Enthusiasts delight in seeing two of the Lightning Preservation Group’s jets thundering down the Bruntingthorpe runway. Hugh Trevor details the work of the organisation that pays tribute to this charismatic fighter.
“Buchan Master Controller on telebrief. Binbrook, alert one Lightning.” Wing Ops: “Binbrook acknowledged – Mission 04.” Master Controller: “Mission 04, we have a contact strength two. Eighty miles northeast of Aberdeen heading south, height 8,000 and climbing, speed 250kts… 04, your mission is to intercept, identify and report. Vector zero three-zero, climb to flight level two-five-zero, call Buchan Control on fighter stud five, standby fighter stud 8. Scramble, scramble, scramble – acknowledge.” Wing Ops: “Binbrook acknowledged, 04 scrambling.”
The alarm blares, the ‘Q-Shed’ doors open and the unmistakeable shape of an English Electric Lightning is revealed. Wheeephwoosh! A rumble. Wheee-phwoosh! The thunder increases. Clouds of fumes have enveloped the aircraft and almost immediately the drab slab-sided monster lurches into the daylight, accompanied by an impressive amount of nois…
