The Fighter Collection

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  • The Fighter Collection in May 2016 -P40 C

    Following on from the Corsair our  presentation of the   P-40 C

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    The P-40 C is  planned to be  displaying at  Flying Legends  2016 – there is  still  time  to  book  your  tickets  online  HERE

  • The Fighter Collection in May 2016 -The Corsair

    Our  Corsair at  the  Duxford  May  Airshow this weekend,  first in a series of  slideshows of Fighter Collection aircraft  at the  show.

     

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    The Corsair is  planned to be  displaying at  Flying Legends  2016 – there is  still  time  to  book  your  tickets  online  HERE

  • Getting ready for tomorrow

    First job was pulling what was needed out of the hangar, before getting fuel for what needed it. Patrice arrived in something that the Wildcat would probably want a word with, and Brian Smith had a quick blast in the Mustang just in case the Wildcat  didn’t have a firm enough word with  the Zero.

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  • Corsair, Harvard and Hawk action

    Today was action packed with several Harvard flights, along with practice displays from Alan Wade in the Corsair and Brian Smith in the Hawk 75.E64C4850

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  • La Ferte Alais

    Harry was  sent to record  TFC at LaFerte this year.   His report is  short on the written word due to   a  strange encounter with   French hospitality, this is what  he remembers:

    TFC’s deployment to La Ferte Alais this year consisted of the MkVB Spitfire and the Hawk 75, arriving in the safe hands of Nick Grey and Patrice Marchasson respectively, with the Spitfire following the Hawk by a couple of days.

    Fridays practice had to be scrubbed thanks to being caught out by heavy rain shower (with a bit of hail thrown in for good measure – they  could have  stayedin England  if they wanted that  sort of weather!) this all rolled in whilst waiting for an impressive practice by the Aeronavale Rafales to finish.

    After a few minutes hoping for it to pass (with Nick and Patrice strapped in, and everyone else sheltering under the wings) the decision was made to get the aircraft back into the hangar ASAP, which is easier said than done when there is no tow bar for the Spitfire  (Roy, take note)! I think we must have nearly set a record for the fastest a Spitfire has ever been pushed away, with no less than 17 people pushing, and Nick Grey leading the way!

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    Nick getting ready for his practice

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    Taking Shelter under the Hawk 75

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    Pushing the Spitfire in (thanks toNigel Hitchman)13227772_1589660718012266_6234184951743507087_o

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    The Spitfire safely returned to the hangar

     

    On both the show days Nick Grey displayed the Spitfire alongside George Perez in the French Mustang, and Patrice flew a spirited display in the Hawk.

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    Stephen just   checking all is OK, like  Fathers do!

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    The  arty   pics

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    Patrice in the Hawk

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    Nick in EP120

     

     

     

  • La Ferte 2016

    Our photographer sent these through last night, as he is a photographer he doesn’t do writing so we will have to guess what was going on.

    First off, Bob and Chris M. take a well earned rest having just enjoyed the best of  French cuisine.

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    Next up Roy (you can never be too careful) Smith finishes re-arming EP120, “just in case”.

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    Ah,the Flying bit, Nick in the Mk Vb….

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    …and Patrice in the Hawk 75

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    Finally Nick with  possibly the   best  seat at the  display.

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    We may have more tonight!

  • All Move

    OK, our  photographer  said “I’ll  get you the most amazing picture for the  May  desktop”  What  he  didn’t  say was he was  going to La Ferte in the middle of May to  catch the picture, calendar will  be  here next week…maybe!

    In other news we  have  moved the  Friends pages tonight, those you log in to  view  and the FofTFC shop, to a secure  server.  The old server could not  cope with all our  members   logging in for  our latest  news!  This s  nearly  complete and some pictures and “stuff” may not  be quite where it should be.  However the   result should be  faster access  on both websites. If  something doesn’t work please let us  know.  Operationally  you  may  notice for some pages  you are on foftfc.com and others fighter-collection.com  .

  • April Desktop

    This months desktop is Nick Grey preparing to lead the Mustangs at last years Legends.  A reminder it  will soon be Legends 2016 – don’t forgot it is advance ticket only, click HERE  to  purchase your  tickets from the Flying Legends website.

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  • March Desktop

    Contrary to rumours that our photographer had forgotten it was March, the real reason we left it a few days was to leave the Spitfire picture up for the anniversary at the week end.

    Anyway we continue with a brooding and reflective study of the brute that is Bearcat.
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  • New Miss Velma film

    Our  colonial engineer  Lawrence was up  in Miss Velma  recently with his old super  8   cine  camera.  We put the results on our  Facebook  page but if  you  don’t do Facebook  here is  the  video: