Saab 37 Viggen

One of the highlights at Bray was this Saab Viggen. The cloud base also restricted the aircraft's display parameters but as it was the first time I had seen a Viggen it was still quite special.

Catalina at Bray

Catalina Miss Pick UP got her props back recently as mentioned last month which meant she was able to attend Bray airshow as scheduled

Reds at Bray

The Red Arrows were the first display item at Bray air show last Sunday. This was our first visit to Bray and their seafront show and, unfortunately, the weather was not great being grey all day with showers from time to time. However, apart from the BBMF, all scheduled display items performed with The Reds leading the way albeit restricted to their flat display due to the limited ceiling caused by a low cloud base. They were as polished as ever although remain as an 8 ship formation until next year when there will again be enough trained pilots to revert to their tradditional 9 aircraft.

Rock of Cashel

Lest we forget

Foynes Flying Boat Museum

Foynes, on the Shannon estuary in Ireland, was a flying boat base that opened in the mid 1930s. At that time land based planes did not have the range to cross the Atlantic but large seaplanes could and by 1942 the first non-stop transatlantic flight took place. The advent of WWII restricted passenger flights and the opening of Shannon airport in 1942provided competition and Foynes closed in 1946. In 1989 an Aviation and Maritime museum opened in the od passenger terminus and incorporates the old control tower. The highlight of the museum is a full scale replica of the fuselage of a Boeing 314 Clipper, fully fitted out and incorporating a small section of the port wing up to and including the inner engine. here are some images from an interesting visit.

Filton Airfield

The original airfield at Filton, Bristol dates back to 1910 when aircraft manufacture first commenced on site with the forerunner of Bristol Aircraft. Manufacturing inreased dramatically in WWI, particularly with the Bristol Fighter, and a small hamlet was demolished to enable the airfiled to be enlarged. It was known as RFC Filton and then RAF Filton. In the early 1940s the runways were upgraded to concrete and the manufacture of aero engines and aircraft, including the Blenheim and Beaugfighter continued. After WWII the runway was lengthened for the Bristol Brabazon and although this huge passenger aircraft did not go in to production a further runway extension made it ideal for the first flight of prototype Concorde 002 in 1969. Aircraft and aircraft component manufacture continued but, ultimately a housing development was approved for the site and operations ceased in 2012. Today some original hangars survive, as does the control tower and a museum dedicted to Aerospace Bristol opened in 2017. The main attraction is perhaps Concorde G-BOAF which made the last ever Concorde flight when it flew in to Filton in 2003.

Bristol Aerospace Museum

The museum is located on the former Filton airfield in Bristol and is dedicated to the history of Bristol, mainly aircraft but includes motor vehicles, aero engines and other technology as well. We were passing on the M4 with a limited amount of free time so stopped in for a quick look around. There area couple of impressive reproduction aircraft in the shape of a Briston Scout and F2b, a couple of helicopters and some aircraft sections amongst other exhibits. The star of the museum is probably Concorde G-BOAF which flew in to Filton 20 years ago and was the last ever Concorde to fly. As we were limited for time we didn't look inside as we have been in other Concordes in the past. The most interesting element of the visit was a guided tour of the restoration hanagr where there is a complete fuselage of a Bristol Freighter, recovered from New Zealand, and a Bristol Bollingbroke. This was the Canadian version of the Bristol Blenheim light bomber of early WWII. It was recovered from a Canadian farm and is gradually being restored and should be on full display in a couple of years time.