International Air Tattoo 1985 RAF Fairford.

International Air Tattoo 1985 was an outstanding premiere for the new location at R.A.F. Fairford. It was a breathtaking collection of fast jets and support aircraft gathered for that long-ago show.

The Germans sent at least 9 Starfighters: 6 from Denmark and Canada, and the final 2 from Italy. Talking of Italy, they also participated with a rarely seen C-47 from Pratica di Mare.

The USAF supported the show with an array of European and CONUS-based aircraft. For me, my favourite had to be the two F-4Es from the 57th F.I.S. based at Keflavik in Iceland, which sadly turned out to be the last visit of their lovely Phantoms before they converted to the F-15 Eagle. 

27+79 TF-104G MFG-2 departing Fairford. This aircraft was passed to Greece in 5908 and is now preserved at the Dekelia/Tatoi museum.

21+85 F-104G E.S.T. 61 WGAF heading home on departures Monday. Later, it passed to Turkey as 7054.

24+05 RF-104G TGP-11 WGAF. Departs Fairford. Passed to Turkey as 8140.

24+54 F-104G TGP-11 WGAF looks pristine in its new Camo scheme. Preserved at the Meresburg Museum.

26+37 F-104G TGP-11 WGAF. It passed to Turkey as 9189.

26+66 and 26+82 F-104G Starfighters, taking off at R.A.F. Fairford. their status, 26+66, was scrapped, and 26+82 was transferred to Greece as 7428.  

35+28/35+57 RF-4E AKG-51, both departing the Fairford I.A.T. Both passed to Turkey as 

69-7475/69-7504, respectively.

38+42 F-4F JBG 35 WGAF. Status, Wfu.

40+30 Alpha Jet A JBG 49 Arriving at Fairford 1985. transferred to Portugal as 15212.

40+35 Alpha Jet A JBG 49 WGAF, departing Fairford. To the civil register as D-ICDM.

44+08 Tornado JBG 38 WGAF. Status, Wfu.

55-3130 KC-135A 7BW USAF Support aircraft to the SR-71A (Black Bird). Today, it is preserved at March A.F.B. as 'Old Grandad.'

What a sight they used to be: 57-1512 KC-135A rolls for taking off, based with the 336th AFRES at March Air Force Base. The aircraft was later converted to a KC-135E model but remains active as a KC-135R.

Another of the 'Skytanker' participants,  KC-135E, 56-3611 160ARG Ohio A.N.G., is now preserved at Scott A.F.B.

61-2491 VC-140B 58MAS USAF, departing Fairford. Sadly, its status has been scrapped.

66-0186 C-141B 443MAW USAF Fairford I.A.T. 1985, Preserved at Marietta-46

66-0370, 67-0315, F-4E Phantoms 57 FIS USAF departing for Keflavik.

66-0370 and 67-0315 F-4E 57th FIS USAF, departing Fairford. 66-0370 passed to Turkey with the same serial and 66-0315 to S.J. 4th TFW and W/O on the 5th Sept 1986.

Sadly, the 614th Tactical Fighter Squadron no longer operates the F-4, but seeing the 614 TFS from their Spanish Torrejon base is always good. 

Here, F-16s 82-0914/82-1002 are seen returning to that base in Spain.

82-0914 passed to AZ/162nd F.W. A.N.G., 82-1002 passed to S.I./170th FS ANG and later to 309th AMARG.

80-0021/BT F-15C 22 TFS USAF. Fate to OR 114th FS ANG and finally 309th AMARG.

80-0026/BT F-15C 22 TFS USAF arriving at R.A.F. Fairford.

67-0034/UH EF-111A (Raven) 42 ECS USAF arriving at Fairford from its base at Upper Heyford.

67-0034/UH EF-111A 42 ECS USAF departs Fairford. Sadly, it has now been scrapped.

69-7236/SP F-4E and 74-1048/S.P. from the 480th TFS USAF at Spangdahlem, Germany.

107 Étendard 1V P 16F French Aéronavale was initially based at Hyeres in southern France and later transferred to Landivisiau. It was the last unit to fly the Étendard. During the 2003 open house at Landivisiau airbase, I photographed 107, which carried mission marks from the Bosnian War. Still, sadly, it rested in the rain on that day, behind the hangars, awaiting the scrap man.

32 Super Étendard 14F French Aéronavale. It passed to 17F and Wfu.

79 Nord262D 2S French Aéronavale. Last seen stored on the German runway at the Châteaudun storage facility.

K-4020 NF-5B 314 Sqn. Fate to Turkey as 4020.

