Warton Lightnings 1988 Complete

[@747crab]

Hi, that was my last flight in a Lightning in May 1989! Since then, I have been a BA pilot spending most of my time on the 747-400. A couple of years ago I converted to the 787 and very strangely, I have only three flights left before retiring. Odd to think that I have just found this video (without searching) of my last flight in the mighty Frightning and here I am 30 years later, just about to finish with flying altogether. It seems to have passed very quickly! This flight was an ordinary, but complex development flight with, I think, 2 F3 Tornadoes using four Lightnings as targets and the Buccaneer as a tanker for the Lightnings. I am flying XP693, the only unpainted Lightning in the video. My take off is fairly spirited but with overwing tanks, or over burgers as we called them, the jet didn't go up too well as she weighed an extra 4000lbs plus the weight of the tanks. At the end of the flight I flew along the pan at 180kts and I think we measured it at 15ft. I then did a low pass down the runway at about 600kts and I felt it was very low but I have never had it measured. Probably 100ft or so? At the end, Chris Yeo presents me with a bottle of champagne and we end up chatting to one of my heroes, Jimmy Dell. A most modest unassuming man who was one of the original Lightning Test Pilots. All Lightning pilots will remember Jimmy and his spinning film where he tells us that 10 seconds is a very long time! The film was so old, probably made in mid 60s, that by the time were watching it in the 80s it had physically stretched and 10 seconds had become 12-13 seconds! He could not believe that we were still watching the film! Anyway, thanks for posting this film! It has brought back so many memories of my Lightning flying. I transferred from the Navy in 1984 and saw the Lightning out of service at Binbrook as 11Sqn QFI and flew at Warton for 18 months or so before joining BA. 44 fantastic years flying everything from helicopters to Lightnings to 747s! What a privilege. Cheers!

[@nicka3970]

Tarnish 9?

[@747crab]

Indeed Nick, I was Tarnish 9! @@nicka3970

[@tflahant]

I'd say your tail was closer to 10ft 😊 ground erk 83 to 92, respect Sir

[@rihaskell4812]

Wow. I can honestly say you have had my childhood dream job. I am in no way jealous....lol. Enjoy your retirement. P. S. Did you actually know how close the back end came to the ground during that pass?

[@mikehorton8603]

Colin, how great it must be to relive it all in this video. As a kid I never got to see a lightening fly, just about the only raf jet I never saw. I used to love seeing the jaguars in flight, still think they were amazing. In sure the lightening however would have been top of my list had I seen it and an airfix version would have been hanging from my bedroom ceiling! I sincerely hope you enjoy you're retirement and find fulfillment in a new chapter in life. You should be proud of all your years flying and service to the country!

[@jamesroberts2115]

USAF veteran here. The Lightning was a most impressive aircraft and one of my favorites. A muscular looking bird but with clean lines and superior performance. BTW, my father was stationed at Warton during WW 2 while in the USAAF and he always spoke of his time there fondly.

[@newton18311]

@typo pit ha your funnny

[@barrierodliffe4155]

@typo pit The Lightning was the only fighter in NATO to be able to catch Concorde, the others all failed, the Lightning caught up and went past, the F 104, F 4, F 15 and F 16 couldn't. The really funny thing is it didn't run out of fuel when doing that.

[@neilbolger2679]

And your father would also have spoke of another lightning. P38 I think or there abouts . Twin boomed tail . And I agree with you on you on your comment , this lightning is an impressive bird. An angel I'd love to see in the skies now

[@thedgchannel4249]

Good on your father, we needed the help then. My dad was in bombers based in Yorkshire in those days, we owe that generation a lot.

[@stephenwood2216]

Warton maybe about to start production of our next gen fighter, called Tempest The name is from a WW2 uk fighter Respect to your dad Always a warm welcome in the North West of England 👍

[@a320trevor]

Here is my Lightning story. In 1979 I join the RAF as a University Cadet GD/P and my UAS had a summer camp at RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire. The members of 5 and 11 Squadron welcomed us into their Mess like brothers. That was not the case everywhere in the RAF as I would later learn. Anyway they said if you want a flight in the T5 put your name on the list, attend a safety drill and we will take you. They were true to their word and I flew a profile, as observer in the RHS, of interception, 3G climbing turns and 350-650kts acceleration. The vertical climb on take off seeing the airfield shrink below was priceless. My 40 year aviation career is over and that moment was one of the highlights. It was just an exceptional aircraft but one operated by exceptional people with character both in the air and on the ground. The whole station had a unified purpose and it was good to be among them. Happy Summer Days.

