One of the promised attractions, weather permitting, at the IWA National Festival this year was a flypast by a WWII Spitfire. Well, the weather could not have been better - unlike my camera!
When the time came everyone stopped what they were doing and stared into the sky. Over the PA came, slightly incongruously, the Dambusters March and some helpful commentary. Thankfully the fairground music stopped ... and then the lone fighter flew right overhead.
We were told it was a Spitfire, but aren't a Spitfire's wing tips more rounded?
This is the best photo I got, cropped from a shot mostly of the sky. Still, not too bad. The plane turned and flew over us a couple more times before flying off again. The sound was tremendous. Not loud, but briefly evocative of that other world of black and white bravery and sacrifice, loss and heroism.
There it is, heading off to its next engagement. It's that tiny speck just below the dark cloud in the centre of the frame.
Don't bother to click on the photo, here it is magnified for you.
No more than half a dozen people joined me in applauding. The fairground music started up. Everyone went back to what they'd been doing a minute before.
4 comments:
Looks like it might be a Mk VB but hard to tell... The VB had clipped wings to give better manoeuvrability at low level I think.
It's a Mk XVI from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and can be seen here
http://www.ketroas.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/spitfire.html
at Fairford on the same day.
Kevin
NB Tranquility
The one good thing about living less than one mile from Rolls Royce in Derby are the wonderful fly-pasts we see of a Spitfire usually at very low altitude.
Here's a link to this week's Spitfire/Dreamliner fly past on video...
http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Pride-Britain-Dreamliner-stages-Rolls-Royce-fly/story-19638058-detail/story.html
Thanks Dave, I think Kevin T has the answer. I remember Fairford being mentioned as part of the Spitfire's itinerary.
KevinTOO, I tried the link, but after a few seconds the whole page goes white. It might be my computer - I'll have to try it on Jan's laptop.
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