Navy 100th Anniversary FlyBy And Fireworks
Despite its being a schoolday yesterday, quite a few people made it down to the ORNC yesterday for the Navy's 100th anniversary of aviation's 'please-buy-us-a-new-aircraft-carrier' fly-by.In some respects it was quite fun, but I confess that I felt a bit "was that it?" about it. Helicopters and fixed-wing craft flew over in formation, and while they were actually there it was mildly interesting, but it all felt rather remote and was over so fast that I began to wonder why I'd taken time out to see it. The general opinion from my correspondence seems to agree with me.
Stephen had placed himself at the top of the hill, and got one or two pics (see above...) Andy had much the same idea:
I have to say that against yesterday's leaden sky there was something creepy about the aircraft - they looked like a swarm of flies. (More about 'bibilical plagues' later, btw.)
Rob had trudged under the tunnel to get the flypast with the historic setting of the Old Royal Naval college. That he managed to string the event out to a four-minute video, seems an achievement nigh-on miraculous.
But if the flyby itself was a damp squib, the evening fireworks that Ianvisits tipped us off about were a veritable Roman Candle. Of course I'd totally forgotten that they'd be on until I heard the bangs, so I only saw half of them, and most of that was spoiled by my cursing my poor memory but the bit I saw was fabulous - presumably in honour of Prince Andrew, who Jo tells me was guest of honour on board Illustrious.
Andy (not of the Royal variety) had a fantastic view from what I can only assume are the flats near Maze Hill. I couldn't decide which of these pics to include, so I used them both. I particularly like the second one which has Maze Hill Station in the foreground looking almost romantic...
I leave you, though, with these magnificent close up shots from Ben...
...and Nicholas, who are probably deaf today, given how close they must have been to those whooshes and bangs...
Thank you to all of you who sent me pics!
Labels: Events, HMS Illustrious in Greenwich
posted by The Greenwich Phantom at
08:40
6 Comments:
does anyone no where i can get one of them rockits cos my neihbers cat is getting well annoying
I understand that the midday flypast was so brief because of poor cloud conditions and that there was something much livilier with a lot of helicopters later in the afternoon
I was talking to an ex Royal Navy man today who was out photographing his son in front of the ship - he confimed what Edith said: the midday fly past had been scaled down because of low cloud cover. He was also lamenting the quality of the ship's paintwork in a ''in my day'' kind of way.
Andy can indeed see a silly amount of Greenwich from home! I forgot about the fireworks (having found out about them in December - my memory doesn't even last a week these days), but went to watch the "static air displays" today.
I was in the grounds of the Naval college, but behind the railing on which the speakers were stationed (facing out towards the river, where all the helicopters were, across a very narrow path - not sure what the logic was there).
Didn't hear much of the description of what was going on, but almost felt guilty for having expected something in the way of entertainment - it was in fact a demonstration of the ways in which their helicopters have saved many lives. It was quite humbling and a different kind of impressive than I'd been expecting, but felt short-lived and disappointing as a result. It was a real shame we couldn't hear anything that was being said about them.
I remember these fireworks, they were REALLY loud. It sounded more like enemy bombing!
I like the idea of Mother nature dictating what went on over the last weekend.....First she decided it was a bad thing to have a lot of Aircraft flying around Greenwich Thurs...and today she decided that good old 'Lusty' should stay another day. Who would have thought that something the size and complexity of a modern warship could be scuppered by the wind? I was told that she should have left today around 15.00, but couldn't because the wind was to gusty....Headlines in Tmrws papers....'Gusty Lusty' or 'A Lusty wind doth blow' you decide.......
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