[@angusmcangus7914]

I did pretty much the same thing at RAF Coltishall in 1970 - UAS summer camp, trip in a T5 which I remember to this day, culminating in my having an "I must do this" urge. I didn't get posted to Lightnings after training; I had to make do with Harriers instead, followed by a tour as an instructor at RAF Brawdy on Hunters then Tornado GR1. I have to say the Hunter F6/6A/FGA9 was my favourite for the sheer joy of flying. After 17 years in the RAF there followed 27 years as an airline pilot. For me too, the war is over and has been for nearly 6 years but those first 17 years were the best.

[@nigeltrundle4092]

I was on the roof of the building near the camera man - probably the most visceral experience I had at work when Colin Rae flew straight towards us at the same height or less and then gave it max power into a near vertical climb. I distinctly remember being sprayed with soot particles from the engines! Brilliant experience, many thanks Colin - enjoy your retirement!

[@philipmasters7491]

Nigel Trundle A sphincter tightening moment at 6.53 on this video!!

[@nervo6321]

Never was there a more breathtaking sight for an aviation enthusiast than a Lightning take off....

[@thezanzibarbarian5729]

Nervo 63 - Yes there has. TWO lightning's taking off together :-))... They're stunning jets even by today's standards and sadly missed (Unless you go to South Africa!).

[@maurices5259]

The four Vulcan scrambles which opened the RAF Finningley air shows were pretty dramatic also.

[@robertp.wainman4094]

@@maurices5259 Nice to hear from someone else who remembers the Vulcan scrambles at Finningley - what an experience! Do you remember the 'red alert' siren and the crew running to their planes? In later years the crew were already inside.

[@vestfonn4288]

Standing on HMS Eagle’s flight deck and watching a Buccaneer fly by at full chat below you was pretty impressive - another great UK aircraft.

[@howardsix9708]

apart from a vulcan squadron scramble............

[@MrDaiseymay]

We used to be world leader's, so inivative, proud of our achievements.

[@houseyUK]

I understand the sentiment, but we still are world leaders in many areas. Motorsport being the first example that comes to mind.

[@nightw4tchman]

Shame we sold it all off, like the railways. Ain't coming back now. Shame.

[@Georgeconna32]

How are ye getting on these days!!

[@alexbennett16]

The pilot, Colin Rae, a stroppy but charming Scot, taught me to fly Bulldogs in 1982 at Topcliffe, as part of the RNEFTS. At the time he was a Lieutenant Royal Navy and desperate to fly Sea Harriers. I know he went off to QFI in Hawks and assume he joined the dark side in order to live his dream of frontline fast jets. Not sure I blame him. Like most Lightning pilots he was not tall, maybe 5’6” on tip toe. I am 6’5” so we looked an interesting pair walking out to the aircraft. He was an inspirational instructor, an he got me through that course.

[@tflahant]

Mr Rae has posted above you good Sir 😊

[@747crab]

I remember, and thanks for the kind words. I remember teaching you stall turns and you looking over the top of my head! The odd couple indeed! What are you up to these days? Hope you are well.

[@stevencarson9228]

Are you a stroppy Eng now too? Or just a typical Eng?

[@codprawn]

Awesome video and incredible to see comments on KZbin from people who were actually involved. That would have been my dream job. I have just purchased a huge old toolroom lathe. A Holbrook H20. It was owned my Bristol Siddeley and worked on the Pegasus and Olympus jet engines. The lathe cost £48,000 back in the late 50s which would have been £1.5 million today. Only the best funded companies could afford them - 134 built.

[@osprey60]

Superb historic footage of a timeless British icon...thanks for sharing

[@paulmillard1130]

I have a pile of photos and videos in mothers attic of Binbrook from 79 till the big goodby in 88 or 89. 11 , 5 and 29 squadron it was sad to lose them .What a machine .Britain made stuff ounce,

[@Adrek181063]

Climbs like a homesick angel. Remember two of them going supersonic a bit early and breaking lots of windows on Cleethorpes sea front when I was a kid.

[@Mark-ir9gl]

Spent hours at crash gate 3 binbrook brilliant memories if I could go back to then I would definitely 😁👏👏👏👍

[@redsmartphone7185]

Just stumbled on this wonderful sequence. My father worked at BAC Warton from 1957 to 1990. Great memories. Thank you.

