Stoughton Aerodrome, 1971. Dead calm, clear sky. By the runway. To the right, there's this dot in the sky. It gets bigger; there's not a sound... a Lighting from Cottesmore, coming in transonic at a few 100ft. She tears down the runway, stands on her tail, afterburners aglow, & is gone. Over in seconds, it was the highlight of the day: I was a 16yr old kid & I'd falllen utterly in love with this beautiful aeroplane.
40yrs on, I still remember it as if it were yesterday.
As a techy in the RAF at Coltishall had the privilege of not only working on the Lightning but getting two trips in a T4. Both times it was the same aircraft - XM972. Just missed out on my '10 ton' badge on one trip!
If you think that was good, you should have been at Farnborough 1962 when a squadron took off and each aircraft stood on its tail as it climbed vertically one after the other after the other after the other........... 8 years later i watched the RAF's "super Phantom" trying to emulate it at Sleap. It's still trying to get there!
I bought an Airfix Lightning at Finningley air show EVERY year in the 70s. It was ALWAYS a Lightning that I bought. My brother bought a different plane every time but I loved the Lightning so much it just HAd to be a Lightning. Staggering aircraft!
Typhoon might be shit hot but nothing comes close to the lightning!! I was at binbrook watching these things blast round the sky as a kid too! Sitting on the crash gate eating tuna fish sandwiches hehe Ace!!
@dabloon27 I miss the Britain you experienced, yet I've missed out on. I was born in '87, not long after, Lightings were scrapped. I remember an audiobook called Thunder and Lightnings, which invoked the look and feel of them to me very well, and got me into airfix!
Me too! I lived in Grimsby when I was young,we used to cycle to Binbrook an sit on the hatystacks and watch the Lightnings of 5 squadron. We lived under the flight path and used to see all sorts of aircraft going to land at Binbrook. The range of British aircfraft around the skies in those days was great for a young Air Cadet to see.
I remember going to RAF Binbrook between 1984-1988 as a kid watching these take off. They were loud. I think Binbrook was the last place to have them in the uk.
American cousins note: When it goes vertical...it keeps going vertical unlike the much younger F15.
stubbostubbs 4 days ago
Stoughton Aerodrome, 1971. Dead calm, clear sky. By the runway. To the right, there's this dot in the sky. It gets bigger; there's not a sound... a Lighting from Cottesmore, coming in transonic at a few 100ft. She tears down the runway, stands on her tail, afterburners aglow, & is gone. Over in seconds, it was the highlight of the day: I was a 16yr old kid & I'd falllen utterly in love with this beautiful aeroplane.
40yrs on, I still remember it as if it were yesterday.
Sic transit gloria.
PGD5051 1 week ago
As a techy in the RAF at Coltishall had the privilege of not only working on the Lightning but getting two trips in a T4. Both times it was the same aircraft - XM972. Just missed out on my '10 ton' badge on one trip!
RoseisleDave 2 weeks ago
If you think that was good, you should have been at Farnborough 1962 when a squadron took off and each aircraft stood on its tail as it climbed vertically one after the other after the other after the other........... 8 years later i watched the RAF's "super Phantom" trying to emulate it at Sleap. It's still trying to get there!
exhatter 2 weeks ago
Labour cut the TSR2 as well.
They claimed defense project cuts would be invested in improving National Health System .. er .. hmmmm
robinrms0404 1 month ago
Amazing. I've been trying to find this video for ages but didnt know what to search for
prime106 2 months ago
Does anyone have the full video or a link of this flight with professor Brian Cox? I know it was a program about the universe or something
MrMoss2001 2 months ago
It's a great shame that not long after Brian Cox went up in that Lightning, it crashed killing pilot Dave Stock.
Thunder City is now closed, and the aircraft being sold off.
tectorama 2 months ago
The sound of a man on his way to heaven!
snoopy9949 2 months ago
I sat in one of those!!! Lovely plane, thank you Irene and Mike, thankyou to the crews at Binbrook AFB too.
darknight399 2 months ago
I bought an Airfix Lightning at Finningley air show EVERY year in the 70s. It was ALWAYS a Lightning that I bought. My brother bought a different plane every time but I loved the Lightning so much it just HAd to be a Lightning. Staggering aircraft!
whitbyjet65 3 months ago
and to think the tsr2 left it for dead on one engine reheat , we brits used to build great stuff then
MegaPhatbastard 5 months ago 10
@MegaPhatbastard dont get me started on tsr2 :(
eatthisvr6 5 months ago 3
@eatthisvr6 You too, eh?......
Factnotfictionpeople 4 months ago
@Factnotfictionpeople yup lol
eatthisvr6 4 months ago
@MegaPhatbastard Oh mate...I yearn for those days!!! Just look at some of the stuff we produced in the 50's and 60's. What happened?????
bearman74 2 months ago
@bearman74
Labour government's happened - that's what
concise707 1 month ago
@MegaPhatbastard Still do!!! One word.. X-Factor!
gamerbwoi 1 month ago
Typhoon might be shit hot but nothing comes close to the lightning!! I was at binbrook watching these things blast round the sky as a kid too! Sitting on the crash gate eating tuna fish sandwiches hehe Ace!!
dabloon27 6 months ago 7
@dabloon27 I miss the Britain you experienced, yet I've missed out on. I was born in '87, not long after, Lightings were scrapped. I remember an audiobook called Thunder and Lightnings, which invoked the look and feel of them to me very well, and got me into airfix!
edj66 2 months ago
@dabloon27
Me too! I lived in Grimsby when I was young,we used to cycle to Binbrook an sit on the hatystacks and watch the Lightnings of 5 squadron. We lived under the flight path and used to see all sorts of aircraft going to land at Binbrook. The range of British aircfraft around the skies in those days was great for a young Air Cadet to see.
brizlee 1 month ago
Looks like a homesick angel. Lovely.
TheophilusPWildbeest 11 months ago 3
I remember going to RAF Binbrook between 1984-1988 as a kid watching these take off. They were loud. I think Binbrook was the last place to have them in the uk.
WAYNE1977100 1 year ago
@WAYNE1977100
well I am not even British, but i fell in love after watching this take-off... amazing power...isn't it?
tatapudi 1 year ago 2
@tatapudi it had and still to this day have absolutely awesome performance
eatthisvr6 5 months ago 3