THE LAST LIGHTNING SHOW 1987 WITH A TWIST.

[yogiman333]

I remember being at RAF Coltishall in the early 60's, hunters , lightenings and javelins all ready to scramble, how i wish I had todays camera's , not that they would have allowed us to film.

[Calvertfilm]

Diamond nine looks wonderful. Wish I could see one fly again.

[timber733]

What a classic aircraft...they dont make em like they used too.

[jemster1234]

god i'd love to be in the raf, those pilots are so skilled and thankyou for sharing this footage with the world.

[joebloggs55555]

Fabulous piece of film, thanks for posting..

[kingoftadpoles]

Thanks. I was there. I still have the t-shirt

[Scarfacetfs]

I'm 16 and I wish I could see a Lightning fly. They are awesome aircraft which aren't comparable with any modern aircraft today.

Gotta love the noise.

[geoac]

You obviously aint seen a One in One take off . The Pilots were banned from same after a couple of flame-outs!

[woolleysox]

I attended an ATC camp at RAF Binbrook during its final years before it closed. We were treated to solo display as the pilot was carrying out his practice for a future airshow.It can be summed up in one word spectacular!!. We were allowed to climb into a number of aircraft and one cadet was flown in the two seater********* . Thanks to the guy who shot the film and thanks to you for showing it to us that's brought back great memories heady days.

[TheFflynnie]

awesome

[rebelwithoutaporsche]

This gave me goosebumps....didn't want it to end....I lived near RAF Woodford all through my youth and the Lightning was the plane I wanted to see the most at the airshow every year...it was never, never as good after them and the Vulcan went!...thanks for sharing...brilliant!!

[dibble419]

Brilliant video. Thanks for posting. Was at Leuchars one year when 12 Lightnings flew in formation. Four each from 23, 74 and 11 Squadrons I think. After flying in formation each aircraft did what the Lightning does best - beat up the airfield at about 250 feet and on full reheat went straight up. 12 of them one after the other. What a noise. The ground trembled.

[rayvon1971]

i was there that day, rained nearly all day!! i lived and still live nearby and the look and sound of lightnings is the sound of my childhood!!! great to see!!

[jonny96]

Surprised they had enough fuel capacity for that display!! Had the pleasure to fly with an ex lightning pilot on 737's. He told me there were 2 types of pilots who flew lightnings. Ones that crashed into hillsides because they were staring at the fuel gauge and not out the window, and ones that crashed because they never looked at the fuel gauge and ran out of fuel! He likes to think he was somewhere in the middle! Nice vid, bring back thunder city!

[bigmull]

I used to see EE Lightnings do a scramble on a lot of occaisions.Weused to live in Germany and they were based at RAF Gutersloh.Its an awesome jet and in my mind still hasnt been beaten!

[regwoolley]

I was there! I was based at 431mu at the time and was home on leave. It was raining almost all day!

[moonhogg]

I was also there. A rather soggy day, but the thunder of the Lightnings more than made up for it! Not something I'll ever forget - thank you SO much for sharing this!

[ukko2k]

I was on the base that day - at a mere age of 15. I got to mess about in the Lightning Simulator as well, good times. The display was awsome although if i remember rightly the cloud level was really low. I also used to visit crash gate three alot. Infact i was only on the old base last sunday looking around and found the guys that have XR724 wheeling her out giving her a good clean, at least theres still one lightning at Binbrook.... cheers

[showjumper05]

when are we going to see a lightning take off the runway and stand on its arse again would be amazing sod the caa lets get one up!

[showjumper05]

was xs904 part of the 9 in the diamond?



[wockney1610]

I remember the day well. It was awesome ! Watched it from a nearby field with hundreds of others who couldn't get onto the base but it was worth it.

[MrFluffy1979]

time The CA allowed the Lightning to fly again in England

[k1ngj1mmy]

Nine lightnings airborne.... better than six numbers in the lotto.. better than Queen live on concorde... better than nine virgins in a........

[MultiTerryCat]

Great video. English Electric built great machines, both in the air and on the tracks.

