American Air Day Duxford August 2009

[Alpha Delta 210]

Hi

The American Air Days were held on week days in the summer holidays. They were enjoyable, relaxed events showcasing different aspects of the USAF, incorporating a small flying element.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking.

 

[Parabat]

Very nice, love that Sabre and Mustang.

[Alpha Delta 210]

5 hours ago, Parabat said:

Very nice, love that Sabre and Mustang.

I'm pleased you enjoyed them, Parabat. They were great days.

[canberraman]

Those were good events weren't they? I only attended the show in 2011 but it was a more relaxed and enjoyable day out than the big IWM spectaculars where the traffic and lack of crowd line have put me off somewhat. Very nice shots of the Mildenhall and Lakenheath locals, and the F-86 and Mustang are delightful too.

 

Mark

[Alpha Delta 210]

14 hours ago, canberraman said:

Those were good events weren't they? I only attended the show in 2011 but it was a more relaxed and enjoyable day out than the big IWM spectaculars where the traffic and lack of crowd line have put me off somewhat. Very nice shots of the Mildenhall and Lakenheath locals, and the F-86 and Mustang are delightful too.

 

Mark

Thanks Mark. I really enjoyed those events due to the relaxed atmosphere and interesting displays on the ground and in the air.

[Latinbear]

I went to a couple of these and thought they were great events. As you say very friendly and the Americans were really keen to engage with the visitors. Shame they seem to have fallen by the wayside. 

[spruecutter96]

Thanks for sharing your images with us - they really bring back some memories for me. They were very relaxed and enjoyable days (usually held on a Friday, IIRC).  

 

I seem to recall that the Eagle flyby was a bit of an anti-climax in the end. The American commentator had been hyping it up all morning, saying something along the lines of "You won't believe it when the F-15's get here!" and all they did was a slow flyby in each direction, with one ship pulling up and banking hard, before re-joining with his buddies. It seemed like a lot of trouble to go to, considering the end results. Still, it was cool to see four F-15's flying together.  

 

I also remember having a walk around in the Hercules (MC-130 Combat Talon) and one of the crew-members being very reluctant to discuss the aircraft's anti-missile system, which I found very odd considering I had read about the set-up in Air Forces Monthly magazine sometime before the event. If it had never been made public-knowledge, then I could understand the supposed secrecy.

 

Cheers.

 

Chris.   

[Alpha Delta 210]

Thanks for your comments, Latinbear and spruecutter96. Another good event that is no more....

 

I agree that the hype over the flying elements raised expectations, Chris! That said, it was still great to see four F-15s in formation with a KC-135.

[spruecutter96]

Yes, very much agree... a great event which is sadly no more. I seem to remember that it was stopped when the Obama government tightened the purse-strings of military spending. I was told that it was always on a Friday because this was the one day a week that most American personnel had off. 

 

Chris. 

Edited May 28, 2020 by spruecutter96
Amending information.

[Alpha Delta 210]

Whatever the reason Chris, like you I really miss the events. I'm not sure if it was deliberate, but IWM never seemed to publicise them particularly well.