Aviation News 201503

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THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF FLIGHT Incorporating

IONIncorporating

UK £4.40 March 2015 www.aviation-news.co.uk

SKIATHOS

BA’s Long-Haul A318sBA’s Long-Haul A318sCITY SLICKERS

Europe’s St Maarten

Flying Car Ferry

CARVAIRGROWLER

Next Gen Jammer

MILDENHALL MEMORIES

On Board with Qatar AirwaysOn Board with Qatar AirwaysOn Board with Qatar Airways

FIRST A350 SERVICE

Countering the V-1 MenaceCountering the V-1 MenaceCountering the V-1 Menace

DOODLEBUG DESTROYERS

IN THE NEWSKC-390 Maiden Flight

New Air Force One SelectedRussian Bears over the ChannelEXCLUSIVE

DANISH DRAKENSCold War All-Rounder

IONMILDENHALL MEMORIES

01_AN_MAR_15_UK.indd 1 05/02/2015 17:28

Produced by Key Publishing with exclusive access to the Royal Air Force, and featuring articles written with and by RAF personnel, The Offi cial RAF Annual Review 2015 is a 132-page special magazine that provides behind the scenes insight into the aircraft, equipment and people of one of the world’s premier air forces.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

TYPHOON FORCE: READY FOR TODAY AND TOMORROWTyphoon Force Commander Air Commodore Philip Beach provides an update on RAF Typhoon capability and details his vision for the aircraft’s future

MARHAM MATTERS: TORNADO AT THE HEART OF OPERATIONSGroup Captain Harvey Smyth, RAF Marham Station Commander looks back on a busy year of operations over Afghanistan, Africa and Iraq, with exclusive 40th anniversary Tornado air-to-air photography

TIW: THE EYES THAT GUIDE THE TALONSA rare glimpse inside the Tactical Imagery Intelligence Wing, the RAF’s premier reconnaissance imagery analysis and dissemination unit

AND MUCH MORE!

The Offi cial RAF Annual Review 2015

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Copies of Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft can be obtained each month by placing a standing order with your newsagent. In case of diffi culty, contact our Circulation Manager. Readers in the USA may place subscriptions by visiting www.aviation-news.co.uk or by calling toll free 800 676 4049 or fax 757 4286253 or by writing to Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft, 3330 Pacifi c Ave, Ste 500, Virginia Beach, VA, 23451-9828. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft, Key Publishing Ltd C/o Mail Right International Inc. 1637 Stelton Road B4 Piscataway NJ 08854. Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft (ISSN: 2047-7198), is published monthly by Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ, UK and distributed in the USA by Mail Right Int., 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Periodicals Postage Paid at Piscataway, NJ and additional mailing offi ces.Printed in England by Warners (Midland) plc, Bourne, Lincolnshire. (ISSN 2047-7198). The entire contents of AVIATION NEWS INCORPORATING CLASSIC AIRCRAFT is a copyright of Key Publishing Ltd, and can not be reproduced in any form without permission.

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CONTENTS

Main image: A Transavia Boeing 737-800 on short � nals at Skiathos. The dramatic scenes of aircraft on � nal approach have earned the Greek airport the nickname, ‘The St Maarten of Europe’. AirTeamImages.com/Timo Breidenstein. Inset (top): The SR-71 Blackbird has been one of the types to call Mildenhall home. Stuart Freer-Touchdown Aviation. Inset (bottom left). The Boeing EA-18G Growler has replaced the EA-6B Prowler in US Navy service. José Ramos. Inset (bottom right): A British Air Ferries ATL-98 Carvair. AirTeamImages.com/Wolfgang Mendorf

3www.aviation-news.co.uk

04 Headlines

06 Civil News

15 Models Roundup

18 Military News

32 Preservation News

40 Flight Bag

48 Aviation Archaeology

67 Air Mail

68 Register Review

72 Airport Movements

76 Air Base Movements

FEATURES

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12 A350 XWB Maiden ServiceCharles Kennedy was on board Qatar Airways’ inaugural Airbus A350 XWB service, the world’s � rst commercial � ight of the type.

16 Church Fenton RebornChurch Fenton’s new owner has big plans for the ex-RAF base – Aviation News Assistant Editor James Ronayne visited the air� eld to learn all about them.

22 Mildenhall MemoriesFollowing the news that the USAF is to leave RAF Mildenhall, Bob Archer looks back over the base’s history.

36 BA’s Transatlantic A318 ServiceBritish Airways is the only airline to offer a transatlantic route from London City Airport as Charles Kennedy explains.

42 Skiathos – The St Maarten of EuropeMartyn Cartledge pro� les Skiathos Airport, the small Greek airport famed for its dramatic landings and close viewing opportunities.

50 Growler – Electronic AttackerBrad Elward reviews the progress of the Boeing EA-18G Growler and assesses what the future holds for this electronic attack variant of the Super Hornet.

56 Carvair – Flying Car FerryAndy Martin/AirTeamImages looks at the development of the distinctive Aviation Traders Carvair.

62 Danish DragonsDoug Gordon tells the story of the Saab Draken in Royal Danish Air Force service.

78 Doodlebug Destroyers David Nicholas describes anti-V-1 operations during World War Two.

Claim your FREE Vulcan Cockpit or St Maarten Airport DVD worth £12.49 when you subscribe to Aviation News.

See pages 30 and 31 for details.

FREE DVD

Maarten Airport DVD

03_contents.JRDC.indd 3 06/02/2015 16:38

Embraer successfully � ew its KC-390 multi-role tanker transport for the � rst time on February 3.

Test pilots Mozart Louzada and Marcos Salgado de Oliveira Lima and � ight test engineers Raphael Lima and Roberto Becker evaluated the aircraft’s performance throughout the 1hr 25min � ight from Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto factory, near São Paulo, Brazil.

“This � rst � ight is a fundamental step toward accomplishing the task with which we were entrusted,” said Frederico Fleury Curado, President and CEO of Embraer. “The KC-390 is the result of a close co-operation with the Brazilian Air Force and international partners, representing what is most likely the greatest technological challenge that the company has

ever encountered in its history.”The aircraft, registered PT-ZNF, is the � rst of

two prototypes that will be involved in the � ight test programme, which is expected to last until the end of 2016, when deliveries will begin.

Jackson Schneider, President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security said: “The programme continues to move forward as planned and the KC-390 has drawn interest from several countries around the world.”

During the maiden � ight, the crew performed manoeuvres to evaluate the KC-390’s � ight characteristics and conducted a variety of systems tests. “The KC-390 behaved in a docile and predictable manner,” said Captain Louzada. “The advanced � y-by-wire � ight control system and the latest-generation avionics make � ying easy and

render a smooth and precise � ight.”The Brazilian Air Force signed a production

contract for the delivery of 28 KC-390 aircraft as well as initial logistics support on May 20 last year. Embraer also has commitments from other countries for a total of 32 KC-390s, comprising six for Argentina, six for Chile, 12 for Colombia, two for the Czech Republic and six for Portugal.

Aeronautics Commander, Lieutenant-Brigadier General Nivaldo Luiz Rossato of the Brazilian Air Force said: “The KC-390 will be the backbone of transport aviation for the Brazilian Air Force. From the Amazon to Antarctica, the � eet of 28 aircraft will play a key role in the diversity of projects of the Brazilian State, from scienti� c research to the maintenance of sovereignty.”

Air Force One Replacement AnnouncedUS Air Force officials have selected the Boeing 747-8 airliner as the platform for the next US Presidential aircraft, more commonly known as ‘Air Force One’. The decision, announced on January 28, was made by Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James in co-ordination with the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Frank Kendall.

“The aircraft is one of the most visible symbols of the United States of America and the office of the President of the United States,” James said. “The Boeing 747-8 is the only aircraft manufactured in the United States [that], when fully missionised, meets the necessary capabilities established to execute the presidential support mission.”

Analysis suggested a four-engined widebody aircraft was required to meet the needs of the Air Force One mission, making it

a choice between the 747-8 and Airbus’ A380.The decision, made official through a

Determinations and Findings document, authorises the commercial aircraft purchase without the need for a competition and has allowed discussions with Boeing that should lead to a contract for the aircraft as well as the modi� cations necessary to adapt the 747-8 for its mission.

“This decision is not a contract award to procure 747-8 aircraft,” said Col Amy McCain, the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization (PAR) programme manager. “We still need to � nalise the overall acquisition strategy and conduct risk reduction activities with Boeing to inform the engineering and manufacturing development contract negotiations that will de� ne the capabilities and cost.”

To keep costs down, the USAF is seeking competitive bids for sustainment of the aircraft

throughout its planned 30-year life cycle. “We’re committed to incorporating competition for subsystems of the missionised aircraft as much as practicable and will participate substantively in any competitions led by the prime contractor,” said James.

“The programme will use multiple strategies, such as the use of proven technologies and commercially certi� ed equipment, to ensure it is as affordable as possible while still meeting mission requirements,” she added.

The new aircraft will replace two Boeing VC-25As (modi� ed versions of the 747-200B) which reach the end of their planned 30-year service life in 2017. Although they have performed well, James noted: “Parts obsolescence, diminishing manufacturing sources and increased downtimes for maintenance are existing challenges that will increase until a new aircraft is � elded.”

4 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft March 2015

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The prototype KC-390 multi-role tanker transport, PT-ZNF, takes-off from Gavião Peixoto on its maiden � ight. Embraer

The � rst aircraft to wear easyJet’s new livery, Airbus A319-111 G-EZDE, emerged from the paintshop at East Midlands Airport on February 2. AirTeamImages.com/Andy Martin

New Liveryfor easyJet Unveiled

04-05_headlinesJR.mf.JRDC.mf.indd 4 06/02/2015 12:02

LH Wings Set for Take-off

Lufthansa’s new ‘Wings’ concept has been given formal approval by the airline’s supervisory board. The initiative is built around the transformation of Düsseldorf-based subsidiary Eurowings from regional airline to low-cost long- and short-haul operator by the end of this year.

“The ‘New Eurowings’ is our response to one of the major challenges confronting Europe’s airline industry,” Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr explained. “For several years now we’ve been facing � erce competition from the rapidly growing low-cost carriers in the point-to-point travel segment, not only in Germany but throughout Europe too. And we are sure to see this competition extend more and more to the long-haul travel segment in the years ahead. Our ‘New Eurowings’ is our innovative response, which will enable us to fashion our own markets here.”

Lufthansa said the subsidiary’s � eet of 23 Bombardier CRJ900s will be replaced like-

for-like with Airbus A320s – ten of which will be new while the other 13 will be transferred from the Lufthansa Group’s existing orders – between now and March 2017. Eurowings will also lease up to seven 310-seat Airbus A330-200s for its intercontinental routes, initially from Cologne Bonn Airport to points in North America, southern Africa and the Indian Ocean. The latter will be � own in collaboration with SunExpress (a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines), and will operate under the German-Turkish carrier’s Air Operator Certi� cate (AOC) and use its � ight and cabin crews.

The New Eurowings concept is the latest element of Lufthansa’s ongoing reorganisation, which has seen the � ag carrier transfer its non-hub routes (those not serving Frankfurt or Munich) to subsidiary Germanwings.

New A321neo Variant LaunchedAirbus officially launched the A321neo with a 97-tonne maximum take-off weight (MTOW) on January 13, with Los Angeles-based lessor Air Lease Corporation (ALC) as its � rst customer.

ALC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for 30 of the increased range jet, raising its A321neo commitments made at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow from 60 to 90.

The ‘A321neo 97t’ will have the longest range of any single-aisle airliner – at 4,000nm (7,408km) – thanks to an additional fuel tank in the forward under� oor hold and improvements to the wing and fuselage – and will be able to � y 206 passengers in a two-class layout. First deliveries are expected in 2019.

John Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating

Officer, Customers, said: “We’re delighted to officially launch the A321neo 97t option with ALC. The longer-haul single-aisle market is a lucrative one that the A321neo will now dominate, thanks to the aircraft’s superior comfort, economics and range.

“This new version of the A321neo is a high revenue generating aircraft which will open up many new opportunities for our customers.”


Airbus A320-214 D-AIZQ is the � rst aircraft to be painted in the new Eurowings livery. AirTeamImages.com/HAMFive

The � rst Airbus Defence and Space A400M for the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) performed its maiden � ight at Seville San Pablo Airport, Spain, on February 2. Rolled out on January 21 and registered M54-01 (c/n 0022), it is the � rst of four A400Ms Malaysia has on order. RMAF pilots, maintenance engineers and technicians are meanwhile undergoing training at the Airbus Defence and Space International Training Centre in Seville. Airbus Defence and Space

First Malaysian A400M

The announcement that RAF Mildenhall is to close came as a shock to many. The USAF says it can do the same job by relocating the aircraft elsewhere in Europe, and shutting the base will save a signi� cant amount of money.

Things had seemed to be on the up at the base with the arrival of Bell Boeing CV-22B Ospreys for the 352nd Special Operations Group (SOG). The unit has also been upgrading from the MC-130H Combat Talon II and MC-130P Combat Shadow to the MC-130J Commando II.

The most perplexing decision relating to the closure of Mildenhall is the choice of the future home for the 352nd SOG at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. As a special operations unit, its crews have to be able to � y at very low level behind enemy lines, a skill they can practise in the UK. However, in Germany the lowest limit allowed for � xed-wing military aircraft is 1,000ft (305m) and 500ft (152m) for helicopters outside of ranges – signi� cantly higher than would be � own on a real operation. It does seem odd to base a unit in a country where it cannot adequately conduct training for its core mission.

Special operations units are increasingly in demand so it seems likely that personnel will have the extra burden of additional training detachments in other countries, taking them away from their families even more.

Another surprise is the timing of the announcement. The US has been drastically reducing its forces and infrastructure in Europe since the end of the Cold War in 1991 but Mildenhall had survived all the cuts. Yet, just as tensions with Russia have increased and the US is seeking to bolster NATO, it closes a major base.

For aviation enthusiasts Mildenhall has provided many happy memories, be it for the popular Air Fetes, seeing and photographing interesting aircraft or making new friends at the fence – for these reasons alone it will be fondly remembered. The article about the base, starting on page 22, should provide a nostalgic look back for many readers.

On a positive note the decision to station F-35s at nearby RAF Lakenheath is welcome news, especially as it seems this will return the base to a four-unit wing by retaining the two squadrons of F-15E Strike Eagles (see the ‘Lakenheath Restructuring Update’ news story on page 19).

We hope you enjoy the issue.

Dino [email protected]

EDITORIAL

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New A330 VariantAirbus successfully completed the maiden � ight of the � rst 242 tonne maximum take-off weight (MTOW) variant of the A330 on January 12. The aircraft, F-WWYY (c/n 1628), was in the air for three and a half hours before landing back at Toulouse Blagnac Airport. The A330 242 MTOW variant is the platform for the future development of the A330 and will enter

service with launch customer Delta Air Lines later this year. This latest enhancement offers airline customers more capability at lower operating costs with the jet’s range extended by up to 500nm (925km) and a 2% reduction in fuel consumption, while also bene� ting from a projected operational reliability of above 99%.

More Phenom 300s for NetJets

NetJets has signed a deal with Embraer for ten Signature Series Phenom 300s worth $89.55m.

The company currently operates 36 Phenom 300s with fractional owners in the US and Europe. The additional aircraft will be delivered from January 2016.

“The Signature Series Phenom 300 is an outstanding light jet and the fastest selling aircraft ever in NetJets’ � eet,” said NetJets Senior Vice President of Global Asset Management, Chuck Suma. He said they will feature advanced in-� ight entertainment, a custom cabin design including specially selected fabrics and materials, enhanced seating, broad spectrum lighting and spacious storage. Mr Suma added that they will have “the most advanced avionics and technological features to ensure maximum safety, reliability and operating efficiency”.

Havana Air

Florida-based Havana Air has begun using Vision Airlines’ Boeing 737-405 N745VA (c/n 24271) on its services between Miami, Florida and Havana and Santa Clara in Cuba. The aircraft has been repainted in Havana Air colours after joining the carrier on December 11. Jan Seba

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First Dreamliner for Scoot

Singapore-based budget long-haul carrier Scoot took delivery of its � rst Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner on February 2. The aircraft, registered 9V-OJA and named Dream Start, is the � rst of 20 Dreamliners the airline has on order and will initially be used on � ights to Perth in Australia and Hong Kong. Joe G Walker

NIAA Secures FundingGovernment funding has been secured for a new aviation academy at Norwich International Airport.

The Norwich International Aviation Academy (NIAA) has been granted £3m towards the £12.5m project which will create a centre of excellence for education and skills in aviation, supporting 80 engineering apprenticeships per year. Degree-level and higher education courses in engineering, airport operations and cabin crew training will also be provided.

The academy is supported by a core

group of founding partners, including KLM UK Engineering, Norwich International Airport, University of East Anglia and New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, the organisation that secured the funding.

The rest of the � nancing is expected to come from loan funding and the private sector, and will provide the ‘real world’ training experience with a full-size aircraft, additional equipment and aviation facilities. The academy plans to open its doors in September 2016, although a feed programme with City College Norwich started in September 2014.

Learjet 85 Development Suspended

Bombardier has announced that it is to “pause” development of its Learjet 85 mid-sized business jet. The Learjet 85 made its public debut at the NBAA Convention in October 2014 but its development has been protracted, and Bombardier’s priorities are to get the C-Series airliner and the Global 7000 and 8000 business jets certi� cated as quickly as possible. Bombardier is to lay off around 620 workers at its Wichita plant and 380 at its factory at Querétero in Mexico where the composite airframes were to be manufactured. Rod Simpson

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Cyprus Airways Stops FlyingCyprus Airways suspended all of its flying operations on January 9, after the European Commission (EC) ordered the airline to pay back €65m in illegal state aid. The EC said in a statement: “Cyprus Airways has received large quantities of public money since 2007, but was unable to restructure and become viable without continued state support. Therefore, injecting additional public money would only prolong the struggle without achieving a turnaround. Companies need to be profitable based on their own merits and

ability to compete, and cannot, and should not rely on taxpayers’ money to stay in the market artificially.”

Cyprus Airways, which was 93.67%-owned by the Cypriot Government, struggled financially for many years and had been offered for sale recently. Several loans paid to the airline in 2012 to keep it flying triggered the Commission to open its investigation in February last year. Under European Union rules, a company is only allowed to receive restructuring aid once

in any ten years, and these were deemed to have breached EU state aid rules. Cyprus Airways was ordered to, “pay back all incompatible aid received”, triggering the immediate grounding. The move left thousands of passengers stranded and the government had to step in to organise charter flights to get travellers to their destinations. It also pledged to cover the costs for people rebooking tickets with other carrier’s for travel up to and including February 9.

DHL Express has launched a new daily helicopter service moving parcels between the company’s Heathrow hub and the Vanguard helipad on the Isle of Dogs in London. Aerospeed’s Bell 206B JetRanger, G-SUET, has been painted in DHL’s livery and was seen at Denham on January 20 prior to the launch of the service the following day. Brian G Nichols


Heathrow A380 Guide AmendmentIn last month’s issue, which featured the ‘Heathrow Airbus A380 Guide,’ please note that two of the headings for the airlines (except for British Airways) were the wrong way round and it should be ‘Arrival time’ first and then ‘Departure time’.

Air Burkina has acquired its first Embraer 170, XT-ABS (c/n 17000027). The aircraft was formerly SP-LDD with LOT Polish Airlines and is the first of two E170s for the airline. Air Burkina is the national carrier of Burkina Faso and operates a McDonnell Douglas MD-87 and a Bombardier CRJ200ER both of which it plans to retire later this year. AirTeamImages.com/Jan Ostrowski

Embraer for Air Burkina

New Express Service from DHL

Last AirTran FlightThe name AirTran Airways disappeared from the skies at the end of December following the carrier’s final service, with all flights now operating under the Southwest Airlines banner.

The last flight, AirTran Airways 1, departed Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for Tampa Bay International Airport on December 28.

Hucknall Airfield to Close

While there has been good news for airfields with the recent reopening of Church Fenton (Aviation News, February 2015 issue, p12), the general aviation community is to lose another destination with the closure of Hucknall Airfield, Nottingham on March 1. This historic airfield has been in use for 99 years and more recently was an engine flight test base for Rolls-Royce. The Merlin Flying Club, which has operated from Hucknall for 52 years, will welcome visiting pilots to a final party on the weekend of February 28 to March 1, with free overnight camping available and a fireworks display on the Saturday evening. Rod Simpson

Busiest International Hub

Dubai International Airport overtook London Heathrow as the world’s busiest airport for international passengers in 2014. All of the 69.9m people passing through the airport flew on international routes as no domestic United Arab Emirates (UAE) traffic uses the hub. Heathrow recorded 68.1m international passengers for 2014, although in terms of total passenger numbers it remains ahead of Dubai, as a further 5.3m domestic passengers used its terminals. Its 73.4m passenger total was up 1.4% on 2013. The figures for Dubai were helped by a record pre-Christmas weekend when 638,000 people passed through the facility.

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Balloon Records BrokenAmerican Troy Bradley and Russian Leonid Tiukhtyaev broke two long-standing ballooning records in January.

The pair completed a trip across the Paci� c Ocean on January 31, landing their helium-� lled balloon 4 miles (6km) offshore

in Baja California, Mexico. They had set off from Japan on January

25, travelling 6,646 miles (10,696km) which broke the distance record of 5,209 miles (8,383km) set by the Double Eagle V team during the � rst transpaci� c � ight

in 1981. The journey took 160hr 38mins which broke the 137-hour duration record set in 1978 by the Double Eagle crew of Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman in the � rst balloon � ight across the Atlantic.

EC175 Enters Service

Belgian company Noordzee Helikopters Vlaanderen (NHV) became the world’s � rst operator of the Airbus Helicopters EC175 in December. One of three launch customers for the EC175, it ordered ten in February 2012 and another six in February 2014. The new helicopters will be used for scheduled offshore � ights for the oil and gas industry plus search and rescue (SAR) missions.

NHV took delivery of the � rst two production EC175s, PH-NHV (c/n 5002, ex F-WJXA) and PH-NHU (c/n 5004), during a ceremony at the manufacturer’s Marignane plant near Marseille on December 11. Both � ew to NHV’s Ostend

base in Belgium the next day, where they stayed brie� y before continuing to their home base, Den Helder Airport in the Netherlands. From there, PH-NHV made the type’s � rst-ever commercial � ight – to a rig in the North Sea – on December 18.

The � rm is scheduled to take delivery of two more EC175s in March, followed by two in September, two more by the end of the year and another two in early 2016. The � nal six should join the � eet in 2017. Kees van der Mark

Red Wings Adds Superjet

Russian carrier Red Wings is the latest airline to operate the Sukhoi Superjet 100. The carrier took delivery of RA-89021 – the � rst of three SSJ100s on order - at Moscow Domodedovo International Airport from where it will initially operate � ights to Makhachkala and Grozny in the south of Russia. The plan is to extend services to Ufa, Sochi and Mineralnye Vody.

Under the terms of the lease agreement, signed in October 2014, Red Wings will have the three SSJ100s for three years with the possibility of extending the deal. The aircraft are being delivered in a 93-seat two-class cabin con� guration.

A new Boeing 747-8 VIP was delivered to Bournemouth Airport on January 16. The aircraft, registered VQ-BSK is the second jumbo jet to be based at the airport alongside 747-SP21 VP-BAT, a long-term Bournemouth resident which is registered to Worldwide Aircraft Holdings. Mark Empson

Airbus Helicopters EC175 PH-NHV – one of two recently delivered for offshore � ights – landing at Den Helder Airport in the Netherlands in January. Kees van der Mark

ORDERSAirline Aircraft Number Order Placed NotesAerofl ot Sukhoi Superjet 100 20 January 15 Air Canada Jazz Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 13 February 2 Order also includes an

option on ten moreAir Europa Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner 14 January 15 Air New Zealand Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner 2 December 2014 All Nippon Airways Boeing 737-800 5 January 2 All Nippon Airways Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner 3 January 2 All Nippon Airways Airbus A321ceo/neo 7 January 30 Four A321ceo and 3 A321neoChina Aircraft Leasing Company Airbus A320neo 74 December 2014 China Aircraft Leasing Company Airbus A320ceo 16 December 2014 China Aircraft Leasing Company Airbus A321ceo 10 December 2014 Elix Aviation Capital Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 3 January 21 GECAS Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 5 December 31 Horizon Air Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 2 January 22 Qatar Airways Boeing 777F 4 January 6 Unidentifi ed Customer Bombardier CRJ900 24 December 30

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American Gets First 787

American Airlines has taken delivery of its � rst Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The aircraft, registered N800AN (c/n 40618), was accepted at Boeing Everett, Washington, on January 22 before � ying to American’s headquarters at Dallas Fort Worth Airport, Texas, the following day. The Oneworld carrier has placed � rm orders for 42 Boeing 787 aircraft, with the rights to acquire an additional 58. The airline’s � rm order includes both the 787-8 and 787-9. The � rst Dreamliner is scheduled to enter revenue service in the second quarter, � ying domestically between American’s hubs for several weeks before being launched on international � ights.

Big Boeing at Bournemouth

06-08_10-11_civil.JRDC.indd 8 06/02/2015 16:32

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New Gatwick Designs ReleasedGatwick Airport has unveiled new designs for what it claims would be the world’s most efficient two-runway airport, should it win the battle against London Heathrow Airport for expansion.

Architect Sir Terry Farrell has drawn up the plans, which the airport says will eliminate queues, speed up passenger transit through the airport and match the quickest aircraft turnaround times in the world.

It says this will be achieved with self-service bag drops and electronic security gates allowing passengers to reach boarding gates “just 30 minutes after arriving at the airport”.

Gatwick adds that the plans are

“comparatively simple and low risk” and can be delivered in ten years.

The airport’s Chief Executive, Stewart Wingate, said: “An expanded Gatwick can be delivered quickly and at no additional cost to the taxpayer so the UK can reap the economic bene� ts of expansion sooner.

“The way we travel is changing fast and we have to change with it – only Gatwick can cater for all passengers, travelling to any destination, with any airline type, now and into the future.”

He added: “Our plan recognises that traditional methods of transferring are in decline, with many passengers exploiting new options to ‘self-connect’ between a mix of

low-cost short- and medium-haul, charter and long-haul � ights depending on their budget and needs.

“Gatwick Connect – our ground-breaking service – is an example of us already responding to changing passenger behaviour, and the needs of passengers will remain central to our plan to expand.”

Sir Terry said: “Queues have literally been designed out and the new terminal will be simple and convenient to use with few changes of level. The air� eld itself would also offer the shortest taxiing distances possible with the new apron sitting between, and in close-proximity to, both the existing and new runways.”

BD-22L Debut at Sebring

The US Sport Aviation Expo, held at Sebring, Florida between January 14-17, saw several aircraft making their � rst appearances at the show including Bedecorp’s BD-22L light sport aircraft, the maiden � ight of which is imminent. The prototype is powered by a 118hp Lycoming O-235 engine but the airframe can take engines in the 160hp to 235hp range. The BD-22L, which has a composite fuselage and metal wings, similar to those on the BD-4 homebuilt, has a particularly wide cabin and sufficient space to the rear to allow expansion into a four seater. The kit has only 400 parts and the company expects builders to complete their aircraft in around 120 hours.

