Waddo XH558 Display

[MOD]

Just found this. Ace




ibw

[Mayfly]

As I said in another post - the best display I've seen yet since the restoration and reading other fora I'm not the only one to say so!!

[Jigsaw]

That was a great video Good find Ian

[MOD]

I'm sure that second wing over from Kev had her completely inverted.

ibw (BTW are you better? - It wasn't because you stood in the rain chatting to me on Thursday morning was it? )

[Mayfly]

I'm sure that second wing over from Kev had her completely inverted.

ibw (BTW are you better? - It wasn't because you stood in the rain chatting to me on Thursday morning was it? )

haha - far from it - too much sun, I don't like it, gives me migraines. I have just managed to fight one off by sleeping for 2 hours!!

[Jigsaw]

I'm sure that second wing over from Kev had her completely inverted.

ibw (BTW are you better? - It wasn't because you stood in the rain chatting to me on Thursday morning was it? )

haha - far from it - too much sun, I don't like it, gives me migraines. I have just managed to fight one off by sleeping for 2 hours!!

My Mrs tries that. I just do it anyway and pull her nightie down afterwards

[Dan4th]

I still think the new PtoF has given them
the confidence to throw her around a little....

Pam, you have my sympathy. I don't get them
but my sister suffers from headaches that
come from sunlight/overheating.

Big hats and ice in plastic bags help........

She's a peach, you would like her!

After all, she is MY Sister!

Danf.

[350wedge]

Was this the Sat or Sunday display??

Certainly one of the best I've seen. Shame though at todays display at Goodwood it was a very sedate affair, seemed to be a complete lack of energy to the display. Its great to see her there but cant help thinking it could have been so much better...

[Mayfly]

Saturday, Kevs display. It really was good, But then again he had a good instructor!!

I must say Kev does display her with panache!!

Martin was flying today with POD.

[350wedge]

Much as it pains me to say it but I think Martins displays are letting the aircraft down. Kev's displays just leave you going 'wow', but the displays I've seen so far with Martin at the stick this year have been somewhat lacking and giving the 'is that it?' feeling

[MOD]

I have to agree.

Now Mike Pollitt has retired MW has taken on Mike's role (as VTTS Trust Operations Director) as well as his own role of Chief Pilot.
Listening to Martin being interviewed, at Wellesbourne's W+W recently, he surprised me by stating that he would be treating XH558 very gently as his role is to just show her to the crowd to preserve her flying hours (or words to that effect - someone at XM655MaPS may have a copy of his exact words).

I have always said that if the airshow crowd/sponsors etc are not thrilled by the display then they are unlikely to get involved with trying to keep her flying. A few lazy passes are not 'what the Doctor ordered' - or are they??

BTW is this the longest display for some time?

ibw

[Jigsaw]

If what Martin said is correct then surely any other pilot of XH558 should (would be told to) do exactly the same?

Having seen the footage of saturday and witnessing sunday first hand, I have to say they were worlds apart.
That is NOT to say I didn't enjoy the display on sunday because I did, but, they were completely different and from that point of view I agree with Ian.

My comments take NOTHING away from my admiration of the whole team (pilots included obviously) and is just an observation that saturday looked to have more content, for want of a better word.

[Mayfly]

To be honest I think it's one of those situations where if Sundays display was the only one it would have been wonderful, BUT comparing the two it was a different ball game.

All display pilots have their own style - DTs was different from Paul Millikins in the VDF days you could see who was flying it simply by watching the wingovers.

[MOD]

Yes I agree with Jiggy and Mayfly and 350 Wedge and I also think that I am right.

This is not an unsupportable stance as my feelings re 558's present day, somewhat lacklustre displays, are coloured by my years spent watching the VDF's 'Old Guard' displaying her without regard to FI, engine cycles etc.

Just to see her in the air is still an awesome sight .

But as Jiggy has alluded, if Mr Rumens can put on an exciting/noisy display , why can't Martin??

BTW that Saturday vid still has a running time of 11.20 and has been edited..

Watching it again I wonder just how many people now donate to the VTTS Trust after hearing one of Sean Moffat's commentaries? Top bloke..

ibw

[Mayfly]

I looked around to see who got the phone out when he mentioned the text but didn't see anyone!!

[Jogger321]

I know absolutely nothing about what constitutes putting more stress on an airframe ..but I do realise the more stress the quicker she will end up grounded ?

However having said that..it's got to the point that for RAIT where if I knew Kev was at the wheel on one particular day as opposed to another, i'd visit the day he is displaying. I'm not knocking Martin at all but i'm from the generation that never got to see the hey day of the 70's and 80's displays and anything to see her being slung around a bit is a bit more exciting!

[Gully]

As MF says, different pilots have different styles - watch the 'Salute the Vulcan' DVD from the 1992 season and it's obvious whether it's DT or PM flying each routine. The same situation exists now with MW and KR, but I have to say that their two styles really are poles apart - KR displays with flair and really seems to relish the fact that he's displaying the aircraft to entertain the crowd, whereas MW presents a routine, relying more on the presence of the aircraft.

A number of us thought the Kemble display was a bit flat / uninspiring. I recall reading comments from DT stating that he hated taking off and going straight into a display and would much rather go off for 10 min and reposition ready for his routine; well, at Kemble I think we saw why. MW took off directly into the routine and never seemed to get to grips with the blustery wind conditions and as a consequence the centre line of the display drifted all over the place. Okay, the aircraft was heavy with fuel (as I guess it was at either Waddo or Goodwood on Sunday - not sure which was first), but it just wasn't a 'crisp' display .

Having said all that, isn't it good that we've now seen '558 enough to have this conversation / debate?! Fair play to all the team involved in enabling Martin and Kev to do their bits, plus the second pilots and AEO's. I would much rather see somebody displaying '558 than nobody...

Gully

[Jigsaw]

Having said all that, isn't it good that we've now seen '558 enough to have this conversation / debate?! Fair play to all the team involved in enabling Martin and Kev to do their bits, plus the second pilots and AEO's. I would much rather see somebody displaying '558 than nobody...
Gully

Couldn't have put it better myself