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 the aircraft began their arrivals, the atmosphere among spotters and photographers alike had reached a frenzy of rumours. In fact, unlike today, this is a rumour that has become an actual piece of 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 was airborne from Israel and headed for the UK. In reply to his shocked response, he was informed that they were participating in the RAF Waddington Airshow on Saturday, June 30, 2001, and Sunday, July 1, 2001.

Whether that is true or an old wives' 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 feature a multitude of great military aircraft types, including USAF B-2Bs, E-8A, Spanish Navy AV-8s, Greek and French Mirage 2000s, P-3 Orions from Norway and the Netherlands, and more, marking 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, Armée de l'Air. 

663/330-AU Mirage 2000 de l'Armée préparé à rentrer à Mont-de-Marsan, dans le Sud-Ouest de la France.

524/330-AZ Mirage 2000B Armée de l'Air, both displaying their Tiger squadron 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/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!

Spanish F-4 Phantoms on the Bardenas Reales under fire from EdA EF-18Ms.

We were on our way to the Bardenas Reales, Europe's largest desert and a significant bombing range used by the Spanish Air Force. Ground targets on this range include some EdA Phantoms, which I hoped to photograph. 

Regarding these beautiful jets, it would seem rude not to start with a Spanish Air Force RF-4C Phantom, seen on a better day, before we discover the fate of the F-4 Phantom targets. 

What follows is a little sad if you were a fond lover of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom.

CR12-55/12-64 RF-4C Phantom EdA departing the 1996 International Air Tattoo held at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire. 

CR12-55/12-64 RF-4C Phantom EdA pouring on the power.

CR12-55/12-64 RF-4C Phantom departing for its home base at Torrejon de Ardoz. By 2002, it would become one of the preserved RF-4Cs at Torrejon.

Now we can examine the Bardenas Reales firing and bombing range, and the EF-18Ms unleashing 'hell ' on the ground targets.

The Bardenas Reales is a semiarid nature reserve. In fact, Europe's largest desert, known as the 'Bad Lands,' covers an area of 42,500 hectares. It is an excellent destination for its Flora and Fauna, offering a unique experience of travelling on sand-compacted tracks through a highly weathered landscape. 

With its exceptional Biological importance and highest levels of environmental protection, the last thing you might imagine is a firing and bombing range at its centre.

For the unexpected, the first inkling is the signs.  

  

I have travelled to the Navarra region for many years, photographing the wildlife.

The Spanish Air Force units use the range nearly daily. We have seen Eurofighters, AV-8s, and F-18s, and during the 2015 NATO exercise 'Trident Juncture,' numerous NATO aircraft were seen firing at targets. Most USAFE units, including Phantoms, A-10s, and F-16s, have bombed it.

CR.12-50/12-59 RF-4C Phantom EdA. 

CR.12-41 RF-4C Phantom EdA.

C.14-17/14-11 Mirage F.1M EdA. (Nearly dead but not quite).

CR.12-50/12-59 RF-4C Phantom with a target tank beyond. 

Ancient armoured personnel carriers rusting in the landscape.

The group of six Phantoms lie North of the dummy runway.

In no particular order:- C.12-04/122-02, C.12-09/12-06, C.12-14/122-07, C12-23/12-18,c.12-30/122-15, and C.12-40/12-32.

 

The rear F-4Cs have what appears to be a bomb casing in the gypsum.

Closer view of the front three in the group.

View the runway and the 6xF-4C, 1xRF-4C, and the lone Mirage F-1M.

Shortly after this photo, we had to leave the immediate area for safety reasons.

Sadly, we were stuck looking towards the sun, but it was exciting and noisy when three A-15 EF-18Ms, fully armed, arrived from their Zaragoza airbase.

 

C.15-14/15-01 EF-18M Ala 15, with its Nato Tiger tail and live weapons.

C.15-14/15-01 EF-18M Ala 15, bomb away.

C.15-24/15-11 follows up with its nose-mounted 20mm Gatling gun, working hard.

C.15-14/15-01 returns using the M61A2 Vulcan gun.

C.15-24/15-01 climbs from a staggeringly low flight and rolls over. The inert bomb hooking device is seen underneath.

Heading for the target.

C.15-14/15-01 follows C.15-24/15-11.

C.15-30/15-17 EF-18M EdA climbing for the dive.

It's all over. With the jets departing for their home base, a Griffon Vulture passed through the now silent desert. 

 Twelve F-4Cs and one RF-4C are listed as stored here. 

I need to find out where they are if they are on the Bardenas...

Spanish Air Force RF-4C Phantoms visited RAF Honnington in June 1993 during an exchange visit with 13 Sqn RAF. To see more, use the link below.

https://legendarymilavia.blogspot.com/2019/08/spanish-f-4cs-arrive-at-honington-and.html

Thank you for taking the time.