Other debutants included the Tecnam Astore and the Paradise P-1NG. To date 50 of the low-wing Astore two-seater have been built. The P-1NG is an updated version of the Brazilian-built P-1 with a wider cabin and rear baggage door. Rod Simpson

Maldivian Airlines has acquired its � rst Airbus A321 having taken delivery of a former Iberia example. Registered 8Q-IAI (formerly EC-JMR), the aircraft was delivered from Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport to Male in the Maldives on January 20. Matthew McNulty

Maldivian Adds A321

New Cambodian airline Bassaka Air began domestic � ights, serving Siem Reap from Phnom Penh, on December 1. The airline, which operates two former Vietnam Airlines Airbus A320-214s including XU-113 pictured above, also serves Macau. Jan Seba

Bassaka Air

NEW ROUTES (SELECTIVE)Airline Route Frequency Begins NotesAir Nostrum Vigo - Luton Two per week March 30 CRJ900Azerbaijan Airlines Baku - Berlin Tegel Two per week May 2 A319bmi regional Munich - Liege 12 per week March 29 ERJ 145bmi regional Munich - Rotterdam 17 per week March 29 ERJ 145CSA Czech Airlines Prague - Liverpool Two per week May 18 A319Jetstar Airways Gold Coast - Nadi Three per week March 31 A320KLM Amsterdam - Belfast City Daily May 18 Fokker 70Norwegian Air Shuttle Gatwick - Kefalonia One per week April 18 737-800Pegasus Airlines Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen - Milan Malpensa Four per week March 28 737/A320SunExpress Izmir - Luton Two per week July 11 737-800Transaero Moscow Vnukovo - Prague Daily March 29 737NGWestJet Calgary - Houston Daily September 8 737-700Wizz Air Gdansk - Aberdeen Two per week June 19 A320WOW air Kefl avik - Dublin Three per week June 2 A320

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Kalstar Gets Embraers

Indonesian regional operator Kalstar Aviation has acquired two second-hand Embraer 195s. The airline, based in the province of Kalimantan on Borneo, will operate to and from the island on routes within Indonesia.

“The E195 gives us an opportunity to open new routes and provide better connectivity, frequency and passenger comfort to the people of Kalimantan,” said Andi Masyhur, CEO of Kalstar Aviation. “We believe that passengers will greatly value the two-plus-two cabin layout that offers unrivalled comfort in this segment.”

The airline’s � rst Embraer is an ex-Flybe example – G-FBEA (c/n 19000029) – which has become PK-KDA.

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New Air Ambulance for Wiltshire

Wiltshire Air Ambulance started operations with its brand new Bell 429 on January 9. The helicopter – registered G-WLTS – replaces the McDonnell Douglas MD900 Explorer, G-WPAS, which the trust had operated jointly with Wiltshire Police Air Support Unit.

The Bell 429 is on a ten-year lease from Heli Charter of Manston and will fly up to

19 hours a day. Initially it will operate in the daytime, with night flying starting in spring this year. This is to enable the pilots to accumulate experience with the aircraft and operating area while at the same time training for night flying. The average cost of a mission for the helicopter is approximately £2,500. Adrian M Balch


IN BRIEFMARSHALL AVIATION SERVICES has agreed a long-term lease for the executive aviation handling facility (FBO) at Birmingham Airport and will formally open for business under the ‘Marshall Aviation Services’ name within the next few months.

First Jet for Albatros

The first jet for Venezuelan carrier Albatros Airlines was rolled out of the Airbourne Colours paintshop at East Midlands Airport in January. The Boeing 737-500, registered N102ES (c/n 28995), is the first aircraft to wear the airline’s new livery. Karl Nixon

Court Rules CAA Restrictions Apply to NortholtA British High Court Judge has ruled that the safety of all civilian aircraft using government-owned military aerodromes is the responsibility of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

The ruling comes after Biggin Hill Airport and London Oxford Airport lodged an application for a judicial review into the use of RAF Northolt for business aviation flights, claiming the West London aerodrome did not meet civil safety standards.

The judgment, handed down by the Hon Mr Justice Popplewell on January 23, dismissed the judicial review application in its entirety because of a technicality. However, the judge ruled that the CAA is responsible for the safety of all civilian flights using RAF Northolt and other military aerodromes in the United Kingdom and not

the Military Aviation Authority (MAA) as was believed to be the case.

The trigger for the proceedings came in April 2012 when the MoD lifted the self-imposed limit on commercial flights at Northolt from 7,000 to 12,000 movements per year.

Will Curtis, Managing Director of Biggin Hill Airport, said in a statement after the hearing: “RAF Northolt evidently believed it was entitled to bypass many internationally accepted aviation safety measures – measures that civil airports, such as ours, are required to maintain. Lower safety standards at military aerodromes are unacceptable, not only for those in the aviation industry, but also for passengers and those in the surrounding community on the ground.”

The CAA is now expected to carry out a

safety audit at RAF Northolt. London Oxford Airport and London Biggin Hill Airport have also lodged a State Aid complaint with the EU Competition Commission, arguing that the MoD has been unfairly competing with the private sector.

“Using taxpayers’ money to compete with civil airports serving the same customers is simply not equitable,” Curtis added. “As military and government flights at RAF Northolt have declined, replacing them with 12,000 civilian flights a year means it is now effectively a civil airport via the back door, despite the Airports Commission stating that it sees no long-term role for it.”

A statement on RAF Northolt’s website says the airfield “remains able to accept civil aviation as per its published limitations and procedures”.

Vietnam Airlines Moves to Heathrow

Vietnam Airlines is relocating its London operations from Gatwick Airport to Heathrow Airport from March 31. The airline will join fellow SkyTeam alliance members using Terminal 4.

The carrier, which flies twice-weekly rotations from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City using Boeing 777-200ERs, is planning to introduce its new 787-9 Dreamliners on the link from July 1. A third weekly rotation to Hanoi will be launched on July 4 and the airline plans to further enhance frequencies to a daily service when more aircraft have been delivered.

MRJ Testing StartsFull-scale testing of the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) prototype has started ahead of its first flight, scheduled for the second quarter of this year. The company undertook the first run of the new aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney PW1217G engines on January 13, verifying the operation of the jet’s various systems including hydraulic, fuel, air conditioning, electrical as well as the engines themselves. Three weeks earlier on December 25 the company performed the wing up-bending test using its static test airframe, during which maximum loads the aircraft is expected to experience during flying were applied to the wing.

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance began operations with its new Bell 429 helicopter in January. Adrian M Balch

06-08_10-11_civil.JRDC.indd 11 06/02/2015 16:33

The latest long-haul design by Airbus entered service on January 15 when Qatar Airways’ � rst A350 XWB � ew its maiden revenue service.

The airline was so sure of the potential of the Airbus A350 it ordered 60 at the Paris Air Show on June 13, 2005 before the design was even frozen. Other potential customers were less impressed, causing Airbus to undertake a redesign which led to changes including a widened fuselage and a new, larger wing.

The new design was unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow the following year, the manufacturer renaming it the A350 XWB (Xtra Wide Body). Orders then came in quick succession, including some � rst-time Airbus customers such as Japan Airlines (31) and Ethiopian Airlines (12). Meanwhile Singapore Airlines ordered 70, Etihad Airways 62 and Cathay Paci� c 46. The current total is 780 � rm orders across three variants, the -800, -900 and -1000; although, with only a handful of orders, the future of the -800 is in doubt.

The type’s � rst � ight was on June 14, 2013 from Toulouse and its test programme used � ve -900s. The A350 XWB destined to operate the � rst � ight with fare-paying passengers – the sixth to be built – was completed in Toulouse on October 15 last year as F-WZFA and spent the next two months in pre-delivery trials.

Re-registered A7-ALA, it was � rst of the type to be delivered. The jet was handed over to Qatar Airways on December 18 and ferried to Doha’s Hamad International Airport four days later. Crew training � ights followed at Sharjah International Airport in the United Arab Emirates.

FIRST FLIGHTThe route selected for the � rst commercial service on January 15 was � ight QR67 from Doha to Frankfurt. Gate A3 was decked out with special A350 branding and an arch of balloons in the Qatari national colours, white and maroon. Gift bags for passengers included a model of the aircraft and a certi� cate to mark the occasion. The main door used for boarding is number two, and the airline’s new A350 XWB has the same entrance as its A340s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which feature a gold-rimmed dome light.

The aircraft pushed back on time with 283 passengers on board. Under the command of Captain Konstantinas Iliakis and with Captain Sedig Shanta in the co-pilot’s seat, QR67 began an impressively powerful – and

what seemed a relatively quiet – take-off from Runway 34 at 08:05 before beginning an energetic climb-out with the striking skyline of Doha to our left. After skirting the northern coastline of the Qatari peninsula, we were treated to a bird’s eye view of the neighbouring island nation of Bahrain.

The hand-picked cabin crew of 14 – drawn from Serbia, the Philippines, Morocco, Poland, Tunisia, Romania, Singapore and India – then began breakfast service. The three choices in Economy Class were omelette and chicken sausage, pancakes served with Nutella, or vegetable paneer curry. Business Class passengers dined à la carte from a longer list of breakfast options including muesli, smoked salmon, feta cheese frittata or an Arabic breakfast mezze.

As the � ight continued over the snow-


A350 XWBMAIDEN SERVICE

Qatar Airways is the fi rst airline to bring the Airbus A350 XWB into service. Charles Kennedy was

onboard the recent inaugural fl ight.

Above: The impressive glass cockpit of the A350 XWB. Tis Meyer/PlanePics.org

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covered mountains of Iran after breakfast, curious passengers explored the new aircraft, the proud cabin crew showing off the galleys and crew rest areas.

CONFIGURATIONBusiness Class is designed for 36 passengers in ‘reverse-herringbone’ lie-� at bed seats in a 1-2-1 con� guration. Economy can accommodate 247 in a 3-3-3 layout with a seat pitch of 31in (79cm). The fuselage is designed so that the economy seating space is the same throughout, so there is no tapering of the fuselage in the back rows. No smoking signs overhead have been replaced by icons showing when it is okay to use phones and laptops and connect to the onboard Wi-Fi. There are traditional pull-down window-blinds and the windows are 8% bigger than on the A330 and A340.

Qatar Airways’ Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, who was onboard the � ight, spoke to Aviation News:

“The A350 is raising the bar for air travel,” he said. “The seats are wider; the product in both Economy Class and Business Class is perfectly matched to the needs and the budget of today’s travellers.”

The airline is facing stiff competition in the region from Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways and, asked about the latter’s new

premium three-room apartment on A380s, called ‘The Residence’, he said: “We will not be doing something similar.”

Commenting generally on his role and about the airline, he stated: “My job is to deliver cash to my government, who hold me accountable. There is no bottomless

pit of money.” To make the point, he added that Doha has among the highest fuel prices – which Qatar Airways pays like any other carrier.

He shared his own � ying history, now behind him, which reached the level of a private licence with multi-engine and instrument ratings, mostly on the Piper Seneca. I asked him if he’d � own the A350 XWB, and he said only in the simulator: “As a recreational pilot, I don’t like glass cockpits, it’s too easy. Not enough fun.”

ARRIVALAfter more than � ve hours in the air, QR67 started descending for landing on Frankfurt Airport’s Runway 25R. The 20kts (37km/h) crosswind was obvious from the high-resolution tail camera picture displayed on the seatback screen, which showed the aircraft crabbing to the left. In the � are, the captain deftly kicked off the drift to put us straight down the centreline, then into-wind left


Above left: The Economy Class cabin on the A350 XWB, which seats 247 passengers in a 3-3-3 layout. Tis Meyer/PlanePics.org

Above right: Business Class is con� gured for 36 passengers in a 1-2-1 con� guration. Sam Chui

Airbus A350 XWB, A7-ALA, taxies onto stand at Frankfurt Airport on January 15.

Qatar Airways

“The A350 is raising the bar for air travel.”


aileron followed by smooth braking and a short burst of reverse thrust. Surprisingly, there was no water cannon salute at Doha or to welcome us at Frankfurt, but we were followed to our parking stand by more vehicles than normal, many with ground crew photographing our progress on their phones.

We had landed at 12:05 and by the time the aircraft was on stand we were 15 minutes ahead of schedule.

With 80 A350s on order for Qatar Airways, A7-ALA won’t be an only child for long. The airline has announced that Singapore will be the second destination for its A350 XWBs from June 1. Other carriers introducing the type this year are Vietnam Airlines, TAM and Finnair.

The historic flight marked a new chapter for Airbus and Qatar Airways, and with no clean-sheet widebody airliner on the drawing board anywhere in the world, such an event will not be repeated for perhaps at least ten years.


Above: The view from the tail camera on approach to Frankfurt. Tis Meyer/PlanePics.org

Below: Qatar Airways has 80 A350 XWBs on order. Charles Kennedy


Models RoundupAviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft reviews the latest models on the market.

Sponsored bySRF Trading Ltd, Unit 1, Bexwell, Downham Market, Norfolk PE38 9LT Tel: 44 (0)1366 380662 [email protected] Available from specialist model aviation outlets and stockists throughout the UK.

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Virgin Atlantic Airways G-VNEW 1:400 Item No GJVIR1444 Price £39.00 Gemini JetsVirgin Atlantic Airways has ordered 20 787-9 Dreamliners, with the first delivered in late 2014. Named Birthday Girl and painted in the airline’s latest livery, complete with metallic red engines, tail and the distinctive 787 wingtips, this model is packaged in a special Virgin Atlantic box as opposed to the standard blue Gemini one. www.isca-models.co.uk www.airspotters.com www.aviationretaildirect.com

Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Etihad Airways A6-BLA 1:400 Item No GJETD1424 Price £39.00 Gemini JetsThe first 787-9 delivered to Etihad Airways in 2014 sported the airline’s new ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ livery. Etihad was the first Middle Eastern carrier to operate the -9 variant and it has another 41 of the model on order. With 30 of the 787-10 variant also on order, the Dreamliners of Etihad are sure to become a familiar sight in the sky. www.isca-models.co.uk www.airspotters.com www.aviationretaildirect.com

Airbus A380-800 Etihad Airways A6-APA 1:400 Item No GJETD1425 Price £46.00 Gemini JetsOne of the ten A380s on order for Etihad Airways is shown in the new ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ livery, which the airline says reflects the culture and geography of the UAE capital city. The model is well marked even in 1:400 scale. This superb model is represented with GP2700 engines and has rubber tyres. www.isca-models.co.uk www.airspotters.com www.aviationretaildirect.com

Convair CV-880 Delta Air Lines N8802E 1:200 Item No G2DAL507 £82.00 Gemini JetsDelta was the launch customer for the Convair CV-880, with the type serving the airline from 1960 until 1973. This model is depicted in the classic ‘Widget Livery’ with polished metal wings, and a display stand is included. With only a handful of CV-880s left in existence, none of them airworthy, this model will prove popular with those who remember its heyday. www.isca-models.co.uk www.airspotters.com www.aviationretaildirect.com

Boeing 757-200 Aer Lingus EI-LBS 1:200 Item No G2EIN442 Price £62.00 Gemini JetsOne of three Boeing 757s in the Aer Lingus fleet – all have been leased from Air Contractors to operate transatlantic routes. Shown in the airline’s current white and green colours, this model has a stand and magnetic undercarriage so that it can be displayed with the gear up or down. www.isca-models.co.uk www.airspotters.com www.aviationretaildirect.com

Airbus A380-800 Thai Airways HS-TUF 1:200 Item No G2THA423 Price £133.00 Gemini JetsThai Airways operates a fleet of six Airbus A380s and is set to start using the type on its London Heathrow services this summer. The model is depicted in the airline’s gorgeous purple, magenta and gold livery, which is said to be representative of Thai silk, and features a magnetic undercarriage and doors, allowing it to be displayed with the wheels up or down. This is a fine model of one of the best looking A380s around.www.isca-models.co.uk www.airspotters.com www.aviationretaildirect.com


15_models.JR.mf.indd 15 06/02/2015 09:46


Ambitious plans to turn the former RAF Church Fenton into a business aviation hub for Yorkshire and the North East are

the cornerstone of new owner Chris Makin’s vision for the air� eld.

Under the plans, which include renaming the air� eld Leeds East at Church Fenton, Hangar 2 will be developed into a business aviation terminal with hangar space for jets.

As well as three hangars and a large apron, the air� eld has two 6,158ft (1,876m) runways enabling it to handle an aircraft such as the Bombardier Challenger 605 at Maximum Gross Take-off Weight (MGTOW) without impacting the aircraft’s range.

“We’re looking to build a new terminal in Hangar 2, we are just designing it,” Makin revealed. “It will be ultra modern – all glass – with a reception area and a café. We want to use the existing building, just to keep the nostalgia there – we don’t want to strip the whole place. We want [to get] quality aircraft in and to give them a quality service.”

Makin runs a soft fruit farm and is a keen aviator who owns a Beech A36 Bonanza and Robinson R44 Raven II that he operates from two 2,296ft (700m) grass runways at the farm near Garforth, West Yorkshire. However, it was his acquisition of another aircraft that sparked his interest in Church Fenton.

“I ordered a HondaJet in 2009...and everyone said ‘where the hell are you going to land it?’” he explained.

“I always said well I’ve got a plan – nobody ever knew what it was – but I’d

always had my eye on this place, being nine miles from where I live. I visited in December 2013 to look around when it was still fractionally operational before they closed it, and then I waited for the tender document to come and it went from there.”

Makin saw off nine other interested parties for the 450-acre site. He expects his plans for the air� eld will create 100 jobs. “You had ten weeks to make a tender, which was very complex; it was an unknown quantity and very difficult to value,” he said. “There were ten offers for it and we were the fourth highest but we must have put the right offer in; we got it and took over on December 23. We’re delighted we’ve got it and we get on very well with the military. We did a lot of due diligence and I think the MoD could see that. We had the council’s opinion on the planning issues, road surveys for the amount of traffic, services and rail links.”

Work is currently under way to get the air� eld � t for operations including altering the runway lights to meet civil � ying requirements, with mid-February/March the target for active status.

“They [the MoD] took out the ILS [instrument landing system] and they’ve stuck it on a shelf up in North Yorkshire. We’re trying to buy it back off them to put back in, but if that doesn’t happen we will just put GNSS [global navigation satellite system] approaches in,” he said.

A number of pilots have contacted Makin and his team with the view to moving their aircraft to Church Fenton and discussions are ongoing with a � ying club. Eventually it’s hoped a � ying school can be established at the air� eld for � xed wing and rotary aircraft. One avenue being explored is the possibility of a company using the site as a maintenance facility with Hangars 1 and 3 and the taxiways all capable of handing

CHURCH FENTON REBORN

Above: An impressive number of aircraft visited the � y-in at Church Fenton on January 4. All photos Mick Kirkman

Below: New owner Chris Makin is a keen aviator who has a Beech A36 Bonanza and a Robinson R44 Raven II.

New owner Chris Makin has bold plans for the former RAF Church Fenton. Aviation News Assistant Editor James Ronayne visited the airfi eld to learn more.

16-17_church_fenton.JR.mf.JR.mf.indd 16 02/02/2015 15:18

aircraft such as the Embraer ERJ 145 and the Bombardier Dash 8.

He said: “We have so many interested parties, but we can’t divulge who they are of course. There are people at other airports that have seen how good the facilities are – there are not many airports with two runways that are 1,800m long – and there is going to be no hold-up with traffic because it’s not a full commercial air� eld. We are just � ltering them through and deciding who we would like to come.

“Hangars 1 and 3 are in really good condition and they are heated. The main attraction is the site has got fantastic approaches. It is only 9m [30ft] above sea level, is very � at and has got a railway network that is second to none.” Makin’s team has carried out trials on getting to the air� eld from Leeds Station and say it takes less than 30mins.

“The mainline here goes straight to Manchester, it goes to Hull, Doncaster and York,” explained Makin. “That is on the Western side and on the Eastern side you’ve got the East Coast mainline which goes straight from York to Kings Cross and Edinburgh. It is actually quicker to come here [Church Fenton station] on a train than it is to get on a coach in the centre of Leeds to get to Leeds-Bradford [Airport]. We are only seven miles [11km] from the A1 either way and from the M1 it’s about 10 miles [16km]. It will become a premier place for training, I feel, simply because of its location.”

Away from aviation, a number of enquiries have been received including motorsport teams interested in the air� eld for testing, and a micro-brewery looking into using one of the air� eld’s storage buildings.

To mark the handover of the site from the MoD, the air� eld hosted a � y-in on January

4, an event that exceeded everyone’s expectations. Makin and his team were expecting somewhere in the region of 50-100 aircraft to turn up and were amazed with the � nal � gure of 250 aircraft, coupled with 687 people visiting the event by car or on foot. Crucially the air� eld received no

negative feedback from its neighbours and similar events are being planned for this year.

Enthusiasts will be welcome to visit the air� eld and plans are in place to open a café where visitors will also be able to watch the � ying activity.


The January � y-in attracted 250 aircraft as well as 687 people through the gate.

Above: Robinson R44 Raven I G-JARM was one of several helicopters attending the � y-in.

Below: As well as two 6,158ft runways, Church Fenton boasts three large hangars and plenty of apron space.

“... Hangar 2 will be developed

into a business aviation terminal

with hangar space for jets”

16-17_church_fenton.JR.mf.JR.mf.indd 17 02/02/2015 15:19

Philippines Additions

An upgrade of the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF’s) � eet is taking shape – including � ight testing of its � rst Airbus Defence and Space C295M military transport. The aircraft, 129 (c/n S-129), fully painted but with its nationality markings taped over, was noted at Seville San Pablo Airport, Spain, during a test � ight on January 23.

The type was selected to meet the PAF requirement for three new medium-lift transport aircraft on January 13, 2014. The trio will replace three surviving Fokker F27 Friendships operated by the 221st Airlift Squadron based at Colonel Jesus Villamor Air Base, Manila-Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

Two ex-US Marine Corps Lockheed C-130T

Hercules are also being acquired to boost the PAF’s depleted transport � eet, with delivery expected in the � rst quarter of 2016. Although currently equipped as tankers, they will be de-modi� ed for use as standard transport C-130Ts, and will increase the number of

mission-ready C-130s in the PAF to � ve.The total value of the C-130T procurement

is projected to be about $55m. As part of a joint investment programme, the US is providing $20m in US Foreign Military Financing towards the purchase.

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The US Air Force Weapons School (USAFWS) at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, has received its � rst Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, 12-5049 ‘WA’/‘16 WPS’ (AF-60). It arrived at the base on January 15, direct from the factory in Fort Worth, Texas.

Working in conjunction with the US Air Force Warfare Center and 422nd

Test and Evaluation Squadron, USAFWS commandant Col Adrian Spain said the � rst F-35 will be used to drive tactics development, and that the immediate goal is to create the curriculum for the � rst F-35 course.

This and subsequent USAFWS-

assigned F-35s will initially operate under the umbrella of the 16th Weapons Squadron, the school’s F-16 unit, said Lt Col David Epperson, 16th WPS commander. The � rst F-35A USAFWS student course is tentatively scheduled for January 2018.

The � rst Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II for the USAFWS at Nellis AFB. Lockheed Martin/Angel DelCueto

The � rst of the Philippine Air Force’s C295Ms, 129 (c/n S-129), at Seville San Pablo Airport, Spain. Antonio Muñiz Zaragüeta

First F-35 for Weapons School

HAF F-16 Crashes at TLPEleven people were killed when an Hellenic Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16D Block 50D Fighting Falcon crashed at Los Llanos Air Base near Albacete in Spain.

The accident happened at 15:16 on January 26 – the jet crashed into aircraft parked on the apron after suffering a technical failure on take-off whilst participating in NATO’s Tactical Leadership Programme (TLP). Both pilots and eight French servicemen on the ground were killed and 21 others injured, ten French and 11 Italian personnel. One of the injured

French servicemen died at a specialist burns unit in Madrid the following day.

“What we know is that the crew of the F-16, quite quickly after take-off, tried to eject, which con� rms the technical failure,” said General Denis Mercier, the French Air Force Chief of Staff.

A number of aircraft were either damaged or destroyed in the crash, including two Alpha Jets and a Mirage 2000D belonging to the French Air Force and two Italian Air Force AMXs.

The Tactical Leadership Programme

is an exercise that aims to improve multinational cooperation among NATO member air forces.

“I am deeply saddened,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement. “This is a tragedy which affects the whole NATO family. I express my heartfelt condolences to the loved ones and the nations of those who lost their lives, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”

An investigation has been launched into the cause of the crash.

18-21_military.JR.mf.JRDC.mf.indd 18 06/02/2015 14:56

Russian Bears Over the English ChannelThe UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) summoned the Russian ambassador on January 29 to explain why two Russian Air Force Tupolev Tu-95MS Bear long-range bombers had travelled into the English Channel the previous day, forcing air traffic control to reroute civil aircraft.

The Bears, from Engels Air Base (see the February issue for an article on this base and its Tu-95s), routed around the top of Norway and flew west of Ireland and into the English Channel, travelling as far as Bournemouth, Dorset, before heading back the way they had come.

According to Russia’s TASS news agency, the Bears were escorted on part of their

journey by MiG-31 Foxhounds (most likely when over the Barents and Norwegian Seas). Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, and RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire, escorted the Bears while they were in what the FCO described as the “UK area of interest”.

Russian Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko met Permanent Under-Secretary to the Foreign Office, Sir Simon Fraser, to discuss the incident and Britain’s concerns over the disruption to civil aviation – but in a statement on the Russian embassy’s website, Mr Yakovenko said they “are not understandable given that two Russian military aircraft were on a routine air patrol duty over the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean”. He added: “This flight,

as all other routine flights of Russian military aircraft, was carried out in strict compliance with the international legal norms including International Flight Rules and Regulations, without violation of other countries’ airspace; therefore it cannot be regarded as threatening, destabilising or disruptive.”

An FCO spokesperson said the incident was “part of an increasing pattern” of out-of-area operations by Russian aircraft, adding: “While the Russian planes did not enter sovereign UK airspace, and were escorted by RAF Typhoons throughout the time they were in the UK area of interest, [they] caused disruption to civil aviation. That’s why we summoned the Russian Ambassador... to account for the incident.”

Qatari C-130J for RIATQatar will make its Royal International Air Tattoo debut this summer when it sends a Lockheed Martin C-130J-30 Super Hercules belonging to the Qatar Emiri Air Force for static display.

Other aircraft already confirmed for the

event over the weekend of July 17-19, are Vulcan XH558, the Swiss PC-7 Team and a Swiss Air Force Super Puma all of which are scheduled to feature in the flying display on Saturday and Sunday. A British Airways Airbus A318 will also appear in the static park.

Chinese Navy Visits UK

Portsmouth played host to a task group of three Chinese naval ships during January, two of which carried helicopters. People’s Liberation Army Navy assault ship Chang Bai Shan, accompanied by the frigate Yun Cheng and the replenishment ship Chaohu, arrived on January 11 before departing on January 16.

Chang Bai Shan had two Changhe Z-8Js on deck, 9517 (Z8J-002) and 9557 (Z8J-006), while Yun Cheng had Harbin Z-9C Haitun 9317 (Z9-0280) on board. All are from the South Sea Fleet’s 9th Division/26th Air Regiment, shore-based at Sanya Yaxian.

Lakenheath Restructuring

UpdateFurther to the report in last month’s issue about the US military’s European Infrastructure Consolidation announcement on January 7, Aviation News contacted the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, for clarification on the future make-up of the base – specifically, whether the 48 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs arriving from 2020 were to replace, or be in addition to, the currently resident Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles.

A spokesman at the base said: “The European Infrastructure Consolidation does not mention any adjustments to the current fleet of RAF Lakenheath aircraft.” When pressed on this statement, he said the base had not heard of any upcoming changes to its F-15 fleet.

The 493rd Fighter Squadron and its F-15C Eagles had been due to disband last year, though the decision was reversed due to the tensions with Russia over Ukraine – and the aircraft are likely to remain as long as the situation remains unstable.

Regarding the F-35, the base says it does not yet know which units will operate the Lightning IIs from Lakenheath. Following the first squadron receiving its F-35 in 2020, the second unit’s aircraft will start arriving in 2021.

Regarding the closure of Mildenhall, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) Philip Dunne said in Parliament on January 12: “We will be looking to see whether there is a future military use for the facility; if not, we will work to find an alternative.”


