 The BBMF (Battle of Britain Memorial Flight) will be flying a Lancaster Bomber over the Derwent Dam on Friday 16th May to Commemorate the 65th Anniversary of the Dambusters Raids. It should be a spectacular sight if you can get in - there are restrictions in place and entry to the Upper Derwent Valley is by ticket only. Full details here.
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I should also add - there are no car park tickets left. "The ballot for tickets to see the 'Dambusters' Memorial Flight over
Derwent Reservoir has now closed. Please do not try and attend without a
car parking permit as you will be turned away. You can still see the
Memorial Flight if you can walk up to Derwent, but if you are unable to
do that, then we suggest you drive over to Chatsworth House as the
Memorial Flight will be flying over there about 10.45-11.00 "
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 We had a display by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight over Cardiff Bay a few years ago - maybe 2005 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of the war. There was a Lancaster accompanied by a Hurricane and a Spitfire, fantastic sight - hair on the back of the neck raising - though it didn't half give my mum 'the willies' as it brought back memories.
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 Yes Kate, I have seen them a couple of times at the Llanidloes airshow. Last tim they had the "dakota" too. Fantastic!
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 Even 60 years on there is no sound like a growling merlin
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Really, I thought he was around longer ago than that! (BTW - if memory serves me right, I think the BoB Memorial flight Spitfire is a later version with a Giffon powerplant?)
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Tony, think you right there
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Actually I'm not. I think they fly 5 spitfre machines, and at least one of them is an original BoB machine and the only one to have actually taken part in the battle. Being built in 1940 it would almost certainly have a Merlin unit. The one I saw was built in 1945 and was originally a photo reconnaissance aircraft. That definitely had a Griffon Powerplant and a 5 bladed prop.
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| Edited: 10/05/08 17:15 |
Whatever the engine, I was going to say, a fantastic sight and sound! 
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| Edited: 10/05/08 17:16 |
Ditto, that Tony
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 My dad took me as a kid to watch the annual B of B airshow at nearby RAF Leuchars. As the years went by, it became an annual airshow. I'll never forget the noise of the aircraft flying about 100 feet above. (This was before Health & Safety). My favourite in those days was the Lightning. I well impressed when the ground shook!
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I was walking on the downs north of Lancing while the Shoreham Air Show was on, some years back. A tractor had stopped and the ploughman was looking up at the sky. I was just wondering what he was looking at when the Lancaster came over the hill behind me before performing a steep turn and heading back to Shoreham. It was a sight and sound that will live with me for ever!
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BBMF Lancaster Bomber; I knew I had a picture of it somwhere. (edited to make the image bigger)!
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| Edited: 10/05/08 17:49 |
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Thanks Wayne, Pure music, the Merl sings like no other.
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An other just for the sound
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| Edited: 11/05/08 02:32 |
 I guess most people know but in case anyone doesn't the Derwent Dams were where the Dambusters practised for the raid. They did this a few years ago, probably for the 60th anniversary, and its a truly spectaclur sight. I think I might just have to skive off work Friday morning and have a walk up Win Hill. Should be a good view from there as it exits the valley and heads off to Chatsworth.
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 damn.......will be moving to within 50 miles of Derwent next week......a week too late..... should be an awesome sight though...
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 I was out at Ladybower on Sunday and came round a corner under Whinstone Lee Tor to see what I assume was a Lancaster swooping low above the reservoir at an incredibly low level then banking left and right to follow the contours of the water and avoid the trees. It was pretty impressive stuff. Anyone else catch it?
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Practice run maybe?
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