Thanks for a great documentary. One of a series of elegant and very successful British airframes. They also did a sterling job in Vietnam with the RAAF.
What a legendary aircraft it's amazing it's been in service so long for me old school is the best can fly over 50,000 feet respect to the graceful old lady 💥💥💥💥🪽🫶🤝🙏
What a wonderful documentary. Thank you! It is a remarkable aircraft and one of those, sort of, background, unsung heroes in the story of my passion and interest in aviation throughout my life. It has been the solid accompanying shape that was always there. I am 61 now and to realise that the pilot here was given the opportunity to continue operational flying to the same age is a lovely thing! Possibly one of the better decisions the RAF made with regard to aircrew and flying jobs. I also would like to say that as well as the excellent footage in this documentary, that beautiful and well chosen piano piece over the final few moments of that last display, was excellent. So often, aviation videos are utterly ruined by too much and very often highly inappropriate music. Not so here. A tender, reflective and very lovely gentle way to round off the story of an amazing career. ❤
Remember watching this display all those years ago and I had never seen a Canberra flown like this, just amazing, thanks for bringing that memory back.
The pilot who mentioned that there wasn't an aircraft before the tornado that could perform as well as the Canberra,I would imagine that that would come as news to the buccaneer!.
There is not an aircraft around that can better this superb aircraft for air reconnaissance! We had a couple of these to train on when I did my apprenticeship. OUTSTANDING the RAF will miss this airframe. The unique long chord line of the wing made her such a stable platform at high altitude. Thats pretty much ALL the British built aircraft now out of service. Back in my day in was nearly ALL BRITISH. Its a sorry story to see that end with virtually NO aircraft manufacturers left in the UK. FAREWELL GREAT LADY.😔😪
In my opinion, the PR 9 was the best looking version. That single canopy really suits the lines of the aircraft. I do feel sorry for the poor bugger squished up in the nose cone though, it must have been pretty claustrophobic in there. I believe the Aussies used a Canberra with an under belly gun pack, so a kind of fighter bomber. Great video, RIP to a great aircraft.
B(I)8 16 Sqn. 1966. Single left of centre canopy. Great machine. Would still perform a quite involuntarily little jump on on first cartridge start, despite doing many ‘starter crew’ duties! Detachments to Gib, Malta, Cyprus and elsewhere and sometimes as flying mechanic. Great days.
Canberra had a long and distinguished career in our airforce in South Africa, I often felt that with modern engines perhaps even modern pusher turboprops she would live on as an extremely useful platform.
Thanks for sharing this video. Back in 1985 when I started in Shorts, Belfast, we had six Canberra aircraft in to refurbished. As far as I believe Shorts also helped English Electric to manufacture the Canberra back in the 50's.
Remember doing some gliding with the ATC at RAF Sealand around 1979 and I was in the hangar where the Sedburgh gliders were stored and there were crate upon crate of Canberra wing sections. Wonder if they all got scrapped
I wish the publisher would give a description… is this old footage of the last days of RAF a service or is the last ever flight of a preserved Canberra?
There was a RIAT in the 90s where a T4 painted as the prototype was rolled and looped on the Saturday. It was grounded by the flying committee and only flew out on the Monday. Believe the pilot received a bit of a bollocking
