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Big Drive South (by Chris Smith)

I'd been planning on doing this trip for quite some time and for no special reason, I picked today. In typical fashion, after weeks of glorious sunshine, the weather today was questionable, yet it remained reasonable whilst I was at the airports, only raining whilst in the car between locations.

The below logs contain far more unidentified aircraft than I can possibly be comfortable with, if anyone can help me find them it would be very much appreciated!

I hadn't included Gamston in my planning, but given it's proximity to the A1, it would have been rude not to call in, although the place was mostly closed up at this time of morning.

Retford Gamston Airfield
05-05-2011 0735 - 0745

About 20 minutes after leaving Gamston, noted on a scrap heap next to the A1 was a fully rusted Lightning aircraft with white graffiti down the fuselage.

A1 South
05-05-2011 0804

Cambridge is not the most spotter-friendly airport in the world, all the main buildings are 'attached' to each other, i.e. no gaps in-between to walk down and peer through a fence etc. I eventually found a Southerly perimeter road and an off-shooting street which were suitable. It's tricky to read stuff off but with the right lens photos can be obtained.

I'm only assuming the unidentified Hercules below are the types listed (aren't 'green' ones the C-130J variant and 'grey' the C-130K?), any help identifying them would be greatly appreciated.

Cambridge Airport
05-05-2011 0945 - 1020

Onward to London Stansted to top up my Ryanair & easyJet fleets, although having said that, sods law meant the first few that turned up I didn't need!

I've noticed recently that Durham Tees Valley is not the only airport that has lost a considerable amount of flights over the past few years, we just feel it more because we didn't have a lot to start with. Stansted is not the airport it was a couple of years ago - the variety has gone and it's all Ryanairs and easyJets, even Air Berlin have downgraded to Turboprops. Always very sad to see.

London Stansted Airport
05-05-2011 1055 - 1208

London Luton is in serious danger of becoming my favourite airport in the UK! A couple of the biz ramps seemed a little empty and I only logged 38 biz (I hear the general rule is anything short of 40 and you've had a bad result!) but nevertheless I'm over the moon with what I found here.

London Luton Airport
05-05-2011 1310 - 1420

East Midlands was the final stop, least of all due to it's ideal location, splitting up the return journey perfectly and lying just next to the M1. Although what was supposed to be just a quick 'in and out' somehow turned into nearly an hour long visit!

East Midlands Airport
05-05-2011 1540 - 1635

Photos

All my photos can be found at the link below, no photos were obtained at Gamston or Cambridge.

Big Drive South photos.

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