133 F-5A 336 Sqn RNorAF. Now an Instructional Airframe at Bodø.

MM6705 5-43 F-104S 23 Gruppo Itaf. Preserved.

MM6814 5-42 F-104S 23 Gruppo Itaf. Last seen on the dump at Cervia.

MM61893 14.46 C-47 8 Gruppo Itaf. Preserved at Pratica di Mare, 8 Gruppo hangar.

MM62140 14.21 G.222RM 8 Gruppo Itaf. It was preserved or stored at Napoli-Capodic in the Aeronavali area.

RT-657 CF-104D 726 ESK RDAF. Preserved at Aalborg Airbase.

AT-157 SK.35D 725 ESK RDAF. To civil as N169TP.

AR-119 S.35XD 729 ESK RDAF. To civil as N119XD.

XR773 DF Lightning F.6 LTF RAF. To civil G-OPIB.

XT597 Phantom F.G.1 A&AEE RAF Arriving at Fairford. Today reserved at the once R.A.F. Bentwaters.

Part one is the report based on the visiting SR-71A 'Blackbird' 61-17979 9thSRW USAF to that first-ever Fairford I.A.T.

https://legendarymilavia.blogspot.com/search/label/Blackbird

There you have it, another great moment in Military Aviation.
I hope you made it this far. Thanks for looking.

International Air Tattoo 1983 at RAF Greenham Common

International Air Tattoo 1983 was the year of the Phantom, with an excellent turnout of thirty aircraft and many variants from the RAF, USAF and WGAF. 

Once again, aircraft from across the Globe filled the pans of RAF Greenham Common. Lockheed F-104 Starfighters were to be seen in superior numbers, always a pleasing sight.

 The USAF sent an SR-71A. It was the only one I have photographed with high-visibility markings. The Royal Jordanian Air Force sent at least three Mirage F.1s, one into the static display and two for the flight line, with one solo aircraft flying. 

Once again, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Aircraft Establishment turned out some interesting aircraft. They included their Bedford-based Vickers Viscount, the Bristol Britannia and newly captured Argentinian air force Pucara up from its new home base at Boscombe Down. 

Sadly for Greenham Common, this would be its final International Air Tattoo. The following show in 1985 would transfer to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. 

64-17890 SR-71A USAF 9 SRW/DET-4 Taxis across Greenham Commons runway heading for the static park. 

Status:- Today, preserved Edwards AFB/NASA Dryden collection.

105 and 112 Mirage F.1EJs RJAF 1 SQN on the flight line on a very wet afternoon. 

Status:- Stored in the desert, Shaheed Mwaffaq.

108 Mirage F.1EJ RJAF 1 SQN proudly sits in the static park. 

Status:- Stored in the desert at Shaheed Mwaffaq.

112 Mirage F.1EJ RJAF is departing for home on Monday morning.

XT661 Vickers Viscount from RAE Bedford taxing for take off. 

Status:- Sadly scrapped.

XX367 Britannia 312F RAF A&AEE. 

Status:- Scrapped at Kinshasa (Zaire)

ZD485/15 Pucara RAF A&AEE. Status was captured on 14 Jun 1982 and evaluated by the A&AEE at RAF Boscombe Down. 

Status:- Stored at the RAF Museum Cosford.

XT597  Phantom FG.1 RAF A&AEE 25th Anniversary markings, being towed alongside the friends of International Air Tattoo enclosure with its elaborate security measures. 

Status:- Preserved at Bentwaters.

XV501/B Phantom FGR.2 RAF 23 Sqn. from RAF Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. 

Status:- Sadly, W/O 02 Aug 1988.

XV501/B Phantom FGR.2 RAF. With its Falkland Islands marks. The Phantoms were never used in aggression whilst serving in the Falklands, but they did look like they meant business.

XV415/P Phantom FGR.2 92 SQN from RAF Germany at RAF Wildenrath. 

Status:-Preserved Boulmer, 9163M.

68-0480/RS F-4E USAF 86th TFW from Ramstein Germany. 

Status:- Transferred to Greece and now dumped at Tangara airbase. 

38+72 F-4F JG-74 WGAF. 

Transferred to TTC/20FS 72-1282/HO W/O 16 Oct 1998.

35+65 RF4E AkG-52 WGAF. 

Status:- Transferred to Turkey as 69-7512.

XT901/Y FGR.2 RAF 56 Sqn. 

Status:- No longer smiling, but scrapped.

26+52 F-104G JbG-33 WGAF. 

Status:- Instructional airframe at Erding AFB

22+04 F-104G JbG-33 WGAF. 