[CLEVERCLOGS73]

Wow I woz there that great day at binbrook , blessed with a flight in south frica last year the classic Aston Martin of the sky

[chriscrow1]

great memories of a fantastic airplane . yes it had its limitations it was never fully developed . in only scraped into service by the skin of its teeth . but it was glorious . I never tired of seeing it . the first occasion Farnborough Airshow 1964 I think it was 74 squadron (may be wrong ) flying lightning's and what a show . thanks for posting . last time I saw a display containing lightning's was 1983 RAF valley . think that plane crashed at south sea its next display

[lordofbore]

Excellent vid thanks for posting :)

[tectorama]

I wonder if we'll ever see a Lightning flying again, now that Thunder City has closed ?

[davesweet63]

Great footage Love it .But it was not the last diamond nine that was on the 29th of april 88 the day the Lightning stood down It was dark cold but not raining.

[mandh14]

Those really were the days... remember it well, pissed down all day and took hours to get off the base - happy days though!

[JonathanAtAchean]

@mandh14 Count yourself lucky you got on the base. I queued outside for five hours before dad turned for home. A regret I carry to this day.

[Cliffjumper24]

Sadly the Lightning wasn't really that successful.

It was designed as in interceptor to take off like a rocket and shoot down soviet bombers, but by the time it was in squadron service the soviets had nuclear missiles with a 100+ mile range in their bomb bays.

It didn't have the fuel range, the radar cone was too small for radar advances, and it didn't like crosswind, and its missiles quickly outdated.

Performance wise I'm a fan of the plane, but it's combat effectiveness is limited.

[Alexvideoclip]

Why is the weather always nasty when there is a airplane show ?

[bigchiefmingingbolok]

@Alexvideoclip , because its the UK, summer just means that the rain is warmer

[jke1957]

Would have loved to be there ,Awesome!...

Thanks

[adiedonoghue1]

4 mins clip is what the lightning was about - Phwoar!!!!!!

[WolfsBlood66]

8 years of my life growing up at Binbrook when Alert 5 and daytime scrambles where the norm, I do not regret any moment of my life growing up in those surroundings

[redvanman10]

i was there and my Barbour coat shrank that how wet it was but the lightnings were fantastic and the roar of the nine as they blasted off i 've never heard again.....so pleased to see something from that day cheers!

[MrMisterblitz]

Magic vid, i was at cottesmore on it's last day.

[t1000eg]

wonderful footage..thank you

[jonesy97]

Thunder of the Gods!!! Must have been unbelieveably loud, with all those in the air at the same time! Great video. Really good stuff. You were lucky to get a hold of this.

[zzhawker]

i'm so jealous never saw one flying good video thanks for posting.

[danjama]

Thank you, i have been looking for something like this for a couple of weeks, since reading lightning boys. The lightning has always been one of my favourite jets! Beautiful.

[wheater5]

I was there, too on 22nd Aug 1987. I displayed the Puma helicopter, XW200. Far less spectacular of course. Our biggest problem during the flight was the cockpit canopy kept misting up. My parents drove there specially to see me fly. The show was such a sell out that the local traffic was terrible so they never actually got to Binbrook!

[t1000eg]

@wheater5 how lovely is that..too see the puma you flew on that day is amazing..i was in the air cadets them days..that year we stayed at raf huntingdon on camp followed by brize norton the year after...good times

[t1000eg]

@wheater5 how lovely is that..too see the puma you flew on that day is amazing..i was in the air cadets them days..that year we stayed at raf huntingdon on camp followed by brize norton the year after...good times

[wheater5]

I was there, too on 22nd Aug 1987. I displayed the Puma helicopter, XW200. Far less spectacular of course. I spotted the tail end of my aircraft in the bit where the individual Lightnings flew back over the crowd after takeoff. Our biggest problem during the flight was the cockpit canopy misting up. My parents drove there specially to see me fly. The show was such a sell out that the local traffic was terrible. They never actually got to Binbrook!

