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!

Atlantic Trident 21 Exercise, Mont-de-Marsan airbase France

The "Atlantic Trident 2021" integration exercise was coming to BA118 at Mont-de-Marsan airbase in the Southwest of France. This is the third in a series of Atlantic Trident exercises involving aircraft from the United States of America, France, and the United Kingdom. The previous two had been held in 2015 and 2017  at Langley-Eustis Airbase in Virginia. This was the first outside of the USA and was held between the 17th and 28th of May 2021. 

 

The aircraft participation list looked very respectable, with F-35A USAF, F-35B USMC, Eurofighter   (Typhoons) and Hawks from the RAF, and home-based Rafales, Mirage 2000, Alpha Jets and PC-21 FAF. 

The exercise would also call on a large amount of support aircraft. 

17-5268 F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

  

With fifty latest-generation aircraft practising combined simulated raids within French airspace, this was a chance to promote standard procedures in high-intensity air combat.

The USAF F-35s were from the 4th Fighter Squadron based in Utah and comprised aircraft from the 388th Fighter Wing and the 419th Fighter Wing with its reservist airmen.

Firstly, I am giving time to the USAF as they arrived days ahead of the exercise and have a transit story of their own.

They arrived at Mont-de-Marsan on Monday, 10th May. Over the previous weekend, numerous reports of their support tanker movements were circulating on internet forums. They departed Hill AFB early Monday morning and arrived overhead BA118 that evening. Excellent images were captured as the second wave "TREND 21-26" passed overhead Newcastle in the UK at 26,000 feet, with one chick refuelling from support KC-135T 58-0072 "ROMA64"  and four others tucked around it.

See the link below.

https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=204603#p1295381

   

They arrived in two cells: TREND 11-16 and TREND 21-26.

17-5261 F-35A 34thFS/388thFW HL "Rude Rams".

They comprised 5X F-35A from the 4th FS HL "Fighting Fuujins".

 3X 34th FS HL "Rude Rams."

4X 421st FS AFRC "Black Widows."

17-5248 F-35A 421stFS/388FW HL "Black Widows"

335/4-IJ Rafale B EC001.004 leads one of the exercises morning multiple launches. Mont-de-Marsan town rattled and reverberated under the power of collective fast jets launching in numerous waves during the exercise. 

15-5196 F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins".

The only fiscal year 15 airframe, all others f/yr17.

335/4-IJ Rafale 'B' EC01.004.'Gascogne' SPA 79 "Tête de Loup" C/S F-UHIJ.

 

334/4-II Rafale 'B' EC02.004. 'Fayette' SPA 167 "Cigone de Romanet" C/S F-UHII.

 

323/4-HT Rafale 'B' EC01.004. 'Gascogne' BR 66 "Faucon Eygptian" C/S F-UHHT.

308/4-HA Rafale 'B' EC01.004 'Gascogne' SPA 79 "Tête de Loup" C/S F-UHHA.

124/30-GC Rafale 'C' EC03.030 'Lorraine' SPA162 "Tête de Tigre" C/S F-UHGC.

329/30-ID Rafale 'B' EC03.030 'Lorraine' SPA162 "Tête de Tigre" C/S F-UHID

325/4-HX Rafale 'B' ETR03.004 4B3 Aquitaine "Hibou" C/S F-UHHX.

110/30-IN Rafale 'C' EC03.030 SPA38 "Chardon Lorraine"  C/S F-UHIN

109/4-IM Rafale 'C' ETR03.004 C/S F-UHIM.

654/30-ID Mirage 2000D ECE01.030 "Côte d'Argent" BR27 "le Tigre" C/S F-UGID. 

654/30-ID Mirage 2000D ECE01.030 "Côte d'Argent" BR27 "le Tigre" C/S F-UGID. 

The Patrouille de France arrived on Wednesday, 26th May, for a base display the following lunchtime, along with four ship flypasts by the French Rafales and American F-35s. 

 

105/4-HE Rafale 'C' EC01.004 Prev EC01.030 2.GB1/25 "Bison" C/S F-UHHE.

327/4-HZ Rafale 'B' EC01.004 SPA37 "Charognard" C/S F-UHHZ.

127/30-GF Rafale 'C' EC01.030 "Côte d'Argent" BR128 "le Scarabée Blanc" C/S F-UHGF.  Ex 7-GF "Provence" at Al Dhafra. 

