NATO Tiger Meet 2003 held at BA103 Cambrai Airbase France featuring some of the best ever Tigered coloured jets.

• The 39th annual meeting of the NATO Tiger Association was held at Cambria BA103 in Northern France from June 2nd through June 8th and hosted by EC 01.012. As the hosts, they applied one of the best-ever Tiger schemes to Mirage 2000C 83/12-YL featuring the Tiger's Eyes. Other NTM aircraft carried some distinctive markings. Sadly, the USAFE's 494th FS was missing, along with the Italian Air Force's 155 Gruppo's F-104s and the RNLAF's 313 Squadron's F-16, which did send two aircraft to join the excellent final days airshow.
• The airshow featured some classic aircraft types, with the Republic of Singapore Air Force's 150th squadron sending a pair of A-4s from the training detachment at Cazaux. The specially marked Alpha jet marked the 30th anniversary of the Jaguars in French service, who themselves, both an A and E model, carried Tiger fins. And a rare airshow appearance by the Italian Air Force's Tornado F-3. Who can forget the 'Tiger SA442M Gazelle' that arrived on Saturday morning from the 3RHC?

• See below to see these and other participating NTM 03 and airshow aircraft.

 

 83/12-YL Mirage 2000C EC01. 012 Armée de l'air. The host's exceptionally marked flagship aircraft.

See this paint scheme up close at the airshow where it was a static exhibit:-

https://legendarymilavia.blogspot.com/2020/09/nato-tiger-meet-airshow-2003-cambria.html

83/12-YL Mirage 2000C EC01.012  Armée de l'Air, recovering at Cambria NTM 2003. 

38 Super Etendard 11F French Navy.

43+96 Tornado IDS AG51 GAF

77/330-AX Mirage 2000-5F EC05.330 Armée de l'Air

FA93 F-16AM 31sm BAF.

15250 Alpha Jet Força Aérea Portuguesa.

93-0696 F-16D 192filo TUAF from Balikesir AB.

46+54 Tornado ECR JBG32 GAF.

45+57 Tornado IDS AG51 GAF

43+96 Tornado IDS AG51 GAF returns from a COMOA operation for which "Cambrésis 03" was one of the major themes.

46+51 Tornado ECR JBG32 GAF.

Tiger tails, and it's great to see the return of Turkish Air Force jets. 

FA122 F-16AM 31sm BAF taxies for a DACT mission, formed the second part of "Cambrésis 03".  

292  F16AM 338skv RNorAF.

285 F-16AM 338skv RNorAF.

T.19B-20/35-38 CN235EA02 Ala35 Spaf

508/5-OT Mirage2000B EC02.005. Many were visiting non-NTM Mirage 2000s, probably associated with the second element of the exercise DACT. 

38 Super Etendard 11F FN. It is one of my personally best-marked NTM 03 aircraft.

525 12-KN Mirage 2000D Armée de l'air.

20/5-OF Mirage 2000C EC02.005 Armée de l'air and another DACT visitor.

528/12-YQ Mirage 2000B EC0.012 Armée de l'air.

119/12-KD Mirage 2000C EC02.012 Armée de l'air.

15250 Alpha Jet A Esq. 301, Força Aérea Portuguesa.

15226 Alpha Jet A Esq. 301, Força Aérea Portuguesa.

43+96 TornadoIDS AG51 GAF.

0839  MiL-17  332LtDVr  CzechAF.

2461/IH AS532UL EET06. 330 Armée de l'air.

90/12-YS Mirage 2000C EC01.012 Armée de l'air.

38 Super Etendard 11F FN taxing past some of the 2003 Tigers to start another mission.

After Friday's Spotters' Day closed on the Base, we dispersed to the runway approach area to witness the last missions of NTM 2003. 

Saturday morning, we were back at the runway approach, enjoying the arrivals for the NTM 2003 airshow on Sunday; unfortunately, overnight, the beautiful weather broke, leaving a very overcast sky for the Sunday airshow.

In part two, I look back at the NTM 2003 Airshow.

https://legendarymilavia.blogspot.com/2020/09/nato-tiger-meet-airshow-2003-cambria.html

Happy Days!

For a full list of participants, see below:-

NATO Exercise Ample Train 1993 at RAF St Mawgan Cornwall.

The Ample Train Exercise 1993 was held at RAF St Mawgan in the United Kingdom. The participating jets deployed there on May 23, 1993.

Ample Train, as an exercise, was devised to enhance the ability of NATO's air forces to work together and with each other's aircraft, including aircrews servicing aircraft from another nation.
Nine air arms, with two fast jets each, participated in the operations except the RAF, which participated with three Tornado GR1s. And if I remember correctly, it was a torrid time servicing them in the very damp conditions we all faced that week in May 1993.