IN BRIEFItaly’s Aviazione Dell’Esercito (Army Aviation) re-formed 3° Reggimento Elicotteri per Operazioni Speciali (3rd Special Operations Helicopter Regiment) ‘Aldebaran’ at a ceremony at Viterbo on January 29. The regiment will be equipped with Agusta-Bell AB412, NHIndustries NH90 and Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters.

Sentry Joins ISIL OperationsAn RAF Boeing E-3D Sentry has joined UK operations against ISIL, the MoD has confirmed. The Sentry, from 8 Sqn, deployed to RAF Akrotiri on January 27. France has also bolstered its commitment,

sending the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle, to the Middle East. France has already deployed nine Dassault Rafales and six Dassault Mirage 2000Ds to the region.

Above: Changhe Z-8Js 9517 (c/n Z8J-002) and 9557 (c/n Z8J-006) aboard the Chang Bai Shan. Mark Shepherd

Right: Harbin Z-9C Haitun 9317 (c/n Z9-0280) on the Yun Cheng. Mark Shepherd


Russia Orders Il-96-400TZ TankersRussia’s Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with JSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) to purchase two Ilyushin Il-96-400TZ air refuelling tankers. The deal was announced on January 7, but no timescale for deliveries was given.

The Russian Air Force will use the aircraft to support the worldwide operations of Long-

Range Aviation Command’s Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers. The tankers will have the capability to transfer more than 65 tonnes of fuel at a range of up to 1,855nm (3,500km) from base. They will be � tted with the UPAZ-1 aerial refuelling pods, which have already been proven in service on the existing Il-78/78M tankers.

The new tankers will be military variants of the commercial Il-96-400T long-range freighter, which is powered by four PS-90A1 turbofans and has a reinforced � oor for cargo. The aircraft also has a longer fuselage, which has been extended by 31ft 6in (9.6m), compared with the baseline passenger-variant, the Il-96-300.

Eight Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s from 1 (Fighter) Sqn at RAF Lossiemouth, Moray, deployed to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, in January for Exercise Red Flag 15-1 which ran from January 26 to Febraury 13. © Crown copyright 2015

MIL

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MILITARY AIRCRAFT ORDERSAir Arm Company Number and Type Contract Date Delivery Date and NotesArgentina Army Aviation Command

Cessna 2 x Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX

January 26

Argentina Army Aviation Command

Cessna 1 x Cessna 550 Citation Bravo

January 26

Botswana Police Service Airbus Helicopters 3 x AS350B3e Ecureuil January 26 Indonesian Army Boeing 8 x AH-64E Apache

GuardianJanuary 26 Completion date of

February 28, 2018Israeli Air Force Elbit Systems 6 x Air Tractor AT-802F January 5 Peruvian Air Force Alenia Aermacchi 2 x C-27J Spartan December 31 Delivery in 2016 and

2017Peruvian Army Aviation Enstrom 2 x 280FX Shark Not known Russian Air Force JSC United Aircraft

Corporation2 x Ilyushin Il-96-400TZ January 7

The � rst AW159 Wildcat for the Republic of Korean Navy (RoKN) has begun � ight testing at AgustaWestland’s air� eld in Yeovil, Somerset. The aircraft, registered 15-0601/ZZ541, was noted � ying on January 27 and is the � rst of eight South Korea has ordered. Paul Kyte

Korean Wildcat Flying

RAF Typhoons at Red Flag

Ukraine Accepts An-70

Antonov’s An-70 military transport aircraft has been adopted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The manufacturer announced on January 23 that a ceremony had been held the previous day formally accepting the aircraft for service with the Povitryani Syly Zbroynykh Syl Ukrayiny (PS ZSU, Ukrainian Air Force). However, as the sole surviving prototype is the only aircraft currently � ying, it will be some time before the type enters PS ZSU service. Antonov noted, however, that formal adoption of the aircraft will allow series production to begin and further development to continue.

Sherpas for EstoniaTwo of the eight Shorts C-23B+ Sherpas recently retired by the US Army are being donated to the Estonian Air Force.

The aircraft will replace two Antonov An-2s in the light transport role and the seven pilots currently assigned to the An-2s will shortly begin conversion training, with delivery of the aircraft anticipated later this year. The remaining six airframes have been earmarked for the Philippines (two for the army and two for the coast guard) and Djibouti (two for the air force).


MC-130Hs Leave Europe

The last MC-130H Combat Talon IIs based in Europe have departed for the US after 352nd Special Operations Group/7th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) ‘Air Commandos’ completed its transition to the CV-22B Osprey. The � nal aircraft to leave RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk, was MC-130H 88-0195 which departed on January 8.

The MC-130H was � own to Hurlburt Field, Florida, where it will join the 15th SOS ‘Global Eagles’.

Falklands SAR Contract AwardedA contract for search and rescue (SAR) and support helicopter services in the Falkland Islands has been awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence to AAR Airlift. The ten-year deal, announced on January 19, is valued at around $275m.

AAR Airlift, together with British International Helicopters (BIH) and Air Rescue Systems (ARS), will provide the combined SAR and support helicopter service to British Forces South Atlantic Islands (BFSAI) operations – including AgustaWestland AW189 SAR helicopters, Sikorsky S-61

support helicopters and � ight operations, maintenance, logistics and facilities support at the Mount Pleasant Complex in the Falkland Islands and surrounding maritime region.

The new SAR service will replace the two RAF Sea King HAR3s of 1564 Flight currently performing the role.

BIH already conducts the support helicopter task from Mount Pleasant under contract to the MoD using two Sikorsky S-61Ns, and will continue to provide the service as a sub-contractor to AAR under the new contract.

Peru has ordered two more Alenia Aermacchi C-27J Spartan tactical airlifters. The South American nation signed the deal, valued at around €100m, on December 31. Peru had previously ordered two C-27Js which are undergoing � nal pre-delivery checks. The aircraft will enter service with the Fuerza Aérea del Peru (FAP – Peruvian Air Force), with the second pair due to be delivered in 2016 and 2017. All four will be operated by Grupo Aéreo 8 at Lima-Callao.

Peru is also purchasing all three former Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) Agusta-Bell 412SP search and rescue helicopters after they were withdrawn from RNLAF service on January 1. Dutch Minister for Defence Jeanine

Hennis-Plasschaert announced that agreement had been reached with Peru for purchase of the helicopters in a letter delivered to the House of Representatives on January 19.

Also included is a package of spare parts, test equipment and special tools. The three AB412SPs – R-01 (c/n 25630), R-02 (c/n 25638) and R-03 (c/n 25641) – will be operated by Peru’s Aviación Naval and used for vertical replenishment of the navy � eet as well as humanitarian aid operations.

Maiden Flight for Australian EC135T2+

Airbus Helicopters has successfully � own the � rst EC135T2+ for the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The � ight, on January 16 from the factory in Donauwörth, Germany, took off at 14:37 and landed back

57mins later.Airbus Helicopters’ Flight Test

Department said the � ight had validated the full performance of the aircraft’s systems and engines, and that future � ights would test

speci� c customer equipment.The helicopter, test registration D-HECG

(c/n 1179) 841, is the � rst of 15 for the ADF’s new Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) programme – a joint training scheme for Australian Army Aviation Corps and Royal Australian Navy aircrew which will also use EC135 � ight simulators and a new � ight deck-equipped sea-going training vessel.

Initial operating capability (IOC) is scheduled for late 2018, although students will begin arriving earlier. When fully operational, HATS will accommodate up to 130 students a year, including pilots, aviation warfare officers, sensor operators and quali� ed aircrew returning for instructor training.


Dates for two spotters’ days at this year’s NATO Tiger Meet at Konya AB, Turkey, have been con� rmed for Thursday and Friday, May 7 and 8.

The First EC135T2+ for the Australian Defence Force made its maiden � ight on January 16. Airbus Helicopters/Charles Abarr

Peruvian Purchases

One of the � rst two Fuerza Aérea del Peru (Peruvian Air Force) C-27J Spartans, FAP-328, on the ramp outside the factory at Turin-Caselle, Italy, undergoing � nal preparations for delivery. Alenia Aermacchi

Brunei Donates Black

HawksBrunei is donating four Sikorsky S-70A-32 Black Hawks to Malaysia, it was announced on January 23 by Malaysian defence minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

The helicopters – operated by Tentara Udara DiRaja Brunei (TUDB, Royal Brunei Air Force) – have become surplus to requirements following Brunei’s acquisition of 12 S-70i variants. According to the Malaysian defence ministry, they are expected to be transferred in September.


For more than 60 years RAF Mildenhall has been occupied by the United States Air Force. It has been a major location for US Air

Forces in Europe (USAFE) and played an important part during the Cold War, both Gulf Wars against Iraq and Operation El Dorado Canyon (the attack on Libya in 1986) among others. The recent announcement that Mildenhall, was to close (see February issue p5) was greeted by many with astonishment.

Construction of the base began in 1930 and was initially known as RAF Beck Row. Before it officially opened on October 16, 1934 it had been renamed RAF Station Mildenhall. From the late 1940s and into the early 1950s, when the Cold War intensi� ed, the UK offered a vast number of its facilities to the USAF, primarily located across eastern and central England.

The US � rst established a presence at Mildenhall from July 11, 1950 when Strategic Air Command (SAC) Boeing B-29 Superfortresses arrived from the USA on deployment. These were followed by the B-50 Superfortress and the B-47 Stratojet before the facility primarily supported the KC-97 Stratofreighter from June 1953.

Mildenhall switched from SAC to USAFE control on September 1, 1959. The Military Air Transport Service (MATS) had relocated its UK hub to the base from RAF Burtonwood, Cheshire, on May 1 that year. Mildenhall’s new primary duty was as the sole passenger and cargo centre for all arrivals into the UK. A small terminal was opened, and stores organised to distribute cargo, arriving from many destinations, for onward shipment to the host of large and small US facilities in Britain. Daily MATS � ights landed at Mildenhall � own by the Douglas C-124

Globemaster, C-133 Cargomaster and new Boeing C-135 Stratolifter. These were augmented by civilian airliners, chartered by MATS, to bring in new arrivals and their dependants and return to the USA those who had completed overseas tours. Other airlifters regularly transited Mildenhall, using it as a refuelling stop.

OPERATION BIG LIFTThe start of the Berlin Airlift and the 1961 construction of the wall, which divided the German city in two, convinced the US military of the need for a rapid reinforcement exercise to Europe. Operation Big Lift brought 15,500 troops of the 2nd Armored Division from various locations in central Texas to West Germany. The operation began on October 22, 1963 with C-135s making the journey non-stop. Almost 100 C-124s staged through various bases, with


MILDENHALL MEMORIES

RAF Mildenhall has been an important location for the United States Air Force, however with the announcement

it is to close Bob Archer looks back at major developments at the base and also some highlights from an enthusiast’s perspective.

22-29_MildenhallDCMFDCMFDCMFDCMFDC.mfDC.indd 22 06/02/2015 13:53

the majority passing through Mildenhall. Tents were erected adjacent to parking aprons to enable troops to be fed and watered while aircraft refuelled.

Mildenhall was selected to dispose of 87 retired USAFE Lockheed T-33A Shooting Stars, beginning in February 1963. The Maintenance Division of the resident 7513rd Air Base Group (ABG) was tasked with preparing some for transfer through the Mutual Aid Pact to NATO air arms – the Netherlands (16), France (29), Spain (12) and Turkey (8). Of the remaining 22, most were sold for scrap, while a couple were used by the � re department at Mildenhall. These aircraft had all reached their � nal destinations by May 1965.

The US Navy moved its UK Naval Air Facility (NAF) from RAF West Malling, Kent, to Mildenhall beginning in January 1964. Equipped with the Beech UC-45J Expediter, Douglas C-47H Skytrain and C-117D Super Dak, the unit was tasked with supporting naval locations in the UK, as well as US Navy vessels in the vicinity. In addition, the NAF provided service to Navy aircraft and helicopters visiting Europe. In particular the Lockheed P-3 Orion was a proli� c visitor at Mildenhall.

The NAF converted to the Beech UC-12B Huron in 1981 with the aircraft carrying the code ‘8G’ on the tail. These were exchanged for the UC-12M in 1988. Generally two or three UC-12s were in residence.

After 42 years, and hundreds of interesting visiting aircraft, the NAF was disestablished on January 25, 2006 due to a realignment of European operations.

Mildenhall has been one of the most popular air bases for enthusiasts to visit for decades due to the variety of aircraft that can be seen and also the photographic opportunities around the perimeter fence. For many years the base provided a small car park adjacent to the perimeter fence on the edge of Beck Row village. This was replaced by a purpose-built viewing area at the northeast corner of the base, next to the taxiway leading to Runway 29, which

had information boards providing details of resident aircraft types. However, it was built over after the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001 as this area was needed for the relocated main gate to make it further away from the main complex.

NEW ASSIGNMENTSFrance withdrew from NATO in early 1966 and the US had to relocate all its assets. On July 1 that year the 32-strong C-130A, B and E rotation at Everux-Fauville AB, administered by the 513th Troop Carrier Wing (became Tactical Air Wing on May 1, 1967) transferred to Mildenhall. The C-130s were tasked with � ying tactical resupply sorties throughout Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. The three-month rotations continued for more than two decades, with just one major interruption. The need for extra tactical airlift capability in South East Asia because of the Vietnam War resulted in one of the two rotational C-130 squadrons making a swift departure. In exchange, the 1648th Military Airlift Squadron (Provisional) was in residence between July 1968 and May 1969 with 16 C-124Cs. The rotations of US-based Hercules at Mildenhall ended on February 1, 1992.

In the mid-1960s, the only permanently resident USAF aircraft were from the 7513th ABG which operated a handful of C-47 Skytrains for VIP and communications duties. This changed on November 15, 1965 when the 7120th Airborne Command and Control Squadron (ACCS) relocated from Chatearoux-Deols AB, France. The squadron operated the Douglas C-118A Liftmaster initially, but switched to the Boeing EC-135A soon after transfer from France. The unit became the 10th ACCS on January 1, 1970. Its complement � uctuated between four and � ve aircraft, which were subsequently upgraded to EC-135H Silk Purse standard. This mission was to provide aerial command and control in the event of ground facilities being inoperative during wartime. The unit left Mildenhall on January 31, 1992.


Below: An SR-71 landing at Mildenhall. The aircraft detached to the UK spent most of their time gathering intelligence near Warsaw Pact countries. The Blackbird has been the base’s most famous resident aircraft type. Bob Archer

Making one of many deployments to support US Navy aircraft carrier operations near to the UK, KA-3B 147667 of VAQ-208 taxiing at Mildenhall on September 16, 1978. This type also visited on occasion for exercises. Bob Archer


SAC had brie� y returned to Mildenhall when it had been the temporary home for KC-135 Stratotankers of Detachment 1, 98th Strategic Wing when the runway at Upper Heyford was resurfaced.

In August 1970 SAC returned full-time to Mildenhall for operations by the various RC-135s of the 6th Strategic Wing (SW) and the 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (SRW) performing signals intelligence (SIGINT) gathering missions adjacent to the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations. A number of KC-135s were on temporary duty at Mildenhall to extend the range of the RC-135s. The ongoing deployed RC-135 presence at the base came under the 95th Reconnaissance Squadron when it moved in from RAF Alconbury, Cambridgeshire, on July 1, 1994. The unit had previously � own Lockheed TR-1As at Alconbury but these aircraft had returned to the US.

Mildenhall became the main base for aerial refuelling operations in Europe on June 30, 1978 when the 306th Strategic Wing (which had absorbed SAC tanker operations in the theatre) arrived from

Ramstein AB. The headquarters element controlled 16 KC-135s rotating from Stateside units. This number frequently increased substantially during periods of large-scale � ghter deployments from the USA, such as Exercise Crested Cap involving 96 F-4s routing to Germany.

U-2 AND SR-71 OPERATIONSThe presence of a SAC operation at Mildenhall was ideal to enable the 9th SRW to begin a reconnaissance detachment with a single Lockheed U-2R. Mildenhall had been the transit stop for aircraft � ying from Beale AFB, California, to RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus. The � rst was in January 1975, and again in May and June the following year. Mildenhall hosted a U-2R for a month-long stay from August 25, 1976 for involvement in NATO exercises. Other short-term stays


Above: Douglas C-133A Cargomaster 56-2006 of the 436th MAW parked on the south side of the base on June 12, 1966, some six months after MATS became MAC. The C-133s were regular visitors to Mildenhall. Bob Archer collection

Right: The Naval Air Facility operated a number of transport types, including C-117D 17171, which was photographed in October 1972. The Nissen hut to the left of the aircraft, in the background, housed base operations at the time. Bob Archer Collection

Only one Convair B-58A Hustler ever visited Mildenhall. Aircraft 59-2440 of the 43rd Bombardment Wing is shown arriving on May 16, 1969 and was the star item in the static park at an open house event. It was one of four in Europe that weekend, the other three remaining at Morón AB in Spain. Paul Bennett via Bob Archer

Above: The last C-124 Globemaster II to visit Mildenhall was 52-1076 of 137th Military Airlift Group, Oklahoma ANG (pictured) on March 25, 1973. The background shows the southwest corner of the base. A lot of infrastructure has been built on this area since the photograph was taken. Dave Wilton via Bob Archer


preceded the arrival on March 30, 1979 of 68-10338 which coincided with the activation of Detachment 4, 9th SRW at the base. Aircraft spent long periods in residence, culminating with 68-10337 which departed on February 22, 1983 bringing to an end the U-2 presence at Mildenhall. Lengthy missions were � own to areas of interest adjacent to Warsaw Pact nations. The intelligence gathered on the missions was deemed so important that, upon landing, the aircraft would stop on the runway, enabling technicians to remove the ‘take’ and transport it to the ground station for processing.

The Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird was a much longer term resident at Mildenhall, and the most iconic aircraft type ever to grace the base’s runway. The � rst SR-71 visit to England was carried out in a blaze of publicity when 61-7972 � ew from Beale to the Farnborough International Airshow in September 1974, establishing a new trans-Atlantic speed record in the process. The visit was dual purpose as after Farnborough the aircraft � ew to Mildenhall to examine the

suitability of the base to host the type for operational missions. Following approval by the UK Government, several brief visits were made. These were ostensibly to participate in exercises, although simultaneously the wing was establishing a basis for operational missions. Eight short-term visits were made

ahead of Detachment 4 being activated. Gradually more deployments were made, with these steadily increasing in duration, until there was virtually a full time presence. The number of aircraft was increased to two from December 1982. Areas of primary interest were the Warsaw Pact, but

occasional lengthy sorties were � own to North Africa and the Middle East.

The SR-71 reconnaissance missions would not have been possible without tanker support. The KC-135Q had been converted for the Blackbird’s need for specialised JP-7 fuel. These aircraft were provided by the 456th Bombardment Wing (BW) until September 30, 1975. The task then fell to the 17th BW up to September 30 the following year. This was followed by the 100th ARW until March 15, 1983 and then the 9th SRW. When two SR-71s were in residence, eight KC-135Qs would be at Mildenhall to support their missions.

The announcement of the SR-71’s retirement forced the grounding of the two Mildenhall aircraft, with these returning to the USA on January 18 and 19, 1990, ending the most enjoyable period in the base’s history.

AIR FETESMildenhall hosted small scale ‘open houses’ in many years, starting in the mid-1950s. They varied in size from those including an interesting aircraft static park and small � ying programme, to others with just resident aircraft parked on the main apron. These gradually increased in size until the weekend of August 26 and 27, 1978 when the base held its � rst Air Fete which commemorated 75 years of manned � ight. Air Fete soon became established as one of the premier aviation events in the UK airshow calendar, attracting vast numbers of spectators. They were extremely well organised and increased in popularity. Organisers claimed one


Right: A US Navy VF-32 F-14A Tomcat from the USS John F Kennedy at the � rst Mildenhall Air Fete in 1978. Keith Horsewood

Below: A line up of seven 317th TAW C-130Es from Pope AFB, North Carolina, on rotation to Mildenhall in December 1978 which were tasked by the resident 513th TAW. Six aircraft bear the standard camou� age and markings, while 64-0504 is painted in an experimental two-tone grey scheme. They are parked on the ramp now used by the 352nd SOG Hercules. Bob Archer

“112 different KC-135s and 13

KC-10s were recorded during

the month.”


event had more than 500,000 spectators. The 2001 Air Fete was the last, as the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US forced a heightened security level. Additionally, many personnel were deployed to the Middle East, reducing the ability to stage public relations events.

MILDENHALL AT WARMildenhall has been no stranger to supporting combat operations. Throughout the Cold War the base assisted forces at the sharp end confronting the Warsaw Pact in West Germany, as well as combating terror threats.

On the evening of April 14, 1986 General Dynamics F-111Fs left from Lakenheath and EF-111A Ravens from Upper Heyford to carry out raids on Libyan targets in reprisal for terrorist attacks believed to have been orchestrated by Colonel Muammar Gadda� . Mildenhall and Fairford hosted a large number of additional KC-135s and McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extenders to refuel the F-111s. On the day the raid launched, at Mildenhall there were 15 KC-10s and an extra four KC-135s.

The busiest period for the base was the � rst Gulf War. Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 resulted in a massive response by a coalition of forces, with the US being numerically the largest. A transatlantic air bridge was formed to support � ghter aircraft � own to the Middle East. Having established a major foothold in the region, a huge force of troops, equipment and additional aircraft


Above: For Air Fete 86 the organiser’s arranged this impressive line-up of the RAF’s 11 Group air defence � ghters. Bob Archer

Above: Rivet Brass RC-135Ds of the 6th Strategic Wing stationed at Eielson AFB, Alaska were frequent visitors to Mildenhall while performing reconnaissance � ights adjacent to the Soviet Union. The elongated fairing located on both sides of the forward fuselage was the Coherent Automatic Signal Tracking system. Aircraft 60-0357 at Mildenhall in February 1971. Bob Archer

Below: Prior to the establishment of Detachment 4 at Mildenhall, single U-2R operations were controlled by the 9th SRW from Beale AFB, California. The � rst to instigate reconnaissance operations was 68-10338 which was present from June until October 1977. The aircraft’s � n has artwork depicting Snoopy on his dog kennel, and was pictured while being returned to a hangar on July 1, 1977. Bob Archer


of various types were deployed, all of which required a vast resupply effort. Mildenhall played an important role with KC-135s and airlifters arriving and departing regularly. The number of KC-135s that could be seen at the base increased many times over. August was particularly busy with 112 different KC-135s and 13 KC-10s recorded during the month. The busiest day was the 25th when 52 KC-135s were noted. Some were used to deploy the � rst batch of 48th Tactical Fighter Wing F-111Fs from

Lakenheath to Saudi Arabia.The civil war in Bosnia between April

1992 and December 1995 involved the RC-135 Rivet Joints performing a daily mission to the Balkans from Mildenhall. Continued trouble in the Balkans that decade kept the Rivet Joints busy.

Gulf War II in March 2003, where coalition forces invaded Iraq to overthrow Saddam Hussein’s regime, again involved increased activity at Mildenhall. The 744th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron was formed

to administer Air Force Reserve Command Lockheed C-141C Starlifters in temporary residence to support the campaign. These � ew troops and equipment to the Middle East on a shuttle basis. At any given time there were 18 C-141s assigned, with approximately 50 different aircraft being recorded in just two months.

The resident 513th TAW was involved in several humanitarian missions. One was Operation Fig Hill which entailed C-130s (painted with a large white square and red cross on the tail) � ying to Amman, Jordan, from September 27, 1970 to deliver two � eld military hospitals and medical staff and also evacuate Americans during the Jordanian civil war.

Many other contingencies entailed Mildenhall airlifters, tankers and especially special forces personnel and aircraft responding to emergency situations at short notice.

100TH ARW FORMEDThe 100th Air Refueling Wing was formed on February 1, 1992 using the KC-135R Stratotanker. The unit within the wing which � ies the aircraft is the 351st Air Refueling Squadron. The � rst aircraft assigned was the appropriately serialled 58-0100, delivered on May 25. Initially the unit had nine aircraft, with the rest of the tankers coming from rotational US units making up the European Tanker Task Force (ETTF). The US rotations ended on November 28, 1998 as the 100th ARW increased its complement of aircraft to 15.

In addition to operations from Mildenhall, the 100th deploys aircraft around Europe and elsewhere as required with Morón AB, Spain, and Souda Bay, Crete, often seeing the unit’s aircraft. The wing is also the primary unit at Mildenhall and administers the base.


Above: The 10th ACCS latterly used the EC-135H Silk Purse for its airborne command and control mission. Key Collection

Below: Mildenhall has been used by numerous USAF transport types over the years, one of the most proli� c was the Starlifter. Keith Horsewood

Below: A C-5 Galaxy wearing the European-1 camou� age lifts-off from Mildenhall. The air traffic control tower in this shot was demolished and a new one built nearer the main ramp. Key Collection


Another newcomer to Mildenhall was the 352nd Special Operations Group (SOG) which moved from RAF Alconbury, Cambridgeshire, in January 1995. It consisted of the 7th Special Operations Squadron (SOS) with the MC-130H Combat Talon II, 67th SOS � ying the MC-130P Combat Shadow and 21st SOS with the Sikorsky MH-53J Pave Low III (later replaced by the MH-53M Pave Low IV).

THE FUTUREOn January 8 this year it was announced Mildenhall would close to save money as a result of a European Infrastructure Consolidation review. In 2013 the base’s maintenance squadron had been disbanded,

which created problems for aircraft diverting to Mildenhall with technical issues.

Last year the 727th Air Mobility Squadron, which provides aerial port facilities for resident and visiting aircraft, also reduced from 24-hour-a-day service to an on-call arrangement at night. These factors were the beginning of the reduction of services ahead of the closure notice.

The 100th ARW is to relocate to Ramstein AB, Germany, and the 352nd SOG will be reassigned to Spangdahlem AB in the same country. The only other � ying unit at Mildenhall is the 95th RS, which for many months has had one RC-135V/W Rivet Joint deployed to monitor increased Russian activity. The squadron also supports RC-135s in transit to Al Udeid AB, Qatar, for Middle East operations. The unit is to stay in the UK and is expected to relocate to RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, (though there has been no official announcement on the base that has been selected) which is the home station for the RAF Rivet Joint squadron. These changes are not due to take place for another � ve to seven years.

SOG is partway through a modernisation, involving the acquisition of additional aircraft. At present the 7th SOS has � ve Bell Boeing CV-22B Ospreys which will increase to seven before May this year. The eventual complement will be ten, although this will not be achieved until later in the decade. One of the base’s hangars had been demolished to make a bigger ramp for these aircraft.

The 67th SOS has completed transition from the MC-130P to the MC-130J Commando II. Two more MC-130Js were delivered in December last year, bringing to seven the number of MC-130Js in residence, with an eventual complement of ten.

Mildenhall has gradually handled a declining number of transient aircraft. Currently these are primarily KC-135s � ying to or from the forward bases in the Middle East. Despite the much reduced presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, there remains a sizeable US presence at Al Udeid AB in Qatar and other locations within the Persian Gulf


“Air Fete soon became established

as one of the premier aviation

events in the UK airshow calendar”

Above: Mildenhall has been used to support operations in numerous campaigns. The higher than normal number of RC-135s shown here at the base in April 1999 would have been related to the Kosovo War taking place at the time. Key-Alan Warnes

Above: An MH-53 of the 21st SOS at Mildenhall. Key-Dave Allport

Below: An MC-130P Combat Shadow about to air-to-air refuel a CV-22B Osprey. The MC-130P has been replaced by the MC-130J Commando II with the 352nd Special Operations Group. The unit is to move to Spangdahlem AB, Germany. USAF/Senior Airman Kate Maurer


region. This has been increased recently to � ght ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

Some personnel at Mildenhall have made no secret of the fact they consider the closure plan ill-conceived, and it could face stiff opposition. Firstly, the 352nd SOG performs missions at extremely low level, which will likely be impossible in Germany (except in range areas) due to the country’s 1,000ft (305m) minimum � ight level for military aircraft. To remain effective, the SOG will likely have to spend a great deal of time away from home base, which would have a huge cost disadvantage as well as disrupt personnel’s lives. Base sources have stated it may well prove impossible to relocate the

100th ARW to Ramstein, due to a lack of ramp space.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) Philip Dunne said in Parliament on January 12: “We will be looking to see whether there is a future military use for the facility; if not, we will work to � nd an

alternative.”Despite the potential hurdles for relocating

the resident units, it is likely Mildenhall will close and bring to an end the US presence at a base that over the decades has played an important role supporting operations in Europe and beyond.