[@69waveydavey]

The skies over Preston/Blackpool are even duller today now the Tornado has gone. Back then you could look up and there would be a variety of planes, Everybody had a relative that worked at Strand rd, Warton or Samlesbury, I used to enjoy the long defunct open days at warton too before the world went paranoid. Happy memories, thanks.

[@69waveydavey]

Did you work at bac? when were you last in preston?

[@jharris7407]

I live across the road from airfield every other day near enough Typhoons knocking about amazing ! Always give me goosebumps no matter how many times

[@musoseven8218]

My friend worked at Warton at this time, better times in many ways✌️👍💜 Thanks for sharing 👍😊

[@1chish]

Pretty sure this was the day the Lightning retired and was a sort of farewell display at British Aerospace - hence the blokes in Civvies on the apron. To see what these aircraft were capable of doing in 1959 and the fact they did it for nearly 30 years is just awesome. They could get off the deck and climb faster and higher than anything else even in 1988. First aircraft to Supercruise some 40 years before the Yanks thought they invented it with the F-22.

[@matthew-gn4qd]

great video, piece of history there, thanks for posting it on KZbin!

[@globaleye8]

At about 1966/67 I was a motor mechanic in Dusseldorf - one of our customers was a Lightning pilot at Gutersloh, I returned his Hillman Imp of all things🤫 to the base one day and was told he was on patrol with his wingman along the East German border by Hannover and was directed to wait beside a hanger with the ground crew - within minutes they came over the runway as low as you like waggling wings and then a vertical climb - showboating ? Yes Thrilling ? You bet your bottom dollar ! Very much our last Hurrah !!

[@zenzen9131]

Lovely Lightnings with the added bonus of a Beautiful Buccaneer :)

[@davidcook3018]

I went to an airshow in Norfolk around 1973 as a young teenager. I distinctly recall the BAC Lighting display, doing a vertical climb above us with full afterburners on and the engines glowing bright yellow. Awesome sight and sound.

[@barryrudge1576]

1966 I was a young Probationary Constable in Lancashire Police on a training course when together with other officers on the same course we were taken to RAF Warton to be shown how to disarm an ejector seat should we have to attend a crashed aircraft. The aircraft in question was in fact a Lightening which was being prepared for the Saudi Airforce. I was amazed how big the aircraft was and how small the cockpit area was left for the pilot. I got the impression the Pilot was more or less straddled across the top of two mighty engines. A visit that as always impressed me as to the power of such an aircraft which was developed less than ten years after the last of the WW2 era Spitfire.

[@GSD-hd1yh]

I am learning to appreciate our retired birds by watching videos such as these. It's great listening to the actual pilots talking about their experiences, Buccaneers at Red Flag flying so low no-one could get a lock on them, and the Lightning exceeding Mach 1 in a vertical climb. I know we sacrificed endurance for power but nevertheless our aircraft industry can be proud of what we produced - Valiant, Victor, Vulcan, Buccaneer, Venom, Hunter, Lightning, TSR2, Kestrel/Harrier, Tornado, Typhoon, VC10 among others

[@markharlock6474]

Canberra and Jaguar were also great aircraft, in service for many years...

[@countdracula7235]

I clearly remember working as a young engineer at BAe Fulton (on the Concorde project),...two Lightnings taking off after engine mods at Patchway, Streaking past our offices and then going into the vertical.....and seeing two pairs of glowing afterburners. bloody amazing (1984).

[@doronron7323]

I was a kid at a Finningly air show in the late 60's. A lightning did its stuff, the finale being the trade mark vertical afterburner departure into a clear blue sky until it disappeared still going straight up! Astonished, I'd never seen anything like it.

[@paulgranpop536]

Yes I remember that departure. The USA had nothing to compare with the Lightning. They put the afterburners on during take off as the plane started to move. The lightning only lit them after it was airborne and vertical. After that it disappeared in seconds. It was miles before it's time. Came down on a U 2, the only plane to pass Concorde and one reached 88000 ft. An unbelievable aircraft and Britain at its best.

[@simonsmith2017]

I remember the same thing, Biggin Hill, I've never forgotten it, would have been 7 y/o

[@JohnSmith-qq8ok]

Wow! This is the best video i have ever seen of Lightnings. What a Jet, what brilliant pilots..that inverted scene was pure insanity!

