gary1701

Hi, Just thought a few pics shot here yesterday might be of some interest. This show usually ends the year here in the UK and usually brings a mixture of locally based warbirds and other mopre modern displays and has often brought in a real highlight or two. Standing out yesterday was the formation of the Belgian AF F-16AM solo display jet combined with a local Spit and recently arrived P-51D. The break towards the crowd was quite nice. A couple of the other shots are backlit but at Duxford there's not a lot you can do about I'm afraid. Gary

Hi, Looking at the angles on that KC-135 was quite weird. The pic looks exactly as if it had been a KC-135 on the approach into 29 at Mildenhall here in the UK. The height (that shooting position isn't slightly elevated is it?), aircraft angle, even the angle of sunlight is exactly how it would look at this time of year - when the sun's out!! If there's a bunch of RAF Tornado's in the US, that might explain why Marham is so quiet at the moment. Gary

Hi, What's quite shocking at Marham looking at that video, is that, (1) the sun is out, and (2), they're operating at least a couple of serviceable GR4s. Believe me, it's very rare to see either anywhere near Marham - espically when I visit for some pics! Mind you, at least 2 Sqn had their flash jet out yesterday afternoon in some (hazy) sun. Gary

Guys, Saw the Typhoon heading and just had to take a look!! These any good? Example below but bigger one's linked underneath - a T1 and F2 parked on the flightline at Southend in 2006. http://gary-stedman.fotopic.net/p29819146.html http://gary-stedman.fotopic.net/p29819147.html http://gary-stedman.fotopic.net/p29819149.html Taken with older equipment than I use now so apologises for the quality - espically the last one. Gary

Hi again, Glad to be whatever help I can. I just wish Coningsby was a little nearer!! The link below to my fotopic site has a lot more Typhoon pics (although I haven't updated last weeks visit yet), including the QRA pics from July and they're all the same size as the airliners.net shots. Also a lot of British Army Apache's - a type that gets little decent coverage - as I'm only a couple of miles outside the main UK base. Sebastian, I agree that shortage's are probably the reason why the Typhoon's are configured like that. Seems to be the reason behind everything that's gone wrong the UK mi

Hi Ian, I believe that is the case, and it certainly appears to be supported by what I've seen although it's purely based on personal observations with no 'inside' information. I visit the place several times a year, and there's rarely a day go past when movements from Coningsby are not posted on the aviation photography forums so a quite detailed pattern does appear. It looks like the early block T1s only gained the centreline tank after going back to Warton for upgrade and initally the early F2s were also lacking these although they were soon added. Later F2s from Warton were quickly fitted

Hi Sebastian, ZJ922/QO-C is still as delivered, and is marked with the pennant for OC 3 Sqn. Is one of the earlier jets delivered and operating in the centreline tank configuration. ZJ931/DA is also still as delivered, and came straight from Warton to 11 sqn as their first jet. Flies in the twin tank fit. ZJ916 was AD of 17® Sqn, but was issued to 3 Sqn last year as 'QO-U'. Flies with the centreline tank fitted. I think ZJ920 is still with 29® as BX. I haven't seen it on recent visits and the last reference to it I can see on the net is August. Some of the earlier F2's have gone back to Wa

Guys, Block 5 birds with PIRATE currently on unit strength at Coningsby are ZJ930/AA, ZJ939/DXI, ZJ933/DF and ZJ941/DG. ZJ940 was recently delivered unmarked from Warton but hasn't appeared yet. I saw the link showing the decals and there's a couple of points that might be of interest. ZJ915/BY is one of several hangar queen's that haven't flown for ages - 'BY' last flew early in 2006 I believe and is apparently sitting stripped in one of the hangar's at Coningsby. ZJ917/AE was reissued to 3 Sqn as 'QO-G' and is still current. The 3 Sqn bird, ZJ918/QO-L is current as well, infact I photograph

