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| Bronco Demo Team was invited to display the OV-10
Bronco for the first time ever in Scotland at the East Fortune 2011 airshow.
This yearly event is organized by Scotland's foremost aviation museum; the
National
Museum of Flight. Having set off on the Friday morning to Scotland, but dropping in to Duxford first to check progress on Bronco 2, still in restoration. Work is progressing well with the flying control being fully refurbished to new standard. Every time we open something up we are still amazed to find time and again how well the Bronco is actually built; forty years after manufacture absolutely no corrosion is evident anywhere. The internal condition is indeed as it left the factory back in 1971. The particular controls shown in the accompanying photo - the elevator - have been sitting outside for exactly 20 years being exposed to the harsh mid European weather and totally unprotected. The designers and engineers at North American Aviation's Columbus, Ohio plant definitely understood how to build an excellent and long lasting airplane! |
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Late Friday afternoon saw the arrival of 99+32 on Scottish soil for he first time - and we hope certainly not the last. Through the good care of Signature aviation the airplane was put away safely in a large hangar, normally housing a Gulfstream GV. As the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune is located on a now closed WWII airfield, all display aircraft have to operate from nearby airfields. Hence our base for the weekend was Edinburgh International airport with excellent facilities and quite busy commercial traffic throughout the day. |
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Another significant airshow participant had also arrived in the form of a Douglas Skyraider. This was of particular interest as our Bronco was - for the first time ever - to display together with this Vietnam war veteran as the "Vietnam Combo".Pilot of the Skyraider was Dave McKay, who is involved with the RNHF (right in this picture). Unusual for Scotland - I was told - the weather proved brilliant throughout our stay and the people at the East Fortune airshow were in for a real treat. Such was the honour bestowed on to the Bronco Demo Team, that we were asked to display twice, in fact three times: two solo displays, one in the morning and one afternoon plus the "Vietnam Combo" together with the Skyraider. |
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| While on the ramp at Edinburgh on the Friday afternoon, all pilots were enthusiastically approached by Andy Sheppard of www.av8-images.com. Andy kindly asked if we would mind doing some fly-bys at a hill near the East Fortune aviation museum, after displaying. This of course provides excellent photographic opportunities, which are equalled only by air-to-air photography. Thank you Andy for sending us the great result!! | |||
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All in all a very good show, with brilliant crystal blue skies and a wide variety of many different aircraft types ranging from the World War I types to modern day airplanes. Our utmost gratitude goes to the NMS, RAFCTE, Norman Webster, Signature Aviation and all others who put up a great show! Tony De Bruyn |
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