Have you got any special memories or interesting tales relating to aircraft you have seen at Mildenhall over the years. If so, we’d love to hear them for possible inclusion in our Air Mail page. Please e-mail [email protected] or write to the general enquiries address at the back of the magazine marking it for the attention of the Editor.

Left: This KC-135R of the 100th ARW wears a badge on the nose to mark the proud history of the unit and its association with the UK, sadly in the latter case this is to end in a few years when it moves to Ramstein AB, Germany. USAF/Staff Sgt Austin M May

Below: The 100th Air Refueling Wing KC-135R Stratotankers wear the ‘Square D’ to signify its lineage back to the 100th Bombardment Group which � ew the B-17 Flying Fortress from Thorpe Abbots, Norfolk. USAF/Senior Airman Teresa Hawkins

Right: Visiting aircraft to Mildenhall over the years have come in all shapes and sizes. NASA WB-57Fs have used the base as a transit stop a number of times in recent years. Peter R Foster


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Javelin Joins Jet Age Museum

The Gloucester-based Jet Age Museum expects its newly acquired Gloster Javelin FAW.4 XA634 to arrive later this year. The jet is one of 50 FAW.4 variants produced and was previously at RAF Leeming in North Yorkshire, prior to being put out to tender by the MoD last October. It was once used to test a new air-to-air refuelling probe and subsequently served with 228 Operational Conversion Unit.

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Canberra Restoration in Argentina

Former Argentine Air Force BAC Canberra BMK-62 B-101 has been restored to static display condition by the Escuela de Subo� ciales de la Fuerza Aérea (ESFA - NCO School of the Air Force) in Córdoba, Argentina.

The jet originally served in the RAF as WJ616 and was assigned to several units before it joined the Argentina Air Force on November 20, 1970.

Having � own in the 1982 Falklands con� ict, it was retired in April 2000 and delivered to the ESFA where it was initially used as an instructional airframe. Restoration began in 2012 and the fuselage was sanded

down and washed, with a coat of primer applied before the Canberra was returned to its Falklands-era paint scheme.

A new radome featuring a Bendix RDR 1400 radar unit has also been installed and the electrical system overhauled so all of the jet’s lights are now operational. It has been completed with � breglass replica bombs and wing tip fuel tanks. Esteban Brea

World War One Exhibition Opens at Cosford

A new exhibition area dedicated to Britain’s World War One air services was opened at RAF Museum Cosford on January 15.

The new display, opened by Brendan Connor, Deputy Chairman of the RAF Museum Trustees, has been made possible through a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund with support from BAE Systems. The centrepiece of First World War In The Air is three famous Great War aircraft - the Sopwith

Pup, Sopwith 1½ Strutter and the Bristol M1c, the latter pair being full scale reproductions.

Displayed alongside the aircraft are personal items that belonged to 2nd Lt Kevin Robert Furniss of the Royal Flying Corps, who lived only a few miles from Cosford in Wolverhampton. Including letters, a � ying helmet and a wash kit, the items were donated to the museum in 2013 by Kevin’s great niece. www.rafmuseum.org.uk

World War Two Flypast at Biggin HillA mass � ypast of World War Two aircraft over Biggin Hill is being organised to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

More than 20 Spit� res and Hurricanes are being lined up for the event, which is scheduled

for Tuesday, August 18, the date of The Hardest Day, when the battle reached its peak.

Biggin Hill’s Heritage Hangar is organising the � ypast, which will launch from the air� eld before splitting off into three patrols, two � ying

over Kent and one over Hampshire. The Heritage Hangar also wants to trace service veterans and civilians who survived the Battle of Britain and the Blitz with the aim of inviting them to watch the � ypast as VIPs at Biggin Hill.

BAC Canberra BMK-62 B-101 has been completed for static display in Córdoba, Argentina. Esteban Brea

RAF Museum Cosford’s new First World War In The Air exhibition. RAFM

Chapel of Remembrance

SavedBiggin Hill Airport has offered to make up the shortfall of £50,000 per annum that the UK Government has said it is not prepared to provide any longer for the maintenance and upkeep of the St George’s Chapel of Remembrance. The airport has recently completed a public consultation on its future, including preserving historic connections.

32-34_preservation.JRDC.mf.indd 32 05/02/2015 15:14

Dove Returns to Flight at Coventry

The Classic Air Force’s de Havilland DH.104 Dove 8 G-DHDV returned to the skies on December 19, following a period of restoration and maintenance work at Coventry. The aircraft, which still bears its military colours and the serial number VP981, initially flew as a Devon C.1 with the RAF at Hendon from June 1946. It served for several years in France, at one point being used by ACM Sir Basil Embry as his personal transport. In order for it to carry fare-paying passengers it was registered as a Dove 8 by its current owners. www.classicairforce.com

Presidential DC-6 Closed for MaintenanceThe National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, Ohio, has closed Douglas VC-118 The Independence, while it carries out work on the aircraft’s interior.

The project is likely to take around three months and will reinforce the aircraft floors in preparation for increased numbers of visitors when the exhibit is transferred to the museum’s new fourth building.

During this time, visitors to the Presidential Gallery will still be able to view the exterior of The Independence, as well as walk through three other presidential aircraft, the VC-54C Sacred Cow (an adapted Douglas C-54 Skymaster), the VC-121E Columbine III (Lockheed C-121 Constellation) and VC-137 SAM 26000 (Boeing 707). www.nationalmuseum.af.mil


Swedish Mustang Emerges

A North American P-51D Mustang, 26084, belonging to the Flygvapenmuseum (Swedish Air Force Museum) has emerged from the workshop of enthusiast Pelle Lundberg following a nine-year restoration. The Mustang will be displayed at the Wing F 21 Museum at Luleå-Kallax. Pelle Lundberg via Mikael Forslund

VC10 Prepared for Cosford Move

Former RAF Vickers VC10 C1K XR808 is being dismantled at Bruntingthorpe in preparation for a move to the RAF Museum Cosford, where it will be installed as an ‘exhibit and classroom’.

The RAF Charitable Trust has committed £40,000 towards saving the aircraft, which will be taken by road to Cosford where it will be reassembled. A workforce from GJD AeroTech, led by Gary Spoors, is currently preparing the aircraft for its journey. Each wing will be transported in two pieces, while the fuselage and tailfin will also travel separately.

VC10 XR808, often nicknamed ‘Bob’, has been at Bruntingthorpe since July 29, 2013. www.rafct.com

Douglas VC-118 The Independence on display at Dayton, Ohio. NMUSAF

Work to Begin on US VulcanThe Strategic Air & Space Museum in Ashland, Nebraska is expecting to begin conservation work on Avro Vulcan B.2 XM573 later this year.

When the museum’s restoration team has finished on Boeing EC-135C Looking Glass 63-8049, it will turn its attention to the British jet, which was the 101st example to be built, and delivered to the RAF in March 1963.

Having participated in a joint programme of weapons testing and alert exercises in the US alongside aircraft of Strategic Air Command, XM573 made its final flight from Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, in June 1982. It was presented to the museum as a token of co-operation between the two nations, and is currently one of three Vulcans in the US. www.sasmuseum.com

GAM Gets Planning PermissionMole Valley District Council has granted planning permission to the Gatwick Aviation Museum for a new display building. The museum has recently reduced the number of airframes at the attraction and also put in place a trust to take over the management of those that remain. The old building will now be

removed and the museum is likely to re-open later this year. One of its goals is to place Blackburn Buccaneer S.1 XN923, the second production S.1, under cover so that corrosion problems can be addressed. The museum will also host a live engine running day during 2015. www.gatwick-aviation-museum.co.uk


Vultee BT-13 Arrives in GermanyVultee BT-13 Valiant N71502 was imported from the US in January by Philipp Schröder who will base it at Itzehoe air� eld, north of Hamburg.

Built in 1942 as 79-801, the aircraft received a major overhaul prior to delivery, including the installation of new avionics by Californian specialist Vintage Wings & Wheels.

Believed to be Europe’s only airworthy BT-13, it is scheduled to make its public debut in July at Bienenfarm air� eld (west of Berlin) during the Quax-Flieger group’s Stearman Fly-In. More than 11,500 examples of the Vultee type were built in the US between 1940 and 1944, but relatively few were based in Europe. Stefan SchmollVultee BT-13 Valiant N71502 has arrived in Germany. Philipp Schröder via Stefan Schmoll

Soesterberg MuseumAdditions

Two former Cold War jets have been restored in the Netherlands after decades out in the open. Former Portuguese Air Force North American F-86F Sabre 5307 is painted as FU-385 and Convair Delta Dagger F-102A 61052, originally with the Greek Air Force, now represents FC-032. Although they never � ew with the unit,

both are painted to represent machines used by the USAF’s 32nd Fighter Interceptor Squadron (later redesignated 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron), based at Camp New Amsterdam, Soesterberg.

The two aircraft have found a new home in front of the recently opened National Military Museum, overlooking their former base. Roger Soupart

Three ex-RAF aircraft, the fate of which was previously unclear, have been ‘rediscovered’ still providing useful service at a technical college near Beirut, Lebanon.

The School of Arts and Crafts in Dekwaneh is home to the trio, including Percival Proctor V L101, which was delivered to the Lebanese

Army Air Force as one of its founding aircraft in 1949. Also present is North American Harvard L125, which is believed to be a former RAF machine, and de Havilland Vampire FB.5 L161.

Formerly VV694, the Vampire is one of four FB.5s exported from RAF stocks in 1958. It is thought to have remained in service until the mid-1960s. Joao Paulo Moralez

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Percival Proctor V L101 at Dekwaneh, Lebanon, with DH Vampire FB.5 L161 in the background. Joao Paulo Moralez

Historic Trio ‘Discovered’ in Lebanon

VE Day Celebration in US

The 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe will be celebrated in the United States by The Arsenal of Democracy World War II Victory Capitol Flyover.

The � ypast will be made up of 15 warbird formations that will travel across Washington DC, from the Lincoln Memorial to The United States Capitol. In total, 70 warbirds are set to take part, representing all the major battles from World War Two, including Pearl Harbor and D-Day.


APRIL 19TH, 10AM TO 4PM.

LGW2015

London City Airport in the heart of Docklands only has a 4,984ft (1,519m) runway, yet British Airways took an innovative approach to

offer a prestige transatlantic service to New York. The airport is next to the burgeoning Canary Wharf business district and only 5 miles (8km) from the City of London � nancial hub. BA saw the potential market near the airport and decided to offer a business-class only service to John F Kennedy International Airport (IATA code JFK). It is no coincidence that the airline bestowed � ight numbers BA1 and 3 (outbound) and 2 and 4 (return) on these � ights; the same as used by Concorde � ights to JFK. It was hoped to attract some of the same clientele to the new service that used to regularly � y on the supersonic airliner.

The Airbus A318 made the route possible from such a short runway. An evaluation

� ight into London City Airport (IATA code LCY) was performed by the manufacturer with the type on May 13, 2006. It proved the viability of the aircraft to operate from the location and so BA ordered two A318s in 2007. There was one drawback in that the A318 would be too heavy with the fuel needed for the 3,300 mile (5,311km) crossing to be able to take off from London City and � y direct. Shannon Airport, in the west of the Republic of Ireland, was selected as an en-route stop (only needed for the westbound � ight) to refuel. Like many Canadian and Caribbean airports, Shannon has US immigration and customs pre-clearance facilities. It means passengers

could use the time on the ground by effectively entering the US in Ireland, avoiding delays upon arrival at New York. The airline decided to market the route as Club World London City.

INTO SERVICEBritish Airways’ � rst A318, registered G-EUNA, was delivered to the airline’s London Gatwick base on August 29, 2009. It performed more than 120 touchdowns during crew training at RAF Lyneham, Wiltshire, a centre of excellence for short take-off and landings at the time as home to the UK’s C-130 Hercules � eet. The base’s specially marked runway and instrumentation were used to accurately measure performance. This � rst A318 made its initial landing at London City on September 4, 2009 at the end of the last day of training at Lyneham. Days of � ying approaches to LCY followed


BA’S

A318 SERVICETRANSATLANTIC

British Airways is the only airline to offer a transatlantic route from London City Airport. Charles Kennedy experienced this all-business

class service which uses an Airbus A318 to fl y to New York.

British Airways bought two Airbus A318s (G-EUNA and G-EUNB) speci� cally to operate the all-business class London City Airport to New York JFK service. British Airways

36-39_BA A318 DCMFDCDC.indd 36 06/02/2015 14:35

and a test flight to JFK took place on September 8, using the callsign ‘Speedbird 9152’, with staff and technical personnel aboard as passengers. As the aircraft taxied to its stand at Terminal 7, a ground controller at JFK jokingly radioed: “Is it going to look like the other British Airways aircraft when it grows up?”

The new service was launched on September 29, with BA’s then CEO Willie Walsh (who now holds the same position with the carrier’s parent company, International Airlines Group) and other VIPs on board as well as paying passengers. By the time it reached the gate in New York, it had received three water cannon salutes: departing LCY, arriving at Shannon for fuel and then at JFK.

The return flight was greeted at LCY the next morning by a procession of Beefeater guards.

A twice-daily service on weekdays is offered from LCY plus an afternoon departure on a Sunday. The first flight of the day (BA1) departs at 09:50 and arrives in New York at 14:20 local time and BA3 leaves London at 16:00 and lands at JFK at 20:30. Return flights are at 18:55 for BA2, arriving into LCY at 07:15 and 21:55 for BA4, touching down at 10:05.

The crews are Gatwick based and report for duty at the Sussex airport. A two-hour bus journey takes them to LCY. Cabin crew duty time allowances means day one ends when they disembark from the bus at LCY and they stay at an airport hotel. On day two, they

operate all the way to New York. Pilots have different duty time rules. They fly to Shannon on day one for a night-stop and continue to New York the following day.

There are 50 pilots at the airline’s Gatwick crew base certified to operate this service – 25 captains and 25 first officers. To join their ranks, a pilot first flies in the cockpit jumpseat on two transatlantic flights operated by a 777, then goes into the classroom to learn about oceanic navigation and procedures. Being rated to land an Airbus at LCY requires four touch-and-gos at the airport. Cabin crew require no special training. Gatwick has 777s which offer Club World (and some First as well) and the service is not sufficiently different to require additional training.


Above left: The entrance to the terminal at London City Airport with signs for the service and the gate it will depart from. Charles Kennedy

Above right: The JFK service always leaves from Gate 24 at London City and in this case the sign displays the most famous BA flight number once used by Concorde. Charles Kennedy

A BA A318 taxies out for departure from London City Airport with the Canary Wharf business district in the background. This and the City of London financial hub a few miles away were seen as the main target market when the route was set up. British Airways


ON BOARDThe A318 is the smallest commercial airliner operating a scheduled service across the Atlantic. The BA aircraft have an interior with soft hi-tech lighting illuminating the 32 brown/beige seats arranged in eight rows of 2-2. These seats were exclusive to the A318s but BA has since used them on its A380s.

The flights are marketed with the same business class brand name of Club World as on the airline’s other flights but the product is different. On the 747, 767, 777, 787 and A380 (and French subsidiary Open Skies that has a 757 service from Paris Orly to New York’s JFK and Newark Liberty International Airport), every second Club World flatbed seat faces backwards which increases capacity. The narrow area for legs and feet in one seat allows room for its neighbour’s wider sitting area. On the A318, the seats are the more conventional forward-facing pairs either side of the aisle, with enough leg room to go completely flat.

Busy executives flying between the two financial capitals can arrive at LCY 30mins before departure so it was felt there was no need or demand (let alone space) for a lavish lounge. The flights always depart from gate 24 at LCY where BA provides a light buffet of sandwiches, cakes, soft drinks, juices, beer, wine, spirits and champagne. Check-in closes only 15mins before departure (20mins for checked-in bags). Passengers walk from the apron-level gate room to the waiting aircraft, just a few steps away.

SHORT HOPPre-departure drinks are not served on board as taxi-times at LCY are usually just a couple of minutes. Full power is applied against the brakes, then the A318 races down the short runway and leaps into the air thanks to its small payload (many of the passengers just have hand luggage) and light fuel load at this stage. An amuse-bouche and drinks are distributed along with US customs forms during the one-hour flight to Shannon.

Customs clearance for the US in Shannon does not require checked bags to be physically reclaimed by passengers and walked through a channel. Instead, the bags are off-loaded from the aircraft and photographed, then matched to passengers using data on the bag tag. When passing through immigration, passengers are shown a photograph on a monitor and asked: “Is this your bag?” Once

positively identified and with nothing to declare, as long as US customs have no further issues, the bags are put back on the aircraft without their owners ever being in contact with them. Passengers return to the gate to reboard.

US budget cuts have shortened the opening hours for Shannon’s US customs and immigration station, which means the later BA3 flight does not enjoy the pre-clearance service and arrives at JFK as an international flight. Consequently, passengers on BA3 do not disembark at Shannon. Flight BA1 is scheduled to be on the ground for a maximum of 50mins while for the later flight it is slightly less at 45mins, however sometimes the flights are turned around in significantly less time.

Soon after take-off, amenity kits are handed out followed by lunch served in five courses: starter, salad, main course, cheese and dessert. As the flight makes landfall over Canada a hot snack selection is offered as well as the famous BA cream tea – scones, clotted cream, raspberry jam, sandwiches and Champagne.

Pre-loaded and pre-charged iPads (unique in the BA fleet) are used to provide in-flight entertainment, with content largely similar to the seatback systems of the airline’s widebodies.


Above: The Club World seats used on the A318s can be folded into a flatbed. Unlike the rest of the BA fleet iPads are used for in-flight entertainment. British Airways

Right: The A318s are configured for just 32 passengers. Charles Kennedy

Left: An A318 at Shannon – the short runway at London City requires the type to refuel at the Irish airport on the westbound leg. Charles Kennedy


BACK TO LONDONOn the non-stop return, passengers bene� t from BA’s massive operation at JFK’s Terminal 7. The � ight to London is intended as a sleeper service. Passengers are encouraged to eat in one of the several BA lounges in the terminal, although meal options are offered onboard for night owls.

Modi� cations were needed to land the aircraft at LCY. The BA examples are the only ones with a special con� guration to cope with the airport’s steeper-than-normal approach path. A normal landing approach is � own with a descent angle of 3.3°. A glideslope of 5.5° (and up to 7.5° in test � ights for certi� cation) is required to minimise noise

in the densely populated surrounding areas as well as because of signi� cant obstacle clearance factors. For speed control in such a steep descent, spoilers on these unique A318s have been modi� ed to deploy on approach. A button on the overhead panel in the cockpit marked STEEP APPR (steep approach) is pressed and the spoiler handle moved to full deployment. Nothing happens until full � aps are selected, after which the spoilers on the upper surface of the wings are set to deploy as speed � uctuations demand (for example, if the aircraft accelerates, they � oat upwards into the air� ow; if speed decays they will � atten out – all without any input from the pilot).

On touch-down sharp braking and a single blast of full reverse brings the aircraft to a taxiing pace, easily within the con� nes of the short runway. The smaller number of international passengers using LCY means it takes little time to get through immigration and customs. As there is no BA lounge at the airport, day rooms are offered at no extra cost for resting and showering at Radisson Blu Edwardian’s nearby New Providence Wharf hotel.

The Club World London City to New York service has built up a devoted following, not only in the � nancial services industry but also among fashion and music industry types who have gravitated to East London.


Below: Airbus A318 G-EUNB waits in the fading light at JFK prior to operating a � ight back to London City. Charles Kennedy

Left: On � ight BA1 the time on the ground at Shannon is used for passengers to clear US immigration and customs. This is not possible on the later BA3 as the American immigration and customs station is closed by the time the � ight arrives, following US budget cuts. Charles Kennedy

Above: Beef, mashed potato and vegetables formed the main dish of a � ve-course meal between Shannon and JFK during the author’s � ight. Charles Kennedy


YANK BOMBER BOYS IN NORFOLK – A PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD OF THE USAAF IN THE SECOND WORLD WARBookWritten by: Peter W Bodle FRAeSPrice: £25.00

Compiled from the photographic collections of individual troops and station photographic sections, this unusual book gives a view of US Army Air Force operations in Norfolk. The primary aviation fare is the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, but a scattering of other types, US and RAF, appears, including a Bristol Beau� ghter, captioned on page 218 as a “British medium bomber”. It is regrettable that some photographs appear to have suffered in quality from being reproduced beyond their scanned dimensions, rather than from being more than seven decades old.

The captions are generally weak, but sufficient to identify locations and the units depicted, although most readers will simply be absorbed in the photographs. There are scenes of domesticity and regular air� eld life, as well as more harrowing images of crashed and, in some cases, burning bombers. Those fortunate enough to live in or around Norfolk will enjoy the possibility of spotting a familiar air� eld, pub or other location. This is a book to be dipped into at leisure, rather than read cover to cover.

Published by Fonthill Media; ISBN9781781553565, available from www.fonthillmedia.com

A CENTURY OF AIR WARFARE WITH NINE (IX) SQUADRON RAF – STILL GOING STRONGBookWritten by: Gordon ThorburnPrice: £25.00

Given IX Squadron’s century of service – it formed as a Royal Flying Corps unit in December 1914 – author Gordon Thorburn begins his history with a look at the origins of bombing and airborne radio. The unit was a pioneer in both � elds.

The excellent narrative describes the squadron’s early and inter-war history in considerable detail, before the author embarks into an unusual presentation of its World War Two campaign. A run through of aircraft types and operations might be expected – IX Squadron Lancasters may or may not have been responsible for causing Tirpitz to capsize in an attack � own alongside 617 Sqn, for example (opinions on which unit dropped the vital Tallboy depend on which squadron personnel one is talking to) – but instead the story is presented through the eyes of different aircrew and groundcrew. The result is as engaging as it is informative.

Through the Cold War, IX Squadron operated the Avro Lincoln and English Electric Canberra, before returning to Avro with the Vulcan. The latter gave way to the Panavia Tornado as the unit once again took on a pioneering role, introducing the swing-wing strike aircraft into RAF service. There are hair-raising accounts from crews involved in the Tornado’s � rst combat operations over Iraq in 1991 and coverage of subsequent action over the Balkans, Afghanistan and Libya.

All of the many photographs are reproduced in black and white, which is a pity given the many colour images of IX Squadron’s operations from more recent times. Readers will notice that the Bristol Scout shown on page 18 is a Bristol Fighter and might puzzle at Litening being described as a radar defence pod rather than a targeting pod, but given the extent of the book’s coverage, these are minor criticisms.

Published by Pen & Sword Aviation; ISBN1783036346, available from www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

FROM SPITFIRE TO METEORBook Written by: Albert HortonPrice: £9.75 plus postage

Given the quality of reproduction of its black and white photographs and inconsistent typography, the self-published origins of this book are immediately apparent, but neither detracts from the excellence of its content, which essentially comprises the memoirs of Royal Air Force � ghter pilot Albert Horton.

Horton graduated onto the Supermarine Spit� re in June 1949, after training on the de Havilland Tiger Moth and North American Harvard. Moving on from the Merlin-engined Mk 16, he accumulated the majority of his Spit� re hours on the PR.Mk 19 and FR.Mk 18, both of them Griffon engined. Photographic reconnaissance became his speciality and Horton was posted to the Middle East with 208 Squadron.

His was a fascinating time, for the RAF was transitioning to jets and he made the change from piston power to the Gloster Meteor FR.Mk 9, gleefully noting that he � ew faster in a Spit� re than he was permitted to in the Meteor. Horton gives engaging recollections of � ying in the relative freedom of the immediate post-war world and the excitement of service life.

This is a book written by someone who was there, and his passion for � ying and the Spit� re in particular, shines through. Although it repeats a couple of photographs and would bene� t from tighter editing in places, this modest book is recommended as an engaging, illuminating and entertaining read.

Published by Robert Davies; ISBN9781291969085, available from www.lulu.com

OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES – SPITFIRE ACES OF NORTHWEST EUROPE 1944-45BookWritten by: Andrew ThomasPrice: £13.99

This new title from Osprey is number 122 in its acclaimed Aircraft of the Aces series and the fact that it is written by RAF authority Andrew Thomas, with cover artwork by Mark Postlethwaite and colour pro� les by Chris Thomas, all under the careful editorial guidance of Tony Holmes, will add up to recommendation enough for many readers.

For those not familiar with Aircraft of the Aces, this would be an excellent � rst volume. Dealing with the Supermarine Spit� re in its last year of service over Northwest Europe, it abounds with artwork, photographs and � rst-hand accounts set into Andrew Thomas’s authoritatively researched narrative. The beautifully rendered pro� les – 36 altogether – illustrate Mks VB, VII, IX and XVI, and are complete with extensive captions. An appendix detailing individual pilot scores, a bibliography and comprehensive index round off another superb package from Osprey.

Published by Osprey Publishing Ltd; ISBN9781782003380, available from www.ospreypublishing.com

36 Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft November 2014

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The latest products for the discerning aviation enthusiastFlight Bag

36_FlightBagDC.mf.indd 36 03/10/2014 14:40

HURRICANE SQUADRON ACE – THE STORY OF BATTLE OF BRITAIN ACE AIR COMMODORE PETER BROTHERS CBE DSO DFC*BookWritten by: Nick ThomasPrice: £25.00

We can expect to see renewed interest in all aspects of the Battle of Britain in this, its 75th anniversary year. The RAF pilots involved – the famed ‘Few’ – have remained a source of fascination and here Nick Thomas tells the story of one of the � nest among them. Regarded by his squadron mates as an exceptional leader and instinctive tactician, Peter Brothers has attracted rather less coverage in print than many of his contemporaries, a de� ciency corrected by this thoroughly researched book.

Compiled with the bene� t of squadron Operational Record Books and Combat Reports, correspondence with other Battle of Britain pilots, interviews with Brothers himself (he died in 2008) and the unstinting support of the ace’s daughters, the story is told in considerable detail. Beginning with a

childhood fascination for all things � ying, it takes the reader through Brothers’ pre-RAF � ying and then onto 32 Sqn and the Gloster Gauntlet.

Brothers � ew Hurricanes in France and the Battle of Britain with 32 Sqn, before transferring to 257 Sqn in September 1940 before taking command of the newly formed 457 Sqn and its Spit� res in June 1941. A year later he was in command of 602 Sqn, before becoming Wing Commander Flying, � rst with the Tangmere Wing and then the Culmhead Wing.

Having spent the war serving UK-based squadrons, Brothers, vehemently opposed to a spell at staff college, retired from the RAF in 1947, only to return in 1949 as a squadron leader bomber pilot on the Avro Lincoln. This peculiar turn of events later saw him become

Wing Commander Flying at RAF Marham on the Valiant, and Brothers � nally retired for good in 1973, as director of RAF public relations.

The telling of his varied and extraordinary career is punctuated with combat reports and personal anecdotes. A small section of black and white photographic plates provides sufficient illustration to add life to the narrative, showing many of the aircraft types mentioned, as well as Brothers and his contemporaries. A useful index completes a book that should appeal to enthusiasts and general readers with an interest in World War Two.

Published by Pen & Sword Aviation; ISBN1781593116 and is available from www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

DC-10 FAREWELL TOURDVDPrice: £18.99

The retirement of the � nal McDonnell Douglas DC-10 used on passenger � ights gathered worldwide media coverage. To celebrate the retirement, Biman Bangladesh Airlines announced a series of nine scenic � ights, � own from Birmingham, England, over a weekend to give enthusiasts the chance to say goodbye. DC-10 Farewell Tour is a double DVD packed with over three hours of content that perfectly captures the party atmosphere of that � nal hurrah.

