I will not forget the day three B47 Stratojets one after the other flew low over my home in\u00a0central England. I was seventeen. They were turning and headed north. I realised they had\u00a0taken off from somewhere nearby. After cycling out in the general direction I finally found\u00a0the airfield \u2013 RAF Bruntingthorpe, ten to twelve miles or so out of town.<\/p>\n
To see them takeoff started almost regular weekly visits every Wednesday afternoon that I\u00a0had free from work. Initially I did not cycle fast enough and saw them gaining altitude over\u00a0the green fields. Eventually I arrived to see the take offs at the departure end of the runway\u00a0and what a thrill it was. It seems at each visit they departed with about a three minute delayed\u00a0timing. I learned in later years from Sigmund and Jim that they were on Reflex Alert.<\/p>\n
Most of my time was at the rotation end of the runway, where the air photographs were taken. \u00a0I was used to the B47\u2019s being at altitude by then. But this one day I decided to photograph\u00a0directly from the centre line of the runway as the jets went overhead. The RAF police halted traffic but ignored me, a relative youngster. I was about 250 yards then from the end of the\u00a0runway, not far considering what was coming, and there was no security fence in those days.<\/p>\n
I could hear the jet engines roar and see black smoke rise over the 12,000\u2019 runway horizon as\u00a0the take-off run began, the aircraft not yet visible. Then, glinting in the sun the tail fin, cockpit\u00a0and fuselage rose above the runway surface, then the wings, then the engines, all outlined by a\u00a0cloud of billowing black smoke. At this point the first B47 was on a slight downhill run still\u00a0increasing speed. My camera was ready. What a thrill to be unhindered immediately in front\u00a0of this scene.<\/p>\n
Then it became different. This aircraft was staying on the runway. I could not\u00a0believe it. Now I was seriously worried. This large roaring metallic beast outlined against\u00a0spreading black smoke was heading right for me, rapidly getting bigger and wider. Then it\u00a0lifted just before the runway end.\u00a0In fear I took a photograph and placed my camera on a flat topped fence post, stuck my\u00a0fingers in my ears and shut my eyes. I feared dying in a fireball. It was so low I felt the\u00a0undercarriage may or may not just miss me. I heard it roar overhead. Then hot dissipated jet\u00a0wash from behind me pushed me toward the fence. Opening my eyes I saw the camera blown\u00a0off the fence post. Warm black smelly fumes surrounded. I knew two more B47\u2019s were\u00a0coming in close sequence and reaching through the fence I picked up the camera and took\u00a0photos as they followed in quick succession. This time they lifted earlier and powered\u00a0overhead higher than the first. Maybe the lead pilot was as surprised as I and warned his\u00a0associates he just ran over someone that is if he ever saw me.<\/p>\n
It was a very quick and intense experience. I must have been in shock. Walking back to the\u00a0bike I shook uncontrollably and could not walk straight. I struggled in vain to control this and\u00a0hide youthful embarrassment from the vehicle occupants and police audience at the barriers.\u00a0It was a physical not just visual experience never to be forgotten on a normally quiet warm\u00a0sunny English afternoon.<\/p>\n
That first photo and the following I have misplaced or last, but I am sure you can imagine it.\u00a0What you see is from other days.<\/p>\n
That was just a \u201cfew\u201d years ago!<\/p>\n
Alec Bailey, PO Box 24 Camden NSW 2570 Australia<\/p>\n
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