RNAS Yeovilton International Air day July the 15th 1995.

Sadly, with the cancellation of the RNAS Yeovilton Airshow 2020, I decided to look back amongst my archives to reflect on what may have been the best show I have photographed in the more recent past. I go back a long way, Danish F-100s and more, all in Black and White and taken on a Kodak Brownie.

The trouble with life is you just become so old?

I decided on the airshow!

Twenty-five years ago! 1995, RNAS Yeovilton, and what a fabulous show it was, too, with flight lines of mixed aircraft types, squadrons, and units, many of which are decommissioned or scrapped today.
For all of us paying our £1 to stand in the field to the left of Pyle Lane, who will ever forget that Coningsby F.3 nearly took us with him? So tight was his launch he passed over the Fleet Air Arm church tower! That's like flying up Pyle Lane at no height on full re-heat! And the smell of JP-9, those were the days!  

ZE732/AS Tornado F.3 56 (R) Sqn RAF.

89+67 Sea King Mk. 41 MFG5.

Underneath in the downdraft, you can see the three 4 Gruppo SH-3D's MM5015N/6-13, MM5008N/6-06, and MM5016N/6-14, and Seaking HC.4 of 845Sqn RN.

XE601 Hunter FGA.9  A&AEE, from Boscombe Down.

VP955/G-DVON Devon C.2 ex 207Sqn. RAF.

The RNLAF 'Grasshoppers' with their Allouette helicopter team are seen behind.

ZE911/BE Tornado F.3 29Sqn RAF.

One of the two privately owned Sea Herons can be seen taxiing behind. Can I trust memory? Were n-34 and N-36 both on static display?

XX450/D Gazelle AH.1 3CBAS.

ZD608/717 Sea Harrier F/A2 899 Sqn RN.

ZE691/712 Sea Harrier F/A2 899 Sqn RN.

XX231 Hawk T.1 19Sqn RAF.

ZA314/F Sea King HC.4 845Sqn.

85-0155 RC-12K, 1st MIB, from the US Army.

77 EMB-121AN 11s FN.

38+18 F-4F JG-71 GAF.

45+41 Tornado IDS MFG1 GN.

ZD950 Tristar KC.1 216 Sqn RAF.

ZA143/D VC.10  K.2 101Sqn RAF.

252 CN-235-100MPA, 1Wing of the Irish Air Corps.

MT-14 CM-170R 33Sm BAF.

XX247/CM Hawl T.1A 100Sqn RAF.

R-01 AB.412SP SAR  RNLAF.

101 SA-321G  32F FN approaches for its landing at Yeovilton.

101 SA-321G  32F FN preparing to shut down.

ZD789/AM  Tornado GR.1 9Sqn RAF.

AT-03 Alpha Jet 9 Wing BAF.

It is seen in front of the two F. 3s from the RAF solo display team at RAF Conningsby and the pollution control DC-3C G-AMHJ from Coventry airport.

598/353 Su-27P TPS RusAF.

595 SU-27P and 158927/LF-927 P-3C VP16 USN can be seen beyond.

598/353 and 595 SU-27P TPS 

G-BVGH/VL-573 Hunter T.7 Ex XL573 of 230 Sqn and G-GAII/VL-861 Hunter GA.11 Ex XE685.

Side by side, Hunters!

ZE790/AO Tornado F.3 56 (R) SQN RAF.

ZE732/AS Tornado F.3 56 (R) SQN RAF.

The solo RAF  Tornado F.3.

What a display it was, too!

XZ107/H Jaguar GR.1A 41 Sqn RAF.

XX752/EQ Jaguar GR.1A 6 Sqn RAF.

45+41 Tornado IDS MFG1 GN departs RN Yeovilton.

MT14 CM-170R 33Sm BAF and MT36 head home.

ET-022 F-16B Esk726.

XX235 Hawk T.1 4FTS. RAF.

ZF124/24 (Junglie) Sea King HC.4 772Sqn, RN.

J-508 F-16A 312 Sqn RNLAF.

C-8 F27-300M 334Sqn RNLAF, gear up and display on.

Dassault MD.312 Flamant F-AZFX 282 316-KY is a true classic.

N167F/S-B6 P-51D Mustang ex 44-73877 from the Scandinavian Historic flight.

N167B/BC-602 A-26B Invader ex 43-4602 from the Scandinavian Historic flight.

XV252 Nimrod MR.2P RAF flying from and back to RAF Kinloss in Scotland.

As XV252 Departs for its home base at RAF Kinloss, I cannot help thinking of the song Lyric,
On our way home growing old?

What about that Commando assault.?

Look at the next post; I decided on 2016 as the year, with a transition mixture of Merlin's from the CHF  as all of the Sea King 'Jungelies' had been retired. 

Well, that's what happened Twenty-Five years ago; roll on 2021?

Rock and Roll, those were great times?

Happy Days.