Filmmaker Brian Wiklem spent the entire weekend with the aircraft, S2-ACR, getting

lots of behind-the-scenes footage both on the ground and in the sky. Because such great access was given, this DVD will probably appeal to those who took part in the farewell party just as much as those who didn’t. You are taken into the cockpit to see the pilots conducting their pre-� ight checks, and there’s plenty of footage of the activities on the � ight deck in the air, including the pilots’ battle with some tricky landing conditions on approach to Birmingham. In this day and age of glass cockpits, the sight of the analogue dials whirring around is something to behold.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the DVD was seeing just how much fun everybody involved was having. The crew were forever smiling while the enthusiasts � lled their cameras with memories.

This DVD provides an excellent insight into a farewell party be� tting an aircraft as iconic as the DC-10.

Produced by Astral Horizon, available exclusively from www.theairlineboutique.com


LAST OF THE LANCASTERSBookWritten by: Martin W BowmanPrice: £25.00

Potential readers should not be misled by the peculiar title of this book, which isn’t about the last of anything. In fact, it’s a collection of excellent Lancaster-related tales, by a variety of commentators, including crewmembers and journalists. Each chapter is a new story and could be read alone, but the book in its entirety provides an engaging insight into the daily lives and routines of the young bomber crews.

It is especially interesting to � nd work such as that from Martha Gellhorn included. A renowned war correspondent, she wrote of

the preparations for a raid from an outsider’s perspective, shining new light on familiar procedures and providing atmosphere that might have been missed by a writer more familiar with operational � ying. Regular bombing missions inevitably account for the majority of the narrative, but space has also been found for the exploits of 617 Sqn’s Tallboy-toting Lancaster Thumper MKIII, as well as Operations Manna and Exodus.

Two sections of well-chosen black and white photographs add considerably to the text, their detailed captions providing useful

information. Three photographs of Lincolns are included to accompany the � nal chapter – Lincoln Legacy – that doesn’t mention Argentina’s use of the type, even though the aircraft at the top of the penultimate plate are surely in Argentine service. This is nevertheless an excellent book, whether dipped into or read cover-to-cover.

Published by Pen & Sword Aviation; ISBN178383174 and is available from www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

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Flight 1 Europe F_P.indd 1 25/11/2014 09:51

Only four of the 11 Greek islands that form the Sporades Islands are inhabited, of which Skiathos is one. Located around 83 miles

(133km) from the mainland capital Athens,

it is perhaps one of the most interesting airports in the region given its spectacular approach and landing. Like St Maarten in the Caribbean, Skiathos allows spectators to get an incredibly close view of aircraft arriving

and departing at the airport. However, there is more to this airport than just the thrill of a close encounter.

Opened in 1971, Skiathos Airport Alexandros Papadiamantis was built to link


SKIATHOS THE ST MAARTEN OF EUROPE

Martyn Cartledge visited the Greek island of Skiathos, sometimes nicknamed the St Maarten of Europe,

to learn all about this small but very interesting airport.

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Skiathos and the surrounding islands with Athens. Constructed by reclaiming land from the sea between Skiathos and the former leper colony of neighbouring Lazareta, its 2,625ft (800m) runway welcomed Olympic Airlines Shorts 360s and Skyvans, Dornier

228s and NAMC YS11s linking � rst Athens and later Thessaloniki. At its peak Skiathos had � ve rotations per day to Athens and two to Thessaloniki. However, the very � rst aircraft to land was a Douglas DC-3 Dakota of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority which

was testing and commissioning the NDB (non-directional beacon) used for approaches at the airport.

The � rst official � ight was by Olympic Shorts Skyvan SX-BBO, � ttingly named Isle of Skiathos.


Main photo: An SAS Boeing 737-705 demonstrates just how close spectators can get to aircraft on short � nals to Runway 02 at Skiathos. All photos Martyn Cartledge unless stated

Below: The current terminal at Skiathos was constructed in 2002 and handles around 250,000 passengers a year.


For the � rst year of operations passengers were processed through a temporary building until the � rst terminal was built in 1972. A new 7,000sq ft (650sq m) terminal was constructed in 2002 to increase passenger throughput. The airport currently provides work for 150 locals with 250,000 passengers passing through each year. Most of these passengers stay on the island providing welcome revenue for the local economy with a small percentage of passengers going to the neighbouring islands of Skopelos and Alonissos.

CURRENT CHALLENGESThe current runway at Skiathos is officially classed as short and narrow, measuring 5,341ft (1,628m) long and 98ft (30m) wide. This, coupled with the fact that the apron can officially only hold two airliners at one time, provides the greatest operational challenges for the airport.

George Iliopoulos, the Airport Authority Officer in charge of both Operations and PR, who reports to the Airport Manager, Vassilios Rigas, explained to Aviation News just how these testing situations arise.

“The apron is by far the biggest challenge as it currently limits the airport to two arrivals and two departures per hour,” he explained. “That is not necessarily an issue if everything works to plan which with good coordination between airport ops, the three ground handling agents and air traffic control, it generally does.”

However, not everything can be controlled so if an aircraft has an issue whilst on the ground it can have serious delays down the line, particularly if it is on a Friday which is the busiest day of the week. The author can attest

to this problem, having waited on the ground at Manchester for 45mins because there was no expected parking stand available at the scheduled time of arrival in Skiathos. On approach his � ight then needed to go into the hold for a further 15mins while two passengers’ bags were offloaded from the outbound � ight

Above: Mistral Air � ies to Skiathos from Rome on behalf of Alitalia.

Below: Olympic Air operates domestic services to mainland Greece using Bombardier Dash 8-Q400s. Marco Finelli



after they failed to show up at the gate.The runway length is an issue

of a much different nature. Pilots have to be specially rated (by their respective civil aviation authorities) to fly into Skiathos and to add to the complications, the runway has hills on both sides. Aircraft then backtrack the runway to access the apron.

The short runway also means a fully loaded jet airliner of the type operating here, excluding the Boeing 757, often can’t make it back to northern Europe without a technical stop in either Kavala or Thessaloniki, both in northern Greece, to take on enough fuel to make it home.

It is possible to fly without this stop but only on certain conditions. These include a light load or when the air temperature is cooler and engines perform more efficiently, a last minute decision can be taken on a non-stop trip, with the captain making the final judgment. During last year’s summer season, Thomson Airways operated a direct service to London Luton using a Boeing 737-800, scheduling the flight in the early morning to make this possible. However, this is clearly not available to every carrier with just two flights per hour.

The airport can handle aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 757-200 with the most common sight being varying versions of the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families. However on October 30, 2011 the airport managed to accommodate an Air Italy Boeing 767. The regular 757 had become unserviceable earlier in the day due to a bird strike and the airline preferred to substitute a 767 on the route. Many hours of planning and calculations later, the aircraft was on the ground. It filled the apron and the achievement is remembered fondly to this day.

Arrivals are via VHF Omni Directional

Radio Range (VOR)/NDB approach, following hand over from Athens Control. Aircraft first overfly the island giving passengers on the right-hand side a great view. A turn downwind over the Skopelos VOR follows and, when 10nm from this point, the turn back onto finals is made for the approaches to Runway 02/20, with 02 the most common and certainly the most interesting, with aircraft passing over spectators at the end of the runway at very low level.

Liaison is again required with Athens for departures. An aircraft is provided with a slot and – once airborne on the SID (standard instrument departure), or quite commonly a visual departure to intersect the 336 radial from Skopelos (taking off from Runway 02) – aircrew are expected to

Above: This overview of the airport shows how little space there is on the main apron at Skiathos.

Below: An airfield chart of Skiathos. The most popular viewing location is at the southern end by the Runway 02 threshold. Not for airborne/operational use, Navtech Aerad

Below: Despite only having two stands, there are three departure gates in the terminal.



contact Athens Control within five minutes.Interestingly, Skiathos has no directly

employed controller with a ‘rota’ of controllers coming for a couple of months or so from Mytilene at Lesbos in the summer and other Greek airports in the winter.

Controllers also have a non-standard procedure with each movement when they switch on traffic lights to stop vehicles on the road that runs around the 02 threshold.

AIRPORT EXPANSIONThe airport plans to extend the runway by 360ft (110m) at the northern end (the opposite end to the primary spotting location), which along with other runway width modifications will assist safety and provide more aircraft with the opportunity to fly home directly saving the airlines time and money. There have been investigations into a further extension to allow larger aircraft in, but this would involve destroying Xanemos Beach – with both political and environmental implications. Any such decision would be made in conjunction with the inhabitants of the island for whom the airport was originally constructed.

Although there are just two official parking stands, interestingly, there are three departure gates because in the right circumstances the ramp taxiway can hold a third aircraft assuming it leaves before the aircraft behind it on stand two. The airport is implementing its master plan, which by August should see a new north apron containing five airliner stands and the facility for up to two further long stay bizjet or GA aircraft. Lack of such facilities prevents aircraft being based at the airport, but there is room for a few Cessna 172-sized aircraft at the north side of the existing apron.

The new apron will have direct access to


Above: Aircraft on approach to Runway 02 pass the harbour and Skiathos town providing spectacular photo opportunities as demonstrated by this Blue Panorama Boeing 737. AirTeamImages.com/Timo Breidenstein

Above: One of the factors limiting Skiathos is its apron, which officially can only hold two aircraft at any one time. The airport is able to get around this using the taxiway as a third stand provided the aircraft parked there leaves before the one behind it on stand two.

Below: Russian carrier VIM Airlines operated a Sunday service from Moscow Domodedovo in 2014.


the runway, although aircraft will still need to backtrack as they do now as there is no parallel taxiway and no plans nor land for such a construction.

To keep up with the expected increase in traffic the plan calls for an initial refurbishment of the new terminal and eventually an extension to it and the refurbishment and subsequent reopening of the old 1970s-era terminal. The airport, like many in Greece, is working towards privatisation so � nal decisions are likely to be made after a move to the private sector is complete.

Skiathos gets its fair share of bizjet traffic with on average two to three such visitors per day. In the past Middle East Government officials have provided some interesting movements with a Saudi Government Boeing

737 and Qatar Amiri Flight A320 making visits.Traffic peaks on a Friday in the summer

season when the airport handles up to 40 movements carrying approximately 6,000 passengers, which is more than the island’s total population of about 5,000. To achieve this the airport tweaks the arrival slots to squeeze in a few more movements.

OPERATORSJust 1% of passengers travel domestically with charter � ights providing the bulk of operations, almost exclusively from foreign carriers. It is dominated by the approximately 80% of passengers who are � own in from the UK.

Flights are offered by Monarch Airlines, Thomson Airways and Thomas Cook Airlines along with Germania and Small Planet

Airlines operating from Manchester and Gatwick. Scandinavian countries � y the next largest amount of passengers with Italy close behind. The most interesting operators in 2014 were Aviolet, the new charter arm of Air Serbia, which operates throughout the week using ex-JAT 737s, and VIM Airlines’ Airbus A319 service from Moscow Domodedovo on Sundays. Locally, Olympic Air operates twice daily from Athens with Dash 8s, and Sky Express has a three times weekly service using a Jetstream 41.

Although never likely to rival St Maarten in terms of the variety of movements, Skiathos has a warm sunny climate, the beautiful Aegean Sea lapping along its shores as well as allowing enthusiasts to get up close to aircraft.


SPOTTING AT SKIATHOSThe area at the southern end of the runway is the most obvious and genuinely spectacular place to view aircraft. It is quite an experience to have a landing airliner � y literally feet above your head. Departing aircraft are easily viewed and photographed from here and additionally the Amaretto Café Snack Bar overlooks the runway. The café provides not only shade and refreshments, but also ‘I survived the Skiathos jet blast’ key rings and a large television screen showing arrivals from Flightradar24.

The port also offers views, with aircraft on approach � ying past side-on, making it possible to sit in the many bars, cafés and restaurants there and take in the action. Photographs are achievable with a decent zoom lens and are best taken from late afternoon when the sun is at its optimum position. Due to the arched shape of the port, focal length varies with anything from 250-350mm required for an Airbus A320 full frame.

Interesting shots can be taken from the hills overlooking the airport with the rugged terrain providing a spectacular backdrop. This location also has the bene� t of being on the right side of the runway for the sun for the majority of the day. Inside the airport there are good views upstairs alongside the airport offices and defunct restaurant (landside), albeit into the sun for the most part. If landings are from the north onto Runway 20, head for Xanemos Beach where you can sit, relax and swim in the warm Aegean Sea while watching aircraft land. There are raised areas at both ends of the beach that assist with photography.

“The airport is implementing its master plan, which by August should see a new north apron containing fi ve airliner stands and

the facility for up to two further long stay bizjet or GA aircraft.”

Above: Spectators gather to watch Thomson Airways Boeing 737-8K5 G-FDZU depart. AirTeamImages.com/Timo Breidenstein

Below: A Monarch Airlines Boeing 757 turns around at the end of the runway prior to departure back to the UK. AirTeamImages.com/Danijel Jovanovic


Pilot Reunited with Tail Fin of Thunderbolt

A piece of history arrived in Abilene, Texas in mid-January when the tail � n of a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt shot down over France on January 29, 1944 was returned to its former pilot. Last November, aviation historian Michael John Fuller bought the � n at an auction in Germany. It carried the serial number 275417 which identi� ed it as belonging to a P-47D of the 361st Fighter Group, which was brought down by � ak and

belly landed near Dunkirk. It had taken off from Bottisham in Cambridgeshire, escorting bombers heading for Frankfurt. Pilot 2nd Lt Charles B Screws evaded capture and with the help of the French Resistance crossed the Pyrenees into Spain. Mr Fuller traced its former pilot, who was delighted to see it again and decided to present it to the Texas Air Museum in Slaton for permanent public display.

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Argentinean Memorial

The tail section of a Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was unveiled as a war memorial last November in Córdoba, Argentina. The � n, which has different unit markings painted on either side, is from OA-4AR FightingHawk C-902, originally built as a TA-4F trainer for the USMC. It crashed on February 13, 2013 near Santiago del Estero. Esteban Brea

A P-47D of the 361st Fighter Group. The tail � n from another Thunderbolt from this unit has been reunited with the pilot who � ew the aircraft during World War Two. EN Archive

Historic C-46 to Return to

IsraelA Curtiss C-46 Commando transport aircraft used in the 1947 clandestine Operation Michaelberg, during which 100 Iraqi Jews were rescued and brought to the then British Mandate Palestine, will soon return to Israel after being saved from a scrap yard in Argentina.

During the mid-1940s, concerns grew for the fate of the Jews of Iraq, with reports of increasing persecution by their Arab neighbours. The British refused the Jewish community’s petition to allow Iraqi Jews to enter Israel legally, and so it was decided to mount a top secret rescue mission and smuggle them into the country. The operation was designed by the Aliyah Bet group, which was part of the Haganah, the Jewish paramilitary organisation that worked in Israel in de� ance of the British Mandate.

Aliyah Bet members, some of whom would later form Mossad, were able to purchase the aircraft and contract pilot Leo Sanberg and his co-pilot Michael, both American World War Two veterans, to make two � ights to Iraq. The operation, made up from the names of the pilots, was carried out in August and September 1947. Later, as the majority of Jews seeking to enter Israel legally or illegally did so by sea, the C-46 was sold and all but forgotten. Museum staff in Israel recently traced the location of the historic transport aircraft and learned that it was due to be scrapped. Negotiations were successful and the C-46 is scheduled to be shipped to its new home, at the Atlit Detention Camp Museum in the near future.

Indian Lake Relics

In eastern India, an Imphal-based World War Two excavation and research team has identi� ed the crash sites of one British and two Japanese aircraft, that were shot down and fell into Loktak Lake during an air battle on June 17, 1944. Two Nakajima Ki-43 � ghters, code-named ‘Oscar’ by the Allies, were struck by the return � re from a Vickers Wellington before it too was downed. It is known that some of the wreckage from these aircraft was salvaged at the time but heavier parts still lie in the lake. A recovery operation is planned and, if successful, any relics will be displayed at a newly established local museum which commemorates the Battle of Imphal. It already has over a thousand artefacts, including unspeci� ed aircraft parts.

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Last year was a pivotal one for the Boeing EA-18G Growler and the electronic attack community based at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island,

Washington State. The Growler, a derivative of the Block II F/A-18F Super Hornet, provides electronic attack (EA) capability and has recently replaced the Grumman EA-6B Prowler in the US Navy. As with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet programme, the Growler will serve well into the 2040s, and because of this longevity, it is the focal point of several enhancements to ensure it remains relevant as enemy air defences mature.

The year 2014 opened with Boeing responding to the Pentagon’s failure to include any funding for additional Growler procurement in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015

budget. As the year progressed, the navy worked to determine precisely how many Growlers are needed to protect US and Allied air forces, both in total and in each squadron. In May, Boeing marked the delivery of the 100th Growler to the US Navy and, following up on contracts entered into in mid-2013, the company and Northrop Grumman began production of the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) � rst of 12 Growlers. By year’s end an additional 15 Growlers were approved, ensuring Boeing’s St Louis production line will continue until late 2017.

BUDGET BATTLESIn December 2013, word came out of Washington, DC, that no funds were designated in the FY15 budget for procuring any Super Hornets or Growlers. Boeing began a campaign to revisit the issue, and by February the US Navy had submitted to Congress a list of unfunded priorities and ranked as number one was an additional 22 Growlers. After committee work in both Congressional houses reduced the number to 12, on December 10, 2014, Congress approved the FY15 budget, including 15 Growlers at a price of $1.46bn. The current US Navy Program of Record is 138 EA-18Gs, but this number will grow to 153 once procurement contracts are � nalised.


GROWLERELECTRONIC ATTACKER

Brad Elward reviews the progress of the Boeing EA-18G Growler and assesses what the future

holds for this electronic attack variant of the Super Hornet.

The US Navy has a current requirement for 153 Growlers – though the possibility of this being increased is being discussed. Ted Carlson/Fotodynamics.com

50-54_GrowlerDCMFDCMFDC.mf.indd 50 06/02/2015 15:31

Echoing last year’s saga, the FY16 budget, released on February 2, 2015, contains no funds for Super Hornet or Growler procurement. According to the political magazine Politico, Boeing has already vowed a repeat lobbying campaign this year to ensure the production line remains open beyond 2017. However, with budgets tight and the recent addition of 15 aircraft last December, it may well be that the US Navy has to revisit the issue in the next budget. It expects the results of its joint analysis study in mid-March, which will help determine EA needs. According to a US Navy spokesperson: “The F/A-18 and EA-18G programme office will remain flexible based on the priorities set forth by the President’s Budget.”

FLEET STATUSWith the exception of the forward-deployed VAQ-141 Shadowhawks, all EA-18G squadrons are based at NAS Whidbey Island. The first unit to transition from the EA-6B was the Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), VAQ-129 Vikings in 2008. Units then converted at a rate of roughly one per year. VAQ-132 Scorpions was the first fleet squadron to become operational with Growler, it was also the first such EA-6B squadron deploying with the type in 1972.

Captain Darryl ‘D-Day’ Walker, Commodore, Electronic Attack Wing, Pacific Fleet, spoke with Aviation News recently stating: “We’ve got ten carrier-based squadrons and then I have three additional expeditionary squadrons and the Program of Record right now is two additional on top of that.” VAQ-132, -135 and

-138 are currently expeditionary squadrons. VAQ-134 was to be an expeditionary squadron, but according to a US Navy announcement on February 2 it will now be assigned to work from a carrier and part of Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8). It was also revealed that VAQ-131 upon completion of its transition syllabus this year will become the fourth expeditionary squadron.

Captain Walker stated: “VAQ-143 will begin to build around 2017 as the final expeditionary squadron.” He added: “Expeditionary squadrons predominantly support the joint force commander, particularly the air force, and are an extension to carrier operations.” The principal difference between the two squadron types is that the carrier squadrons “undergo training for the boat,” while expeditionary squadrons do not. Walker explained that the expeditionary squadrons do

not maintain carrier landing qualifications, but can, if needed, re-qualify for carrier operations and be reintegrated into an air wing, although this is not the norm for the community.”

Fleet squadrons operate five Growlers, one more aircraft than EA-6B squadrons, and studies are under way to determine whether it should be seven or eight. Studies conducted by Boeing suggest that the Growler’s effectiveness can be enhanced when operating in a three-aircraft flight versus the single or two-aircraft section operations often used by Prowlers. This larger flight configuration allows two Growlers to fly with active pods, while the third EA-18G flies in a passive mode, using its sophisticated electronic gear to listen.

In June 2014, the concept was tested as part of the Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) Fleet Battle Experiment (FBE) aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Commander Jeannie Groeneveld, Chief Public Affairs Officer, US Pacific Fleet, told Aviation News: “The exercise augmented VAQ-139, the air wing’s EA-18G Growler squadron, with three additional aircraft increasing the squadron from five to eight.” Groeneveld said the purpose of the experiment: “was to empirically measure the operational benefit over a several day period of increased electronic attack support capacity across multiple mission areas, including strike warfare packages and the ability to defend the carrier in an increasingly complex electronic warfare environment.” She added: “the exercise went well,” and “we gained a deeper understanding of the incredible value of the EA-18G Growler and how to best employ its capability, and increased capacity, from the flight deck of our aircraft carrier.” The enhanced VAQ squadron flew more than 60 sorties and over 105 flight hours. Groeneveld stated that currently there has been no decision on whether to conduct a follow-on exercise.

GROWLER WEAPONS SCHOOL Another development for the EA community is the continued growth of the Airborne Electronic Attack Weapons School (AEAWS, also


Above: Growler training flights are often flown without jammer pods so that students can learn to fly the aircraft at a lighter weight. Moreover, the pods relate more to the tactical portion of the syllabus, which comes much later. José Ramos

Left: The Growler can be easily distinguished from a Super Hornet by virtue of the wingtip ALQ-218(v)2 receivers. Brian Hodgson

Left: An EA-18G Growler assigned to VAQ-141 Shadowhawks lands aboard the USS George HW Bush. US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Eric Tretter


referred to as HAVOC). A department (N10) of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center (NSAWC) at NAS Fallon, Nevada, HAVOC serves as the EA community’s ‘TOPGUN’, creating Growler Tactics Instructors (GTIs) who serve as subject matter experts and tactics officers. Commander Mike Miller, HAVOC Department Head, told Aviation News that the AEAWS, “has conducted eight Growler Tactics Instructor courses since 2011,” and as of December 2014, “has graduated 34 GTIs and � ve Growler Intelligence Officers”.

Miller, who commanded VAQ-141 from 2011-2013 as part of CVW-8 and later CVW-

5 in Japan, said: “Each course is 12 weeks. We average 27 � ight events, 140 EA-18G sorties and about 300 EA-18G � ight hours per course.” He said there are, “an additional 200 protected entity sorties (US Navy and USAF) and adversary sorties that support our course training objectives”. Miller added: “[we] also have � ve simulator events and lots of academics in our syllabus.”

Captain Walker said the GTIs, “are the experts in AEA [airborne electronic attack], air-to-air, air-to-ground, tactics, jamming – which is our number one priority – and HARM [High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile]. Any weapon

system that we use in that aircraft, they are our specialists.” Walker said for now: “We try to ensure that every squadron gets one GTI.” On completion of the HAVOC course, GTI patch-wearers “stay at HAVOC and instruct” or go to the FRS or EAWS (Electronic Attack Weapons School at Whidbey Island) and instruct, or to one of the � eet squadrons as a training officer. Captain Walker expects that once the GTI availability becomes stable, the school will follow a structure similar to TOPGUN whereby graduates serve at the “schoolhouse” (HAVOC), EAWS or FRS, for a shore tour before deploying to a � eet squadron as a training officer.

RECENT OPERATIONSThe Growler’s combat debut occurred in November 2010 when VAQ-132 Scorpions deployed to Iraq. The squadron operated out of Al Asad Air Base, before being redeployed to Aviano AB, Italy, for Operation Odyssey Dawn conducting its � rst mission over Libya on March 20, 2011. While supporting Libyan operations six pilots and electronic warfare officers (EWOs) from VAQ-129 augmented the unit. The Scorpions returned to Whidbey Island in July 2011 having � own over 3,000 � ight hours and logged over 700 missions for the entire deployment. The unit achieved a 100% sortie completion rate, � ying traditional electronic warfare missions against Libyan air defence networks, understood to be former Soviet SA-2 and SA-3 systems, and also reportedly � ying support for coalition air forces conducting air strikes against government ground forces.

To date, all of the expeditionary squadrons have made overseas deployments. Yet only three of the carrier-based squadrons have deployed. VAQ-141 made the Growler’s � rst carrier deployment aboard the USS George HW Bush (CVN 77) starting in May 2011. Commander Mike Miller, who commanded the squadron during the maiden Growler deployment, said: “Throughout work-ups and the � rst carrier-based EA-18G deployment, VAQ-141 was able to execute the full range of carrier-based electronic warfare [EW] missions

A VX-31 Dust Devils’ Growler practising low-level � ying in Nevada. Brian Hodgson


US NAVY BOEING EA-18G GROWLER UNITSSquadron Name Safe for Flight Date Assignment/Tail code

VAQ-129 Vikings Jun 2008* Fleet Replacement Squadron/NJ

VAQ-130 Zappers Oct 2011 CVW-3/AC

VAQ-131 Lancers Mar 2015 Expeditionary/NL

VAQ-132 Scorpions Sep 2009 Expeditionary/NL

VAQ-133 Wizards Jun 2014 CVW-9/NG

VAQ-134 Garudas Spring 2016 CVW-8/AJ

VAQ-135 Black Ravens Jun 2011 Expeditionary/NL

VAQ-136 Gauntlets Mar 2013 CVW-2/NE

VAQ-137 Rooks Sep 2013 CVW-1/AB

VAQ-138 Yellow Jackets Aug 2010 Expeditionary/NL

VAQ-139 Cougars Oct 2012 CVW-17/AA

VAQ-140 Patriots Jul 2014 CVW-7/AG

VAQ-141 Shadowhawks Feb 2010 CVW-5/NF

VAQ-142 Gray Wolves Summer 2015 CVW-11/NH

VAQ-143 Unnamed Planned 2019 Expeditionary

VAQ-209 Star Warriors May 2014 Reserve/AF

VX-9 Vampires 2008* Air Test and Evaluation/XE

VX-23 Salty Dogs 2007* Air Test and Evaluation/SD

VX-31 Dust Devils 2009* Air Test and Evaluation/DD

N10 HAVOC 2011* Airborne Electronic Attack Weapons School/NSAWC

Notes: VAQ-141 is based at NAF Atsugi, Japan; VX-9 and VX-31 are at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California; VX-23 is resident at NAS Patuxent River, Maryland and the Airborne Electronic Attack Weapons School is at NAS Fallon, Nevada.

* ‘Safe for fl ight’ is when the US Navy determines a squadron is certifi ed to operate an aircraft type. Further training is required before it will be mission ready. The dates for the test units are for when they got their fi rst EA-18G as unlike fl eet and reserve squadrons they do not have ‘safe for fl ight’ dates. Their crews and maintainers are individually certifi ed, as other squadron members might focus on different aircraft types. The same holds true for VAQ-129, the Growler FRS. When the Growler arrived with the unit in 2008, the squadron was still actively training EA-6B Prowler crews, and was effectively a dual FRS. Not all squadron members were certifi ed on the Growler, and so the squadron did not have a specifi c ‘safe for fl ight’ date.

