International Air Tattoo 1985 RAF Fairford.

International Air Tattoo1985 was an outstanding premier 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 nine Starfighters, six other examples from Denmark and Canada and the final two 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 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 south 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 storage facility at Chateaudun.

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.

SR-71A (Blackbird) of the 9th SRW USAF impresses at IAT 1985.

One aircraft stood out above all at the 1985 International Air Tattoo, 61-17979, the excellent Black SR-71A from the 9th S.R.W. United States Air Force that arrived from Beale Air Force base in the U.S.A. After spending the weekend of the public airshow sitting proudly in the static park, Monday would see its pilot put it through probably the best-ever-seen U.K. demonstration of the type.

The central theme of the 1985 International Air Tattoo was the 'Sky Tanker', but for many, the memory will be Monday's departure of the Blackbird quite literally singing. 

It was designed by Kelly Johnson and built at Lockheed's Skunkworks; it could reach Mach 3 heights of over 80,000 feet; it was commissioned by the C.I.A. as a spy plane to upgrade from the U-2 (black) spy plane that had become attackable by Soviet missiles.

Although it had come under hostile fire on numerous occasions, not one SR-71A was lost to enemy fire, the concept being that by the time the aircraft was seen and a missile launched, it would be too far away to be tracked and hit.

A genuine legend of the skies.
     

Following the weekend's airshow, Monday witnessed the departure of the participating aircraft. We saw the best SR-71A demonstration in the U.K. during their departure flight from R.A.F. Fairford.

61-17979 SR-71A 9th SRW USAF, getting airborne.

Sitting in the Friends of International Air Tattoo grandstand, one had to use a wide-angle lens to capture the entire frame of that massive beast.

Flaming into the grey, overcast Gloucestershire sky.

Still re-heating while preparing for a low approach at Fairford from left to right.

We were treated to a show of raw power in typical British weather.

Fast and low!

A left-wing down was followed by the right and a thank you from the SR-71A crew to the International Air Tattoo.

My grandstand seat vibrates with the "Blackbirds" extraordinary power this time.

The crew retracted the landing gear before returning for a fast pass.

Pouring on the power was a magical moment for lots of us diehards.

The next stop was home.

 Can anybody remember the SR-71A that visited the Farnborough Airshow? Having crossed New York only one and a half hours later, it passed over R.A.E. Farnborough. While turning on finals to land at Farnborough, it flew out over the Netherlands due to its incredible speed. 

We will have to wait a long time to see this near extravagance of power again.

Sadly, 61-17979 SR-71A 9th SRW USAF is preserved at Lackland A.F.B today.

Happy days!