Lockheed B-2 Bombers at
RAF Fairford and a
Cobra Warrior Exercise at
RAF Waddington in September 2019 were a Mecca for Military aviation enthusiasts. There are a few months, or even years, that have the level of interest that September just gone attracted. With the arrival of
B-2 Stealth bombers at RAF Fairford and exercise Cobra Warrior at RAF Waddington, locals and foreigners alike trooped up and down the Country. I met with guys I had not seen in years and had fortunate meetings with enthusiasts from Holland,
Germany, and Malta. The friendliness and camaraderie were just brilliant.
Another enormous thank you goes to all those guys on the internet who took the time to report
Notams and
radio logs for these exercises. They were of enormous help to people trying to photograph the
B-2s at Fairford. A first for me came when people turned from scanners/radios to internet reports on their telephones, searching for the whereabouts of B-2s returning to RAF Fairford.
Heading South again on the 11th of September, I left RAF Waddington the evening before, driving down to
RAF Mildenhall and
Lakenheath, as both bases were involved in the Cobra exercise, and refuelling the B-2s by the
USAF's 100 Squadron from RAF Mildenhall, as well as the jets involved in Cobra. Lakenheath, with its
F-15 Eagles, was participating in Cobra Warrior,
Sadly, the weather in Suffolk was not good for photography, so I pressed on to
RAF Brize Norton, where they hosted the
German Air Force A-310 10+24, which was involved in the Cobra Warrior exercise. I had no luck photographing that, but
07-7185, a C-17A of the 437th AW USAF, had just arrived.
In the late afternoon, I moved to RAF Fairford, where I joined the crowds of enthusiasts, picnicking families, and assorted onlookers. I had not seen these masses at an active air base since visiting
Gilze Rijen in Holland in 1993 for the
Holloman Air Force-based F-117 stealths participating in exercise
Central Enterprise.
What a wonderful evening this one turned out to be.
Into the Sunset "Mission over"
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi' On finals to land.
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi' chin up to the setting sun.
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi'
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi' Mission over for another day.
82-1068/WM B2-A' Spirit of New York' Down but not out...
What a sight as 82-1068 heads back into the circuit.
82-1068/WM B2-A' Spirit of New York' over the Gloucestershire countryside.
82-1068/WM B2-A' Spirit of New York'
Sadly, the sun has set as 'Spirit of New York' concludes its mission.
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi'
By 8.20 am the following morning, it was all action as the same two aircraft that arrived the evening before missioned up again.
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi' and 82-1068/WM B2-A' Spirit of New York'
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi'
The B-2A is a very deceptive aircraft in terms of size, from minor to...
82-1068/WM B2-A' Spirit of New York'
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi'
By lunchtime, with the help of internet forums, we were photographing them as they returned.
82-1068/WM B2-A 'Spirit of New York' returns, and now we all await the day's second mission.
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi'
These guys were busy by 2.15 pm, 82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi' was getting airborne once again.
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi'
Patience had paid off on this, my second visit, and now, on its second day, they departed in SUNSHINE...
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi'
82-1068/WM B2-A' Spirit of New York'
As 82-1068/WM B2-A' Spirit of New York' departing RAF Fairford on a mission.
I waited for another Sunset evening, but this did not transpire.
But it was worth the wait as the following morning...
Yep, the engines are running at 08.15 am, and it's 60-0041/BD 93rd BS AFRC B-52H for departure, having been broken for quite a while.
60-0041/BD 93rd BS AFRC B-52H
60-0041/BD 93rd BS AFRC B-52H.
What an exciting September.