Key: CVW stands for carrier air wing. NSAWC is Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center.


with the EA-18G. We were honoured to � y the � rst carrier-based EA-18G missions in support of coalition forces in Iraq as part of Operation New Dawn and the � rst EA-18G missions into Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.” He added: “With � ve aircraft and 20 ALQ-99 jammer pods assigned, the Shadowhawks’ maintainers generated 237 combat and 638 training sorties (plus spares) on that deployment, each sortie supported by combat-ready aircraft, sensors, weapons, and networks. With those jets and weapons we serviced 702 EW targets in Iraq and Afghanistan, providing sanctuary for troops on the ground.” Miller said: “Our ready room of nine pilots and nine EWOs each averaged 90 sorties for the seven-month deployment (including 23 combat missions per aviator) logging a total of 2,300 embarked � ight hours.”

In July 2013, VAQ-130 Zappers deployed aboard the USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and logged 226 combat sorties totalling 1,596 � ight hours. Most recently, VAQ-139 embarked aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) to provide support for air operations over Iraq and Syria as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.

ADVANCED GROWLER AND THE ROADMAPAll Growlers will receive the Type 4 Advanced Mission Computer offering increased computing power and accelerating image and mission processing functions, and incorporation of the ultra-high-frequency Joint Tactical Terminal-Receiver (JTT-R). This latter system provides eight receive channels that allow access to near real-time, over-the-horizon threat and friendly force tracking data that increases critical situational awareness. JTT-R will replace the existing Multi-mission Advanced Tactical Terminal (MATT).

More improvements fall under the Advanced Growler programme which includes upgrades to the ALQ-218(v)2 receivers (the Growler’s ‘ears’) and APG-79 AESA radar, introduction of time difference of arrival (TDOA) geo-location algorithms and tactical targeting network technology (TTNT) radios for enhanced connectivity. Together, these systems allow Growler crews to locate and identify threats faster and more accurately and to then share targeting information in real time. TTNT is a critical node in the US Navy’s overall Naval

Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air (NIFC-CA) concept that networks aircraft, ships and other sensors together via datalinks to deliver a clearer picture of the battlespace and to allow for extended-range cooperative targeting.

Advanced Growler may incorporate features from Boeing’s Advanced Super Hornet, which debuted in August 2013; namely conformal fuel tanks (CFTs), enhanced F414-GE-400 engines, and an advanced cockpit featuring an 11x19in (28x48cm) touch-sensitive large area display. The CFT option has drawn admirers. “The community is excited about the conformal fuel tanks,” Captain Walker said, whose comments were echoed by Captain Frank Morley, the Navy’s F-18 and EA-18G Program Manager. Here, a few number comparisons illustrate why. A Growler in the standard ‘three ALQ-99 pod’ con� guration with CFTs rather than two external 480 US gallon wing tanks, has an empty weight that is 600lb (272kg) lighter. Plus, according to Boeing, although a Growler has the same range in either con� guration, by using CFTs the same mission can be accomplished saving

The Growler has replaced the Prowler in US carrier air wings. An EA-18G Growler of VAQ-130 Zappers launches from the USS Harry S Truman. US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Karl Anderson

Above: A pair of Growlers from VX-9 Vampires based at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California. Ted Carlson/Fotodynamics.com

Right: The Growler nearest the camera is carrying three ALQ-99 pods, two HARMs and two AMRAAMs, plus a pair of drop tanks, while the second aircraft has � ve ALQ-99s. Ted Carlson/Fotodynamics.com



3,000lb (1,361kg) of fuel.” The current 66,000lb (29,937kg) carrier take-off max gross weight limit for the EA-18G prevents the use of two external tanks plus the CFTs, but not so land-based operations (expeditionary). Boeing says: “That configuration adds another 90nm [167km] of combat radius to the Growler or alternately allows the Growler to stay on-station another 30 minutes.” The CFTs also benefit the Growler’s mission performance. A wing tank mounted next to an ALQ-99 jamming pod reduces the pod’s effective field of operation. Freeing the Growler of fuel tanks on stations 3 and 9, in exchange for a CFT, means more effective jamming and also permits carriage of additional weapons, such as the AIM-120 AMRAAM or AGM-88 HARM or Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM).

The enhanced performance engines are another favoured proposal, according to Growler crews. Under consideration are modifications that will allow pilots to flick a switch and select either 20% more thrust per engine and so each would produce 26,400lb (120kN), or the other option would give roughly 3% increased efficiency to increase range/loiter time.

Also on the horizon is Raytheon’s Next Generation Jammer (NGJ), which will replace the 1970s-vintage ALQ-99 pods used by the EA-6Bs and EA-18Gs. Raytheon was awarded a 22-month Technology Development contract in July 2013 and the prototype pod underwent successful test flights in the second half of last year. The NGJ will feature greater power and utilise active scanned array technology, allowing greater threat coverage, faster collect-analyse-jam loops, and the ability to change jamming profiles in flight.

Current plans are to field the NGJ in three

increments, with the Increment 1 mid-band pod – where most current threats reside – planned for a 2020 IOC. An Increment 2 low-band pod follows in 2024 and an Increment 3 high-band one will come at a yet-to-be determined date. At IOC in 2020, Growlers will likely carry an NGJ mid-band pod on each wing and an ALQ-99 low-band pod on the centreline station. Boeing says its proposed large area displays will be critical to Growler crews when fielding the additional data generated by the NGJ.

RAAF GROWLERSOnly months after the last four F/A-18Fs arrived in Australia in late 2011, Australia expressed interest in acquiring an additional 12 Super Hornets and exercising its option to upgrade 12 of the pre-wired aircraft into

EA-18Gs. A formal request for 12 EA-18G modification kits was announced in May 2012, but a year later the Australian Government decided to retain its 24 Super Hornets and acquire 12 new-build Growlers.

The first RAAF Growler, serial A46-301, will be rolled out in the middle of this year. Crew training began in November 2013, with Flt Lt Sean Rutledge, a former F-111 and F/A-18F pilot, starting the transition syllabus at VAQ-129. Six crews should be trained by the end of 2016. The Australian aircraft will be flown by 6 Sqn and operate from Whidbey Island in

2016 before relocating to their permanent base at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. IOC is slated for mid-2018, with full operational status expected in the early 2020s.

BIG ISSUES IN 2015As with 2014, the leading issue this year will be whether Congress funds the purchase of additional Growlers. Even with the Program of Record soon to reach 153 aircraft, recent statements by US Navy leadership have called into question whether that number is sufficient to meet future needs. A factor is that not only is the variant replacing the US Navy Prowlers, but the US Marine Corps will retire its last EA-6B in 2019 and will not procure a direct replacement. Early last year Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said: “Today we have the minimum number [of Growlers] in each squadron.” If it is decided to increase the squadron size to eight EA-18Gs each, more Growlers will clearly be needed even with the 15 aircraft added in the FY15 budget this past December. Boeing internal studies support that as many as 50 to 100 additional EA-18Gs will be required, which could take the overall purchase as high as 235. It will be interesting to see how the size and shape of the Growler fleet evolves.


The US Navy electronic attack community has recently transitioned from the Grumman EA-6B Prowler to the Boeing EA-18G Growler. The last EA-6B squadron, VAQ-134 Garudas, returned from the type’s final deployment aboard the USS George HW Bush in November having flown 579 sorties over Afghanistan. The Prowler’s official sunset ceremony is scheduled for June. José Ramos

A Growler of VAQ-132 Scorpions undergoing pre-flight checks before a sortie on January 8, 2013 from Naval Air Facility Misawa, Japan during a six-month deployment to support the US Navy’s 7th Fleet. This unit is one of the three current expeditionary squadrons. US Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kenneth G Takada


The late airline tycoon Sir Freddie Laker was best known as the founder of Laker Skytrain, the transatlantic airline service that

pioneered low fares. But this wasn’t Sir Freddie’s first venture into aviation.

He had started out buying surplus aircraft from the UK Government, parting them out and scrapping the remains. By the early 1950s he owned two companies based at Southend Airport (now London Southend Airport) in Essex – Aviation

Traders Engineering Limited (ATEL), which specialised in aircraft maintenance, modification and component manufacturing; and Air Charter Limited, an airline that built its business supporting the Berlin Airlift.

Another carrier, Silver City Airways, operated vehicle ferry services out of Southend with Bristol Type 170 Freighters, and when it dropped its service from the airport in 1952 Sir Freddie moved to fill the gap in the market. Air Charter started flying Bristol Freighters, capable of carrying three

cars, in August 1954, and in 1955 it was renamed Channel Air Bridge.

Despite having only limited success flying short-range routes across the English Channel to Calais and Le Touquet in France, Ostend in Belgium and Rotterdam in the Netherlands, Sir Freddie had ambitions to extend services deeper into Europe – and to do that he needed a larger, more reliable and more efficient aircraft. Faced with an almost unique requirement, Channel Air Bridge was forced to have an existing aeroplane modified, a task


CARVAIR FLYING CAR FERRY

Andy Martin/AirTeamImages describes the development of the Carvair and how this distinctive looking aircraft was used.

56-60_carvair.JR.mf.JR.mf.JRDC.indd 56 06/02/2015 14:06

ATEL was capable of performing.Channel Air Bridge required an airframe

with a cargo compartment capable of accommodating five cars, a passenger compartment seating up to 25 and a galley and toilet – at a cost of under £200,000.

After evaluating a number of airframes, including Handley Page’s Hermes and Hastings and the Armstrong Whitworth Argosy, the company settled on the Douglas C-54/DC-4 as the basis for its new vehicle transporter, as there was a plentiful supply of

cheap airframes on the market at the time.The Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair (a

contraction of ‘car-via-air’) was primarily based on former military C-54 airframes, which could be acquired for around £40,000. The conversion of a C-54 to a Carvair cost £120,000 – to which could be added £12,000 to zero-hour four Pratt & Whitney R-2000 engines and Hamilton Standard propellers. Even after allowing for any unplanned remedial work on the airframe, each ‘new’ Carvair could still be built within the airline’s budget.

CARVAIR CONVERSIONAfter evaluating a number of potential airframe configurations, ATEL settled on a reconstruction which involved installing a large front-facing nose door to provide access for vehicles. To accommodate the door, the entire forward fuselage and nose of the donor aircraft was removed and replaced with a new one fabricated by ATEL.

The new fuselage section featured a flight deck raised by 6ft 10in (2.1m) and housed in a bulbous section above the main cargo deck. Other major structural work involved increasing the size of the vertical stabiliser to an area almost identical to the Douglas DC-7’s. The conversion reused components from the original flight deck including instruments, the control column and windows, although the cockpit was reconfigured for two-crew operation.

The DC-4’s main gear oleos and brakes were replaced by parts taken from the DC-6. The DC-4’s nose undercarriage leg was reused, but had to be modified so as to not retract as high because the gear bay would encroach into the cargo floor – so new bulged doors enclosed the Carvair’s nose gear when it was retracted.

Other revisions to the basic DC-4 included rework of the heating, fuel, electrical and carburettor air intake systems. The engines were also standardised, as C-54s flew with several variants of the R-2000. A major complexity in the design of the Carvair was the control cables for the engines, ailerons, flaps and rudder. Instead of running straight back from the original cockpit, the


Main photo: Carvair number seven on a test flight from Southend Airport. Falcon Airways bought it from British Air Ferries in 1979 and it was re-registered N80FA. Richard Vandervord

Above: Channel Air Bridge was the first operator of the Carvair, using G-ANYB on a service from Southend to Malaga on February 17, 1962. Key Collection


control runs had to be rerouted under the cockpit � oor, downwards around the side of the fuselage and back under the cargo � oor where they were reconnected with the original DC-4 control cables.

The Carvair’s cargo compartment was 68ft (20.7m) in length and the rear passenger cabin 12ft (3.7m) long. Most Carvairs were originally � tted with 22 seats although some had only 17, and alternative con� gurations could seat up to 65 passengers. Meanwhile, although most C-54s had reinforced � oor beams, a new plywood, aluminium and plastic laminate was installed in the main cargo compartment to replace the original corrugated � oor along with revised tie-downs.

Aviation Traders’ research suggested there was a market for more than 100 conversions, and expressions of interest were received from 60-plus airlines; ATEL even planned to supply kits so conversions could be performed by third parties. In the event only

21 Carvairs were completed, all by ATEL, and most were based on former military C-54s – which were preferred to civilian DC-4s as they were 2,600lb (1,180kg) lighter (allowing for greater payload); and the different arrangement of stringers in the rear fuselage made conversions from DC-4s more complex.

Australian airline Ansett-ANA, however, supplied ATEL with two DC-4s as part of its order, the pair becoming the only civilian DC-4s to be converted into Carvairs.

To extend the life of the Carvair programme, ATEL considered converting both the DC-6 and DC-7 into Carvairs and even investigated re-engining them with Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops. While the ‘Dart-Carvair’ and the ‘Carvair 7’ would have been more economical and reliable than the C-54/DC-4-based Carvair, the projects did not progress: the motorway network in the UK and Europe had improved and the widespread introduction of roll-on/roll-off car ferries killed the car via air market.

PRODUCTIONWork on the construction of the new nose section for the � rst Carvair started in February 1960, although it wasn’t until October that ATEL started to disassemble British United Airways’ Douglas C-54B G-ANYB, which was to become the � rst conversion. With the exception of Carvairs 1, 11 and 21 which were converted at Southend, all conversions were carried out at Stansted Airport.

The nose sections, 23 of which were built, took � ve weeks to construct. They were made by ATEL at Southend Airport and moved by road to Stansted for installation on the truncated fuselage of the donor airframe.

The � rst Carvair took its maiden � ight on June 21, 1961. Flight testing progressed well until the aircraft was badly damaged by a forklift truck on August 28, 1961, after which its rear fuselage was replaced by one taken from DC-4 PH-DBZ; G-ANYB resumed � ying a month later.

The type’s Certi� cate of Airworthiness was issued on January 30, 1962 and G-ANYB was delivered to Channel Air Bridge on February 16. After a series of demonstration � ights, the � rst revenue service by a Carvair � ew on February 17 when G-ANYB operated a service from Southend to Malaga in Spain.

The second Carvair, G-ARSD, followed into service on April 2, 1962. As ATEL became more experienced with the manufacturing process, the time taken for a Carvair conversion fell from around eight months to about four.

Between 1960 and 1965, ATEL constructed 20 Carvairs before building one more in 1968. The � nal Carvair, VH-INM, � ew for the � rst time on July 12, 1968 after which the programme ended, despite there being two more noses available.

Only � ve airlines originally acquired Carvairs. In addition to Sir Freddie’s Channel Air Bridge, they were manufactured for Interocean Airways, Aer Lingus, Aviaco and Ansett-ANA. Carvairs 15/G-ATRV and 17/G-AXAI were originally built without customers; number 15 was acquired by


Left: Only two Carvairs were based on DC-4s, both of which were for Ansett-ANA. Key Collection

Right: British Air Ferries Carvair G-ASHZ wearing the livery adopted by the airline in the late 1970s. Richard Vandervord

Above: The Carvair conversion included the � tting a new nose. AirTeamImages.com/Bob O’Brien Collection

Below: Carvair G-ASKG heads a line-up of British Air Ferries’ examples at Southend Airport in August 1974. Richard Vandervord


British United Air Ferries after a two-year conversion and a further year in storage while number 17 was � nally bought by British Air Ferries � ve years after its completion.

Eighteen Carvairs were built to transport vehicles while Ansett’s were for general cargo work with a roller � oor and no passenger cabin or windows in the rear fuselage.

IN SERVICEChannel Air Bridge placed the � rst three Carvairs in service in 1962. They were operated mainly on longer services from Southend to Basel and Geneva in Switzerland and Strasbourg in France – the airline’s Bristol Freighters maintaining the shorter routes across the English Channel.

Early Carvair operations on the longer

services proved more pro� table than the shorter routes, the airline achieving a load factor of around 80% during its � rst summer of Carvair operations. At the beginning of 1963, Channel Air Bridge merged with rival Silver City Airways and the combined company was named British United Air Ferries (BUAF). Although the airline was optimistic about its vehicle ferry services, Channel Air Bridge had already released Carvair numbers four and � ve to Interocean Airways in 1962 prior to the merger, and relinquished delivery positions for Carvairs six and eight to Aer Lingus in 1962 and 1963. But even before British United Air Ferries’ order of 10 was completed, the cross-channel vehicle market was in decline.

At the beginning of 1967 most of

BUAF’s long-range car ferry services were abandoned and three Carvairs placed into storage while others replaced Bristol Freighters on the airline’s short-range services. Carvair 1/G-ANYB was retired at Lydd on March 5, 1967 and did not � y again – it was scrapped in 1970. In October 1968, BUAF became British Air Ferries, and Carvair 2/G-ARSD was stored and never � ew again – it too was cut up in 1970. Carvair 3/G-ARSF had meanwhile been lost in a landing accident at Rotterdam on December 28, 1962.

Despite these retirements, Channel Air Bridge and its successors bought Carvairs second hand and ultimately owned 14 of the 21 built, although one was used only as a spares source. By 1975 four Carvairs remained with British Air Ferries, which planned to convert them to general freighters. The � nal Carvair vehicle ferry service was on January 1, 1977.

Interocean Airways of Luxembourg purchased Carvair number four on September 20, 1962. Along with number � ve, Interocean operated it on United Nations contracts in Africa until 1965 when the pair were sold to Compagnie Air Transport of France.

Aer Lingus’ requirement for Carvairs was to operate car ferry services between Ireland and the UK mainland. Its initial order for two Carvairs (followed by the exercising of a third option) enabled it to operate vehicle ferry services between Dublin and Cork; to Bristol, Cherbourg, Liverpool and Manchester. Its Carvairs also had a ‘Rolamat’ � oor system installed for transporting palletised cargo. But Aer Lingus found the Carvairs unreliable and the introduction of roll-on/roll-off ferries on Irish Sea routes rendered them redundant by the end of 1966. They were then used for general air freighting before being stored and then sold to Eastern Provincial Airways in Canada in 1968.

Aviaco of Spain acquired its Carvairs to replace Bristol Freighters, putting its � rst of three into service in 1964. To expand services quickly it also leased Interocean’s Carvairs, but only operated the type for


Above: Aer Lingus was among airlines using the Carvair for vehicle ferry services. Guy Craven

Below: Carvair LN-NAA at Bangkok Don Muang in 1984 in the colours of the International Red Cross. AirTeamImages.com/Bob O’Brien Collection


four years. They were used on routes from Madrid to Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca and Valenica in Spain and Nimes in France. Aviaco sold two of its Carvairs to Dominicana and the other to BUAF.

The last original Carvair operator, Ansett-ANA of Australia, ordered conversions 19/VH-INJ and 20/VH-INK, which were delivered back to the carrier in 1965. It added a third, 21/VH-INM, in 1968, the last to be converted. Ansett-ANA’s pure-freighter Carvairs served on general freight duties until 1974 after which they were sold to Australian Aircraft Sales.

Once the five original carriers disposed of their fleets, the remaining Carvairs were flown by numerous operators. Some 80 companies are known to have used the type, including Eastern Provincial Airlines of Canada, Compagnie Air Transports/Transports Aériens

Réunis of France and Falcon Airways of the US.

Carvairs did not operate vehicle ferry services again, and most were relegated to ad-hoc and outsize cargo hauling. Eight were written off in crashes and the last few that remained airworthy were operated by small airlines, primarily in Africa, Canada and the US.

CARVAIRS IN THE 21ST CENTURYAt the start of the new century only three Carvairs remained. In 2002 Phoebus Apollo Aviation revived Carvair 21 after it had been stored for six years at Wonderboom in South Africa and Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was repainted in the airline’s colours and given a striking smiling face on the nose. Registered 9J-PAA, it was

then put to work flying tobacco products between Johannesburg, South Africa, and Lusaka in Zambia, Harare in Zimbabwe and Lilongwe in Malawi.

Carvair 9/N89FA Fat Annie was owned by Gator Global Flying Services of Texas and operated sporadic ad-hoc charters, primarily in support of the automobile manufacturing industry. It was also used to drop up to 85 parachutists per flight during the World Freefall Convention at Rantoul, Kansas, in 2005.

Meanwhile Carvair 20/N898AT was acquired by Brooks Fuel of Fairbanks, Alaska, in December 2002 and used to fly fuel and bulky cargo to remote settlements in the state. The last Carvair to fly, it was damaged beyond repair after its landing gear hit the undershoot to the 4,200ft (1,200m) gravel airstrip at Nixon Fork Mine, Alaska, on May 30, 2007.

With its demise there are now only two Carvairs in existence: Apollo’s example, 9J-PAA, is stored at Rand Airport near Johannesburg, not having flown since late 2005; and N89FA is stored at Gainesville, Texas, having arrived from Mobile, Alabama, via Shreveport on July 21, 2006.

Although no Carvair has flown for eight years, N89FA was registered to a new owner last year and in January 2015 inspection and maintenance work started on the airframe. What the new owner plans for aircraft number 9 is not clear, but it’s possible a Carvair could fly yet again.


Above: Carvair N89FA in March 2005 at Sherman, Texas. In December last year it was transferred to a new owner, South African Air Lease. It underwent an inspection and maintenance in January, sparking hope the type may fly again. AirTeamImages.com/Bill Blanchard

Below: Phoebus Apollo Aviation used Carvair 21, 9J-PAA, to fly tobacco products between Johannesburg, South Africa, and Lusaka in Zambia, Harare in Zimbabwe and Lilongwe in Malawi. AirTeamImages.com/Frikkie Bekker


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For over two decades the distinctive shape of the Royal Danish Air Force’s Saab Drakens have regularly graced the skies and air bases

of the UK as well as many other NATO countries. Denmark began its search to � nd a replacement for its North American F-100 Super Sabres in 1966. These aircraft had been gifted to Denmark under the US’s Military Assistance Program (MAP). When that support ended, the Danes needed to acquire their own aircraft. While this was going to be expensive, it was also an opportunity to buy a type ideally suited to the missions required of it. In addition to replacing the F-100 � ghter-bomber, the RDAF urgently needed to replace the ageing Republic RF-84F Thunder� ash in the tactical

reconnaissance role. If one airframe could ful� l these requirements the cost bene� ts would be considerable.

Four aircraft were shortlisted by the air force: the Dassault Mirage V, Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter and the Saab J-35 Draken (Dragon in English). In the � nal analysis the decision was between two very capable and closely matched aircraft, the Mirage V and Draken. The latter was proclaimed the winner in 1968 due to it being cheaper to buy and operate.

Saab however had some � nal modi� cations to make to the aircraft before it would be � nally accepted. These were based on the assessments of Danish test pilot Major (later Major General) Bent V Larsen, the commander of Eskadrille (Esk) 725, and

included changes to the � ight control system and the introduction of a stall warning system including a stick shaker.

Captain (later General) Christian Hvidt was one of the pilots chosen to test-� y the � rst Drakens for Denmark that rolled off the production line in Sweden: “Coming from the F-100, my own impression on � ying Draken was a very positive one. It was a very rugged airplane which felt extremely steady as you moved along at high speed at low level. The airplane was basically easy to � y; you hardly ever need to use the rudder pedals, apart from during the landing roll to counter crosswind.

“The double-delta wing of the Draken gave the airplane some unique � ying qualities. You could get a lot of lift at very low angles of


DANISHDRAGONS

Doug Gordon tells the story of the Saab Draken in Royal Danish Air Force service.

62-66_DragonDC.mfDC.mf.indd 62 05/02/2015 19:12

attack, which means your best cruising speed is considerably higher than ordinary � ghter planes; for many con� gurations the Draken would cruise 60-80 knots faster.”

Saab developed three versions of the aircraft for the RDAF: the A35XD � ghter-bomber, S35XD reconnaissance variant and the Sk35XD two-seat trainer – the XD standing for ‘Export Denmark’.

The Draken also served the air forces of Sweden, Austria and Finland.

DANISH SPECIFICATIONSThe A35XD became known in Danish service as the F-35. This variant differed from the Swedish Air Force’s J-35 in a number of respects. Operating range was considerably increased by the addition of extra internal

fuel capacity. The fuselage and wings were strengthened to allow for nine hardpoints (the Swedish Air Force’s J-35F only had six). In the air-to-air role the aircraft was equipped with the AIM-9 Sidewinder though the aircraft was never � tted with a radar. For air-to-ground missions, it could carry a range of bombs plus the AGM-12 Bullpup missile. Because of the increased weight its undercarriage was strengthened. The F-35 also had two Aden cannons in the wings (as opposed to only one on the S35E) and was powered by the 6,800kg st RM6B afterburning engine, a licence-built version of the Rolls-Royce Avon 300.

The S35XD was designated RF-35 in RDAF service. It was � tted with a similar reconnaissance nose to the Swedish Drakens

which had two oblique camera windows on the right side for four Omera Segid cameras. The RF-35 could also use the Red Baron reconnaissance pod containing four Vinten F-95 cameras and an infrared line scanner.

Although its role was primarily as a daytime tactical reconnaissance aircraft, it retained the two Aden cannons in the wings: the similar variant in Swedish service had these replaced with two cameras. The RF-35 also had a secondary ground attack role, as well as being able to carry AIM-9 Sidewinders.

The two-seat Sk35XD became the TF-35 in Danish service – and, retaining the single Aden cannon as � tted to its Swedish counterpart, was combat capable. It was powered by the 8,000kg st RM6C engine with afterburner.

INTO SERVICEThe � rst three F-35s arrived at the RDAF’s Karup Air Base on September 1, 1970. Over the next two years, 20 F-35s, 20 RF-35s and six TF-35s were delivered. Esk 725 at Karup operated the F-35s and Esk 729 (also at Karup) the RF-35s. The TF-35s were divided equally between the two squadrons. Five more TF-35s were ordered in 1973. The F-35s were given serials from A-001 to A-020, RF-35s were AR-101 to AR-120 and the TF-35s had AT-151 to AT-161. A little later the F-35 Operational Conversion Unit was established in 1975 at Karup.

Both the Draken squadrons at Karup were assigned to NATO’s Allied Forces Baltic Approaches (BALTAP) command, which had its headquarters at Karup.


Main photo: The Royal Danish Air Force order for Drakens included 11 two-seat trainers, one of which is illustrated here. Royal Danish Air Force

Right: This dramatic photo showing three Drakens was taken from another example by placing a camera in a pod that was normally used to record footage of live weapon test � rings. Torben Heindahl, who is quoted in the article, is � ying the closest aircraft. via Torben Heindahl

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Its area of responsibility covered Denmark, the eastern North Sea, the West German states of Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, the Baltic approaches of Skegerrak and Kattegat and the Baltic Sea.

Most of the routine operations involved surveillance over Warsaw Pact naval activity in the Baltic Sea, for which the Drakens sometimes used the reserve air� eld at Rønne on the Danish island of Bornholm for fuel stops or to stand alert. Flt Lt (later Captain) Torben Heindahl � ew Drakens with Esk 729: “Most of our operations in the Baltic were sea surveillance. We either patrolled on our own, following our standard pre-planned sea surveillance routes, or we were radar-vectored by a navy officer. They had a radar on the south-eastern coastline of Bornholm and a bunker in the middle of the island.

“On a standard mission from Karup you

would contact the sailor, leaving the island of Møn and coasting out into the Baltic. His callsign was ‘Crystal Pink’ and you’d ask him if he had any targets of interest. If he had, he would start vectoring you to the � rst target; and when you had it in sight you’d tell him the target type – ie, � shing vessel, tug, ferry, merchant ship etc. If it was a man-of-war you’d give him the type and pennant number. If [of] no interest, Crystal Pink would say ‘skip it’ and give you vectors to the next target.

“All the time we were � ying over the Baltic

we were monitored by ‘Ice Cap’, the air defence radar site at Bornholm, sitting in the same bunker as the sailors. So actually when entering the Baltic

you � rst checked in with Ice Cap for � ight following

and then switched to Crystal Pink – and Ice Cap would follow you to the Crystal Pink frequency.