[wheater5]

I was there, too on 22nd Aug 1987. I displayed the Puma helicopter, XW200. Far less spectacular of course. I spotted the tail end of my aircraft in the bit where the individual Lightnings flew back over the crowd after takeoff. Our biggest problem during the flight was the cockpit canopy misting up. My parents drove there specially to see me fly. The show was such a sell out that the local traffic was terrible. They never actually got to Binbrook!

[19RedLineR74]

FWIW... You can still see a Lightning, and even go for a flip in one in South Africa. One of our rich guys bought some of the most memorable jets, and an airfield, and he continues to operate them. Just search for Thunder City here on youtube.

[nipplebrush]

@19RedLineR74 Thunder City has been closed.

[19RedLineR74]

@nipplebrush Typical :-(

[enemveecee]

damn how i miss the fighters from that era,though at the time i much prefered the ww2 aircraft,never failed to go to biggin hill airshow when it was on twice a year as i lived about a mile away.

Will never forget a lightning coming in low,pulling vertical straight over me,could feel the heat from it!!!,though a vulcan shaking the ground and rattling your fillings was a close second

[Taildragger2411]

I was at Bin brook on this the last day,There nothing more sad than a dead fighter station and a dead fighter especially the Lightening .

[asiaflt]

I was there!!

[ian8354]

RAF Binbrook is such a sad place now ! every year i go there it gets more and more run down.

[S00000by]

Fantastic......Nothing more to say!

[Taildragger2411]

Only the lightning pilots can do a scramble like this .

[wrecker8888]

Finest jet fighter ever built, I always hoped that one day when this country has some money again the RAF will have a couple of these back in the air!

[krbosak]

Smaller versions were used during making of River Raid game.

[jimbob60804]

I was there that day too. Best Blue absolutely soaked. Fun trying to get cars off the sports field that we used as a car park. There was another display though a few weeks after this for the press because the weather was that bad.

[jetnoiseforever]

its the vhs , its been run over a few times im afraid but better on here than in a draw somewhere.

[xvs650a]

@jetnoiseforever

I was there that day and what a fantastic day it was even though it rained for most of it.

The (13?) ship scramble at the start of the Lightnings display was awesome.

[Thunda65]

@jetnoiseforever Wonderful- thanks for sharing.

[bearman74]

Beautiful swansong. Did the sky really look like that at the time or was it the VHS camcorder smudging it into a pastel effect? A real "flying off into the sunset moment"! Progress is all well and good but I so miss those aircraft and others like them. We MUST lobby the CAA to allow them to be restored to flight - we owe it to future generations to show them what we achieved, what technical and aeronautical prowess we used to have as a country!

[gibbon92]

Went to that show. Awesome even though it was bloody wet. The solo passes were mega.

[edj66]

What I'd give to have been born earlier in the 20th century. I was born May 1987, and missed all this.

[danjama]

@edj66 August 1987 here. Couldnt agree more. Still, feel lucky that there are people out there doing their best to keep british aircraft like this around - some airworthy, some not.

[stubbostubbs]

There isnt a Scramble on the planet that can compare with a Lightning Sramble

[Adrek181063]

@stubbostubbs You've obviously never seen a full squadron Vulcan scramble then.

[RICKANOV]

@stubbostubbs the vulcan scrable was something to see anall

[RICKANOV]

@RICKANOV scramble*

[stubbostubbs]

Cheers Labour !!!! No a/c needed for delivery. We`ll do it all with missiles. No a/c needed for defence. we`ll do it all with missiles.......WANKERS!

[dpsherry]

Awesome mate. I just cried my eyes out. what a jet and to see nine of them in one shot was just beyond words...

[samjescon]

Should be even better 2nd time around! And it was fantastic 1st time around!!!!!!!!!

[samjescon]

Had the time of my life at Binbrook (86-88). Saw some amazing flying (some may not have been within CAA guidlines) but fantastic all the same and will remember it forever! Worked this day myself. Have some Calendar News and BBC Yorkshire News footage on a VHS tape. Will get it transfered and uploaded asap as I've not seen it anywhere on youtube yet. Fantastic aircrft just ashame it cannot fly over here!!!!! Great memories, thanks for the footage. Wish I could go back in time, 2nd time wud b gr8

[themanfromwem]

NICE "DIAMOND-9" TOWARDS THE END. GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTON.