We spent our days at the airfield and the nights in the small village of St Mawgan, staying at the Falcon Inn. Those nights turned into very late nights with great beer and food! Sorry, I digress. Here are the transparencies, all captured on Kodachrome 64.    

 77-0113/CR of the 32nd TFW USAFE from Soesteburg Airbase in the Netherlands.

77-0113 and 77-0097 'CR' F-15As of the 32nd TFS USAFE.

 
F-104S ASA, MM6719/51-09 e MM6703/51-23, AMI/22, Gruppo 51, Stormo.

Coming from Istrana Airbase.

MM6719/51-06 F-104S ASA AMI/22 Gruppo 51 Stormo.

MM6703/51-23 F-104S ASA AMI/22 Gruppo 51 Stormo.

MM6719/51-06 and MM6703/51-23 mission on.

FA-74 F-16AS FAB/31 Sqn 10 Wing.

FA-84 F-16AS FAB/31 Sqn 10 Wing.

 Two F-16Ds arrived from the TurAF/Öncel filo 4/cuAJU at Mürted airbase. This was the first Turkish Air Force squadron to receive the F-16Cs and Ds as a training squadron, known as Öncel. In 1999, it was later redesignated the 143rd Sqn.
Interestingly, in the same year as Ample Train 1993, the base became known as Akinci airbase. Many years later, with its strategic position just Northeast of Ankara, it became the centre of the failed 2016 coup attempt.
Following the failed coup, Akinci was redesignated to its former name, Mürted.

86-0196 F-16D TurAF/Öncel Filo 4 cuAJU.

86-0195 F-16D TurAF/Öncel Filo 4 cuAJU.

J-616 F-16AS KLU/311Sqn.

J-622 F-16AS KLU/311Sqn.

201 Mirage 2000BG HAF/311 MPK, 141Pterix.

243 Mirage 2000EG HAF/331MPK, 141Pterix.

ZA475/JL Tornado GR.1 RAF 27 Sqn. Unfortunately, I was unable to photograph the other two aircraft, ZA474/JK and ZA491/JN, due to technical reasons. I'm not sure of the reasons for them not flying, but locally, it was thought to be due to the wet weather.

EF-18A Eda/Ala 15 recovers in that ever-changing weather.

C-15-33/15-20 EF-18A Eda/Ala 15.

FA-74 and FA84 F-16AS  FAB/31Sqn, 10Wing, recover late afternoon.

37+77 and 37+92 F-4F's GAF/JG-74. They were returning from a morning mission, and the weather had just disintegrated; listening to the scanner communication with the GAF pilots whilst landing was a tad exasperating in those difficult circumstances.

37+92 F-4F GAF/JG-74.

C-15-35/15-22 EF-18A Eda/Ala 15.

Mirage 2000's 201/243 HAF 331MPK/141 Pterix run for the break.

"Great days in Cornwall!"

RNAS Yeovilton shrouded in mist and the immiment retirement of the Lynx HMA8.

The 2016 Yeovilton airshow celebrated the imminent retirement of the elegant Lynx HMA8SRU from service with the Navy. This post covers some of the arrivals and departures, along with a few of the Lynx's captured during Monday's flying operation. The early morning weather on Monday helped give a different dimension to the images. 

50+67 C-160D Transall LTG63 60th Anniversary of the Luftwaffe marks.

XX453 Gazelle AH.1 Boscombe Down, today stored at Bourne Park.

Conningsby Typhoon FGR4, with no unit marks.

ZK344 Typhoon FGR4 no unit markings.

J-201 F-16AM 322 Sqn RNLAF.

J-871 F-16AM RNLAF.

FB-21 F-16BM BAF

ZH839/83 EH101 HM1 MK111, Merlin Cormorant RN.

ZF347 and ZF204 Tucano T.1 RAF.

Notable RAF cutbacks: two planes, one engine?

1017 PL. M-28B Bryza 1R 44BLotM/sie. PolNavy, Special colour scheme.

013 Casa 295M 8BLtr PolAF.

45+09 Tornado IDS TLG33 GAF.

XX205/842 CU Hawk T.1 RN.

97-0046 C-17 Globemaster 111 437AW/315/AW/AMC/AFRC.

185 Falcon 10MER FN Special marks' '100 years 1910-2010, Marine Nationale Aeronautique Navale.'

6 Rafale M 12F FN.

50+67, C-160D Transall, LTG63 GAF, performing its run and break for landing.

The Scorpion was nice to see as it continued its sales evaluation tour.

99+18 OV-10B Bronco, WGAF, civil as G-ONAA.

ZF563/VL-312 Lynx HMA8 SRU RN.

Nice to see it before it was retired to Goodwood.

ZF563/VL-312 Lynx HMA8 SRU RN.

XZ689/314 Lynx HMA8 SRU RN. 

ZZ515 Wildcat HMA2 815NAS.

Not as elegant as the Lynx, but for the future.