RNAS Yeovilton Commando Assault demonstration

After my last post, I looked closely at the" Commando Assault" demonstrations that had brought a close to this great show throughout the years. I immensely enjoyed 2016 with the arrival of the CHF Merlin Helicopters at Yeovilton. Sadly, the iconic (Junglie) Seakings had been retired by the time of the 2016 air show.

I have found through the years that by the time of this fabulous finale, the Sun and, very often, the weather are not conducive for photography. 2016, I spent several days photographing the rehearsals for this exciting climax.

Participating were the Culdrose-based Hawk as seen below, although on the airshow day, XX159 flew the mission, six Merlins, one an HC.3A and the other five all HC.3. The Army Air Corps supplied two Wildcat AH.1s and an Apache AH.1 from the ADHT.

Hawk T.1 XX205/842 CU RN getting airborne for a rehearsal day.

ZJ118/B Merin HC.3 846Sqn, RN.

ZJ995/AD Merin HC.3a RAF on the airshow day, they used ZJ994/AC.

ZJ130/O and ZJ118/B preparing to drop Commandos.

ZJ994/AC HC.3A RAF pouring on the power.

ZJ130/O Merlin HC.3 RN disgorging troops of 40 Commando.

ZZ510 Wildcat AH.1 652 Sqn AAC.

ZZ410 Wildcat AH.1 652Sqn AAC.

ZZ410 Wildcat AH.1 652Sqn AAC  low pass.

ZJ223 Apache AH.1 ADHT arrives to offer support.

ZJ118 Merin HC.3 846Sqn, RN.

ZJ995/AD Merlin HC.3A, RAF.

ZJ125/J Merlin HC.3 846 Sqn, RN.

ZJ137/W arrives first, followed by ZJ132/Q with the trailer.

ZJ137/J with the Landrover.

ZJ137/W leaving the drop zone.

ZJ132/Q leaves low and fast, having delivered the trailer.

ZJ131/P 846 Sqn RN was not used on airshow day, ex RAF 28 Sqn at Benson, and today it is upgraded to an HC.4 in the grey paint scheme.

ZJ995/AD, RAF ZJ118/B, ZJ130/B RN and ZJ223 Apache AH.1 AAC.

ZJ223 leaving the formation.

ZJ130/O Merin HC.3 RN and ZJ995/AD HC.3A RAF.

All six Merlins.

ZJ131/P Merlin HC.3 RAF surrounded by the senior service

! 

Mission over.

ZJ223 Apache AH.1 leaves us chewing grass.

Last, XX159/842 CU RN lands back at Yeovilton in a photograph that could have been the scene there ten years earlier when active Sea Harriers used that taxiway, not museum aircraft!

Happy Days!

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.