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Sunday at Mildenhall and Lakenheath


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Gents,

The results of todays trip over. Some rare stuff around at the moment but mostly a day of missed chances and shots not coming off. Also, I think I'm really out of practise nowadays as I made so many elementary mistakes (forgetting to check memory cards have space, getting fencing in the shots from a ladder...etc...etc) I got rather disillusioned by the end of the day.

Anyway, to start with. HMX-1 are back again in readiness for the US Presidents visit this coming week. The three MV-22s are parked so they can be viewed from the outside but at some distance which brings up heat haze. Another example is due in and the two USMC KC-130's departed Mildenhall this morning to go get it.

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The base security was pretty jumpy this morning, far more than usual and anybody 'touching' the fence was being spoken too, although photographing over the top from a stepladder (as these were taken) was okay! I just hope this coming week when they start flying we don't have a repeat of the hostile attitude of 2012.

'Reach 393', the first C-17 of several in. This one brought in a VH-3D.

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A little later, 'Reach 394' was next, not sure what he brought as he went straight to the Southside amongst the hangars.

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Finally, 'Reach 392' re-positioned from RAF Northolt in London where it had earlier delivered a VH-60.

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Then, over to Lakenheath where the main event of the day was due to occur. 'Tabor 31' flight of four Tyndall F-22s were due in late afternoon to join the other eight that arrived earlier in the week. Unfortunately, it went wrong for viewing. Viewing runway 24 is easy but the arrivals would have the sun straight down the nose, unless they came in late, assuming we got any. About an hour before they were due in the airfield was broadcasting runway 06 was in use, which is a pain to view from the outside and would put the sun pretty much up their 6 o'clock. But, I changed ends and was walking along the field at that end when the base changed runways back to 24, and it takes a good twenty minutes to get back, plus they were early and only a few minutes out - they don't use a lot of local ATC! So I raced down to the fence at the 06 end to catch the last two taxiing off, but it's not good for viewing and suffers from yet more heat haze! Just the one.

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Next week should be good, with the Raptors starting flying on Monday and presumably some practise flights from HMX-1 ahead of the presidents arrival on Friday. Unfortunately, I'll be stuck at work all week...

Gary

Edited by gary1701
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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks again Gary for sharing. I just missed those Ospreys stop through Kansas City a few months ago, would like to snap some pics of them myself, they are nice looking!

David

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Hi Gents,

Thanks again for the kind words. It looks like every photographer in the UK has been over to Lakenheath to get some F-22 shots in the last fortnight except me. Rumour is they're here for maybe another fortnight so there is still a outside chance I might get another chance.

Sorry, but much to my regret in the old days I never did slides. As a kid I shot loads of RAF F-4 pics at the nearby base of Wattisham but only kept little 5' by 7' prints as I didn't have projection equipment. I really regret it now as other guys have slides that they can now digitize to a good quality and I never even kept most of the negatives.

Gary

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Try scanning.

Haven't done it myself but I've seen excellent results (i.e. true-to-original) with other photo type originals.

Modern scanners and software can replicate very well and allow blowups during "processing" so enlargements don't "pixelate".

On my list to scan some photos---I have negatives but will be a lot cheaper if I can scan.

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Hi again,

Here's a couple that have been scanned from prints, although they have been on here before. I'm not sure how my scanner/printer combo compares to some of the modern equipment but it seems reasonable considering the source is small 6' by 4' (got the size on the previous post wrong) prints from the mid 1980's.

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Gary

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