It all looked so promising! We'd been enjoying a spell of tremendous weather that had left me more bronzed than David Dickinson, having spent the week prior sunning myself like a beached whale in Kent; initial participation announcements had suggested a strong USAFE turnout, including fast jet assets from RAF Lakenheath and Spangdahlem AB in Germany, and to top it off, Kennet Aviation's Skyraider had been very recently repainted and would be making its public debut at the Community Day.
All that and much more - Spitfires, Mustangs, Chinook and so on - for only a fiver! In these cash-strapped times, that's a bargain if ever I saw one. The Duxford airshow programmes cost the same amount, after all.
It became clear in the days leading up to the event that the Americans certainly wouldn't be coming (not with any flying assets, and I didn't see any ground representation either - which isn't to say that I hadn't missed it!), and the RAF Chinook was unable to make it.
There was also no sign of the Aircraft Restoration Company's Spitfire and Buchon on the day itself, both of which had been mentioned in the pre-event publicity and on the event posters. Nevertheless, events at North Weald are always good value and it's only a 25 minute drive from my humble abode in the North-Eastern corner of London, so I wasn't put off by the no-shows.
Arriving "early doors" with intent to catch the planned morning arrivals from Duxford and Hardwick, my eye was caught immediately by Kennet's Skyraider dominating the main aircraft apron, resplendent in a new Navy blue scheme with a few flashes of garish green on the tail and propeller. It's always nice to see aircraft getting a fresh coat of paint in order to keep the historic scene fresh, but I have to say that, in my opinion, the 'Raider's new clothes don't fit as well as her old outfit.
From a purely photographic perspective, it'll be another dark aircraft against a dark sky (the original grey and white paint, with the awesome tail and fuselage art, brought you a good dose of colour whatever the weather) and it isn't nearly as 'interesting' as the last paint job. It also makes it practically impossible to see the exhaust stains along the fuselage, which was, to many, one of the most striking features of the Skyraider. There's nothing like a bit of dirt to make an aircraft come alive. I know, I don't really have any right to comment as I don't own the thing, and the paint has been immaculately applied, but I'm sticking by my opinion. Now if they tooled her up with rockets and underwing stores...that'd be a different story!
There were plenty of aircraft on display on the Weald Aviation apron, with a good deal of variety and a couple of new faces - most notably, the first airing in what must be years by the locally based MiG-17, which looked superb parked up alongside a couple of Mustangs, a Seafire and Skyraider.
You also had the nice pairing of Chipmunk and Tucano, giving a good impression of how training aircraft have developed over the years, further complimented by the quite superb number of Jet Provosts (and Strikemasters) on display. I gave up once I'd counted all the fingers and thumbs on both hands - what a selection of schemes, too! Botswana, Tunisia, a smattering of RAF paint jobs, the Empire Test Pilots School...
For the warbird afficionados, there was a welcome contingent of Second World War allied fighters in the shape of Maurice Hammond's two P-51D Mustangs, 'Janie' and 'Marinell' from Hardwick in Norfolk, and the Historic Aircraft Collection's Spitfire MkV and Hurricane MkXII from Duxford. Charlie Brown's low-level arrival in Spitfire BM597 was particularly evocative. Joining the Hardwick show of force were Maurice's immaculate Stearman and Harvard; all credit to the team for supporting the event when other more local operators did not.
Another highlight was the Yeovilton-based Sea Fury T.20, an aircraft restored and test flown from North Weald, which was involved in a midday air-to-air sortie with the based Vampire T.11 and a Jet Provost. Indeed, North Weald's resident classic jet operators did the event proud, with the Jet Provosts and Vampire providing plenty of flying activity throughout the day, even when the weather closed in during the afternoon.
The set up for the flying assets, with the aircraft parked into the crowd on the cross runway, enabled spectators to view the aircraft being prepared for flight, taxiing out and parking up after their sorties at very close range - certainly far closer than you'll see at most venues. A big positive then, for both casual visitors and enthusiasts/photographers.
Having had my nostrils seduced by Jet A1 whenever one of the jets taxied past, I'm actually amazed that no one has bottled the beautiful aroma of jet fuel yet; should I ever find myself on The Apprentice, in a task that involves producing a new aftershave, 'Thrust For Men' will hopefully become a reality.
Star of the day for many, myself included, was a superb showing from Sqn Ldr Dunc Mason in the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight's Spitfire PRXIX. Arriving unannounced out of the mirk, PM631 made a number of banking passes over the airfield, looking and sounding wonderful. I'd contemplated a lens change after the second pass, but decided it was the time to just watch and take it in.
The flypast on departure was equally appreciated, and Sqn Ldr Mason would've been forgiven had he thought better of it and made for RAF Coningsby to get out of the rain. I know I'm not the only one who feels that the Spitfire's inclusion, and the efforts of the BBMF to entertain the public in far less than ideal conditions, were worth the £5 entrance fee alone.
Being perfectly honest, this wasn't an event suited to your "proper" photographers; there was an awful lot of background clutter and it was practically impossible to get any photographs during the bulk of the day without getting other spectators milling around in the background. Furthermore, Kennet Aviation's two Westland Wasps were positioned behind the Manhattan Grill burger stand, making any clear record shots a no-go.
I also know that the Ford Mustangs posed tightly alongside Maurice Hammond's Mustangs were a point of contention for some enthusiasts, and while I see their point (and share their frustrations!) it must be remembered that the event isn't really for the aviation community.
Inded, my argument is simple: this wasn't an event for the enthusiast. As a Community Day, the essence of the event was giving back to the locals (certainly the key demographic were families, who made up the bulk of the spectators) with some ground entertainment and a smattering of aircraft. Take away the attractions that enthusiasts would consider "clutter" and what do you have to draw the general public? Let's be honest, Mr and Mrs Joe Public aren't likely to be tempted into parting with their cash to take their children to a serious photo-shoot on the basis of their lifelong desire to see a newly painted Skyraider next to a MiG-17...
Had the event been marketed as a proper photo-shoot in the way that last year's excellent Gathering of Warbirds and Veterans was, I'd be inclined to agree that the event failed to cater for the photographers. As it was, the Community Day served its purpose brilliantly and it was great to see what looked to me to be a good turnout - more, to my eyes, than last September's Community Day.
To the non-enthusiasts, things like having your photo taken standing under a Mustang, or having a tour of a Catalina, rank far higher in the importance stakes than getting a clear, perfectly lit side-on shot. Throw in an impressive gathering of military vehicles and motorbikes, some area displays and demonstrations and a good selection of aircraft to get up close and personal with, and you have a perfect Sunday's entertainment for everyone - even if it did get a little bit wet towards the end!
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