At the weekend we managed to do something that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time – we went up the A15 towards Lincoln, sat in traffic for over an hour and walked for miles under the midday sun…
OK, so those particular bits weren’t part of my ambition but the end goal was well worth it.
The end goal was the annual Airshow at RAF Waddington. A huge collection of static aircraft to view and even climb in along with some of the most amazing aerobatic displays from WWII to the modern day.
The littlest Hartley was unfortunately ill due to the heat, but everyone still managed to have a great time.
When we arrived it was just in time to watch an outstanding display of agility from a Lynx and Apache helicopter followed by 30 minutes of the worlds best pilots showing just how to do it – I am, of course, talking about the one and only Red Arrows display team. Watching those pilots position their Hawks with such precision and control and seeing them carry out so many intricate moves makes me fit to bursting with pride over just what our RAF folks are capable of.
For those of you on Facebook, I have posted a small selection of the photos I took on the day – some of which I am rather proud of 🙂
It was a strange day in many ways as it was the first time I’ve been back on a base since my dad left the Air Force a fair few years ago and at times it got quite emotional – especially when we were sat in a hanger with brass bands playing – memories came flooding back and the atmosphere was so familiar, so comfortable.
I’d never want to go back to that lifestyle, and never regret escaping it – but there were very good times and very fond memories and it was an amazing day and well worth the visit.