THUNDER AND LIGHTNINGS. The Story of Thunder City. Part-2

Thunder City was once the world's largest collection of operational jet warbirds, based at Cape Town International Airport, South Africa.
The collection including three flying English Electric Lightnings once operational with the RAF, three BAC Buccaneers, ex experimental aircraft from MoD Boscombe Down, and a number of Hawker Hunter aircraft, some from the RAF and others from the Swiss Air Force.
filmmaker Andrew St Pierre White spend a year with Thunder City and with the help of those that worked there, made this video documentary. Brian Carroll, RAF, is also interviewed.
Additional footage by Tony Hulls.
This is their story, as told in 2006. This video is released with respect to the late Mike Beachy Head and Dave Stock.
It was shot in standard-def video and is not available in HD. A small number of DVDs were produced and sold, mostly in South Africa, although some were sold in the UK. It was not purchased by any TV networks. This is the first time it is released for public viewing on KZbin, and is in two parts.
Presented by Andrew St Pierre White and Beafilmmaker.com
Watch Andrew's main feature channel here: / 4xoverland

[@johndavid5618]

"Mikes collections will live on forever.

[@jasonwhite5108]

Great story and conveying the feeling of flying the lightning ( have the dvd but had to watch this again on KZbin ). I Was there that sad day in 2009 , RIP Dave and later on Mike .

[@grahamwturner]

I have great pride in having struck up a friendship with Brian Carroll till he lost his battle with cancer, i even had the privilege of sitting beside him in a T5 lightning as he showed me how it could perform, an experience I will never forget in a hurry , nobody will ever beat the hours Brian spent in a lightning, a true gent too boot, always with a smile and happy to talk to anybody about the lightning, a few days before he passed away, I had arranged a re-union with one of his old mounts, an ex Saudi T55 lightning 55-713, sadly he was too unwell to make the trip, and I never seen him again. gone but not forgotten, it was so nice to see him in this video, brought back great memories of a great man.

[@johnsmith-nk1tp]

I miss lightnings so much along with the vulcan. Such a loss to aviation and RIP mike as well. You made a lot of people very, very happy.

[@southernseclusion9525]

Being ex-RAF and of the period just after the Lightning was decommissioned I am extremely grateful that you've shared this film. Miss the days sat at the end of runways watching the Squadron's launch.

[@hbw7615]

Superb documentary particularly involving my favourite aircraft the EE Lightning.

[@1903chrisholden]

amazing video love the lightning and have a family friend who is ex lightning Binbrook 1972-1981

[@cobraguy5874]

Great documentary. Brings back memories for me when I was a member of the Hawker Siddeley Conquest film unit based in the big hanger at Hatfield Herts. We had two lightnings based there and flown by George Aird and flown for missile tests. The lighting was one of the best aircraft ever produced.

[@RB28v]

I miss seeing the Shackleton and Lightnings fly over Ysterplaat

[@bendeleted9155]

Awesome documentary! Awesome airplanes! Thank you!

[@stewartw.9151]

Great days in South Africa when these were flying! Used to see them at airshows at Waterkoof AFB, near Pretoria. Mike Beachy-Head was fortunate that the time he started the project to still be able to deal with reasonable and intelligent individuals at our CAA, some of whom were ex-military SAAF aviators themselves. Today all is chaos and obstructionism at the CAA with an entirely different type of personnel in charge and making the decisions - most of whom would not know one end of an aircraft from another! I do not believe that Thunder City actually operates or even exists today with the driving force, Mike having sadly passed away and I wonder what has happened to the aircraft.

[@mattm8894]

The aircraft are now currently listed as for sale

[@stevefarmer9089]

There are a number of Lightnings and Buccaneers etc stored outside at CPT Int at the Thunder City hanger... very sad to see. I was at the airshow in 2009 when Dave Stock was killed. Very sad day... SAAF jets there did a missing man formation for him later in the show.

[@4xoverland]

In the default thumbnail, I am seated in the back seat of this jet with my camera. Can you see the smile on my face? I can. Cameras used was manly a Canon XL2. The extreme telephone shots were made with a Leitz 400mm F5.6 lens mounted on the Canon. Given its a full-frame lens and the Canon XL2's sensor is about the size of a micro SD card, the magnification equates to a 4000mm lens. Impossible to hold and on a hot day, the heat shimmer created the effect seen. This is not a camera of editing effect, and is raw footage!

[@simonrichardson5077]

Great work,thanks

[@england902]

I used to live in the flight path off the beautiful lightings going to binbrook I saw them everyday. Great days.

[@Relay300]

Fantastic

[@RayDavies123]

Superb work sir. It was riveting and brought back many memories. You are an excellent film maker and I have learned so much from your Udemy courses. Never stop ASPW!

[@Warbird-Aviation]

Thank you very much for this very nice video. Greatl job!!!

[@PhilipDjaferis]

excellent!! Thanks you!!

[@WizzardPrang]

Love the EE Lightning. Remember the Tiger Squadron Lightnings being disbanded at RAF Marham, '92 I think. Loved the film. Thank you ASPW.

[@adelarsen9776]

Enjoyed immensely, Thank you. And if my memory serves me correct, the SAA's was the first to take delivery of the new (back then) A340-600 which was a 10m longer fuselage stretch over the A340-300. I remember that because I used to fly with SAS on board their old A340-300's and I read about the 600 at an air port lounge and said to myself "Why can't we (SAS) get new planes?" They are still flying the same old A340-300's. Andrew, you must come to Temora for the fly in.

[@jimmyboudreau4207]

He had the world

[@andrewagner9212]

That’s me reporting for CVA the extended center line routing Aghulas at 10:21

[@seanjoseph8637]

The Blackburn Buccaneer State Two.

[@julianneale6128]

Looks like he got the record for South Africa with both reheats not being fully operational and at best, intermittent?

[@stewsretroreviews]

The CAA have killed off most off the classic British jets in this country😔 Thanks for this amazing footage of the amazing Thunder City jets, just love to see those these icons fly 🙌🏻

[@tectorama]

Where are the surviving aircraft now ?

[@ASPWthenextjourney]

As far as I know, lying in a hangar at Cape Town International, all up for sale.

[@tectorama]

@@ASPWthenextjourney Thanks for the reply. I thought at one time there was talk of one of the Lightnings going to the USA. Probably another rumour. They are a complex aircraft and must cost a fortune to maintain. I thought the Hunters would have gone, as a number of companies still use them.

[@CPiGTi]

@@tectorama I visited Cape Town in December and I can confirm they are still all there.

[@suereed]

good film sorry.

[@suereed]

Why oh why does this bloody rock music infest videos, its brainless. What does it mean?

[@RudolfGraspointner]

It is not rock but heavy-metal I think. I can't stand it either. .... monster-music for monster planes?

[@jimbotheassclown]

Get off my lawn.....lol

[@davidjohnireland4]

Your opinion is irrelevant 🤓