[@vole12]

Amazing aviation history and respect to the people who did and who are in this service . Thanks to them .

[@forestntt72]

Fantastic plane. I remember building an Airfix model of this in the mid 80s, ended up a strange electric blue for some reason if I remember correctly. Probably my favourite colour at the time. Great video, thanks for uploading.

[@wyb80]

Absolutely Fantastic 👌🏽

[@stuartmoles7138]

I was the DunlopTech rep at Warton in the 70's. One of my many tasks was in monitering the Tyre Temperatures when the Lightning was doing a lot of high speed taxi work. The tyres are so slim thay looked like they could have been made for a bicycle and at Tyre pressures of 350 PSI you had to be careful at the angle of your hand held temperature probe when searching for the temperature of the internal bead wires. A wonderful Aircraft that was so limited on range with its limited Fuel capacity.

[@Parawingdelta2]

Fantastic. Hadn't stumbled across this before now. When I was a teenager, my father (Air Traffic Control) was stationed at RAF Coltishall in the late sixties. The Lightnings with 226 OCU were there at the time along with some Royal Saudi Air Force T55's (I think). I thought being a Lightning pilot was about the best thing you could be in life. It was my ambition too, but being slightly short sighted and incredibly stupid removed all prospects. I recall a couple of incidents where one Lightning landed at Norwich airport by mistake and another taxied into the Wing Commanders office with the engines stuck on idle.

[@billbonnington7916]

Two of my all time favourites with the Buccaneer in the film too - fond memories of the Lightning at the Leicester Air Show, fast final pass and then disappeared into a clear blue sky near vertical.

[@bepolite6961]

Last time I saw one of those was in 1980. I was a dog handler on Patrol of the the APC dispersal at RAF AKROTIRI It unusually, was a very windy summers night. It was about 0100 when one a Treble 111 Sqn Lightning just rolled past me down the dispersal. The wind had caused it to jump it's chocks and there it was merrily making it way along the flight light pursued by about half a dozen linees!...... Funniest thing I ever saw, nearly pissed my self laughing watching them trying to stop it, which they eventually did. No damage caused and needless to say they then double chocked it and the other Lightnings on the Flight Line too.

[@fredflintstone8569]

I used to watch the Lightnings take off from RAF Leconfield when I was a lad. Amazing aircraft.

[@andyreading]

i was there that day as a guest , theLightning was awesome.

[@nathanthomas8222]

8:43 Probably the largest speed differential, between 2 forms of transport designed and built in the UK. I present to you the Leyland Sherpa😉

[@concise707]

Spent many hours on London (Mil) Console 15 (WTN Special Tasks) conducting amateur Fighter Control intercepts with Tornado F2s against Lightning targets and "Targets of Opportunity" (!) over the Irish Sea. I think it was Chris Yeo who got me into a LOT of paperwork wrt to an intercept on on a certain IL62 (Classic)........great times! (Except the paperwork!).

[@studebaker4217]

Between 1958-1965, I lived under a flight path into RAF Middleton St George, and we often had Hawker Hunters overhead. Then one day, a Lightning came over, an amazing sight to a boy who didn't know they had been created! Stuck in my memory 60 years!

[@cjguy7111]

The RAF had some fantastic planes...lightnings,hunters,vulcans,bucaneers,jaguars,phantoms,harriers,tornados to name my favourites...but boy the engine roar of a lightening is something else 👏👏👏👏

[@dazt103]

God they were an impressive aircraft. Especially when you consider the age of them. Even today I'd bet their speed would out perform most front line aircraft.

[@macatack7141]

They would, the days of aircraft designed for one job, to incept, deter enemy aircraft entering the countries airspace, even the American Blackbird and SR-71 had problems with the Lightning’s speed and altitude as proven on several occasions when permitted during NATO operation missions

[@Radio478]

Technical information one intake, two engines staggered spacing removes many issues, brilliant design

[@fredMplanenut]

Watching a Lightning take off and go vertical, and keep going, is a wonderful memory.

