gary1701 Posted September 10, 2020 Share Posted September 10, 2020 Gents, Here's some pics shot at RAF Lakenheath yesterday evening. The Lakenheath F-15s are currently taking part in Exercise Point Blank and are also hosting one of the Aviano F-16 Sqns on a deployment for about a month. I was finally able to get over yesterday in the afternoon as the exercise includes night flying and this week they have only been flying afternoons and nights. The Aviano F-16s have not been launching until around 4pm, although with 16 here they have been putting the numbers up. These were all shot in the evening sunlight in about a one hour spell between 5 and 6 yesterday when they recovered about 25 F-16s and F-15s. Not sure why, but the lead ship of the first Viper pair brought one of his Paveways back, where as his No2 didn't. His No2 was a Have Glass airframe, apparently the only one Aviano has if a recent press release is accurate. One pair of Reapers from the 493rd FS were carrying SNIPER's on the centreline, the first time I've seen them do that at home. Four ship into the overhead, again from the 493rd. This 494th jet was flying wing for a IFE jet and overshot right over the North fence, low. Caught a few observers unawares! Mildenhall tanker inbound behind. The D model they brought was doing it's own thing, flying short sorties and constantly turning around, presumably giving a few rides. Hope I haven't gone too mad, but it was a rather good hour. Tried again tonight but it clouded over. They should be here next week as well. Gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gator52 Posted September 11, 2020 Share Posted September 11, 2020 Very nice Gary; do you ever travel to Fairford when the bombers are there? Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
habu2 Posted September 11, 2020 Share Posted September 11, 2020 Tell us about your camera/lens setup Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gary1701 Posted September 11, 2020 Author Share Posted September 11, 2020 Thanks gents. Fairford? I'm afraid not. Other side of the country from me and given the fact that when they do fly it's obviously only a few and they normally go early morning and back quite late so it's a long, long trip with no guarantees so I tend to think it's too much of a chance for me. The local guys down there seem to do okay and with the amount of varied shots they take so it's quite free and easy to do on the fence. Certainly the local photographers have built up quite a good relationship with the U-2 crews when they're about. If it was closer I would go for it, but given the distance and the fact that I don't have any local knowledge down there I leave that one for the locals! Hi Habu, all taken on my usual set up. Second hand Canon 7D Mk2 with a 12 year old Canon 100-400L IS lens - not the new Mk2 model but the original. They're all shot in a one hour spell, between 5 and 6 PM local, which is about 1 hour before sunset currently. Also the sun was straight down the runway at 4 so the early shots were quite nose on. Exposures were always manual, as I am constantly dialing in a different exposure as the light changes at that time of day. Shot from the top of a 5 step ladder on grass bank beside the access road at the exact spot marked below looking over the fence in the general direction of the arrow. Too the right you can see the official viewing area. For most of this week the viewing area has been full and cars parked up both sides all along the access road. It's been that busy. Most of them are not enthusiasts and photographers, but people and families out for the afternoon or evening. Even with the F-16s, if they hadn't mentioned increased flying in the local press then it wouldn't have been that busy! Normally the pics you see from me are from the other Southern side, as they're normally taken earlier in the day. Few of the 48th were out midday and came back early afternoon. We got lucky with the weather as this was the skies at about 2PM! I've been back twice since these were taken Wednesday afternoon and evening, I was there yesterday afternoon and this morning. Cloudy all evening yesterday and no flying this morning either so lucky I got them Wednesday. Gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob de Bie Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 21 hours ago, gary1701 said: Gary, I have a weird question for you! Recently I studied Lakenheath a bit, while I was counting shelters for my USAFE TAB-VEE shelters and their genesis webpage. I was rather puzzled by one detail: if you would reverse your arrow, it would be pointing at six sheds (?). In the Google Earth photos of various years, they kept moving around. Sometimes there are white dots around the sheds, but mostly not. I guess it's some sort of agricultural method, like turkey breeding. Can you enlighten me? Like I said, it's a pretty weird question 🙂 Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gary1701 Posted September 12, 2020 Author Share Posted September 12, 2020 (edited) Hi Rob, Yeah, it's farming outside the base. Not being a farmer, I don't know what type of farming it is but a lot of that Northern side in between the base fence and the road that runs parallel along the base is farming land. I've never looked at it closely as it's behind the treeline when you're either in the viewing area or parked alongside it. It's also an area that has seen tragedy as the two children murdered in the Soham murder case, one of the UK's most awful crimes, were found here in 2002. Sorry I can't help any more but I can say for certain it's nothing to do with the base. Gary Edited September 12, 2020 by gary1701 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob de Bie Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 21 minutes ago, gary1701 said: Yeah, it's farming outside the base. Not being a farmer, I don't know what type of farming it is but a lot of that Northern side in between the base fence and the road that runs parallel along the base is farming land. I've never looked at it closely as it's behind the treeline when you're either in the viewing area or parked alongside it. It's also an area that has seen tragedy as the two children murdered in the Soham murder case, one of the UK's most awful crimes, were found here in 2002. Sorry I can't help any more but I can say for certain it's nothing to do with the base. Wow, I had no idea.. I just read the Wiki page about the murders, unbelievable stuff.. The page says the girls' bodies were found near a pheasant pen. I therefore think my guess was right. Rob Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted September 12, 2020 Share Posted September 12, 2020 Great pictures as always, thanks for taking the time to post them Gary. I found it curious that the F-16's are flying with old AIM-9M captive training rounds. Figured those would have been long discarded. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gary1701 Posted September 12, 2020 Author Share Posted September 12, 2020 Hi Bee. They certainly were. I don't recall seeing any AIM-9X training rounds on them. Even the 48th jets still sometimes have them fitted, seen them on jets in the same flight. The E units only went over to the X model recently, but the 493rd have had them since the start, yet still load M model training rounds on the odd occasion. Gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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