The Ample Train Exercise 1993 was held at RAF St Mawgan in the United Kingdom. The participating jets deployed there on May 23, 1993.
Ample Train, as an exercise, was devised to enhance the ability of NATO's air forces to work together and with each other's aircraft, including aircrews servicing aircraft from another nation.
Nine air arms, with two fast jets each, participated in the operations except the RAF, which participated with three Tornado GR1s. And if I remember correctly, it was a torrid time servicing them in the very damp conditions we all faced that week in May 1993.
We spent our days at the airfield and the nights in the small village of St Mawgan, staying at the Falcon Inn. Those nights turned into very late nights with great beer and food! Sorry, I digress. Here are the transparencies, all captured on Kodachrome 64.
77-0113/CR of the 32nd TFW USAFE from Soesteburg Airbase in the Netherlands.
77-0113 and 77-0097 'CR' F-15As of the 32nd TFS USAFE.
F-104S ASA, MM6719/51-09 e MM6703/51-23, AMI/22, Gruppo 51, Stormo.
Ample Train, as an exercise, was devised to enhance the ability of NATO's air forces to work together and with each other's aircraft, including aircrews servicing aircraft from another nation.
Nine air arms, with two fast jets each, participated in the operations except the RAF, which participated with three Tornado GR1s. And if I remember correctly, it was a torrid time servicing them in the very damp conditions we all faced that week in May 1993.
We spent our days at the airfield and the nights in the small village of St Mawgan, staying at the Falcon Inn. Those nights turned into very late nights with great beer and food! Sorry, I digress. Here are the transparencies, all captured on Kodachrome 64.
77-0113/CR of the 32nd TFW USAFE from Soesteburg Airbase in the Netherlands.
77-0113 and 77-0097 'CR' F-15As of the 32nd TFS USAFE.
F-104S ASA, MM6719/51-09 e MM6703/51-23, AMI/22, Gruppo 51, Stormo.
Coming from Istrana Airbase.
MM6719/51-06 F-104S ASA AMI/22 Gruppo 51 Stormo.
MM6703/51-23 F-104S ASA AMI/22 Gruppo 51 Stormo.
MM6719/51-06 and MM6703/51-23 mission on.
FA-74 F-16AS FAB/31 Sqn 10 Wing.
FA-84 F-16AS FAB/31 Sqn 10 Wing.
Two F-16Ds arrived from the TurAF/Öncel filo 4/cuAJU at Mürted airbase. This was the first Turkish Air Force squadron to receive the F-16Cs and Ds as a training squadron, known as Öncel. In 1999, it was later redesignated the 143rd Sqn.
Interestingly, in the same year as Ample Train 1993, the base became known as Akinci airbase. Many years later, with its strategic position just Northeast of Ankara, it became the centre of the failed 2016 coup attempt.
Following the failed coup, Akinci was redesignated to its former name, Mürted.
86-0196 F-16D TurAF/Öncel Filo 4 cuAJU.
86-0195 F-16D TurAF/Öncel Filo 4 cuAJU.
J-616 F-16AS KLU/311Sqn.
J-622 F-16AS KLU/311Sqn.
201 Mirage 2000BG HAF/311 MPK, 141Pterix.
243 Mirage 2000EG HAF/331MPK, 141Pterix.
ZA475/JL Tornado GR.1 RAF 27 Sqn. Unfortunately, I was unable to photograph the other two aircraft, ZA474/JK and ZA491/JN, due to technical reasons. I'm not sure of the reasons for them not flying, but locally, it was thought to be due to the wet weather.
EF-18A Eda/Ala 15 recovers in that ever-changing weather.
C-15-33/15-20 EF-18A Eda/Ala 15.
FA-74 and FA84 F-16AS FAB/31Sqn, 10Wing, recover late afternoon.
37+77 and 37+92 F-4F's GAF/JG-74. They were returning from a morning mission, and the weather had just disintegrated; listening to the scanner communication with the GAF pilots whilst landing was a tad exasperating in those difficult circumstances.
37+92 F-4F GAF/JG-74.
C-15-35/15-22 EF-18A Eda/Ala 15.
Mirage 2000's 201/243 HAF 331MPK/141 Pterix run for the break.
"Great days in Cornwall!"
MM6719/51-06 F-104S ASA AMI/22 Gruppo 51 Stormo.
MM6703/51-23 F-104S ASA AMI/22 Gruppo 51 Stormo.
MM6719/51-06 and MM6703/51-23 mission on.
FA-74 F-16AS FAB/31 Sqn 10 Wing.
FA-84 F-16AS FAB/31 Sqn 10 Wing.
Two F-16Ds arrived from the TurAF/Öncel filo 4/cuAJU at Mürted airbase. This was the first Turkish Air Force squadron to receive the F-16Cs and Ds as a training squadron, known as Öncel. In 1999, it was later redesignated the 143rd Sqn.
Interestingly, in the same year as Ample Train 1993, the base became known as Akinci airbase. Many years later, with its strategic position just Northeast of Ankara, it became the centre of the failed 2016 coup attempt.
Following the failed coup, Akinci was redesignated to its former name, Mürted.
86-0196 F-16D TurAF/Öncel Filo 4 cuAJU.
86-0195 F-16D TurAF/Öncel Filo 4 cuAJU.
J-616 F-16AS KLU/311Sqn.
J-622 F-16AS KLU/311Sqn.
201 Mirage 2000BG HAF/311 MPK, 141Pterix.
243 Mirage 2000EG HAF/331MPK, 141Pterix.
ZA475/JL Tornado GR.1 RAF 27 Sqn. Unfortunately, I was unable to photograph the other two aircraft, ZA474/JK and ZA491/JN, due to technical reasons. I'm not sure of the reasons for them not flying, but locally, it was thought to be due to the wet weather.
EF-18A Eda/Ala 15 recovers in that ever-changing weather.
C-15-33/15-20 EF-18A Eda/Ala 15.
FA-74 and FA84 F-16AS FAB/31Sqn, 10Wing, recover late afternoon.
37+77 and 37+92 F-4F's GAF/JG-74. They were returning from a morning mission, and the weather had just disintegrated; listening to the scanner communication with the GAF pilots whilst landing was a tad exasperating in those difficult circumstances.
37+92 F-4F GAF/JG-74.
C-15-35/15-22 EF-18A Eda/Ala 15.
Mirage 2000's 201/243 HAF 331MPK/141 Pterix run for the break.
"Great days in Cornwall!"