[@Speedmaster1200-d8u]

Amazing stuff. Loved it

[@followthetrawler]

My parents had a caravan at Bank Lane Caravan Park back in the 80's, almost at the end of the Warton runway. We used to watch Tornados screaming over all the time, occasionally, you would hear a distant boom if the wind was in the right direction, but the most spectacular thing to watch was a Lightning and a GR4 take off together and the Lightning leave the GR4 in its dust as it climbed near vertically to 30,000 feet in just over a minute. Tornado might have been an awesome weapons platform but the Lightning was a true interceptor. Just a shame it was range limited by the Ministry of Defence requirements - hence those ridiculous over wing tanks. I'm not sure if it's true or not but I believe Roland 'Bee' Beamont who was EE CTP lived on the same road as the Caravan Park.

[@sthildas4857]

I was up a telegraph pole on that site...in the distance I could see a bright light...I eventually knew that plane was coming my way...never did I get down the pole so fast. A Polish pilot flew so low on take off all the caravan ornaments fell over, a high ranking office had to come apologize plus pay some compensation.....

[@derekporter7658]

Absolutely fantastic!! Great film despite the radar interference! Just a pity they hadn't also slotted in EAP (what became the Typhoon) in the mix, now that would have been a sight! Last time I saw a Buccaneer flying was 1979 RAE West Freugh. I was staying in the holiday caravan park at Clayshant. As an 8 year old back then, I was the happiest person there! I thank my late father and my mother both of whom were RAF, for my love of military aviation.

[@andrewganley9016]

The Unsung Bucaneer yet another classic jet produced in this country Saw my first since the '80s at a cold war jets day at Bruntingthorpe a pair doing fast taxi runs

[@Imforeverenglish]

I remember vividly lying on a beach in Cyprus as a teenager in the 70s almost directly at the end of the RAF Akrotiri runway ...suddenly 2 Lightnings took off one after the other and went into immediate full afterburner vertical climb ....never have I heard or felt such raw power again since that day ...spine tingling. Bizarrely I ended up living in Warton for a year just as BAE was trying to flog the Eurofighter as it was then known to the Saudis ...this led to many impromptu air displays as the test pilots showed off a bit (vertical climbs and barrel rolls off the end of the runway over the Ribble estuary) ..great stuff but still not a patch on the mighty EE Lightning

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

Imforeverenglish I believe that the EE Lightening was the first jet to be able to climb vertically 👍🏻

[@buttonworld77]

Love that you can here the fizz of the ground radar on its 360 sweep in the video

[@mothmagic1]

Great to seetheLightig's signature party piece again. Yake off, wheels up and straight into a vertical climb

[@stevenwilson6192]

Reminds me of the good old days at RAF Leuchars, Buccaneers were common visitors too from RAF Lossiemouth. Low Take off and Low passes were common place, way before Top Gun "the movie" came out lol. Great footage.

[@nigelacrocker]

Are you sure the Buccaneers were from RAF Lossiemouth and not RNAS Lossiemouth

[@markbeetham5118]

I worked at Warton at this time. Used to love watching the Lightning chaser with the ADV. Was at Samlesbury when the Lightning removed all the paint from the roof of 2 shed. Management wasn't a happy bunny lol

[@usfive1]

Remember vividly a 2 ship Lightning ‘vertical’ take off at Woodford air show - deafening and glorious

[@descamm9313]

Still look at the video and still look at the impressive performance and handling of the Lightnings. WoW what a machine to fly.. 🇬🇧

[@makethman007]

that was when the uk still had a credible airforce

[@johnsmith-nk1tp]

This is easily the best Lightning film ever.

[@Al-kk4pf]

I heartily agree. It was great to watch even if it was a sad occasion.

[@sichere]

One word sums it all up - WOW !

[@acd1202]

In the early 70s I was at junior school about 3 miles as the crow flys from Samlesbury, twice that by road, straight across the Ribble Valley. Several kids had parents working there, my father was a final handover electrician and the headmasters son was a draughtsman, so we always knew when there was a Lightening take-off planned. Lessons stopped and the whole school, only about 60 of us lined up at the windows with the best view, no matter how often we saw it the magic never wained. The poor Canberra never quite captured the same excitement.

[@GOTOHOBBIES]

One of the best fighter aircraft in history, and to climb up to the U2 and higher.

[@errol-zs1aci]

Thanks for sharing this video of these magnificent and amazing aircraft. ❤❤❤

[@davidsmith2356]

Love those aircraft my favorite, and the greatest respect to all who flew them. Saw a broken one at Binbrook 5 years ago it was in sorry state.

[@Swaggerlot]

I was privileged to watch an OCU graduation from the tower at Coltishall around 1971 and missed out on a T4 flight due to an u/s aircraft. Will forever regret that!

