Blue Eagles

Associated sites:
Army Historic Aircraft Flight | The Museum of Army Flying | Army Air Corps Recruiting

Blue Eagles Team Displays – Mildenhall and Southend – 25 to 28 May 2001

Friday 25 May 2001 saw something quite unusual in the annals of British Air Display history. A Bank Holiday weekend began, with air displays planned, and it wasn’t raining! The weather promises to hold good for the whole weekend, and the new display has been honed to perfection. Over the weekend the pages were expanded to include all the best action from the displays. To start on this first page there is a taster from the transit from Middle Wallop to Mildenhall in bright sun with the static park in the background, followed by the Saturday display at Mildenhall.

Friday 25th May

Two views, firstly of Kav leading the Gazelle’s into Mildenhall….	….followed by Julie overhead the huge static park ready for the next day’s show.

Saturday 26th May

The new Mobex trailer stand did roaring trade all day with the new range of Blue Eagles souvenirs and collectables.	In fact, it was so busy that lunch was an entirely al fresco affair!

The display opening manouevre drew a gasp from the 200,000 crowd as the Lynx backed through the onrushing Gazelle diamond.	After the break, the lead pair of Gazelles, Kav and Terry, performed perfect simultaneous bunts.

As the Lynx comes to the hover, the second Gazelle pair, Julie and Bill, pull up to form the Blue Eagles’s Heart in smoke, which the Lynx then backflips through.	These new display elements not only fill the sky, but also allow the crowd a close look at the aircraft between manouevres.

The first pair of Gazelles return, and fly simultaneous Elphinstone loops, side by side!	The Lynx solo part of the display includes loops and rolls, here Ray and Richie are pulling over the top of the Eagle roll….

….and here are pitching up into a loop, a unique Team manouevre.	The Team come to the hover along the display line to salute the crowd, then hover-taxi to allow everyone a good look at the aircraft. Here Julie hovers as the Lynx bows to an ovation from the appreciative Mildenhall audience.

The first day at Mildenhall was a long one for the Team. Before displaying at Mildenhall in the late afternoon, the deployed up to Rockingham near Corby in Northamptonshire to fly a full display at the opening of the new purpose built oval motor-racing circuit, the first of its kind in Great Britain. They then flew down to Southend to fly a practice display over the tricky seaborne display line. At Southend, the flightline is marked with bouys anchored along the shoreline at a safe distance from the crowd. Flying over water can be deceptive in terms of altitude, so as you would expect from proffesionals, the Team elected on a full practice even though it meant a very long day in the cockpit, with three full displays and two long transits!

Click here to see the highlights from Sunday 27 May.

Click here to see the highlights from Monday 28 May.

Click here to see video clips and the journey home on Monday 28 May.

Many thanks to the Bird in the Hand Motel, Mildenhall for the loan of a phone line that allowed us to bring you this page!

Archived news is available by clicking here.

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