Hi again, The pic below is a pair of inert Storm Shadows on a Tornado GR4 at Marham families day a few months ago which may help (it was rather wet!). I'm guessing the shade looks like the same as the Tornado fuselage. Although my QRA pics have been on a thread before I didn't see the harm in putting on a couple of shots that haven't been seen yet. As you can see 4x AIM120A/Bs (jet has supposedly tested AIM120Cs and the MoD indicated they would be issued as standard but certainly not yet) and 4x ASRAAMs with wing tanks looks the normal so far seen on the pics available. There seems to

Thanks for the kind comments guys. 'DF' is quite clean as it's brand new and only just been delivered. I photographed 'QO-A' of 3 Sqn just under two months ago (not long after delivery) and the markings were fine then - maybe it was a defective decal? Mind you, at least these one's were put on the right way round - something 3 Sqn haven't exactly got right on other jets! See the fin decal on 'QO-Y', and then compare it too the other jet? Apparently they were rather embarrased at the time and I guessed it would be corrected sometime but it's been like that for over a year now. I gather there

Hi, During a discussion on the Typhoon thread in the jet forum I said I'd try and get some more upto date pics this week while on holiday. Well, the weather hasn't exactly helped but did get a few today inbetween heavy showers. Even nearly got one infront of a rainbow - why did he have to overshoot high?! That'll be why some of the colours are rather unusual! ZJ933/DF is one of the very latest jets to be delivered and is one of the block 5 airframes with the PIRATE infra-red sensor turret on the left side of the nose. It's fitted with the two outboard pylons, mid-station with the tanks

Hi again, Sorry, misunderstood about the fairings - now know which one's are in question. Just a couple of further thoughts. The QRA jet is still short of one pylon. There's another station that can be fitted inboard of all the others. I have only seen one case of this on a service jet (rather than a development aircraft) and that was the 11 Sqn jet in the static at Fairford this year. Here's a pic of the jet in static but it did not fly in this condition - the Paveway's were fitted only while on static. The jet was one of the earlier production airframes anyway, certainly not to block 5 stan

Hi Jon, I can't help much with German stores but I suspect that the probe might be what appears in the pic linked below? http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1249207/L If right, then it's the infra-red sensor turret (IRST) that is fitted to block 5 Typhoons onwards. It's one of the upgrades that will be added through all nationalities. At the moment though, only the most recent deliveries are fitted, although that will change. When I took that shot back in July, that was the only IRST Typhoon delivered to the RAF, and only another 2/3 have followed so far. I guess the Luftwaffe have a similar

Ian, A warning as this probably going to sound like a anorak moment but some info from photographs during visits to Coningsby. ZJ919 is now with 11 Sqn as 'DC'. Another one with the incorrect decal on the left side is ZJ926/QO-Y. I photographed it exactly a year ago like this and it was still wrong at the end of July when I last visited. Several of the former 3 & 17 sqn jets have now acquired 11 Sqn markings although flights from each unit often contains aircraft from other sqns which have been loaned out. I have heard a US sounding voice as a flight lead on 3 Sqn flights. Gary

Guys, That's my Apache pic linked earlier on in the thread at airliners.net. If it's any further help, there's a complete sequence of walk around shots I took of the 2006 static AH with modellers in mind at the link below. Some close ups of the CRV pods are included. That airframe at Colchester this year wasn't upto the current operational spec - it lacks HIDAS which the one in the link below does have fitted. I believe that static appearances at the Colchester military festival in 2006/7 have been the only public showing of AAC Apache's in the last two years here??! Dutch aircraft are far mo

Hi, Although a bit vague this may help a little. The 3 and 4 Regiment Lynx AH.7s at Wattisham were certainly fitted with BERP blades prior to 1997. During a visit inside around about 1994/5 they told me they had the new BERP blades - somewhere I have some old prints taken in the hangar but not to hand at the moment. Don't know for certain, but if I was a betting man the odds are 1 Reg in Germany were fitted likewise. Gary