[@tent7014]

Arhhhh................ the days before Health and Safety. Bring it on !

[@michaelwalsh1078]

Thanks for this ...amazing..Tony in Cork , Ireland.

[@raywilkie8587]

A very happy retirement Colin (Crab) we had some happy times at 662 and a few libations at R.M.Condor I note your keeping in touch with Radio Shaw while he's at BA I hope to see on te 32st of this month at Conder All the best mate!

[@gazza2933]

Even today, nothing climbs away like the Lightning. Not even a Typhoon.

[@THE-BUNKEN-DRUM]

The Typhoon can do that & quicker, but in my opinion, for some reason, the Lightning just looks infinitely better, while doing it.

[@Darwenhypnotherapy]

When we were world leaders in aviation design and manufacture - and nowadays due to elf and safety,Lightnings can no longer fly in UK airspace - so ridiculous!

[@hughjohnston]

The lightning was not as world leading as your British indoctrinated pomp would suggest. The airplane was not really finished ,it was an experimental that got produced and was very primitive indeed . If you just knew what a pain in the ass it was to keep in the air you would see just how much money is needed to develop an aircraft and how much more money the American's had to throw at the bottomless pit of military aircraft than we did. The lightning was a bag of nails and its weapon system became obsolete by the mid 1960's . It was a noisy in your face sceptical but not real tactical use after about 1970

[@Darwenhypnotherapy]

Name me any aircraft that can fly as fast,or indeed have the same rate of climb - I'm ex RAF, I worked on that aircraft,the pilots told me that they had never ever known what the maximum speed of that aircraft was,it just wanted to keep on going,we never asked or used any American money on this aircraft - we didn't need it,or want it,the pilots that I worked alongside used to call it " a rocket with a cockpit" The Lightning was in service until around 1982 - not bad for what you refer to as an "experimental" -Perhaps you have the same negative attitude towards Concorde,ok built with ourselves and the French,but then again,groundbreaking,and no one else has ever matched it for speed,prestige and performance in a passenger airliner.

[@hughjohnston]

​@@DarwenhypnotherapyThere is a need and a policy for international alliance to share the enormous development costs of modern systems .The lightning was built in the days of budgetary constraints to a single project from a small company that would deliver the legend that the lightning was but old English patriotism will not make it any better a weapon system than its restricted development cost would allow it to be. Its short comings of range, serviceability ,ease of maintenance and underwhelming weapon systems made it a short range bomber interceptor for the cold war soviet intercontinental bomber threat and not much good for anything else apart from maybe a final symbol of the dying imperial industrial days of old glorious Britannia when aircraft companies were established by wealthy aristocrats and every one in society knew there place and was proud of it.

[@davec8730]

@@Darwenhypnotherapy useless though, and another money pit.

[@andyb.1026]

@@hughjohnston perhaps you could find a 'Bear' aircrew that would substantiate your last statement... As for the rest of your diatribe *&*@* ex Lightning rigger

[@blooter6360]

Now this is a thing of beauty

[@hbw7615]

Totally agree 👍

[@dannyb1979]

Wow; just come across this. No idea why it's appeared in my feed but glad it did... I'm a lot younger than a lot of commenters on here it seems; born in 78, just outside of Preston & been around BAE Samlesbury & Warton all my life. I remember seeing the Lightnings when I was younger, and the Buccaneers and then slowly replaced by the Tornados etc I worked onsite at Warton in 2000 for a few years and I'm as sure as hell that the 'mobile home' you can see towards the end of the film is the damned hut I worked in too 😂

[@Trevor_Austin]

How on Earth could the ground crew possibility survive without wearing HiViz jackets? I’m amazed they were not attacked by crocodiles, eaten by snakes or spontaneously combusted... They almost invisible!

[@peterstubbs5934]

Because in those days Brits had testicles AND common sense.

[@MC-nb6jx]

Peter Stubbs Awesome🤣🤣

[@Scoobydcs]

the crocs couldnt see them because they had no hi viz

[@LessAiredvanU]

I love the BAC Lightning, and also have a soft spot for the Tornado F2/3 - both in their own way the last British fighter; the F version being a British only built variant that we also sold to a couple of Arab nations (just like the Lightning,which was the last British only built supersonic fighter). That would make an iconic pairing!