E168/8-FP Alpha Jet EE03.008 "Côte d'Or" SPA65 "Chimére d'argent" C/S F-UGFP.  

E68/8-MO Alpha Jet EE03.008 SPA? Not known C/S F-TEMO.

325/4-HX  Rafale 'B' ETR03.004 4B3 Aquitaine "Hibou" C/S F-UHHX.

324/30-HW Rafale 'B' EC03.030 "Lorraine" C/S F-UHHW

131/30-GJ Rafale'C' EC02.030 "Nornadie-Niemen" SPA93 "Canard Col Vert" C/SF-UHGJ.

Then the USAF F-35s.

17-5253 F-35A  4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

17-5252 F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

17-5261 F-35A 34th FS/388th FW HL "Rude Rams" USAF.

17-5270 F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

17-5243 F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

Mission complete.

17-5268 and 17-5270 run and break.

17-5268 F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

17-5270 F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

17-5243  F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

17-5253  F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

17-5268  F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

146/XR TBM700 ET00.041 "Verdon" 1 Esc. "GAEL"  from BA107 at Villacoublay/Vélizy.

17-5238  F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

17-5261 34thFS/388thFW HL "Rude Rams" USAF.

158/62-IR CN235M-200 ET01.062 "Vercours" SPA BI 55 "Lévrier" C/S F-RAIR.

Four Dassault Rafales from EC01.004 "Gascogne" from Saint-Dizier Robinson arrive back overhead Mont-de-Marsan.

308/4-HA Rafale 'B' EC01.004 'Gascogne' SPA 79 "Tête de Loup" C/S F-UHHA,

 

323/4-HT Rafale 'B' EC01.004 'Gascogne' BR64 'Faucon Egyptien' C/S F-UHHT.

352/4-FS Rafale 'B' EC02.004 'Gascogne' SPA96 "Gaulois" C/S F-UHFS.

335/4-IJ Rafale 'B' EC02.004  'Gascogne' SPA 79 "Tête de Loup" C/S F-UHIJ

04/709FK PC-21 EAC 00.315 C/S F-RBFF from BA709 Cognac/Châteauoux Bernard.

 

09/709FK PC-21 EAC 00.315 C/S F-RBFK.

Support aircraft for the exercise were drawn from BA123 at Orléans/Bricy with A400M and C-130H, BA125 at Istres/Le Tube C-135FR and A330MRT, BA702 with its EDCA-36's E-3F's and BA120 at Cazaux with its EH01.067 'Pyrénées' EC725R2's 'Caracals'.

  

0073/F-RBAN A400M landing back at its base at Orléans/Bricy. 

93/XL TBM700 ET00.041 "Verdon" 1 Esc. "GAEL" from BA107 at Villacoublay/Vélizy.

XX332/CD Hawl T1A 100 Sqn RAF from RAF Leeming landing at Mont-de-Marsan.

84-0096 C21A 76th AS, "Special air mission Europe" from Ramstein AB Germany.

17-5264  F-35A 421stFS/388thFW "Black Widows" USAFRC.

17-5252 F-35A 4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

17-5253 F-35A  4thFS/388FW HL "Fighting Fuujins" USAF.

146/30-GY Rafale 'C' EC03.030 SAL56 "Scarabée" F-UHGY.

639/3-JJ Mirage 2000D Renove of EC 02.003 SPA67 "Cicogne de Navarre." C/S F-UGJJ. 

To learn more about this modified Mirage, click the link below.

https://legendarymilavia.blogspot.com/2021/05/mirage-2000d-renove-armee-de-lair.html

354/30-FU Rafale 'B'  EC02.030 "Normandie-Niemen" C/S F-UHFU.

126/30-GE Rafale 'C' EC02.030 "Normandie-Niemen" C/S F-UHGE.

105/4-HE Rafale 'C' EC01.004  'Gascogne'  Prev EC01.030 2.GB1/25 "Bison" C/S F-UHHE.

327/4-HZ Rafale 'B' EC01.004 'Gascogne' SPA37 "Charognard" C/S F-UHHZ.

327/4-HZ Rafale 'B' EC01.004  'Gascogne' SPA37 "Charognard" C/S F-UHHZ.

Phew! 'Happy Days"