We live not far from RAF Shawbury and every year they have a Landowner’s Day. This is a special day thank the owners of the land over which they fly the helicopters. Now we don’t own the land we live on but we do live in a house that is on land over which they fly so this year we were lucky enough to be invited to attend.
We had a briefing by the new Group Captain, Warren James, Station Commander before making our way to another briefing by a helicopter navigator who has recently been serving in Afghanistan. It was a fantastic briefing and we saw pictures of the land that you don’t normally see on TV etc. It is so barren and desolate yet the people still manage to farm it. I take my hats off the those very hardworking people. There are virtually no roads, very little water and hardly any greenery.
Next off we went for a 30 minute ride in a Squirrel helicopter. In this helicopter there was just the pilot, Richard, myself and my hubby. I got to sit in the front with Richard and wear a silly hat, OK flying helmet. And just in case you might be wondering – there are no photos of me in a flying helmet. We flew over our house several times and Richard would have been quite happy to have landed the helicopter in the field next to the house but they were classifying cows in the yard so we decided against it. We didn’t want a stampede on our hands. Next we flew over to Telford, not actually the prettiest of places to fly over and in hindsight we should have gone somewhere else but we did fly over my dad and stepmom’s house. Things look so different from 1000ft.
Next we were treated to a display by the Red Arrows. They are just so fantastic. I never tire of watching them.
Monday 28 September
1030 – Reds depart SCAMPTON
1046 – Reds arrive SHAWBURY
1236 – Reds depart SHAWBURY
1240 – Reds display SHAWBURY (Closed Military Event) That’s Us
1308 – Reds recover SHAWBURY
1450 – Reds depart SHAWBURY
1505 – Reds flypast ARELWAS RAFA
1523 – Reds arrive FILTON
After we watched the Red arrows do their thing we then went for lunch in the Officer’s Mess and had a gorgeous 3 course meal and I managed to polish off the best part of a bottle of red wine. I glowed all the way home. :-)
Below are some photographs of our fabulous day.
Ian having his headset adjusted. The guy with Ian wasn’t our pilot by the way. He was already strapped into his helicopter.
Just hovering above the ground.
Cor! All those dials and knobs.
Up, up and away.
Our house!
Sansaw Hall
Clive Church and the fields below Grinshill.
The Wrekin!
Dawley Church.
My dad and stepmom’s bungalow, bottom right corner.
Rowan Avenue.
Moreton Corbett Castle
The helicopter we flew in.
All lined up and ready to go.
A briefing and running commentary by Graeme Bagnall, one of the Red Arrow pilots.
Nice scenery.
The cloud did break during the display and I managed to capture this.
The Red Arrow pilots. They are so young as well. Sign I’m nearly 23.
The Officer’s Mess
Din dins in the Officer’s Mess.
THE END
What a brilliant day!