Status:- To Turkey as 7074.

26+89 26+83 F-104Gs MFG-2 WGN Silver wings display duo. 

Status:- Transferred to Greece as 7435/FG435 and 7429, respectively.

FX-99 F-104G  10 Wing FAB. 

Status:- Preserved at Markham Airport, Toronto, Canada.

60 Super Etendard FN 11F. 50 of the same unit has departed for its display, chocks away. 

Status:- Crashed on 07 Nov 1995.

108 Etendard 1VP 16F FN joins the Alize and Super Frelon of the French Navy in the static park. 

Status:- Crashed on 21 Nov 1983.

60 SA321G  Super Frelon 32F FN. 

Status:- Preserved at the Rochefort Naval Aviation Museum. 

56  BR 1050 Alize 4F FN departing for France on Monday of departures. 

Status:- Stored at Nimes Garon.

158566/LA-4 P-3C VP-5 USN. 

Status:- Transferred to Taiwan as 3302.

156863/AG-404 A-7E  VA-12 USN  USS Eisenhower. 

Status:- To the 309th AMARC and scrapped.

161440/AG-212  F-14A VF-142 USN  USS Eisenhower. 

Status:- Scrapped June 2008.

72-0175/PT A-7D  146 TFS Penn ANG USAF. 72-0194 was parked alongside in the static, their support tanker 59-1484 KC-135E Penn ANG was also in the static and an EC-130E 63-9817 193rd ECS Penn ANG USAF. 

Status:-  72-0175 preserved at Tinker AFB, 72-0194 scrapped HVF West. The KC-135E was returned to the 309th AMARG, and the EC-130E was dumped at HVF West.

79-1713 KC10A 2 BW USAF arrives at Greenham, outshining all comers in its high-vis colours. 

Still active with the 60th AMW.

80-0544/HR F16A 50th TFW USAFE partnered by 80-0563 in the static, having transitioned from their F-4E Phantoms and making their first appearance with the F16A. They were the first USAF overseas unit to receive the F-16A. 

Status:- Transferred to Jordan as 220.

69-6609 HH1N 67 ARRS USAF. 

Status:- Now an instructional airframe at Fort Eustis.

113/312-BM Nordatlas GI-312 FAF. 

Status:- To the civil register as HB-BPU.

256/V  Atlantic  321SQN MLD, seen before its incident with the photo bus, which damaged a wingtip. 

I later read that the same bus driver was involved in a collision with a boat. Neither accident was of his making. 

Status:- First transferred to France as 63 and then Pakistan as 94, preserved at the Karachi Air Force Museum.

XP753 Lightning F.3 LTF RAF.

 Status:- Whilst being flown as above by Flt Lt Thompson on 26 Aug 83, the aircraft stalled trying to avoid the clifftop near Scarborough, where it was due to display, sadly claiming the life of its pilot.

99+35 Canberra WGAF GeoMilAmt. 

Status:- Preserved at Berlin/Gatow.

41+27 Alphajet JbG-43 WGAF. 

Transferred to Portugal as 15244.

40+67 Alphajet JbG-49 WGAF. 

Transferred to Portugal as 15222.

MM61961 PD.808 71 Gruppo AMI Taxis for take-off on departure day. 

Status: Preserved at the Museo Storico dell'Aeronautica Militare Italiana.

62-4462 T-39A 58 MAS USAF visiting the show. 

Status:- Now an Instructional airframe at Charleston.

XR443 Sea Heron C.1, RN Yeovilton station flight. 

Status:- Exported to the US civil register, serial unknown.

NZ7271 B.727 40 SQN RNZAF. 

Status:-Stored on New Zealand's South Island at Christchurch.

132001 CC132 412 SQN RCAF. 

136228 CH136 444SQN CF  in the static alongside 136232. 

Status: 136232 became N7237J, while 136228 was passed to Australia as VH-OSX.

J-252 F16A 322 SQN RNethAF 40th Anniversary SQN marks. 

Status:- Sadly, it suffered a fatal bird strike on 04 Oct 83, resulting in the pilot's loss.

K-3021 and K-3026 both NF5A 314 SQN RNethAF. 

Status:- K-3021 was transferred to Turkey as 70-3021.

XT459/D Wessex HU.5 845 SQN RN.

Status:- W/O 07 Nov 1983.

XM597 Vulcan B.2 50SQN RAF. 

Preserved at the National Museum of Flight, East Fortune airfield, Lothian, Scotland, it was a Falklands veteran.

Once again, a fantastic four days of pure military aviation joy and a nostalgic trip back in time, reading this report.

Happy Days!