“Ice Cap was supposed to warn if you got too close to the East German, Polish or Soviet border – and, of course, also the Swedish border – and inform you if there were any aircraft in the vicinity. If Ice Cap got a WAPA [Warsaw Pact] aircraft, he would ask if you could investigate; and if the answer was yes, time and fuel permitting, you would abort the navy search and follow the instructions from Ice Cap.

“The � ghter allocator would then guide you towards the target and take you in for a photo run, which is a little different from a � ghter engagement pro� le. It was always very interesting to do these intercepts because you didn’t know what type of aircraft you were up against and how many. Often it was a single Russian bomber, but I have been up against Floggers and MiG-21s.”

Photo reconnaissance over the Baltic was often a hazardous mission. Lt Col Michael Svejgaard, who also � ew the RF-35 with Esk 729, said: “On one standard mission, I came across an East German Koni-class patrol ship just north of the island of Rügen. Judging from my trusty INS [inertial navigation system] she was half a nautical mile outside East German territorial waters and, thus, in international waters – so she could be photographed, which I proceeded to do.

“Shortly thereafter, the ALR-69 [radar warning receiver] lit up, indicating I had been illuminated by a Pop Group, which is the � re-control radar for the SA-N-4, the naval derivative of the SA-8 surface-to-air missile. However, there were no missiles on the launch rails so the ship was just playing cat-and-mouse, although the automatic missile-loader could populate those rails faster than you could blink. As this did not dissuade me, a shore-based Low Blow � re-control radar for an SA-3 [surface-to-air missile site] locked


An RF-35 on approach to RAF Coltishall on January 11, 1983. Peter R Foster

Above: The badges of the two frontline squadrons and training unit, all of which were based at Karup. RDAF

Above: Drakens AR-117 and AR-105 at the Royal Norwegian Air Force base at Ørland. Aircraft AR-105 is carrying a dummy Sidewinder. Torben Heindahl

Below: An F-35 prepares to take off from RAF Coltishall with a Danish F-16 behind. Peter R Foster

62-66_DragonDC.mf.indd 64 30/01/2015 12:03

on and was in ‘activity’ [mode]; the next indication you get, if the SAM crew complete their procedure, is ‘launch’.

“They were seriously annoyed. A Danish ground control intercept (GCI) station was monitoring me, so when I got a High Lark [the NATO reporting name for the radar carried by the MiG-23 Flogger] indication at my six and asked GCI about strangers, he told me I had a MiG-23 at ten miles and closing. I decided that the pictures I already had would have to do and departed the area accompanied by angry noises over the ALR-69.”

Eskadrilles 725 and 729 were regular participants in NATO exercises. One of these was Oksbøel, held annually to test Denmark’s air defences and involving many NATO members. For both RDAF Draken squadrons it was a welcome opportunity to � re Bullpup missiles, drop practice bombs and � re rockets.

The Draken pilots practised their air-to-ground skills at the Rømø and Tranum

ranges. Torben Heindahl recalled: “A standard load for the range was two ‘Red’, two ‘Blue’, two rockets and 50 slots [rounds] 30mm. The ‘Red’ was the M72 practice bomb, simulating high-drag bombs [such as the Mk82 Snake Eye], and the ‘Blue’ were M55 practice bombs, simulating Mk82LD or Mk83LD low-

drag bombs. The rocket was a 2.75in FFAR [folding � n aerial rocket].

“The bombs and rockets were all equipped with a smoke grenade to help score the impact. Stra� ng was always a lot of fun because you came really close to the ground, you felt the aircraft vibrate when you � red the gun and you could hear it.”

In the early days, the opportunity to practise � ring the Sidewinder was limited by the relatively small number of missiles available. But in the late 1980s the US Air Force phased out its AIM-9Bs and many became available to the RDAF, which conducted air-to-air live � ring with them in a designated area over the North Sea.

An exercise speci� cally tailored for Esk 729’s reconnaissance RF-35s was Crimson Falcon, which involved � ying from Karup to another NATO reconnaissance base, photographing various targets on the way. During an overnight stop at the foreign base the � lm would be downloaded and pilots would work with photo interpreters in analysing the photos. The next morning the RF-35 would return to Karup, again photographing targets. Bases visited for Crimson Falcon missions included RAF Laarbruch and RAF Gütersloh in West Germany.

As well as the exercises, regular exchange visits enabled the Draken pilots to share their expertise with their NATO allies and helped to cement bonds of comradeship and common purpose.

DRAKENS IN THE UKRDAF Drakens were a common sight in the skies of the United Kingdom, including attending airshows, squadron exchanges and participating in exercises. The jets often took part in Exercise Mallet Blow – centred on the Otterburn range in Northumberland – which mostly took place in the 1980s several times a year. It aimed to give NATO aircrews the opportunity to practise their ground attack skills on real targets after having evaded air defence � ghters while en route to the target.

A number of UK bases were used over the years for Drakens taking part in Mallet Blow exercises. While on Esk 729, however, Torben Heindahl operated from one particular air� eld: “We always � ew out of RAF Waddington, just south of Lincoln, and lived in quarters on the base, but on one occasion we stayed in quarters on RAF Scampton, north of the city. The � ying was quite good. Half the time we � ew counter-clockwise out over the North Sea for a possible intercept by RAF � ghters, including the Lightning; and then back in over land and toward the ranges at RAF Spadeadam and Otterburn.


Three units operated the Drakens; Esk 725, Esk 729 and the F-35 Operational Conversion Unit. Key Collection

Above: Draken AR-117 was speci� cally painted to mark the Danish national football team’s participation in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico and a 6-1 victory over Uruguay. Esk 729/RDAF

Below: In July 1984 Esk 729 visited RAF Lossiemouth for a squadron exchange with the Buccaneers of 208 Sqn. Torben Heindahl

“…he told me that I had a MiG-23 at ten miles and closing.”

62-66_DragonDC.mf.indd 65 30/01/2015 12:03

“Spadeadam was a facility where they could simulate emissions from potential enemy systems and thereby trigger our radar warning receivers and give us a picture of what it would look like ‘if the balloon went up’. Otterburn was a regular bombing range where we dropped bombs on columns of trucks, radar sites, bridges and other good stuff.

“We also � ew on Blue Sky, another exercise in the UK. We generally � ew low-level across the North Sea and the RAF would � nd and engage us. Then we would refuel on an RAF base and return to Denmark.”

Torben also visited the UK for another reason: “In July 1984 we had a squadron exchange with 208 Squadron RAF, from

Lossiemouth. They � ew Buccaneers and were in Denmark in July – and we were in Scotland in the beginning of August. They also brought a Hawker Hunter to Denmark, an aircraft they used for instrument [check] rides since there was no stick in the back seat of the Buccaneer, and the instrumentation in the Hunter was changed to more or less look like the Buccaneer’s. I got a ride in the Hunter and it was great.

“We brought four single-seaters and a two-seater to ‘Lossie’ and had the pleasure of sorties with two 208 pilots over the rolling hills of Scotland. That was just fantastic. One of the guys particularly impressed me. He � ew the TF-35 Draken from the back seat

where you have very poor forward vision. A large part of the � ight was � own well below our minimum altitude of 300ft and I sat in the front seat.

“On August 9 an American F-111 crashed at the nearby Tain Range. We were scheduled to go to the range and drop some bombs, but instead we offered to take pictures of the crash site and of the escape capsule of the F-111. We were eventually allowed onto the range to take pictures. The cockpit section was in the water just off the range and both crewmembers were okay.”

Danish Drakens continually received upgrades during their long service with the RDAF. One of the most signi� cant was a new weapon delivery and navigation system (WDNS) consisting of a Singer-Kearfott inertial navigation system, a Lear-Siegler navigation/attack computer, Ferranti laser range� nder (not � tted to the RF-35) and Marconi Series 900 head-up display. To accommodate the laser equipment, all the F-35 and TF-35 Drakens were � tted with the reconnaissance nose between 1981 and 1986.

The upgrade had a profound effect on the aircraft’s � ghter-bomber capability. Christian Hvidt commented: “The F-35 was a very stable platform for weapons delivery, but in the beginning the accuracy was not very much better than the F-100. Of course this changed dramatically with the introduction of the inertial weapons delivery and navigation system.”

Other upgrades included the AN/ALR-69 radar warning receiver and modi� cations to carry the AN/ALQ-162 jammer pod.

The Draken was withdrawn from RDAF service in 1993. General Hvidt sums up the type: “The airplane was a fantastic workhorse for the RDAF over a very exciting period, both as a � ghter-bomber and a reconnaissance � ghter. For a single-engine, single-seat airplane the safety record was very good. At a certain stage our air force had no losses of F-35s in 11 years.”


Above: Royal Danish Air Force Drakens were regular attendees at airshows in the UK, such as this TF-35 at an International Air Tattoo. Patrick Ward

Below: Pilot Torben Heindahl performs his � nal checks before taxiing out on a mission from Karup Air Base in RF-35 AR-117. via Torben Heindahl

Aircraft AR-116 after start-up and roll-out from a hardened aircraft shelter on December 21, 1993 – this was the last � ight of a Draken in Royal Danish Air Force service. Torben Heindahl

62-66_DragonDC.mf.indd 66 30/01/2015 12:03


Turin Engine Haulers

I enjoyed the article on the Armstrong Whitworth Argosy that appeared in the January issue. It brought back memories of the second half of the 1970s when Argosy 102 G-APRM, owned by Rolls-Royce, was a frequent and welcome visitor to Turin-Caselle Airport in Italy. This was due to the involvement of Rolls-Royce in the Turbo Union consortium which produced the RB199 engine for the Panavia Tornado. Indeed, there was a production line at the airport for the new multi-role � ghter (visible just behind the Argosy), hence the reason for the visits. The sight and the sound of the Argosy was very much enjoyed by the aviation enthusiasts at the time.

This aircraft was retired at the beginning of

the 1980s and replaced by BAC One-Eleven Srs 409AY, G-BGTU, that in the same way linked Filton, Munich and Turin three times a week.

Marco RossiTurinItaly

USAF at Soesterberg I really appreciated the article on the Soesterberg F-15 Eagles in the December issue as I live very near the former base. The � rst USAF unit to arrive was in 1954 when a squadron of F-86F Sabres took up residence. They were replaced by the F-100 Super Sabres two years later. In 1960 the F-102 Delta Dagger took over from the F-100 and a number of years after that the F-4 Phantom arrived. In September 1978 the F-15 Eagle came to the base and stayed for over 15 years with the last example leaving on January 13, 1994.

During these decades Soesterberg received a wide variety of visiting aircraft and I noted around 200 different aircraft types, so as you can imagine, I have great memories of this period.

We also had quite a number of airshows, with the one in 1953 standing out, as present was a B-36 Peacemaker, B-50 Superfortress, C-97 Stratofreighter and there was an

impressive � ypast of 15 B-47 Stratojets. Famous test pilot Neville Duke was a guest of honour. Another highlight was the appearance at the 1984 airshow of the USAF’s Thunderbirds display team.

After the departure of the Eagles, Soesterberg became a helicopter

base with Cougars and Chinooks resident. However in 2008, 100 years after the � rst aircraft used the site, the base was closed. The new National Military Museum was opened by King Willem-Alexander at Soesterberg.

Piet Mulderby e-mail

From Bahrain by Concorde

Having followed your recent article and letters about Concorde record-breaking � ights, I thought a � ight I experienced would be of interest. On January 30, 1979 I was booked on Concorde � ight BA016 from Bahrain to London Heathrow and was intrigued to see that the aircraft was wearing Singapore Airlines insignia on one side of the fuselage and British Airways on the other, with delightful Singapore cabin crew and BA � ight deck crew. I believe it must have been G-BOAD as it was the only example of a dual-� agged Concorde.

The captain informed the passengers that take-off from Bahrain, a very small island, allowed him to demonstrate the straight line climb to cruise altitude, over 60,000ft, in a way not authorised elsewhere. The route to London was over desert, the Mediterranean and then the Adriatic Sea until Venice when supersonic speed was reduced over Europe. I am not aware that speed records were kept for that journey but I can tell you that after departing at 11:45 local (08:45 GMT) I arrived in time for lunch and a meeting at Farnborough, still quite refreshed – but maybe that was the effect of the Champagne served throughout the � ight. I still have the ticket and menu. A wonderful experience, fondly remembered.

Peter SimmonsTwyning

Gloucestershire

AIR MAILWrite to Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft, Key Publishing, PO Box 100,

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The Editor reserves the right to edit all letters.

Welcome to the Aviation News incorporating Classic Aircraft letters page. The writer of the Letter of the Month, Peter Simmons, will receive three DVDs: Vulcan: Spirit of Great Britain, Air Canada Airbus A330-300 and Mirage 2000-5.

LETTER OF THE MONTH

Above and right: The Argosy and BAC One-Eleven at Turin-Caselle Airport mentioned in the letter by Marco Rossi. both Marco Rossi

This F-15A on show at the National Military Museum is painted as 77-0132 in the markings of the 32nd Fighter Squadron based at Soesterberg, although it is actually 74-0083. Piet Mulder

67_airmail.JRDC.indd 67 05/02/2015 17:32

NEW REGISTRATIONSREG’N MODE(S) TYPE C/N OWNER

G-CIIO 406C77 Curtiss P-40C Warhawk 16161 Patina Ltd, Duxford, Cambridgeshire

G-CIJS 406CB8 Reims Cessna F152 1522 RMDCC Cabral, Cascais, Lisbon, Portugal

G-CIJW 406CC2 AgustaWestland AW139 31571 Bristow Helicopters Ltd, Aberdeen (NB)

G-CIJX 406CC3 AgustaWestland AW139 31579 Bristow Helicopters Ltd, Aberdeen (NB)

G-CIKG 406CFB AutoGyro Calidus (Assembled by Rotorsport UK Ltd)

RSUK/CALS/024

Gyronimo Ltd, Chiltern Park,Oxfordshire

G-CILC 406D45 Boeing 737-405 24643 Aerotron Ltd, MoD St Athan, Glamorgan

G-CILD 406D46 Curtiss Pusher ¾ Scale Replica (Built by JD Pruett. Offi cially registered as a Pruett Pusher JP.1)

1 JA Cooper, Wickenby, Lincolnshire

REG

ISTE

R RE

VIE

W B

Y ST

UART

MC

DIA

RMID


G-CILF 406D55 Europa Aviation Europa (Built by G Cole)

PFA 247-12746 CG Sutton, (Kenilworth, Warwickshire)

G-CILH 406D58 Cessna TR182 Turbo Skylane RG (Assembled by Reims Aviation SA)

R18201030/0006 R Sturdik, (Bratislava, Slovak Republic)

G-CILI 406D5A Airdrome Aeroplanes Nieuport 11 Replica

GS-301 RE Peirse, (Meldreth, Royston, South Cambridgeshire)

G-CILO 406D1B Cameron TR-70 10543 A Collett, (Rockhampton, South Gloucestershire)

G-CINX 406D63 Van's RV-7 PFA 323-14412 R Barnwell, (Malvern, Worcestershire)

G-CLOO 406D44 Grob G103 Twin Astir 3227 RGJ Tait, Trustee of G-CLOO Group, Easterton, Moray

G-CMTO 406D18 Cessna 525 Citation M2 525-0848 Golconda Aircraft Leasing LLP, East Midlands, Leicestershire

G-CRBN 406D4A Embraer Phenom 300 50500262 Flairjet Ltd, Oxford

G-DHHD 406D51 PZL-Bielsko SZD-51-1 Junior B-2010 Scottish Gliding Union Ltd, Portmoak, Perth & Kinross

G-DHZP 406D3F Rolladen-Schneider LS8-18 8117 DJ Bennett and AD May, Wycombe Air Park, Buckinghamshire

G-ELKE 406C99 Cirrus SR20 1043 S Auer, (Schelklingen, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)

G-EMKT 406CE1 Cameron Z-105 11862 Webster Adventures Ltd, (Kinross, Perth & Kinross)

G-EZOA 406C71 Airbus A320-214 6412 easyJet Airline Company Ltd, London Luton (NB)

G-FRYA 401081 Robinson R44 Raven II 11605 EFL Helicopters Ltd, (Chinnor, Oxfordshire)

G-GATJ 406B59 Airbus A320-232 1509 British Airways PLC, London Gatwick

G-GUMM 4054C4 Aviat A-1B Husky 2436 Group North Ltd, Leeds-Bradford, West Yorkshire

G-IFOS 406CC7 UltraMagic M-90 90/135 IJ Sharpe, (Caterham, Surrey)

G-IIIN 406D05 Pitts S-1C Special (Built by MC Coleman)

MC132-H RP Evans, (Croughton, Northamptonshire)

G-ILEW 406D15 Schempp-Hirth Arcus M 106 Lleweni Parc Ltd, Lleweni Parc, Denbighshire

G-JUJU 406D53 Chilton DW.1A PFA 225-12726 DC Reid, (Haveringland, Norfolk)

G-MCGH 406D2C Sikorsky S-92A 920234 Bristow Helicopters Ltd, Aberdeen (NB)

G-MCGI 406D2D Sikorsky S-92A 920235 Bristow Helicopters Ltd, Aberdeen (NB)

G-MCGN 406D5F AgustaWestland AW189 92001 AgustaWestland Ltd, Yeovil, Somerset

G-MHPS 406D3B Stoddard-Hamilton Glasair Sportsman (Built by P Shedden)

LAA 295A-15291

Hardmead Ltd, (Hardmead, Buckinghamshire)

G-OAGE 406D0F Airbus Helicopters EC225LP Super Puma 2+

2949 CHC Scotia Ltd, Aberdeen (NB)

G-OZZT 406D20 Cirrus SR22T 0073 HG Dilloway, Dunkeswell, Devon

G-RBRI 40137C Robinson R44 Raven II 11963 MP Matthews (Oakhill, Radstock, Somerset)

RESTORATIONSREG’N MODE(S) TYPE C/N OWNER

G-ARDZ 406D42 Jodel D.140A Mousquetaire (Built by Societe Aeronautique Normande)

49 M Hales, North Coates, Lincolnshire

G-BAHI 4019E3 Reims Cessna F150H 0330 M Player t/a MJP Aviation & Sales, (Stored dismantled at Atlantic Airventure Mueum, Shannon, Co Clare, Republic of Ireland 3.1.15)

G-BIZV 401F7E Piper PA-18 Super Cub 95 18-2001 JP Nugent, Newcastle, Co Wicklow, Republic of Ireland

G-BMRI 40066B Boeing 757-236 24267 DHL Air Ltd, East Midlands, Leicestershire

G-BWOT 403BDB Hunting Percival P.84 Jet Provost T.3A

PAC/W/10138 TJ Manna t/a Kennet Aviation, North Weald

G-CBES 40462D Europa Aviation Europa PFA 247-12691 MR Hexley, (Penmaenmawr, Clwyd)

G-CGSU 4064BE Cassutt Racer IIIM PFA 034-14983 JS John and MJ Saggers, Turweston, Buckinghamshire

G-DOCD 4004CC Boeing 737-436 25349 Aerotron Ltd, MoD St Athan, Glamorgan

G-GFIE 401301 Cessna 152 15281906 JL Sparks, MoD St Athan, Glamorgan

G-MJSE 4023F8 Skyrider Phantom SF101 RP Tribe, (Dartford, Kent)

G-MTVI 402A8A Mainair Gemini Flash IIA 629-388-6-W416

JA Hewitt, (Great Dalby, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire)

G-MVHB 402C5C Powerchute Raider 80105 GA Marples, (Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire)

G-MWPR 403209 Whittaker MW.6 Merlin PFA 164-11260 SFN Warnell, (Staines, Surrey)

G-MWSW 4032A0 Whittaker MW.6 Merlin PFA 164-11328 SFN Warnell, (Staines, Surrey)

EI-EZA 4CAAAA Airbus A320-214 888 B & B Air Funding 888 Leasing Ltd (Stored at Woensdrecht, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands)

M-YWAY 43E85F Gulfstream IV-SP 1486 Blue Sky Leasing Ltd, London-Luton

REGISTER REVIEW The latest changes on the UK, Irish, Isle of Man and Guernsey registers.

Virgin Atlantic Airways’ second Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was delivered to the airline’s Heathrow base on January 1. The

aircraft is named Dream Girl. AirTeamImages.com/Steve Flint

68-69_71_reg_reviewJR.mf.JR.mfDC.indd 68 06/02/2015 15:36

REG'N P.I.

G-BMRI ex VT-BDK

G-CIIO ex N80FR

G-CIJS ex D-EFEK

G-CILC ex LN-BRE

G-CILD ex N8234E

G-CILH ex OM-PST

G-CLOO ex OK-1112

G-CRBN ex PR-PEN

G-DHHD ex PH-1393

G-DHZP ex BGA4337

G-DOCD ex 2-VFRB

G-ELKE ex N147CD

G-EZOA ex D-AXAN

G-FRYA ex D-EJRC

G-GATJ ex OE-ICO

G-GUMM ex F-GUMM

G-IIIN ex N1382

G-MCGH ex N234TR

G-MCGI ex N235U

G-OZZT ex M-YZZT

G-RBRI ex G-RWGS

G-RHML ex OH-HPV

G-SCAR ex C-GOWC

G-SCOR ex 3A-MDR

G-TCDW ex OY-VKB

G-TCDX ex OY-VKE

G-TGVP ex N462XV

G-URTH ex 9H-ZAT

G-VINF ex N292PH

REG’N P.I.

G-VTEW ex D-5816

G-WIGS ex G-DYMC

G-WNSM ex N237MW

EI-EZA ex D-AHHF

EI-FGI ex EC-LQI

EI-FGM ex G-OZBK

EI-FGS ex VT-SZD

EI-GMH ex G-BVMH

M-ANAP ex PR-LFK

M-BADU ex N683GA

M-DMSL ex M-HDAM

M-DSUN ex 9H-ERO

M-EMBD ex B-3066

M-IAMI ex F-WWHQ

M-IGWT ex C-GWKZ

M-JGVJ ex C-GXZV

M-MARI ex B-LOL

M-SAJJ ex N550SA

M-SCOT ex F-HLIV

M-SPEQ ex M-SPEC

M-VITA ex N699GA

M-WONE ex N319GA

M-YWAC ex JA392K

M-YWAY ex (VT-***)

2-CCLN ex B-6411

2-DOPW ex M-EMBD

2-TSGC ex VT-SGC

2-TSGS ex VT-SGS

PREVIOUS IDENTITIES

CANCELLATIONSREG’N TYPE C/N REASON

G-AAMY American Moth Corporation DH.60GMW Moth

86 Sold in Kenya

G-AFJA Taylor-Watkinson Dingbat DB.100 Cancelled by CAA (CofA expired 23.6.75. Crashed Headcorn, Kent 19.5.75. Remains last known of stored at Hill Farm, Durley, Hampshire 10.07)

G-AXHS SOCATA MS.880B Rallye Club 1357 Cancelled by CAA (CofA expired 14.7.06. Last noted stored at Bagby, North Yorkshire 5.11)

G-AZHR Piccard AX6 617 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (CofA long expired. No Flight declaration 5.1.11)

G-BAHI Reims Cessna F150H 0330 Cancelled by CAA (Restored again later in the month, NB Stored dismantled at Atlantic AirVenture Mueum, Shannon, Co Clare, Republic of Ireland 3.1.15)

G-BARP Bell 206B-2 JetRanger II 567 To New Zealand

G-BDWO Howes AX6 RBH-2 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (No CofA issued. Donated to British Balloon Museum & Library, Newbury, Berkshire)

G-BHEC Reims Cessna F152 1676 Cancelled as destroyed (Badly damaged when it collided with a hedge after landing at Stapleford Tawney, Essex 1.3.14)

G-RHML 406D35 Robinon R22 Beta 1735 Meinfarma SL, Murcia Alcantrilla, Murcia, Spain

G-SCAR 406CA9 Bombardier Challenger 350 20530 NAL Asset Management Ltd, (Annitsford, Tyne & Wear)

G-SCCA 406D59 Cessna 510 Citation Mustang 510-0106 Airplay Ltd, (Douglas, Isle of Man)

G-SCOR 406D2F Airbus Helicopters EC155B1 6968 Starspeed Ltd, Fairoaks, Surrey

G-SKNY 406D4B FD Composites Arrowcopter AC20

029 CJ Rose, Rochester, Kent

G-TCDW 406CC8 Airbus A321-211 1921 Thomas Cook Airlines Ltd, Manchester

G-TCDX 4009F4 Airbus A321-211 1887 Thomas Cook Airlines Ltd, Manchester

G-TGVP 406C2E Vickers Supermarine VS.377 Seafire F.XV (Built by Westland Aircraft Ltd)

FLWA 25243 TAV Percy, North Weald, Essex

G-URTH 406194 Hawker 900XP HA-0143 Hangar 8 Management Ltd, Oxford

G-UUPP 406C7A Cameron C-70 11814 C Wolstenholme, (High Littleton, Somerset)

G-VAHH 406B48 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner 37967 Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd, London Heathrow

G-VINF 4069A5 Sikorsky S-92A 920008 Bond Offshore Helicopters Ltd, Aberdeen (NB)

G-VTEW 406D01 Schempp-Hirth Ventus 2a 112 OM McCormack, Wycombe Air Park, Buckinghamshire

G-WIGS 4054F3 Aerospool Dynamic WT-9 UK DY200/2007 A Wiggins, Bagby, North Yorkshire

G-WNSM 406D0E Sikorsky S-92A 920237 CHC Scotia Ltd, Aberdeen (NB)

G-XIFR 406D4F Lambert Mission M108 LAA 370-14986 Lambert Aircraft Engineering BVBA, Wevelgem, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium

G-YCMI 406D36 Sonex Aircraft Sonex LAA 337-15127 TRDH Mobbs, (Bungay, Suffolk)

EI-FGI 4CA34D Boeing 717-2BL 55167 Boeing Capital Leasing Ltd, (Leased to Volotea, Venice Marco Polo, Veneto, Italy)

EI-FGM 4CA34F Airbus A320-214 1370 Constitution Aircraft Leasing (Ireland) Ltd, (Stored at Mexico City Benito Juarez International, Mexico)

EI-FGS 4CA371 Boeing 737-8GJ 39430 AWAS 39430 Ireland Ltd, (Stored at Shannon, Co. Clare)

EI-GMH 4CA35B Wag-Aero Sport Trainer PFA 108-12647 J Mathews, Ballyboy House, Athboy, Co. Meath

M-ANAP 43EA10 Embraer Phenom 300 50500261 Equiom (IOM) Ltd, trading as The ANAP Aircraft Ownership, Lagos-Murtala Muhammed, Nigeria

M-BADU 43EA33 Gulfstream G650 6083 BH2 Aviation Ltd, TBA

M-DSML 43E71E British Aerospace BAe 125-800B

258037 St Francis Group (Aviation) Ltd, Coventry, Warwickshire

M-DSUN 43EA37 Bombardier Global Express XRS

9409 Zhong Jia Global Ltd, Chengdu-Shuangliu International, Sichuan, China

M-EMBD 43E745 Embraer EMB-145LI 14500823 GTL-Avia Ltd, (for lease to Komiaviatrans, Syktyvkar, Russia)

M-IAMI 43EA2B Dassault Falcon 7X 230 Delane Finance Ltd, Tallin-Lennart Meri, Estonia

M-IGWT 43E8F1 Bombardier Global 6000 9595 Business Encore (IOM) Ltd, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

M-JGVJ 43E948 Bombardier Global 5000 9623 Aquatic Ventures Holdings Ltd, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

M-MARI 43E840 Bombardier Challenger 605 5826 Rumit Aviation Ltd, TBA

M-SAJJ 43E7C1 Gulfstream G550 5301 Horizon Aviation Ltd, Basle-Mulhouse, Switzerland

