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 pleasing.
The USAF sent an SR.71A. It was the only one I have photographed in the high visibility markings. The Royal Jordanian Airforce 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 Brittania and newly captured Argentinian airforce 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. 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, now 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. Preserved at Bentwaters.
XV501/B Phantom FGR.2 RAF 23 Sqn. from RAF Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. Sadly, W/O 02 Aug 1988.
XV501/B Phantom FGR.2 Whilst on the Falklands, the Phantoms were never used in aggression, but they did look like they meant business.
XV415/P Phantom FGR.2 92 SQN from RAF Germany at RAF Wildenrath. Preserved Boulmer, 9163M.
68-0480/RS F-4E USAF 86th TFW from Ramstein Germany. Greece dumped 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 to Turkey as 69-7512.
XT901/Y FGR.2 RAF 56 Sqn. No longer smiling but scrapped.
26+52 F-104G JbG-33 WGAF. Instructional airframe at Erding AFB
26+89 26+83 F-104Gs MFG-2 WGN Silver wings display duo. Status 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 the 21 Nov 1983.
60 SA321G Super Frelon 32F FN. Preserved at the Rochefort Naval Aviation Museum.
56 BR 1050 Alize 4F FN departing for France on Monday of departures. Stored at Nimes Garon.
158566/LA-4 P-3C VP-5 USN. Status to Taiwan as 3302.
156863/AG-404 A-7E VA-12 USN USS Eisenhower. Status to the 309th AMARC scrapped.
161440/AG-212 F-14A VF-142 USN USS Eisenhower. 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 of 72-0175 preserved at Tinker AFB, 72-0194 scrapped HVF West. The KC135E was transferred to the 309th AMARG again, and 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 is 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 was first transferred to France as 63 and then Pakistan as 94, preserved at the Karachi Air Force Museum.
XP753 Lightning F.3 LTF RAF.
XP753 Lightning F.3 LTF RAF.
Status. Whilst being flown as above by Flt Lt Thompson on the 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. 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. Preserved at the Museo Storico del' Aeronautica Militare Italiana.
62-4462 T-39A 58 MAS USAF visiting the show. Now an Instructional airframe at Charleston.
XR443 Sea Heron C.1, RN Yeovilton station flight. Exported to the US civil register, serial unknown.
NZ7271 B.727 40 SQN RNZAF. Stored on New Zealand's South Island at Christchurch.
132001 CC132 412 SQN RCAF. Transferred to the civil register as C-GUSZ.
136232 and 136228 CH136 444SQN CF both in static.232 became N7237J while 228 past to Australia as VH-OSX.
J-252 F16A 322 SQN RNethAF 40th Anniversary SQN marks.
Sadly, it suffered a mortal bird strike on 04 Oct 83, with the pilot's loss.
K-3021 and K-3026 both NF5A 314 SQN RNethAF. Transferred to Turkey as 70-3021.
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!
