Israeli F-15 jets make a star appearance at RAF Waddington's airshow 2001.

Expectations for the 2001 RAF airshow at RAF Waddington had been running high. By the time aircraft began their arrivals, the atmosphere amongst spotters and photographers alike had reached a frenzy of rumour. In fact, unlike today, this is a rumour that really has become folklore. 

This is how I remember people telling it. The then prime minister of Britain, Tony Blair, had been briefed that an Israeli Air Force detachment of F-15s, Boeing KC-707s and C-130 Hercules were airborne from Isreal and headed for the UK. In reply to his shocked response, he was informed they were participating in the RAF Waddington Airshow on Saturday, June 30th and Sunday, July 1st 2001.

Whether that is true or an old wife's tale, there is no disputing that they certainly did appear and what a great moment for all of us enthusiasts.

The RAF Waddington airshow team had once again pulled off a mega coup. Still, as time had proved, 2001 would have a mass of great military aircraft types that would produce USAF B-2Bs E-8A, Spanish Navy AV8s, Greek and French mirage 2000's P-3 Orions from Norway and the Netherlands and more and then more, a truly memorable moment in UK airshows.

It is all captured here on the Fuji Velvia slide film.

267 F-15I 'Ra'am' 69 Sqn Israeli Air Force.

267 F-15I 'Ra'am' 69 Sqn Israeli Air Force.

269 F-15I 'Ra'am' 69 Sqn Israeli Air Force.

244 F-15I 'Ra'am' 69 Sqn Israeli Air Force.

264/4X-JYH KC-707 'Re'em' 120 sqn Israeli Air Force.

314/4X-FBI C-130E 'Karnaf' 103/131 Sqn Israeli Air Force.

314/4X-FBI C-130E 'Karnaf' 103/131 Sqn Israeli Air Force.

275 KC-707 Re'em 120 sqn Israeli Air Force.

275 KC-707 Re'em 120 sqn Israeli Air Force.

EMB312F's 477/312-JU and 489/312-UH, AdlA.

WJ874 "VN799" Canberra T4 39 (1PRU) Sqn. RAF.

ZH554 Tornado F3 F30EU. RAF.

ZA595/V111 Tornado GR4 13Sqn. RAF.

46+44 Tornado ECR JBG32 "Tiger C/S" GAF.

3299 P-3C Orion 333Skv NorAF.

44+42 Tornado IDS AG-51 GAF.

304 P-3C Orion MARPAT RNAF.

86-0096/EL B-1B 37th BS, "37BS" USAF.

58-0040 KC-135E 150th ARS 'NJ' ANG.

201 Mirage 2000BG 331 MPK, HAF.

 "The beasts of Marsan"

663/330-AU Mirage 2000D leads 524/330-AZ Mirage 2000B Adl. 

663/330-AU Mirage 2000D prepares to depart home to Mont de Marsan in the Southwest of France.

524/330-AZ Mirage 2000B, both showing their Tiger sqn Marks.

J-020 and J-511 F-16AM 313Sqn RNAF prepare for departure.

FA-116 F-16A BAF 31Sqn special marks, 50 years of 31Sqn and a Tiger Sqn.

XS728/E Dominie T1 from 55 (R) Sqn. RAF.

3299 P-3C Orion from 333Skv NorAF.

3299 P-3C Orion from 333Skv NorAF.

44+42 and 44+20 Tornado IDS AG-51 GAF departing home to Schleswig-Jagel.

30 Falcon 50 SURMAR from 24F at Lorient/Lann-Bihoué.

30 Falcon 50 SURMAR from 24F at Lorient/Lann-Bihoué.

477/312-JU and 489/312-UH EMB312F from DV05.312 at Salon de Provence.

477/312-JU Embraer EMB312F Tucano AdlA.

J-5014 F-18C Flst II Swiss Air Force.

J-5024 F-18C Flst II Swiss Air Force.

"Stars of ROTA"

(VA.1B-26) 01-914 AV-8B Esc009 Spanish Navy.

(VA.1A-21) 01.909 AV-8B Esc009 Spanish Navy.

U.20-1/01-914 Ce550 Esc004 Spanish Navy. Support aircraft for the AV-8s.

95-0121/WR E-8C 16th ACCS USAF.

86-0096/EL B-1B 37th BS "37BS" USAF.

86-0096/EL B-1B lines up for departure.

86-0096/EL B-1B shaking the ground at RAF Waddington.

58-0040 KC-135E 150th ARS NJ ANG.

58-0040 KC-135E 150th ARS NJ ANG.

Another great show from the bygone days.

I hope you enjoyed the retreat down memory lane.

Hope it was of interest.

Happy days!

Royal Netherlands Air Force celebrates 80 Years at Eindhoven AB.

Eindhoven! Back then, the city's residents liked to party, and we had to join in with the festivities. We had arrived for the airshow arrivals day, blessed with a cloudless sky. The good times continued late into the night, or was it the morning?
The following day, we returned to our motorway embankment close to the runway threshold for the Saturday 3rd of July 1993 airshow, with thumping heads and dry mouths. The atmosphere charged with the excitement of great weather and aircraft displays; even the local Police officers on their big white motorbikes were friendly to the crowd.

