I actually posted this on another forum, but this thread seems suitable for a repost!
I've always been interested in aircraft, especially from WW2, so when my wife bought me a taxy ride experience in a Lancaster last year I couldn't wait....but I had to as it's booked up a year in advance!
So 9 months later I finally get my ride! Additionally, my mum passed away a couple of months ago and things have been tough for my dad, who is also a huge aircraft enthusiast. He was going to come with me anyway, along with my son, just to go round the museum, but I emailed them earlier in the week on the off chance they had had a cancellation and a spare place on the taxy ride and amazingly they had, so I managed to get him a surprise ride too.
I won't go into the full background of the aircraft and museum, but you can read more
here. When we arrived I couldn't believe my luck as there happened to be a classic bike show on the same day
The taxy ride and tour was just incredible - the pilot used to fly the BOB Memorial Lancaster and was happy to chat as long as you wanted. I was shown around all of the positions, with the actual taxy ride being in the tail gunner position. When the engines started up all the hairs on my neck stood up, and when he did a simulated take off, been though it was only about 2/3rd throttle it was just the most amazing thing I've felt. I closed my eyes for some of it and was instantly transported back to 1944. What those young men went through back then was incredible and almost imcomprehensive. -40 temps in the tail gunner position, unable to mvd for 8 hours and very little chance of survival if the plane went down (less that 2 out of 9 survived on average if a plane was shot down)
The museum as a whole was really interesting - one of those old school museums where you can touch the exhibits and smell the 1940's engineering - not like the overly clinical Imperial War Museum.
Anyway, if you ever get the chance and are in the east bit interested in aircraft then do it!
A few pics and a video (that I should have filmed in landscape!)
In the tail gunner position
Untitled by
sagalout, on Flickr
View from the middle turret
Untitled by
sagalout, on Flickr
Bomb aimer
Untitled by
sagalout, on Flickr
Looking back from the flight engineers window
Untitled by
sagalout, on Flickr
In the pilots seat - the controls were incredibly light considering they are cables and no hydraulics
Untitled by
sagalout, on Flickr
Me, out of the window
Untitled by
sagalout, on Flickr
Bike and planes - perfect boys day out
Untitled by
sagalout, on Flickr
Stunning sight and sound
Untitled by
sagalout, on Flickr
Think my dad liked his surprise
Untitled by
sagalout, on Flickr
A CBX 6 cylinder Honda, in the Just Jane colour scheme
Untitled by
sagalout, on Flickr
Video from the tail gunner position (better with sound on full!)
http://youtu.be/4EBp0kqbBk8
Another video of it setting off - shaky cam footage courtesy of my son!
https://flic.kr/p/nu1bRA
