Forums Forums Local News Lusty!!!

HMS Illustrious is due to sail up the Mersey tomorrow morning! She will arrive at approximately 11am.

The 20,000-tonne Illustrious is the latest in a procession of top naval firepower to dock at Liverpool’s new Cruise Liner Terminal for free public viewing on Saturday.

She will have onboard a full complement of Sea Harrier jump jets and Sea King Air-borne Early Warning helicopters of 857 Naval Air Squadron. Also visiting Liverpool is Royal Navy Hunt class mine counter measures vessel HMS Cattistock, berthing in Canning Dock from Friday until Sunday.

HMS Illustrious will be open to visitors on Saturday, October 18, from 10am - 4pm, admission is free!

I will say, however, if the visit of the Ark Royal is anything to go by, I'd get there early - and I mean EARLY!! I queued for 3 1/2 hours to get on the Ark Royal but it was well worth it!! The queue was halfway to Bootle though and there is only 3 portaloo's on the queueline!

It is well worth going to see though! She is beautiful!!

Get ya glad rags on PJ - think of all those men in uniform lol

They're already out babes - all pressed and ready, boots polished

I would like to add to the above statement that I'm going primarily because of the Ship herself and the firepower onboard. I love to see our Naval ships as I am fiercely proud of our Troops and believe they deserve our support whether we agree with the wars they are involved in or not! Like our Police - they do a tough job and get little thanks or support!! This is my way of saying "Thank You" to them.


The fact that it's men in unifrom is a bonus

You have a sea harrier so what is the other one called a land harrier?

Used to work with the harriers. Smashing little aircraft but noisy and blew dust everywhere when landing vertically.

A did you know. Did you know that they very rarely take off vertically? Uses lots of fuel and other stuff hence the ramps on ships or short conventional take offs.

Unfortunately saw the aftermath of one or two crashes when they used to have a bit of a problem. Sorted now thankfully.

Oh don't start me on the physics of vertical take off and landing I tried to explain it to my ex ages ago and he just didn't get it!

It amazes me how a plane can get off the ground, let alone stay up in the air - it's a case of half my brain understands the physics of it but the other half just won't have it

They are very noisy but so nice to look at! A massive jet flew up the Mersey yesterday afternoon, really low - I was made up.

I worked in a boarding school up near the lakes that was full of RAF, Army and Navy children and some of the RAF Dads used to Buzz the school on their manouvres up and down the valleys - one even "hovered" upside down and waved at us! It blew my mind!!

I really should have been a boy

i know planes can hover but how does it hover upside down?

Maybe hover was the wrong word but I don't know what to call it He sort of flew rather slowly but upside down if that makes sense.

that sounds better

just seemed like a long winded way of saying what it looked like. I'm having a bad word day today. Too much revision and not enough going in!!! There has to be an easier way to revise that gives better results!!

harriers are bloody noisy!!! we have a couple at my raf camp

There are 4 or 5 on her now, plus a helicopter. Can't wait for tomorrow

why? cant say i get excited with aircraft and helicopters now i see them almost every day!

Because I don't get to see them very often and I love them!! There's been a couple fly up and down the Mersey this week and it never fails to excite me.