Hi Flyingfortress, That's a difficult one. I would guess - and being a UK civvie it will be a guess - it would be because your daughter was serving US military. I know of at least one USAF enthusiast stationed here who would come out to where the UK enthusiasts were on the fenceline and photograph aircraft as it was either easier or he wasn't allowed to photograph inside. I believe the RAF have introduced some new ruling about serving personnel being banned from any form of personal photography inside their workplace so it may be similar to what the USAF enforces. I suppose the fact that I'm

Guys, Thanks for the kind comments. There's a lot of other very good shots of these on some of the other forums if anybody if wants to see more as I was only able to get a small sampling this week. I gather the Norwegian's have gone home but the Gripens might be around for some of next week so there's a remote chance I'll get some more. I've added a couple more below from their departure although the quality isn't very good due to the poor light. Gary

Hi again, I've photographed these quite often here in the UK. They seem to like using Marham quite frequently for approach work as well and usually stay in the circuit for a long time as well. Although based at Geilenkirchen in Germany the crews are multi-national from most - if not all - NATO countries. All the flight crews I've heard on the radio so far have certainly been European sounding but obviously there's a lot of people in the back!! Gary

Hi, In the earlier Gripen thread I promised I'd post up some pics from the Swedish deployment at nearby Lakenheath that was taking place this week. That said, I didn't think it was going to take three visits before I got anything presentable! These were taken barely a couple of hours ago and show 'Knight' flight of JAS-39C/Ds returning alongside 'Pistol' flight from the 493rd FS and a NATO E-3A that was working the Mildenhall/Lakenheath circuit around the same time. They just caught enough light in the early evening as the overcast (it was forecast to be a good day!!) finally cleared. Unfortu

Hi Paul, I certainly will do if I get anything. I'll be limited to late afternoons on a tues/weds myself, with thurs afternoon and all day friday if they were to stay open although that's not normal practise at Lakenheath. It's about 25 miles and I'll only go if the weather is decent. I'm also down to show somebody coming down to Suffolk for the week some Apache hunting on the Wattisham approach one of those days! I just hope the AAC are having one of their good days or I see trouble ahead.... I now gather they will all be JAS-39D twin-sticks. Thought it was duff info at first but have since

Hi Paul, The Gripens are down for tuesday according to sources, staying until either friday or next tuesday depending on what you read - between 6 & 8 are quoted. Some confusion about the F-16s, supposedly tomorrow, although it's only 2 to 3 coming but Lakenheath is NOTAMed to be closed on monday - not that the infamous Lakenheath and Mildenhall ATC have ever take much notice of UK NOTAMs mind you! Would I be right in thinking monday is a US holiday? Should be some Swedish support types as well. During their stay they're expected to be flying with the 493rd FS so they should be operating

Hi, Will hopefully see some of the latest variants here in the UK next week when the Swede's deploy a bunch to Lakenheath to play with the 48th FW. The Norwegian's are also meant to be bringing a couple of F-16s to the party as well. Hopefully get some pics during the week of operational Gripens rather than just the usual airshow stripped down examples - if the weather plays ball I'll post them up. Gary

...after last visiting nearly two years ago, NASA 928 came back into Mildenhall this evening. He must have been watching the local SOG C-130's pulling tight circuits as he turned in tight and came in very low (and I mean low....in 20 years I've never seen something hop that low over the fence). The first is a heavily cropped shot of the base leg. This is the newish C-17 that brought in the rest of the NASA team. The locals and one 'Reach' KC-135. Also a couple from my neighbouring base. The met office BAe 146 was in tthe overhead this morning as the AAC were taking the day of

Hi Again, Many thanks for the kind comments - it was certainly the best day I've ever had with the camera there, not that I've ever had a bad one! John, I'm game, sounds like you're familiar with the place as well. I'm only able to get there a few times a year as it's a fair run and only good weather on a rare day off will enable me to get there! Compared to some of my more local haunts though, it really is the easiest and most friendly military airfield to shoot at. I don't know anywhere else that is quite happy for photographers to use step ladders around the fenceline! Took a couple of cl