Merlins Over Malta (1 Viewer)

[Jack]

I was just going through some old photographs looking for one to use on this year's Brisbane TS exhibition/dinner catalogue and found a few from 1995. I was lucky enough to spend a day with the Australian High Commissioner to Malta at the Merlins over Malta airshow. A Spit and a Hurricane flew in from the UK and did a fly past and then came in to land. They were initially roped off but after about 60 seconds you could get as close as you wanted. I will have a look to see if I can find a few better shots as these - for God knows what reason - I took in B&W. It sounds like I am name dropping but it was more a case of knowing the HC through a research publication and he was kind enough to invite us as his guests. In any case, I am sure he mentions my name to people in conversation to impress them!{sm4}

More than the vision, the sound of those engines was a remarkably electrifying moment. The BoB was such a moment in time and that sound just seems to symbolise it. There were modern jets everywhere but to me that looked like rockets with wings. The Spit and the Hurricane were the stars of the show.

 

[Jack]

From memory the 109 was in J'Burg.

 

[waynepoo]

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From memory the 109 was in J'Burg.

In this shot you look 50kgs lighter must be a trick of the camera :wink2:
Wayne.

 

[johnnybach]

I was just going through some old photographs looking for one to use on this year's Brisbane TS exhibition/dinner catalogue and found a few from 1995. I was lucky enough to spend a day with the Australian High Commissioner to Malta at the Merlins over Malta airshow. A Spit and a Hurricane flew in from the UK and did a fly past and then came in to land. They were initially roped off but after about 60 seconds you could get as close as you wanted. I will have a look to see if I can find a few better shots as these - for God knows what reason - I took in B&W. It sounds like I am name dropping but it was more a case of knowing the HC through a research publication and he was kind enough to invite us as his guests. In any case, I am sure he mentions my name to people in conversation to impress them!{sm4}

More than the vision, the sound of those engines was a remarkably electrifying moment. The BoB was such a moment in time and that sound just seems to symbolise it. There were modern jets everywhere but to me that looked like rockets with wings. The Spit and the Hurricane were the stars of the show.

I can relate to that sound from the merlin engine, Jack. I was driving down the M11 ( a few years ago) - and was approaching Duxford Airfield - which is a site of The Imperial War Museum, when I heard the sound of an Aero- engine "snarling" overhead. I pulled off the Motorway and parked up - and was treated to the sight of a Spit - going the rounds of the Airfield for about 15 minutes - before it landed. The sound of that engine is indeed electrifying - and simply makes the hair stand on end. What a sound and sight that was - never forgotten it. jb

 

[Jack]

In this shot you look 50kgs lighter must be a trick of the camera :wink2:
Wayne.

It was actually 2005 not 1995 so the decline has been fast!