[@colinlambert882]

Did anyone film the last flight of Lightnings from 11 Squadron at RAF Binbrook in 1989? For their final, dramatic fly past, they flew at low speed in diamond formation down the runway at very low altitude, and then, as one, turned on their tails, and climbed vertically into the heavens, with the most memorable combined and deafening roar from 18 Rolls-Royce Avon engines.

[@josephbooth4954]

I organised a group of BAE emplyees to attend the 30th anniversary of the Lightnings at Binbrook, this would be in the 1980's what a day it was.

[@williamsterben]

Used to watch the Lightning chase aircraft at Warton all those years ago. They made your chest rattle when they went ballistic Johnny Bell, are you watching this?.

[@rocket3man]

Love the low level fly by - it’s great we have records of this.

[@hellfire8883]

Looks weird with those wing top fuel tanks. It's already an interesting looking bird with the double engines stacked vertically rather than horizontal. Awesome jet.

[@andrewward9601]

They were the day's, we can do it again, AND BETTER! 🤙

[@adrianpeters2413]

No you can not, you have forgotten, that now, the millenial snowflakes are about the place.... have you not NOTICED THAT.

[@andrewward9601]

@@adrianpeters2413 "Ain't" is exactly the attitude that has got us where we are now.... Positive attitude can achieve anything.... But, it remains to be seen with this pathetic bunch running the country at the moment..!

[@adrianpeters2413]

@@andrewward9601 hello, you are right, corrected, ain't is lazy English....... good luck over there in England, had to escape that place, and my you have High Hope's of the lot in charge now.. THANKS FOR COMMENT...... hey..... how do you remain , positive in England, you deserve a medal.

[@andrewward9601]

@@adrianpeters2413 where did you go? I also left the UK for Australia but I believe that the UK could do it, it's not the people, it's that pathetic shambles at the top! It really is a shame, the UK is strong, I wish the leadership would just get the f*#*+ on with it, they did it in the past, there is no reason why the UK cannot do the same again.....!

[@adrianpeters2413]

@@andrewward9601 hello from France, not far really, so how is it there liveing upside down all the time???? Ha ha old but a good one ..... to me the English demise set/started at about the same time that Concorde ceased flying, maybe biased as had the great good fortune to live in fairford whilst it was developed, so with that background of optimisium ,one found it really hard to to stay in England.....anyway so far have spent at least 75% of my life time out of u.k. oh and I of course at fairford have seen/felt in the chest/overawed when these lightnings would visit and do a vertical climb, awesome sight and feel , good luck in Australia and be careful of the sun it is strong....

[@edwardmckenzie3402]

Probably the most capable interceptor ever built!

[@ludwigsamereier8204]

That greenhouse in the foreground recalls the famous picture of a LIGHTNING headed for the ground and its pilot being shot out laterally.

[@FernandoPartridge]

Loved the Buccaneer's party trick: transforming itself into a Tornado.

[@simonbaxter8001]

8:39 is that a BAe Hawk 200? My mum and dad both worked (and met) at English Electric when they were based at Strand Road in Preston.

[@madmage4207]

Fantastic engineering

[@RubyMarkLindMilly]

What a mean looking aircraft awesome performance epic bit of kit

[@MENSA.lady2]

Very rare to see a lightning with the over-wing ferry tanks fitter so no supersonic flight on this occasion.

[@Bruce-1956]

I remember reading that the Lightning was so advances that much of the avionics were still being used in more modern aircraft. My father worked on the Lightning after leaving the RN at English Electric, Stevenage, in the mid 1950s.

[@thathawayaerialphotos]

Damn that is the best lighting footage ever captured

[@hans-peterwagner4997]

Note that the pilot in the orange flightsuit wears an EAP-patch on the right arm (9:26) - better known as Eurofighter Typhoon nearly 15 years later! But that isn´t Chris Yeo, is he?

[@EdgcumbePhoto]

It’s Pete Orme in the orange. Chris was in the suit having a drink.

[@simonbaxter8001]

@Andy Williams The EAP now resides in the museum at RAF Cosford.

[@1903chrisholden]

beautiful video MacksAvition

[@ChrisHunt-q1z]

I was at Warton from 94 to 98 so didn't get to see the Lightning there albeit there were many sprited arrivals and departures seen. I did get to see the Eurofighter's development flights and then finally with the reins off. There was an ongoing joke in it's early days that it could only turn left. What's the datecof the video? I can see the dining hall being built and there a few hangers and other buildings missing. Judging from the brief appearance of an Escort MkIII(?), I'm guessing early 80s?

