by Steve Gyles
"..I took this one on 23 April 1970 from Lightning F6 XS932 of 11 Sqn RAF Leuchars. It was approx 3 hours into a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) sortie at 0700 hours. Got back in time for breakfast.
I was scrambled at 0400 hours against 80 unknown inbound tracks to the north. The Victor tanker had been on a lower alert at Leuchars and got airborne 15 minutes behind me. The other Lightning had been on turnround following an earlier scramble that morning. He followed about 5 minutes after the tanker.
Between us we got 20 intercepts. I got 10; the other Lightning 7; and the Victor tanker 3. We probably saw another 40 to 50 aircraft either on radar or visually. It was more a case of avoidance than interception. On one occasion I was with a 4-ship of Badgers when a shadow went over me. I looked up to see 4 more of them about 500ft above crossing on a 90.
I took the photograph with the QRA camera when we were on recovery. The Bear was heading straight at Leuchars. With about 200nm to go he rocked his wings and turned away. I never saw the original photo. My entire roll of some 70 happy snappies was sent immediately down to UKMoD. It was the following weekend that this one appeared in the Daily Telegraph. Apparently the Soviet Union were celebrating Lenin's centenary with a massive air and sea exercise..."
