London City airport

A few days ago I arrived at London City airport [ICAO code: EGLC] for my flight to Edinburgh. I was looking forward to this, as the airport has a reputation for steep takeoffs and landings and a good view of London city :-)

My flight was on BA CityFlyer, on an Embraer E170, similar to the one pictured below. After takeoff [and yes, it felt really steep!], we had awesome views of London itself - along the Thames, the London Eye, all of the "central' city and much of the suburbs as well. I reckon the 60 pounds I paid for the flight would have been worth it just for the scenic flight over the city! Unfortunately, my camera was in the overhead locker, so no photos of this. The inflight service was good also - a choice of breakfasts and something to drink, then a smooth flight to Edinburgh. The arrival into Edinburgh was very nice. As soon as we got below the cloud, we flew along the harbour with great views over the entire city. Nice!

Anyway, here are a couple of photos from the airport:

British Aerospace Avro RJ-85, EI-RJG, registered to Cityjet. Note the runway just in the background.
Embraer E170-100STD, G-LCYI, registered to BA CityFlyer

London's Science Museum, aviation exhibits

My recent visit to London's Science Museum included an unexpected benefit; a floor with a number of aircraft displays, including the aircraft, many engines, even a 1 meter deep section from a Boeing B747!

In addition to some relatively "common' types, I saw the following aircraft, only one of which I had seen before [the SE5A, albeit not in a "skywriting configuration]. Enjoy the following pictures. For other [non aviation] photos from the museum, see my World Travels blog.

Top to bottom are:

Short SC1 - the world's first VTOL aircraft, from 1957! 

H.S. 125, G-ASSM, designed by Geoffrey de Havilland

Hawker P.1127, first prototype, leading to the Harrier Jump jet

Vickers Vimy

Royal Aircraft Factory SE5A, G-EBIB, with extra equipment for skywriting!

Europe Trip #34: Bye bye England

All too soon it was time to start the 30+ hours of travel back to New Zealand. The trip back was the reverse of the trip over, namely London Heathrow - Hong Kong - Auckland - Wellington.

We arrived at Heathrow in plenty of time, and as we experienced with the rest of our travels, there was very little in the way of hold ups. Check in was a bit of fun, if only because the airline systems had been flagged as my parents and I needing special assistance [stop laughing you lot!]! We were all able to walk and find our way around so none was required, although it would have been quite funny if I had asked for a wheelchair for each of us :-) ha ha

Just a couple of pictures this time... some scruffy looking fella airside at Heathrow [I've scrubbed up better since getting home :-)], then a picture of the sunrise over southern Russia and the "desert" of northern [central???] China.

I particularly like the sunrise picture - I took a few of them as did a member of the cabin crew I was having a chat with at the time [they are a friendly lot at Air New Zealand]. I hope you enjoy the pictures!

Europe Trip #33: Good bye Duxford

Here are the final pictures from the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. It's been a long road, lots of pictures, and even more fun.

I guess that I can only recommend that if you have the chance, go visit! The best lesson learnt was to leave more time so I'm not rushed because of a short visit. Next time I'll make sure I have a couple of days around Duxford and also at Hendon.

The final pictures are of the rear of the American Hanger [which faces the airfield proper], a Boeing B17G Flying Fortress and the Duxford Airfield Control Tower.

Enjoy!

Europe Trip #32: IWM Duxford - 13 - Final Display Hanger B

OK, the very last of the in hanger pictures from Duxford are here. The next [and last IWM Duxford] post will contain a few more outside pictures, but for now, top to bottom we have:

Avro Lancaster Mk X

Westland Lysander Mk 3A

English Electric Canberra B2

Handley Page Hastings C1A

Europe Trip #31: IWM Duxford - 12 - Final Display Hanger A

OK, the last of the in hanger shots are in this and the next post. The pictures in these posts cover [approximately] World War Two through to the Concord. It's amazing how they manage to get so many aircraft in to one [big] room without it all looking cramped - I guess it helps being able to hang a few aircraft off the ceiling :-)

Clearly the most impressive aircraft was the BAC/ Aerospatiale Concord - the fact that it was open was ever better! This particularly aircraft was one of the test models and was equipped with the flight test gear int he front half. The rear of the aircraft had the usual seating [although masked off so I couldn't get a rest :-)].

Top to bottom are:

BAC/ Aerospatiale Concord [2 x pictures]

Avro York C1

Short Sunderland Mk V

Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR3

Europe Trip #30: IWM Duxford - 11 - Awaiting Restoration

As I headed in to one of the main hangers which houses the Concord [and many other aircraft], I came across a space with just a few aircraft which were flagged as "awaiting restoration". Here are a couple of pictures of three of the aircraft, and one particularly intriguing aircraft - a radio controlled camera drone. This was in use with the British Army and Royal Artillery from 1961.

Top to bottom are:

Avro Shackleton MR3 [2 pictures]

Eurofighter Typhoon DA4 [2 pictures]

Vickers Viscount 701 [2 pictures], ex British European Airways

Northrop SD1 Drone

Europe Trip #29: IWM Duxford - 10 - Airworthy/ restoration to Airworthy

The following aircraft were in a hanger that contained a variety of airworthy and being restored to airworthy aircraft. What you see in this post is a small selection of those aircraft.

Apart from the fact that many of these rare and impressive aircraft either are, or will be, airworthy, I was really impressed with both the cleanliness of this workshop, and that the public are allowed in to observe these restorations!

Top to bottom [with registrations, where known] are:

Curtis P40B Warhawk, G-CDWH
Grumman FM2 Wildcat
Beech 17 Staggerwing, G-BRVE
North American T28S Fennec [French built T28 Trojan]
Supermarine Spitfire Vb
Chance Vought F4U Corsair
Bristol Beaufighter

Europe Trip #28: IWM Duxford - 9 - Another Hanger C

Ok, the final series from this hanger, and one of these is bound to surprise :-)

Top to bottom are:

North American P51 Mustang
Hawker Sea Hawk FB5
de Havilland DH 112 Sea Venom
de Havilland DH110 Sea Vixen

... and here's the surprise ...
... not exactly an aircraft, but a ...

Luftwaffe V1 flying bomb! There was another parked outside also...

Europe Trip #27: IWM Duxford - 8 - Another Hanger B

More iconic aircraft! Clearly, not all of these were operated by the RAF, but they are all in their own way special - from a prop anti-submarine Gannet to a MiG! A MiG in an English museum??? That's pretty cool!

Ok, it's pretty cool for a kiwi lad from the other side of the world!

Top to bottom are:

Gloster Javelin FAW9
McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR2
Fairey Gannet AS6
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 21
Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer

Europe Trip #26: IWM Duxford - 7 - Another Hanger A

After the American Hanger I headed for another hanger with a different set of aircraft in it. In the case, they were mainly RAF operated aircraft from World War Two onwards.

I say mainly RAF operated aircraft because it also includes a genuine Messerschmitt BF109E! This one crashed during the war, and is preserved and displayed pretty much as it was when it came to grief! Awesome :-)

Anyway, top to bottom are:

Messerschmitt BF 109E
Cierva C30A autogiro
Supermarine Spitfire IX
Vickers Varsity
Hawker Hunter F6A