UK Trip 2025 - Part 4(Final)

Continuing south, I was headed to Biggin Hill.  The last time I was here was for the 1980 Biggin Hill Airshow.  On that day, the 9 RAF Red Arrows took off and flew down to do a display at Brighton.   As usual, we counted them back, but this time only 8 returned.   One had clipped the top of a yacht mast during the display and the pilot ejected safely.   

I spent the morning in the Cafe here, watching as a variety of jets came and went.   A Turkish Learjet Air Ambulance, a Polish Hawker 400, another Air -X CRJ200 and a UAE registered Bombardier Global.

Biggin Hill is also the base for a company that restores Spitfires.  They also offer flights in a two seat Spitfire. 

Next stop was Gatwick Airport.  I found a place to park just east of the airport.  Historically Gatwick hosted airlines that didn't have slots at Heathrow, and whilst this is still the case, it has also expanded into the low cost market.   It was very hazy and humid to start, but soon cleared into a lovely day.  Less common airliners here were an EnterAir Boeing 737, An Air Baltic Airbus A220 in the Lithuanian Flag colour scheme and a Norwegian Boeing 737 with the humid air clearly showing the vortices coming off it's flaps.

Gatwick is also unusual in that a number of British airlines have aircraft based here using registration sequences rarely seen at other UK airports.   For example, this easyJet Airbus A320 has not only a different registration sequence, but also a colour scheme I hadn't seen anywhere else. This British Airways example is from a batch that have a specific Gatwick registration sequence

Other interesting aircraft were a Norse Boeing 787, a colourful ITA Airways A320, a Volotea A320 and a Sky Express A321

The following morning I had arranged an airfield tour at Shoreham.   There was an airshow at Eastbourne that weekend so a couple of displaying aircraft were parked here including this Stearman and two Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters

In the hangars were another Enstrom Helicopter and a Cessna 152 that had been converted to a taildragger.

In the afternoon I called in to the Gatwick Aviation Museum.   Amongst the aircraft displayed inside were a Seahawk  and a Gloster Meteor while outside were a rather sorry looking Buccaneer, a Shackleton and a Devon which was in pieces awaiting re-assembly.

Another airfield I had been meaning to visit was Turweston near Banbury.    I called in one morning and was not disappointed.   Everyone here was very friendly and I was allowed in a couple of hangers.  There is also a lovely Cafe here.  Great hot chocolate and homemade cakes!  Interesting planes here were the first production Beagle Pup, a lovely Glasair GS2, A Yak-18, a 1931 DH-60 Moth, a Stampe SV-4 and a Bucker Jungmeister.

I'll finish off with a shot of the view from the tail mounted camera on the Turkish Airlines Airbus A350 just as we were landing in Kuala Lumpur.

 

UK Trip 2025 - Part 3

Leaving Edinburgh Airport, I had a short drive to the Museum of Flight at East Fortune.   In the main hangar were a Red Arrows Hawk and Concorde G-BOAA.  The museum is spread over a number of buildings, and the next one had most of the remaining displays.   They included a bright yellow Scottish Ambulance Service Islander, A CAA DH-104 Dove, a Scottish Aviation Twin Poneer, an Australian registered DH-80 Dragon Rapide, a civil registered Gloster Meteor and a Czech Air Force MiG-15

Starting the long trip south, I called into Newcastle Airport for a couple of hours.  First in was a Freebird Airbus A320, followed by an Agusta 109 helicopter training on the ILS.  An Emirated Boeing 777 bought a few extra onlookers, but they weren't impressed by the Gulfstream 650 that followed.

Next stop was East Midlands which, as usual, was pretty quiet.  The only notable aircraft were a Fly4 Boeing 737 and one of JC Bamford's Bombardier Global's which taxied past the One Air Boeing 747 that visited Adelaide earlier in the year.

On the way to Heathrow I called in to Elstree (Nothing unusual here) and Denham.  This American Beech Bonanza was parked by the tower at Denham.  There is a great Cafe here, so I had lunch (homemade fish fingers in a sandwich) before I headed off.

As usual for a sunny Sunday afternoon, the Myrtle Avenue park was packed with everyone from serious spotters to families picnicking and playing games.   Every 90 seconds a plane landed.  The biggest attraction for Joe Public was the Airbus A380.    Emirates duly obliged.   Other interesting arrivals were the Saudia Boeing 777 in the Formula-e livery, a colourful Vueling Airbus A320 and a Korean Airlines Boeing 777.

At 3PM the runway used for landing changed to the northern runway, so I took the oportunity to check-in to my hotel and then walk to the eastern end of the runway for some evening arrivals. In quick succession, an EVA Air Boeing 777, an Air India Boeing 787 (Still in Vistara colours) and Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 (in Star Alliance livery) landed followed by an Asiana Airbus Airbus A350.

Next morning the wind had changed and planes were landing to the east.  Spotting is difficult in these conditions as there are few places with safe parking.    After driving around the local villages, I found a closed down pub carpark.  It was a bit closer to the flightpath than I would have liked, but served the purpose.  Here is a selection of photos taken over the next couple of days.   RwandAir Airbus A330, LOT Boeing 737 Max, Etihad airlines Airbus A380, Air Serbia Airbus A319, Aviance Boeing 787, LATAM Boeing 777 and a HiFly Malta A330, in the colours of CAA Congo, operating a service for Air Algerie.

Last part to follow soon.......