomed moustaches and at least one is call Ginger, otherwise eldridge may well do himself an injury.

😀
Is it really that important? I mean really? Perhaps the aircraft needed some work, I mean they are 66 years old after all. Anyway back to your reasonable ranting.

FFS do you even know what parochial actually means?

Apparently :

1. Of, relating to, supported by, or located in a parish.
2. Of or relating to parochial schools.
3. Narrowly restricted in scope or outlook; provincial: parochial attitudes.

I reckon referring to the Cardiff flypast as an event "with global media interest" suggests an over-emphasise on the event, and clearly betrays a sense of overinflated self-importance. As also does, expressing disgust and outrage over trivial detail such as whether a Lancaster, Spitfire, and a Hurricane, will all be flying at exactly the same time, and in close formation. To use language such "an absolute national shame and disgrace" suggests a narrow, restricted, parochial, attitude.

The teacher in you seems unable to resist marking other people's posts for their English/literal content eldridge ……. even though you don't necessarily get it right yourself. Still, I guess it's quite a useful diversionary tactic when you are making a pillock of yourself – just try and get it right, eh ?

And I see you successfully managed, through your repeatedly disruptive posts, to eventually get the "National Armed Forces Day" thread closed…….you must be very proud of yourself. And it must go a long way in further boosting that sense of superiority and self-importance which you undoubtedly feel from having attended a Grammar school. I on the other hand, just think you're a wan-ker.

BTW getting back to the missing Hurricane. It was due to be at Cardiff yesterday, and although I'm not sure whether they have issued a public apology, I do know that both Spitfire and Hurricane were missing from a flypast a day earlier due to high winds :

http://www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk/news/Crowd-of-2000-flocks-to.6384814.jp

Gusty?? I only live up the road from Conningsby and it wasn't windy yesterday (a shock for East Lincolnshire ) 😆

One of the Hurricanes crashed at Shoreham in 2007, the pilot was killed.

I don't know if this has anything to do with it.

forgive my ignorance buut what is a lancaster doing in a battle of britain flight? did we bomb ourselves? i thought battle of britain was defending the country from enemy bombers not bombing the enemy? i am happy to be wrong though (i know that's a unique trait on STW)

excellent use of parochial though 10 points!

I hope no one mentions the dirty spoon 😯

"Forgive my ignorance buut what is a lancaster doing in a battle of britain flight? "

Cos it was originally known as the historic aircraft flight, not specifically for b o b aircraft,it became popularly known as The BBMF in the late fifties/early sixties. It still flies a number of other aircraft now including a dc3 dakota and a chipmunk.

The term "Battle of Britain" referring to the air war over Southern England from June-Sept 1940, is a more modern epithet than you might imagine.

When Churchill gave his "The Battle for France is over, I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin" he was speaking in general terms.

Indeed, Bomber Command was a vital part of taking the offensive to the Germans long before we had the ability to open a second front.

From that point of view alone, and for the 50k+ airman that died delivering bombloads over occupied territory, many long before D-Day, its quite right the Lancaster can be included in a "Battle of Britain" Memorial flight.

And yes, it's not a "disgrace" when old, obsolete aircraft break down and occasionally have to miss a show. In much the same way it's not a disgrace for your grandfather to not send a card on your birthday becasue his broken hip after a fall prevented him getting out to the shops.

cheers,all is now clear on the bomber front 🙂

I think there need's to be a STW fight club for this kind of embarresment. All these people with massively conflicting opinions can just get it on and have a good old fashioned scrap until someone gives in or gets ko'd. You'd waste a lot less energy imo. You waste so much effin time talking bollocks back and forth until more people join in with their opinions, then one poor b***ard is left on his lonesome looking like a right ****t usually. There's only one way to sort this imo. . . . . ."FIGHTTTTTTTT"!

the memorial flight has very little input from the raf, and quite frankly if some people an keep them running in their spare time good on them, especially after this long a time.

All mechanics have little niggles every now and then and perhaps today was one of those days?

Eldridge rather than moan about it get off your ass and donate your time to the restoration of them and general maintenance!

If you put no action into something dont moan when the outcome isnt as good as it should be.

Eldridge rather than moan about it get off your ass and donate your time to the restoration of them and general maintenance!

If you put no action into something dont moan when the outcome isnt as good as it should be.

Commendable post 🙂

thank you monkeychild 😀

unfortunately due to some of the comments raised the armed forces thread got locked 🙁

Eldridge here are some causes you may be able to put input to:

http://www.raf.mod.uk/bbmf/
http://www.vulcantothesky.org/

Oh and Eldridge if you do feel the armed forces are a waste of space like previously listed then why moan about an armed forces tribute not being complete. sort it out!

Keeping these 60 year old machines airworthy is no mean feat. If it's a choice between flying it knowing something isn't 100% and not flying it on that particular day, I know what my choice would be as a pilot.

Pedant alert!

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is, and has been for years, a Lancaster, a Hurricane and a Spitfire

strictly speaking it's a Lancaster, a couple of Hurricanes, several Spitfires and, I believe, a C47 Dakota.

Even more strictly speaking, it should be called "The Second World War Memorial Flight" as the Avro Lancaster first flew in 1942, when we all know The Battle Of Britain ended some time in 1940

where's he gone?

where's he gone?

I assume he hasn't got back yet from seeing the Hurricane flyover at the Old Buckenham Air Show – it was at 4.45pm.

Let's hope he now feels a little calmer about the "absolute national shame and disgrace" of no Hurricane at the Cardiff flyover yesterday.