Thank you for accepting me into this great forum.
As a keen aviation photographer and model builder for over 45 years starting in the 1970's I mainly used either Kodak or Agfa 35 mm colour slide film. A recent decision to digitally convert/transfer the best of many thousands taken has meant going through box after box of slides and its proved to be a real trip down memory lane.
The very first photos taken were of Lancaster PA474 , an aircraft I have never got tired of seeing / hearing and photographing.
These pictures were taken at the RAF Gaydon Air Display on the 17th August 1975 and as you can see my early photographic efforts weren't particularly anything to write home about, as at 16 years of age l still had a bit of height to gain, but they were the 'First of Many" so are rather special to me and they do flag up a number of interesting points including the lack of the mid upper turret. The pilot on the day I think was Ken Sneller with "Jacko" Jackson as Co-pilot... what a sight and sound it was being that close... I have been hooked ever since".
Also from the 1970s is a First Day Cover signed by Ken Sneller which was flown in PA from the Stafford Open Day later the same year.
Shown too is a photo of the front cover for the book 'Veteran and Vintage Aircraft' by Leslie Hunt published in 1974. It shows PA over-flying a Shuttleworth display at Old Warden around 1973, any ideas at what height we are looking at there? Barnes Wallis' bouncing bomb was dropped at 60ft I believe. Has PA ever been photographed lower?
I hope to upload more from my archives as the digitalisation progresses during the next few months.
RAF Gaydon slides, 1975 by Gary Lewis, on Flickr
PA474 RAF Gaydon, 1975 by Gary Lewis, on Flickr
PA474 RAF Gaydon, 1975 by Gary Lewis, on Flickr
PA474 RAF Gaydon, 1975 by Gary Lewis, on Flickr
PA474 RAF Gaydon, 1975 by Gary Lewis, on Flickr
PA474 RAF Gaydon, 1975 by Gary Lewis, on Flickr
PA474 RAF Gaydon, 1975 by Gary Lewis, on Flickr
PA474 RAF Gaydon, 1975 by Gary Lewis, on Flickr
PA474 RAF Gaydon, 1975 by Gary Lewis, on Flickr
FDC, signed Ken Sneller by Gary Lewis, on Flickr
Veteran & Vintage cover by Gary Lewis, on Flickr
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