[freelunch99]

Oh how I remember that day, the best airshow that I ever went to, but the rain>? how was the camera kept dry>? many thanks for sharing fabulantastic

[Viragopilot]

So many memories of sitting at the crash gates at Binbrook taking photos of the frightnings. An iconic aircraft.

[slicer819]

Just awesome

[jetnoiseforever]

if you did fly them , how can you say they are " boring"

[themanfromwem]

@jetnoiseforever . tHANK YOU jETNOISE, WILL QUALIFY MY COMMENT. iF YOU TREATED AN AEROPLANE AS " A PLEASURE" TO FLY, YOU WERE ALWAYS TEMPTED TO FLY OUTSIDE ITS ENVELOPE, JUST " TO TEST IT"...hOWEVER, IF YOU TREATED AN AEROPLANE AS, "BORING " TO FLY, YOU JUST THREW IT AROUND THE SKY , WELL WITHIN ITS FLIGHT ENVELOPE, JUST TO TAKE OFF AND LAND. (OOPS , CAPS LOCK, SORRY), we were not after thrills, just flying hours on most types, thanks for the vid and the comments, good or bad.......

[themanfromwem]

boring video. flew the f3, t5 and f6

[freelunch99]

@themanfromwem that was a wet show to, I remember the sheep did not flinch once, from the noise. also that LNER steam engine in the sidings LOL

[themanfromwem]

@freelunch99 ,, THANK YOU, THE ONLY LNER  engine in the sidings was the 85sqn. relics, bought out just for the day.....Hot Dogs, those 5 and 11 sqn. lads, as were the meatbox and canberra jockeys, from, 85.....I was insdide GRSF, popping in and out to make sure all the commms. went well. Sad to say, now all gone to grass. BTW did you know "memphis Belle" was filmed on the old site, unfortunately, they left some of the 1980's DF and Comms buildings intact, which you CAN SEE in some of the film

[nick643vgs]

just gorgeous

[b18boost]

I F#%KING HATE the CAA. These Lightnings should still be in the air in the UK today, to remember what we once were as a country! Lightnings are prob still faster than anything the RAF has at its disposal now! HA!

[14sqnTashyMan]

Brings back lots of memories....I was working that day....and saw it all

[1975buddha]

Stunning, truely stunning, we left Binbrook in 1984 but thankfully they trained in Akrotiri in the summer so they followed us there :O) Such ashame none are flying in this country.

[CaptainTattyBoJangle]

I Am 14yrs old and i wish i would have been able to go to one of the old airshows to see the lightnings and the other cold war jets. and to get to see the high speed passes with the vapour clouds

[gmtmelb]

@CaptainTattyBoJangle the Lightning, Phantom, Buccaneer, Jag and Starfighter were show stoppers the airshows of the late 70`s and the 80`s were out of this world, I remeber in about 79 watching a lightining and the F15 eagle approach from opposite ends of Leuchars runway and then pull straight up at show centre on a clear blue day nothing has ever come close to that...........

[squipper99]

I remember it well...was on brakechute recovery at side of runway. Red arrows said weather was too bad for a nine ship flypast.

[UKVoodooUK]

I remember the take offs well...also remember holding a Matchbox Diecast Stuka in my hand at 6 years old while gettin absolutely soaked watching this airshow :-D

[Scousefire]

As a young child, I grew up captivated by Jan Marks' book `Thunder & Lightnings`, since then this aircraft has always had a fond place in my heart. Thanks for sharing!

[msc2002]

Nice video, thanks for sharing.

Never managed to see a Lightning display, although as a child growing up in North Yorkshire they buzzed passed often.

[Ecthaelyon]

I was there... And the Wx was abysmal but still what a show. Thank you so much for posting this video!!!

[garyswest]

You are absolutely correct - aviation/RAF History. Such a shame the weather was so bad that day.

Bring back Binbrook!

[Hihonyr8811]

Absolutely amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!