A good friend to this blog is Leigh Smith. Leigh is a tremendous photographer and has kindly shared these images of a recent excursion to RAF Lakenheath;
" As the forecast was good, I decided to visit Lakenheath for "Quick Climb Friday". I arrived just before 09.00 and was astounded to see how busy the forest entrance area and official viewing area was! I found out that the 1st FW Langley-Eustis Raptors are still in residence! I missed the launch of five Raptors, but decided to hang around for their return! I saw four of the home-team F-35As launch as 2 pairs and all of them did quick climbs from Runway 23, which meant that I didn't get the hoped for shots!.."
The 1st Fighter Wing, stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, operates and maintains nearly half of the U.S. Air Force's F-22 Raptor fleet. The wing's primary mission is to provide air superiority through the F-22, including maintaining readiness, deploying globally, and training F-22 pilots. The 1st FW is composed of the 1st Operations Group, the 1st Maintenance Group, and other supporting units.
The 1st Fighter Wing, stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, operates and maintains nearly half of the U.S. Air Force's F-22 Raptor fleet. The wing's primary mission is to provide air superiority through the F-22, including maintaining readiness, deploying globally, and training F-22 pilots. The 1st FW is composed of the 1st Operations Group, the 1st Maintenance Group, and other supporting units.