Phantom F-4G "Wild Weasels" heading home to Nellis AB night stop at RAF Lakenheath

It was a gratifying day out at RAF Lakenheath in October 1994. I had been at RAF Waddington, followed by Conningsby over a few days. Meanwhile, down at RAF Lakenheath exercise, "Cold Fire" was underway, and I visited to see what was happening. I knew the Norwegian Air Force was participating, but that was about it!
  

I later learned from friends that six WA F-4Gs would arrive from the Middle East just after lunchtime as they transit through Lakenheath on their way home to Nellis Air Force Base.

They are seen here in their landing order.

69-7232 F-4G 'WA' USAF, Nellis 'Wild Weasel.'
  

It was approaching runway 24 at Lakenheath.

Like many other F-4G's, its fate would become a QF-4G (AF142) with the  475WEG det1.

69-0263 F-4G 'WA' USAF, Nellis 'Wild Weasel.' 

It was later becoming a QF-4C (AF181) 475WEG.

69-0278 F-4G 'WA' USAF.
 Seen arriving at Lakenheath while transiting from the Middle East.

It was modified to a QF-4G (AF138) 475WEG det1.

69-0286 F-4G 'WA' USAF.

Later modified to a QF-4G, (AF160) 53WEG 

69-7212 F-4G 'WA' USAF.

Retired to AMARC 03 2000.

69-7211 F4C 'WA.' 

Later, to become a QF-4G,  (AF145) 53WEG.

J-201 F-16A, 314 Sqn (Redskins) RNlAF.

Sometimes, you can wait all day for an aircraft, and then we have Klu F-16s following the F-4G's.

The F-16s were involved in the Cold Fire exercise.

J-510 F-16A, 314 Sqn (Redskins) RNlAF.

J-136 F-16A 314 Sqn (Redskins) RNlAF.

69-7211 'WA' F-4G USAF is taxiing for departure from Lakenheath.

The F-4G 'Wild Weasel' was an aircraft that destroyed, neutralised, or debased enemy radar-directed surface-to-air risks.

69-0263 "WA' F-4G USAF.

It is an early start at Lakenheath as the 'Nellis Weasels' headed home.

69-7232 'WA' F-4G USAF.

During the Gulf War, 61 F-4G's were deployed to the theatre; their principal base was Baharain, while 12 aircraft were ensconced at Incirlik airbase in Turkey. 

69-7212 'WA' F-4G USAF.

The Weasel was the weapon of choice in providing lethal SEAD escort to high-value assets.

69-7211,212,232, 0263 'WA' F-4G's USAF from Nellis airbase, seen departing Lakenheath.

These aircraft were so crucial to air operations over Iraq; they went on to be nicknamed the "Weasel Police" and establish a nearly continuous presence so that all aircraft heading into the KTO had an electronic warfare umbrella.

You noticed only four aircraft departed?

83-0488 C-130H 139AS NJ/ANG was the support aircraft for the Lakenheath, USA leg. It had arrived from Lajes on the 4th of October 1994.

83-0488 C-130H 139AS NJ/ANG 

They were returning to Lajes on the morning of the 6th of October 1994.

As for the F-4G's left behind at Lakenheath 69-0278 and 69-0286.

It becomes complicated.

On the 12th of October, at least 10 'Nellis Weasels' arrived from Nellis travelling East. They included the four that had departed a week earlier to the West. What made it a little interesting was one of the new arrivals carried the serial 69-7286.

There were now two F-4G's at Lakenheath with the same last three of their serial!

On the 17th of October, ten aircraft departed for the Middle East, leaving two aircraft at Lakenheath, and you guessed it, they were 69-0286 and 69-7286.

They both departed Westerly to the US, having entertained the local spotters! 

Meanwhile, the"Cold Fire" exercise continued apace at RAF Lakenheath.

91-0332, 90-0261 F-15E 492nd 'Bolars' FS 48th FW USAF.
  

86-0171 F-15C 493rd FS 'Grim Reapers' 48th FW USAF.

053 AMD Falcon 20 717 Skvadron/FEKS from Rygge.

ET208 F-16B Eskadrille 726 Aalborg.

ET-198 F-16B Eskadrille 726 Aalborg.

91-0260, 91-309, and 91-310 F-15E (LN) 493rd 'Bolars' FS 48th FW USAF.

91-0332 F-15E (LN) 493rd FS "Bolars' 48th FW USAF.

91-0313 F-15E (LN) 494th FS 'Panthers' 48th FW USAF.

What a memorable morning at Lakenheath nearly 26 years ago?

86-0173 (LN) F-15C 493FS 'Grim Reapers' 48FW USAF.

91-0313 F-15E (LN) 494th FS 'Panthers' 48th FW USAF.

Recovering to RAF Lakenheath.

91-0317 (LN) F-15E 494th FS 'Panthers' 48th FW USAF.

I'm on the road for home as its gear goes up for a go-around!

Happy days! Indeed.