Blue Eagles Team Displays – The British Grand Prix at Silverstone – 13th, 14th and 15th July 2001

Oh oh, overcast, windy, lots of rain and low cloud, or so dawned Saturday. Was the display going to be called off due weather? The Team were waiting for a final decision, when lo, the clouds did open on the south side of the Silverstone circuit, even though the north remaind black and threatening, and yea there was much rejoicing. The Team took off into a Blue Eagles sized hole in the weather, which gradually opened out over the whole sky, and performed a pearler of a display, everyone was spot on throughout. Landing on afterwards, there were big grins all round, and as Terry put it, "That one even felt good!" The afternoon qualifiers for the Grand Prix on the morrow had a few surprises in store. Ralph Schumacher was well off form, possibly due to tyres we were told later, but the front row was otherwise as expected, Michael Schumacher, Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard formed the first three, with Janno Trulli turning in a blistering performance in the Jordan for a well deserved fourth. The race practice was very, very wet in the morning, but the qualifying session was bone dry, giving all the teams huge setup problems. Not a single car was on the track for the first 20 minutes of the session, as tyres and settings were changed at feverish pace. Julian Humphries captured the best of the days action from the Becketts Grandstand, for which many thanks to the crew who looked after him, and got all the images on this and the next page…..

Saturday 14th July – Morning and take-off

The morning practice was a very wet affair, as Jenson Button in the Benetton demonstrates leaving rooster-tails of spray behind him.	Kav preflights his Gazelle prior to the display….
….as Richie checks the Lynx rotor head.	Richie with the Lynx and a Jet Ranger, amply illustrating that Silverstone is not only a busy airport, but also a very small one!
Walking over to complete the cursed but necessary paperwork, the pilots unconsciously mimic a famous Battle of Britain photograph!	In the middle of the walk-through of the display, a sight that delighted the crowd that had gathered to watch the take-off.
Ready to start, and the technicians watch carefully for any sign of fire or other problems.	The RAF Tornado GR1 was displaying while the Team awaited clearance to take-off.
The Team lifted to the hover….	….and departed in line abreast, offering a fine photo opportunity, first the Lynx….
….then Bill’s Gazelle head on in a dramatic shot….	….before lifting and turning offering a fine study in the increasing sunlight.
The start was superb, with the Gazelles in balanced Diamond around the rapidly reversing Lynx.	Kav and Terry’s first bunt was very accurate, you can put a set-square on this photograph!
Ray’s backflip in the Lynx was straight up….	….and straight down! A breathtaking manoeuvre that most people can’t believe a helicopter can do.