What a September 2019 was for Military aviation enthusiasts. There are few months or even years that have the level of interest as that September just gone. With the arrival of B-2 Stealth bombers at RAF Fairford and exercise Cobra Warrior at RAF Waddington. Locals and foreigners alike trolled up and down the Country and me alike. 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 had to go to all those guys on Fighter Control who took the time to report Notams and radio logs of 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 to Fighter Control reports on their telephones, searching 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 with the exercises, Lakenheath with F-15 Eagles participating in Cobra Warrior and Mildenhalls 100Sqn tankers refuelling the B-2s as well as the Cobra Warrior participants.
Sadly, the weather in Suffolk was not good for photography, so I pressed on for RAF Brize Norton, where they hosted the German Air Force A-310 10+24 that was involved with the Cobra Warrior exercise. No luck photographing that, but 07-7185, a C-17A of the 437th AW USAF, had just arrived.
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 airforce-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" Lands and then goes around...
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi' On finals
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.
Now it's the turn of 82-1068/WM B2-A' Spirit of New York'
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'
For a few minutes, it even looked like they could be suffering "English traffic jam syndrome."
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi'
The B-2A is a very deceptive aircraft regarding its size, from minor to...
82-1068/WM B2-A' Spirit of New York'
Is...Huge with its 57m wingspan aircraft?
82-1071/WM B-2A' Spirit of Mississippi'
By lunchtime and with the help of Fighter Control, we were photographing them returning.
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' departed.
I waited for another Sunset evening, but this did not transpire.
But it was worth the wait as the following morning...
60-0041/BD 93rd BS AFRC B-52H.
Yep, the engines are running at 08.15 am, and it's 60-0041/BD 93rd BS AFRC B-52H for departure, having been tech for quite a while.
60-0041/BD 93rd BS AFRC B-52H
60-0041/BD 93rd BS AFRC B-52H.
As I said, I stopped off at RAF Mildenhall on the journey South from Waddington.
57-1440 KC-135R 100ARW.
Not much was happening on the ground, but the sky was interesting photographically.
59-1513 KC-135 100ARW USAF.
84-00156 C-12U-3 1-214th AVN.
A quick stop at RAF Brize Norton before Fairford produced the following.
ZZ177 C-17A 99Sqn RAF.
ZJ694 Sentinel R.1. 5(AC)Sqn RAF.
As I had to cross Salisbury Plain on the way South, I took a quick peek at Eversleigh, having departed from Fairford.
G-ETPE H125 QCFO.
G-ETPE H125 QCFO.
What an exciting September.