[@philfyphil]

My Dad was master signaller and winch man in air sea rescue on Whirlwinds, stationed in Luchars, then Akrotiri, Cyprus. Then when we came back from Cyprus in 1966 we were in Warton for a few weeks. I remember as a 9 year old watching the lightnings taking off as our house was about 150 yards from the runway. Used to see them a lot in Akrotiri as well, along with the Red Arrows. I think I remember my Dad calling them the flying coffins!

[@tonysharpe2996]

NO THE F104 WAS THE FLYING COFFIN NOT THE LIGHTNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@mivecsi]

Awesome footage 👌

[@henkvessies6967]

Lichtning and buccaneer , the best of English aviation

[@terenceclark6858]

Thanks for a great post....doesn't it just make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up!

[@chrisfinchgolf199]

God I miss seeing those fly. Hardly anything at Warton these days

[@sthildas4857]

By memory it came up the runway stick back, into the sky like a rocket, to disappear into the clouds. I was on site that day fixed the phone...goodness that Lightening...

[@newton18311]

As a boy i would bike to Binbrook and watch these take off,

[@slacko1971]

Sorry for the ignorance but what are the tubes on top of the wings if anyone knows please.

[@nikmaving3384]

Fuel tanks

[@nigeltrundle4092]

I was on the roof of the building near the camera man - probably the most visceral experience I had at work when Colin Rae flew straight towards us at the same height or less and then gave it max power into a near vertical climb. I distinctly remember being sprayed with soot particles from the engines! Brilliant experience, many thanks Colin - enjoy your retirement!

[@timhancock6626]

Was that the Lighting stand down celebration ? They look remarkably nice and shiny compared with the Binbrook warhorses that were looking just a bit secondhand when I last saw them in the early 80s. And they had the ferry tanks on which was not a common sight. Its one of the best pieces of Lightning footage I've seen as its not an air show as such and some of the passes look a wee bit less how shall we say "constrained"...or is that just my imagination?

[@johnsmith-nk1tp]

i agree about the footage. It's bloody brilliant. Would i be right in saying the passes were not even at mach 1 as no bang? hard to believe it could go more than twice that speed! Staggering. 1988 so i guess it must be time stand them down. I was in the RAF and was lucky enough to see lightnings at various airfeilds incl Binbrook. My fave jet along with the Vulcan.

[@richardsutton3247]

Yes fab stuff... I was working there in hanger 5 during that time. When they got the Lightning out we were always treated to a good show, always did the party trick of the low fast pass then go vertically straight up. I bet there's nothing like that these days... The sound was incredible

[@richardsutton3247]

I was there till 1991 and they still had one lightning that they would occasionally get out... Don't think it lasted much longer.

[@caahacky]

Hi @@richardsutton3247 , When they retired that last lightning the whole site turned out to watch - sadly no display just a sedate circuit and landing with a very similar short ceremony on that same spot on the apron. Very disappointing, I felt like booing,

[@damianbibby6644]

@@richardsutton3247 That Lightning was XP693. The all metal company demonstrator. She now lives in South Africa at Thunder City.

[@JohnSmith-us2jx]

J.J.A. Smith (only mention that as there seem to be a few JS's below. Served with 1 Squadron, RSAF, Khamis Mushait - ground crew '65-'68. Vaughn-Radford used to beat up the field occasional. Great days.

[@mral13131313]

I was on 13 Squadron Dhahran when it disbanded and we took the aircraft to Tabuk. I remember Vaughn Radford and Wing Commander Winship. I can’t remember when the Lightnings finished at Khamis but we took them back to show the flag when the executions took place after the seige at Mecca. There was a story that an RAF VC10 strayed into Saudi airspace near Khamis and Vaughn Radford intercepted it, the 10 Captain was going to fly on but V told him the missiles weren’t dummies and he had to land! Don’t know how true the story was. I served from 1977 to 1984.

[@Radio478]

As a modern song goes you can't touch this

[@johnslater1863]

beast of an aircraft,made you feel proud to be british.

[@Radio478]

Fantastic to see over wing tanks

[@richardharris7214]

British aviation will never be the same.

[@robw3027]

Really great footage. What was the occasion? Surprised in 1988 to see at least a few Lightnings in natural metal finish- mind you they look great that way. Plus myself I've sen little footage of Lightnings with the over wing tanks.