Once again, let's get on with the planes, of which there were some very nice examples.

03 MiG.23MF, HungAF participated in the flying program, and number 15 MiG.23UB was seen in the static display.

5 F-8E 12F FN. Arriving for the static display. What a formidable-looking aircraft. I only wish I wrote F-8E more often, which reminds me I must look for those Landivisiau images?
 I believe it's a Swift flying over the nose cone.

WJ981/EN Canberra T.1 360 Sqn RAF.

The Justified Ancients of MO, MO, seem appropriate for this celebrated aircraft.

"Sorry if you have never heard of the band the KLF."

A 29/11-MB and A2/11-MB, Jaguar A's, EC-2-11 FAF.
Seen arriving at Eindhoven for pairs landing from their home base of Toul Rosières BA136.

A29/11-MB carries the individual marks for the 'Vosges Fighter Squadron' operational with the Jaguar from 1973 to 1993.
The 'Vosges' aircraft at Toul carried mixed codes from 11-MA to 11-MZ.

2506 AN-26 2 Letecká Zãkladna ( 2nd Air Base Wing)  back then visiting from its base at Malacky.

0443 L-39C of team  Biele Albatrosy "White Albatrosses" formed in 1991 by the Czechoslovakian air force.
In January 1993, Czechoslovakia divided into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and the team became Slovakian, as seen here, arriving from the Vojenská Letecká Akadémia at Kosice airbase along with 0101,0102,0111,0112,4355, and 4357.

J-136 F-16 of 316 Squadron arrived at Eindhoven from its temporary operating base at Gilze-Rijen. They had been awaiting construction works at their new home base of Eindhoven, where they formally flew the last NF-5 Freedom Fighters in KLu service.
Sadly, in April 1994, just months after this transparency, they were disbanded.

J-369 F-16B 316Sqn KLu supports a full-colour badge.

J-884 F-16B 314 Sqn KLu.

J-368 F-16B 314Sqn This was the last unit to convert to the F-16 commencing in 1990, and their final disbandment came on the 6th of July 1995.

J-202 F-16A 322Sqn (Polly Grey) KLU.

BR 17 Mirage 5BR 3 Wing BAF.

84-0812/HO F-117A 49FW/415FS USAF, seen on Eindhoven's approach from Gilze- Rijen where it was part of the eight "Coronet Havoc" F-117's on deployment for the 1993 European exercise Central Enterprise.

84-0812/HO F-117A 49FW/415FS USAF, this aircraft was arriving for the static park. 

85-0836/HO F-117A 49FW/415FS USAF arrives for a low approach and returns to Gilze-Rijen.

85-0836/HO F-117A 49FW/415FS USAF delights Eindhoven's base staff as it performs a low approach.

509 2-FF Mirage 2000B EC2/2 FAF returns after completing its display.

J215 F-16A 322 Sqn Klu is wearing 50 years' distinctive marks.

C-5 F-27 300M Troopship 334 Sqn Klu.

C-1 F-27-100 Friendship 334Sqn KLu.

303 P-3C-11 MARPAT. 

87-0250 F-16C  'RS' 512FS USAFE.

87-0242  F-16C 'RS' 512FS Marked 86FW USAFE.

40+32 Alpha Jet A JBG-43 GAF.

8077 SU-25K 50 BILP CzechAF was part of the flying display, and 9013 was displayed in the static park.

   C-1 F-27-100 Friendship 334Sqn Klu seen departing from Eindhoven.

XX230 Hawk T.1 RAF.

XX281/O Hawk T.1 RAF.

MM6714/9-50 F-104ASA 10 Gruppo AMI.

MM6822/9-41 F-104ASA 10 Gruppo AMI is arriving at Eindhoven for the 80th anniversary of the Koninklijke Luchtmacht 1993.

Hunter F.58's of the "Patrouille de Suisse".
J-4027 leads J-4020 and J-4023, followed by J-4022, J4032, and J-4025.

J-4027 Hunter F.58 "Patrouille de Suisse"
A true classic!

CH-05 C-130H 20 Sm BAF.

0004 L.39MS 2 LSP Czech AF returns from its flying demonstration, 0005 was in the static display. Both aircraft arrived from their base at Cáslav.

   

9207 MiG.29A 11 SLP (11Fighter Regiment) "Tiger marks" Czech AF, 5414 from Žatec airbase seen here flying while 5414 was in the static. Both aircraft were transferred to Poland as 92 and 54, respectively.

 I wanted to sign off with my thanks to the RNLAF for years of enjoyment from one of Europe's best display teams, seen here displaying at their home base at Eindhoven on that celebrated occasion.

C-10 F-27-300M 334 Sqn Klu.

C-10 F-27-300M powers through its display routine.

C-10 F-27-300M Klu, over but not out.

There you have it!
It was a great show once again on behalf of the Koninklijke Luchmacht.
Happy 80th!

We were off to the Koksijde airshow in Belgium.