Gulf War Sea King - daily Ebay photo find #51

Loading operations at Southampton docks in December 1990 prior to transport to the Gulf. Currently on offer on John's auction here

Falklands Sea Harrier 801-Sqd-return Yeovilton 17 September 1982 #daily ebay photo find #50

Falklands Sea Harrier 801-Sqd-return Yeovilton 17 September 1982. Ebay auction on offer here

RAF Tornado F.3 and GR.4 " Firebirds" 2005

all images owned by 'Jet and Prop' via Dave Bell. Click to view full screen

Best of RIAT 2016 static (5)

Taken on the Friday show, some from the upper deck of the open-top double-decker buses shuttling between the airfield and the car parks! Click the link at the bottom of this page to go to more RIAT 2016 posts on this blog including Greek Phantoms, F-35s and the Ramex Delta Mirage display team

RIAT 2016 posts on this blog
http://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/RIAT%202016

More interesting 'British' Phantoms

USMC F-4B '207 AA' with 892 Sqn tail colours stranded on Ark Royal. RN personnel repainted the tail to match their FG1's, as the ship was to dock at Malta and US personnel were not welcome at the time

Buccaneers from 12 Squadron with 43 Squadron Phantoms at the end of Exercise LIME JUG. Crown Copyright 1970.

'Colonial Navy' was a well known zapping of XV590. XT864 was another interesting one as it wore 'FLY NAVY' instead of ROYAL NAVY' titles.

Also on this blog;

F-4 Phantom Squadrons in the RAF in 100 photos
http://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/british-phantoms-f-4-phantom-ii-in-raf.html


Phantom Pharewell - German Air Force JG 71 Richthofen F-4F's retiring this weekend
http://falkeeinsgreatplanes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/phantom-pharewell-german-air-force-jg.html

Admiral Kuznetzov and Su 33s in the English Channel

Last Friday Russia's only aircraft carrier passed through the Straits of Dover in the English Channel on its way to Syria to support Assad, passing barely six miles off the coast - the ship would have been visible from the first floor of my house had I been awake! This picture appeared on the Folkestone Herald newspaper FB page.

The best images by far were taken by Nige at dover-marina.com and were free to be republished non-commercially..

and just one comment

".. the Kuznetzov is 80's tech Soviet-era steam turbines driven by 8 boilers ....it's an analogue ship in a digital age it's been past us in 2011 and 2014 shadowed by the York a type 42 in 2011 and the Type 45 Dragon in 2014 ... our new QE class carriers will be bigger and have 21st century tech ... this Russian carrier is like taking a bat to a fight when everyone else has guns..."

Bloch MB 131, Dewoitine D.520 - daily Ebay photo find #49

EE Lightning QRA 1970 11 Squadron

posted by Steve Gyles on FB


 ".. I flew with 11 Sqn 1968 to 1971, then 19 Sqn 1972 to 1974. I thought you might like this picture I took during QRA activity in April 1970. I was scrambled at about 0400 hours against 80 tracks coming round North Cape. I was subsequently joined by other Lightnings, F4s and a few tankers. I intercepted 10 aircraft; Graham Clarke in the Lightning in the photo got 7; and the tanker intercepted 3. AOC 1 Group was not at all happy with his tanker getting so close and from then on they were banned from going within 10 miles. Just for the record, the Russians were celebrating Lenin's centenary...this shot was taken towards the end of a 3.5 hour sortie. I had intercepted that one earlier, but all 3 of us ganged up on him as he was taking us straight home to Leuchars. We sat with him for about 15 minutes, then he slowly rocked his wings and turned away. I guess they got some good pictures as well because we tried various formation positions on him..."

..the end for RAF Manston

A view from the RAF Manston history museum across the airfield, now idle for some two years..

Lead item on the local TV news channel just yesterday - an independent report has concluded that Manston has no future as an airport or aviation hub following its 'closure' some two years ago. Manston's 2752 meter long runway (the longest and widest in the country) is currently standing idle while arguments for an additional runway in the south-east of the UK continue! 'Developers' have 2,500 houses and business outlets planned. Meanwhile the RAF Manston history Museum - just off the airfield - takes delivery of another 'new' aircraft ...

78th FG P-51 1945 -LT COL ATLEE G MANTHOS archive

P-51D-20-NA (s/n 44-63246) named "Little Rebel" of the 82nd Fighter Squadron, 78th Fighter Group at Duxford, 1945. It was the mount of John C. CHILDS who served in the unit from August 1944 to July 1945

Credit : LT COL ATLEE G MANTHOS USAF

U2-C deployment RAF Wethersfield 1975

via Steve Hill on FB Anglia Military Aviation Group


 ".. Anybody remember the U-2C deployment to RAF Wethersfield from May until June 1975? It consisted of five U-2Cs from the 349thSRS/100thSRW(SAC) Davis-Monthan AFB, Az flying high altitude sampling missions, hence the grey camo c/s. One jet (56-6700) was lost near Bonn, West Germany on May 29th and was later replaced by 56-6716. The other four aircraft involved were 56-6680, 6701, 6707 and 6714. As can be seen here they operated very close to the base fence, making photography very easy. This amused the Yanks hence the sign " Spys parking only " they placed on the fence ...! "