M-SCOT 43EA35 Dassault Falcon 7X 54 Arirang Aviation IOM Ltd, TBA

M-SPEQ 43E7DD Beech King Air 350 FL-241 Specsavers Aviation Ltd, Guernsey

M-VITA 43E759 Gulfstream G650 6099 Matrix Aviation 650 II Ltd, TBA

M-WONE 43E7C0 Gulfstream G450 4319 RYT Aviation LP Inc, Farnborough, Hampshire

M-YWAC 43E77B Boeing 737-46M 28550 SALG-7 BV (Stored at Châteauroux-Déols, Indre, France)

2-CCLN Airbus A318-112CJ Elite 3886 BAA Jet Management Ltd (Hong Kong)

2-DOPW Embraer EMB-145LI 14500823 Komiaviatrans, Syktyvkar, Russia

2-TSGC Boeing 737-9GJER 34957 Tarquin Ltd (Stored at Bucharest-Baneasa Auiel Vlaicu International, Romania)

2-TSGS Boeing 737-8Q8 33699 Wilmington Trust SP Services (Dublin) Ltd (Stored New Dehli-Indira Gandhi International, India)


Newly re-registered Robinson R44 Raven II G-RBRI visited Compton Abbas where it was pictured on December 28. Geoff Jones



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G-BKGR Cameron O-65 864 Cancelled by CAA (CofA expired 8.5.93)

G-BKPE CEA Jodel DR250/160 Capitaine 35 To France

G-BLYP Robin R3000/120 109 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (CofA expired 5.5.01. Last noted stored, dismantled, at Headcorn, Kent 8.6.14)

G-BORS Piper PA-28-181 Archer II 28-8090156 Cancelled by CAA (Crashed six miles west of Dalmally, near Oban, Argyll & Bute 23.7.05)

G-BPRA Aeronca 11AC Chief 11AC-1344 To Switzerland

G-BPUW Colt 90A 1436 Cancelled by CAA (CofA expired 5.4.12. Was based in Germany)

G-BTFM Cameron O-105 2623 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (CofA expired 22.12.07)

G-BUGG Cessna 150F 15062479 Cancelled by CAA (CofA expired 19.8.13. Believed to have become a children's plaything at a private house)

G-BUVE Colt 77B 2376 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (CofA expired 27.7.11)

G-BWTB Lindstrand LBL 105A 374 To Sri Lanka

G-BXJJ Piper PA-28-161 Cadet 2841200 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (Forced landed in a fi eld near White Waltham, Berkshire 17.10.14 following engine failure on approach)

G-BXMG Rotary Air Force RAF2000 H2-92-3-59 Cancelled by CAA (Crashed on landing at Long Marston, Warwickshire 8.2.03)

G-BYIY Lindstrand LBL 56B 601 To Thailand

G-CCFB Mainair Pegasus Quik 7955 Cancelled as destroyed (Permit to Fly expired 14.3.14. Reportedly damaged and stored at Peterhead Longside, Aberdeenshire)

G-CDYK BAe Avro RJ85 E2329 To Australia as VH-NJW

G-CFXH Schleicher K.7 Rhonadler 353 To Lithuania

G-CGXJ Schweizer 269C-1 0260 To Czech Republic (but actually registered as N23HU 9.1.15)

G-CGYS BAe Avro RJ85 E2246 To USA as N379AC

G-CHLO Grob G.109B 6251 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (Crashed on take-off at Peterborough Sibson, Cambridgeshire 3.5.14)

G-CIFJ Cessna 560XL Citation XLS 560-5554 To USA as N255RC

G-CUCP Cessna P337H Pressurized Skymaster

P337-0352 To USA

G-DYMC Aerospool Dynamic WT-9 UK DY200/2007 Re-registered as G-WIGS

G-ERJC Robinson R44 Raven II 11605 Re-registered as G-FRYA

G-ENNY Cameron V-77 1399 To Thailand

G-ERIK Cameron N-77 1753 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (CofA expired 17.10.10)

G-EZGN Airbus A319-111 4781 To Switzerland as HB-JYG

G-FBJL Dassault Falcon 2000 111 To USA as N925AK

G-FDZA Boeing 737-8K5 35134 To Canada as C-FPZA

G-FDZJ Boeing 737-8K5 34690 To Canada as C-FRZJ

G-FDZR Boeing 737-8K5 35145 To Canada as C-FLZR

G-FIZU Lockheed L.188CF Electra 204 To Canada (CofA expired 22.2.11. To Conair, Abbotsford, British Columbia for spares 16.7.12. Airframe subsequently donated to local technical college)

G-GFIA Cessna 152 15281685 Cancelled by CAA (Crashed on landing at Manchester Barton 10.4.09)

G-GFIE Cessna 152 15281906 Cancelled by CAA (Restored again later in the month)

G-HERT British Aerospace Herti UAV HOC-001 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (No CofA or Permit to Fly issued. Unmanned Air Vehicle)

G-IGII Europa Aviation Europa PFA 247-12506 Cancelled by CAA (Permit to Fly expired 3.7.07)

G-IGWT Bombardier Challenger 850 8078 To USA as N546JB

G-ISSY Airbus Helicopters EC120B Colibri 1236 To Sweden

G-LOSI Cameron Z-105 10011 To Italy

G-MJKB Striplin Skyranger ST161 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (No Permit to Fly issued)

G-MNIZ Mainair Gemini Flash 392-1285-3-W130 Cancelled by CAA (Permit to Fly expired 25.1.08)

G-MNZC Mainair Gemini Flash II 484-1086-4-W274 Cancelled by CAA (Permit to Fly expired 19.1.89)

G-MTAG Mainair Gemini Flash II 487-1086-4-W281 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (Permit to Fly expired 28.5.04)

G-MTMV Mainair Gemini Flash IIA 585-1087-5-W374 To Poland

G-MTWY Thruster TST Mk.1 8038-TST-062 Cancelled by CAA (Permit to Fly expired 25.2.06)

G-MVGM Mainair Gemini Flash IIA 691-988-6-W481 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (Crashed on landing at Northrepps, Norfolk 31.7.11)

G-MWAP Thruster T300 089-T300-391 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (Permit to Fly expired 9.8.04)

G-MWPR Whittaker MW.6 Merlin PFA 164-11260 Cancelled by CAA (Restored again later in the month)

G-MWSW Whittaker MW.6 Merlin PFA 164-11328 Cancelled by CAA (Restored again later in the month)

G-MYWP Kolb Twinstar Mk.3 (modifi ed) PFA 205-12561 Cancelled by CAA (Permit to Fly expired 31.7.09. Advertised for sale in Poland 10.14)

G-MZAA Mainair Blade 1059-1195-7-W857

Cancelled by CAA (Permit to Fly expired 23.6.07)

G-MZBA Mainair Blade 912 1068-0296-7-W870

Cancelled by CAA (Badly damaged in a ground collision with Schleicher ASW-19B G-DELA at Aboyne, Aberdeenshire 6.5.12. It was restored to the register 13.8.14 but its Permit to Fly, which expired 11.10.12, was not renewed and it is now cancelled again)

G-MZKT Thruster T600N Jab Sprint 9038-T600T-023 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (Crashed on landing at Great Thorns Farm, Swaffham, Norfolk 29.3.14)

G-OHNO Yakovlev Yak-55 901104 To Austria

G-OJMR Airbus A300B4-605R 605 Cancelled by CAA (CofA suspended. Ferried to Tarbes Lourdes, France for storage 30.4.14)

G-OPNH Stoddard Hamilton Glasair Super II-SRG

PFA 149-13011 To Finland

G-OZBK Airbus A320-214 1370 To Republic of Ireland as EI-FGM

G-RWGS Robinson R44 Raven II 11963 Re-registered as G-RBRI

G-SBAE Reims Cessna F172P 2200 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (CofA expired 1.11.14)

G-SNSD AgustaWestland AW139 31552 To Brazil as PR-BGZ

G-SUCH Cameron N-77 676 To Bulgaria

G-TAWI Boeing 737-8K5 37267 To Canada as C-GEWI

G-TAWK Boeing 737-8K5 37239 To Canada as C-FQWK

G-TRAW AgustaWestland A109E Power Elite 11084 To USA as N238AM

G-VAIR Airbus A340-313 164 To Iraq

G-VINF Sikorsky S-92A 920008 To USA as N292PH

G-WCEI SOCATA MS.894E Rallye 220T 12141 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (CofA expired 14.11.08)

EI-EUB Airbus A320-232 1998 To Lithuania as LY-VEL

EI-FGC Boeing 737-8GJ 34905 To Turkey as TC-CPR

EI-FGD Airbus A320-232 2299 To Hong Kong as B-LCE

EI-IXD Airbus A321-112 532 Cancelled as Permanently WFU (Flew into Tel Aviv Ben Gurion, Israel for parting out 16.12.14)

EI-PJD Airbus Helicopters AS350B2 Ecureuil 3594 Cancelled by Decision of IAA

M-ABFC ATR 72-212A 699 To India

M-ABGY Boeing 737-8AS 29926 To Poland as SP-ENT

M-BMAL Bombardier Global 6000 9549 To Malta as 9H-SMB

M-CESM Cessna 560XL Citation XLS 560-5567 To USA as N567KS

M-EMBD Embraer EMB-145LI 14500823 To Guernsey as 2-DOPW

M-HASL Hawker 800XP 258385 To Slovenia as S5-AFR

M-HDAM British Aerospace BAe 125-800B 258037 Re-registered as M-DSML

M-MARI Learjet 60 60-369 To Ukraine as UR-ISH

M-NSJS Cessna 525C CitationJet CJ4 525C0073 To USA as N473SC

M-RLDR Pilatus PC-12/45 682 To USA as N682PC

M-SNSS Dassault Falcon 50EX 278 To USA as N421AE

M-YJET Dassault Falcon 2000LX 148 To USA as N888MX

M-YZZT Cirrus SR22T 0073 To United Kingdom as G-OZZT

M-ZZOO Gulfstream G200 163 To United Kingdom as G-ZZOO

2-CCLN Airbus A318-112 3886 To Taiwan as B-55411

2-LYSE Airbus A330-243 462 To Brazil as PR-AIW

2-MFFB Boeing 737-8Q8 30702 To Indonesia as PK-CME

2-VFRB Boeing 737-436 25349 To United Kingdom as G-DOCD


REGISTER REV

IEW BY STUA

RT MC

DIA

RMID

A new addition to the Isle of Man register is Bombardier Global 5000 M-IGWT, which was photographed at Cambridge on January 25. Colin Richardson

Key: NB – Nominal Base


ABERDEEN4/11 OY-LHC ATR 72-212 Danish Air Transport op for

Blue Islands. 5/11 G-CGUA EC225LP Bristow dep for

Australia via Prestwick. 10/11 F-HITM Hawker 400XP.

12/11 D-CFLY Citation 560XLS+ Air Hamburg. 18/11

D-ILHB CitationJet 525 CJ1+ Lufthansa Flight Training

o/s. 21/11 OY-CLP Citation 650 VII; G-MCGG S-92A

delivered to Bristow. 30/11 RA-67224 Challenger 300.

2/12 LN-ONK EC225LP Bristow Norway; D-CAAM

Do228-212 Arcus Air; N186CB PA-46-350P. 3/12

N292PH S-92A Delivered to Bond Offshore Helicopters

to become G-VINF. 10/12 D-IMGW CitationJet 525A

CJ2+. 11/12 TF-ORD Jetstream 31 Eagle Air Iceland.

13/12 G-OAGE EC225LP delivered to CHC. 15/12

N795CP Gulfstream G550. 16/12 UR-CKL An-12BP

Cavok Air. 17/12 EC-ISY 757-256 Privilege Style.

21/12 TF-SIF Dash 8-314 Icelandic Coast Guard.

23/12 F-HCRT Citation 550 II.

BELFAST INTERNATIONAL2/11 OY-PBW Short 360 BenAir also 3rd. 3/11 OY-

SRS 767-39HER/BCF Star Air. 4/11 F-HAPM Falcon

50EX; TC-IPK Gulfstream G450. 9/11 OY-MUG Short

360 BenAir also 11th & 16th. 10/11 EC-JBE EMB-120

Swiftair. 20/11 EI-DUO A330-203 Aer Lingus. 22/11

EI-ICD S-92A Irish Coast Guard.

BIRMINGHAM2/12 LX-MOI Legacy 600. 3/12 F-HELE TBM 700N.

4/12 D-CGAA Citation 560XLS+. 5/12 F-GSMG

CitationJet 525B CJ3. 8/12 S5-BDG Citation 560XL.

9/12 EC-JVM Learjet 60; F-GVYC Citation 560XLS.

10/12 SP-KPE SAAB 340A Sprint Air. 11/12 VT-BDK 757-236F Blue Dart Aviation to MAEL; OE-IGS

Global Express also 16th; D-CURA CitationJet 525B

CJ3. 12/12 D-CUUU Citation 560XLS+. 15/12 EI-LEO

Citation 750 X. 16/12 D-IVER DHC-6-300 Business

Wings. 19/12 TC-JNK A330-343X Turkish Airlines

f/v. 20/12 EC-JXF ATR 72-211F Swiftair; UR-11819 An-12BP Motor Sich Airlines f/v; LX-LAA Learjet 45;

N500LS BBJ1. 21/12 EC-HDS 757-256 Privilege Style.

23/12 PH-LND Fokker 100 Denim Air. 25/12 HB-VPG

Phenom 300. 29/12 LZ-MDC A320-232 WOW air

Gatwick diversion.

BLACKPOOL2/10 EC-IXL Metro III Aeronova also 4th. 5/10

D-EKNA Mooney M.20R. 11/10 N569JM Cessna

414A. 13/10 D-ECRB PA-46-500TP new resident;

I-FORR Learjet 40 n/s. 14/10 F-HEOL CitationJet

525A CJ2. 15/10 YU-HET Gazelle AH1. AIRPORT

CLOSED. Reopened in late November as a General

Aviation air� eld.

BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL2/11 C-GMCP Learjet 45 n/s; D-ISJP CitationJet 525A

CJ2. 3/11 9H-VCA Challenger 350 VistaJet. 7/11

D-CHEC Citation 680 Sovereign dep 10th; D-IHEB

CitationJet 525 CJ1. 10/11 I-ARIF Falcon 2000. 11/11

OY-HPU EC135T2 n/s also 18th. 17/11 N216AP

737-7Q8, Kemble diversion. 19/11 F-GZPE Avanti;

N382G Gulfstream G200. 20/11 D-IMME Citation

551 II/SP. 21/11 OK-PRG Beech C.90A dep 23rd.

27/12 HA-CIB Cirrus SR22 dep 1/12. 28/11 HB-FPS

PC-12. 30/11 F-GOPM Falcon 20E-5; OK-LAZ LET L

410UVP-E Aeroservis.

CAMBRIDGE18/11 9H-VTC Global 5000 VistaJet. 24/11 N310TK

Gulfstream G550; N824MT CitationJet 525 M2. 25/11

P4-LAE C-130H-30 Lynden Air Cargo, for work at Marshalls Aerospace and Defence Group. 29/11

CS-DSB Falcon 7X NetJets Europe.

1/12 EC-KRN Gulfstream G200. 3/12 N824MT

CitationJet 525 M2; N510WD Citation 680 Sovereign.

DONCASTER SHEFFIELD1/12 EI-LEO Citation 750 X dep 3rd; OM-ACG 747-

409(BDSF) Air Cargo Global dep 3rd. 3/12 OE-FGB

CitationJet 525A CJ2+ dep 12th as N147WE. 8/12

PH-HRK Avanti; OM-ACA 747-481F Air Cargo Global

n/s also 18th n/s. 9/12 UR-74026 An-74-200 Motor Sich Airlines n/s. 13/12 OE-LZM Gulfstream G650.

15/12 D-CCAB Citation 550 Bravo. 16/12 T7-FBB PA-46-350P n/s; 9H-OME 737-505 Air X Charter. 18/12

UR-CJN An-12B Aero-Charter Airlines. 19/12 PH-TCN

Avanti n/s.

EAST MIDLANDS1/11 PH-ECC PC-12. 2/11 RA-82074 An-124-100

Volga-Dnepr Airlines; N739E Challenger 300. 3/11

UR-82007 An-124-100 Antonov Airlines; LY-VEN A320-

233 Avion Express op for Thomas Cook. 5/11 LX-VCC

747-8R7F Cargolux. 6/11 OM-ACG 747-409(BDSF)

Air Cargo Global also 12th; D-IDBA Premier 1A. 8/11

LX-WCV 747-4R7F Cargolux. 15/11 D-CFAI Learjet

55. 16/11 RA-82078 An-124-100 Volga-Dnepr Airlines.

17/11 RA-82081 An-124-100 Volga-Dnepr Airlines;

UR-82008 An-124-100 Antonov Airlines; N48FB

Falcon 2000; N477MC 747-47UF Atlas Air. 19/11

OM-ACA 747-481F Air Cargo Global. 21/11 OY-LHC

ATR 72-212 Danish Air Transport, op for Flybe. 22/11

D-CAAM Dornier 228-212 Arcus Air. 23/11 RA-82042

An-124-100 Volga-Dnepr Airlines. 25/11 N476MC 747-

47UF Atlas Air, F1 charter. 26/11 LX-VCF 747-8R7F

Cargolux F1 charter; VP-CQV E190LR for repaint.

27/11 OO-THD 747-4HAFER Emirates Sky Cargo, F1

charter. 28/11 OO-THC 747-4HAFER Emirates Sky

Cargo, F1 charter; LX-OCV 747-4R7F Cargolux, F1

charter; 9H-SFA Falcon 2000. 29/11 OE-FTS Citation

510 Mustang. 30/11 UR-CJN An-12B Cavok Air.

EXETER17/11 N914CE Hawker 850XP. 20/11 F-GPRH Beech

300LW; EC-JYT Challenger 604; 159/ABU TBM 700B

AIR

PORT

MO

VEM

ENTS

CO

MPI

LED

BY

CA

RL H

OPE


AIRPORT MOVEMENTSA round-up of notable aircraft visiting UK airports.

China Eastern Airlines Executive Air Embraer Legacy 600 B-3293 was a colourful visitor to Stansted in December. It was pictured on December 23. globalpics

Six former Nordwind Airlines Boeing 757s beloning to lessors AerCap and International Lease Finance Corporation were ferried to Lasham on return to the lessor, including VQ-BBT on December 28 in the colours of tour operator Pegas. Richard Vandervord

72-74_airports.JR.indd 72 03/02/2015 16:14

EAAT, French Army. 24/11 OO-DFG Falcon 2000EX.

1/12 N1TF Gulfstream G650 type f/v. 4/12 ZM400

Atlas C1 70 Sqn, RAF o/s. 6/12 M-PDCS Falcon

2000EX; 9H-ALL CitationJet 525A CJ2. 7/12 F-HAJD

CitationJet 525 CJ1; F-GNOE Beech 350. 8/12

F-HINC Learjet 75; PH-DRK Citation 560XL. 9/12

LX-RAK Global 5000. 12/12 SP-ENI 737-43Q Enter

Air/Santa Charter; F-HBXK E175LR HOP! 13/12

HB-JRB Challenger 604 Rega – Swiss Air-Ambulance.

14/12 OO-ALX Citation 680 Sovereign. 16/12 F-HBIR

Citation 510 Mustang.

Flybe Aviation Services engineering movements:

17/11 4O-AOB E195LR Montenegro Airlines dep 14/12. 23/11 OY-GRJ Dash 8-Q202 Air Greenland.

1/12 SX-BIT Dash 8-Q402 Olympic Air. 4/12 VP-CQV E190LR returned from EMA after painting into Borajet colours. 5/12 YL-BAF Dash 8-Q402

Air Baltic. 8/12 G-OWTN ERJ 145EP BAE Systems.

11/12 YL-BAY Dash 8-Q402 Air Baltic.

GUERNSEY4/11 F-HLXS Falcon 2000LX; OE-FMD CitationJet 525

CJ1+. 7/11 OK-UNI Citation 680 Sovereign; F-GISH

Citation 510 Mustang also 13th. 11/11 OK-MAR CitationJet 525A CJ2+; OO-VLO Fokker 50 CityJet

op for Aurigny, also 12th. 12/11 HB-GCG Beech 55.

19/11 F-GMQM SOCATA TB-20; HB-ZLI A109S Grand

dep 21st as G-LCFC. 21/11 2-BEST Commander

114B first flight as such, ex G-HMBJ. 24/11 D-IMME

Citation 551 II/SP. 27/11 N550GD Gulfstream G550;

2-KOOL PA-28-181. 28/11 2-LOVE Beech A36 ex

D-EWUI; F-ZBGH EC135T2 Douanes Français;

F-GMBC PA-46-310P. 30/11 CS-TGG Do228-202 Aero VIP.

LEEDS BRADFORD7/9 N280EX Gulfstream G280. 9/9 D-ICCP Citation

510 Mustang; D-IEKU CitationJet 525A CJ2; D-FBRS

Extra EA.500. 12/9 D-EUIB Cessna P.210N. 13/9

D-BOOK Falcon 2000EX. 14/9 OO-DFG Falcon

2000EX; YU-SPC Citation 560XLS+. 15/9 PH-FJK

CitationJet 525B CJ3. 19/9 PH-KBB Beech C.90A;

D-CGEO Learjet 60; PH-LND Fokker 100 Denim Air;

PH-CDE 737-8KN Corendon Dutch Airlines op for

Jet2. 28/9 0455 C295M 242.tsl, Czech AF; C-GTDM

Learjet 35A; SP-ARC PC-12. 30/9 OY-TLP Avanti.

1/10 OO-FPB Citation 550 Bravo; OO-PCI PC-12.

3/10 OY-EKC Falcon 7X; OY-BSE Partenavia P.68B. 5/10 D-AFAB Challenger 604. 8/10 D-INDY Eclipse

EA500. 10/10 I-NEOS 737-86N Neos op for Jet2.

12/10 D-CHLR Phenom 300. 17/10 P4-GDL EC130.

18/10 PH-RLG Citation 680 Sovereign. 22/10 OY-RJE

CRJ200LR SAS.

LIVERPOOL1/11 OK-UGJ Citation 680 Sovereign n/s; C-GIWO

Learjet 35A dep 3rd. 2/11 OE-GPS Citation 550 Bravo.

4/11 OO-LFS Learjet 45 also 5th. 5/11 PH-JUR PA-

32R-301T; F-HAXL 737-8Q8 XL Airways; SX-ATF 737-

406 GainJet. 6/11 D-IDBA Premier 1. 7/11 SP-EQH

Dash 8-Q402 Eurolot dep 9th; OO-FPC CitationJet

525B CJ3; F-GISH Citation 510 Mustang. 8/11 OE-

IGO Gulfstream G550; D-IVIN Avanti. 9/11 LX-SEH

Citation 560XLS. 10/11 D-INCS CitationJet 525 CJ1.

12/11 50+44 Transall LTG61, German AF n/s. 13/11

HB-FOX PC-12 dep 16th. 15/11 OO-ASL Beech 200C

Air Service Liege; EC-ERS Cessna 340A. 16/11

PH-KBX Fokker 70 Netherlands Government. 17/11

9H-FWW Premier 1 n/s. 18/11 D-AFPR Falcon 7X;

YU-SPB Citation 560XLS. 19/11 HB-JUS Gulfstream

G450; D-IMME Citation 551 S/II n/s. 20/11 D-AMSC

Challenger 604. 26/11 HB-GJU Beech 350C. 27/11

OK-ALT PA-46-500TP n/s. 28/11 SP-EQI Dash

8-Q402 Eurolot dep 30th. 30/11 N88WR BBJ1.

LONDON GATWICK1/11 OK-TSE 737-81D Travel Service f/v. 2/11 SU-

NMC A320-232 Nesma Airlines f/v. 4/11 YI-ASK 737-81Z Iraqi Airways delivery flight; M-SOBR

Gulfstream G450. 5/11 A6-EEX A380-861 Emirates

Airline f/v; C-GZCZ Gulfstream G150; N871FR

Gulfstream G650. 8/11 TC-JKO 737-752 Turkish

Airlines f/v. 10/11 N628BD Gulfstream V. 16/11 A6-

ENV 777-31HER Emirates Airline f/v. 17/11 N555LR

Gulfstream G450. 19/11 OE-ICA Global 5000. 23/11

CS-LAM Global 5000. 26/11 EC-LEP Citation 560 V.

9/12 C-GDLI Challenger 601-3R. 10/12 SX-DGQ

A321-231 Aegean Airlines. 11/12 M-YFTA Global

6000. 15/12 LN-NIH 737-8JP Norwegian Air Shuttle

f/v; TS-IMW A320-214 Tunisair f/v. 17/12 LN-NII 737-

8JP Norwegian Air Shuttle f/v. 19/12 PH-MJP Fokker

100 Denim Air. 20/12 OO-ACO Citation 510 Mustang.

21/12 EC-LMN A330-243 Air Europa. 23/12 D-ABEY

Challenger 605. 25/12 TS-IMU A320-214 Tunisair f/v.

26/12 M-BASH Challenger 605; OE-INL Global 5000;

OY-EJD Falcon 7X. 27/12 D-IKBO CitationJet 525A

CJ2+. 29/12 A6-ENX 777-31HER Emirates Airline f/v.

30/12 EC-MDZ A320-232 Vueling Airlines f/v. 31/12

A6-ENW 777-31HER Emirates Airline f/v; KAF328 KC-130J 41 Sqn, Kuwait AF.

LONDON HEATHROW15/11 B-5943 A330-243 China Eastern Airlines f/v.

16/11 SX-DGO A320-232 Aegean Airlines f/v. 17/11

A6-EEP A380-861 Emirates Airline f/v; TC-JIM A330-

202 Turkish Airlines f/v; TC-JMM A321-232 Turkish

Airlines f/v. 18/11 F-GKOM Falcon 900B. 25/11

EC-MAA A330-302 Iberia f/v; JY-BAE 787-8 Royal

Jordanian f/v; TC-JOC A330-303 Turkish Airlines f/v.

28/11 TC-JIP A330-223 Turkish Airlines f/v. 29/11 A6-

EOC A380-861 Emirates Airline f/v; B-5932 A330-243

Air China f/v; B-5949 A330-243 China Eastern Airlines

f/v. 30/11 9V-SWY 777-312ER Singapore Airlines f/v;

EC-MDK A320-214 Iberia f/v; JY-BAF 787-8 Royal

Jordanian f/v.

2/12 4L-AJD A320-214 Vista Georgia f/v. 3/12

A6-PFC 787-8 Abu Dhabi Amiri Flight f/v; N292AY

A330-243 American Airlines f/v. 4/12 EI-RUO 737-808

Transaero f/v; JA716A 777-281ER ANA f/v; TC-JIR

A330-223 Turkish Airlines f/v. 5/12 C-GHPY 787-8 Air

Canada f/v; HB-JVK A319-112 Helvetic op for Swiss

f/v; OO-SSH A319-112 Brussels Airlines f/v; TC-JOE

A330-303 Turkish Airlines f/v. 7/12 RA-02857 Legacy

600. 12/12 EI-RUN 737-808 Transaero f/v. 13/12 A7-

APC A380-861 Qatar Airways f/v; TC-JJU 777-3F2ER

Turkish Airlines f/v. 14/12 PH-DND ERJ 145MP Denim

Air f/v. 16/12 EZ-A779 777-22KER Turkmenistan Airlines f/v; N732AN 777-323ER American Airlines f/v.

17/12 B-KQT 777-367ER Cathay Pacific f/v; HZ-AK23

777-368ER Saudia f/v. 19/12 5Y-KZZ 777-36NER

Kenya Airways f/v; A7-BEB 777-3DZER Qatar Airways

f/v. 20/12 5Y-KZY 777-36NER Kenya Airways f/v; TS-

IMW A320-214 Tunisair f/v. 25/12 EC-MBD A320-214

Vueling Airlines f/v; OH-WIX Falcon 7X; TC-JJS 777-

3F2ER Turkish Airlines f/v. 26/12 A7-APD A380-861

Qatar Airways f/v; TC-JJT 777-3F2ER Turkish Airlines

f/v. 27/12 A6-APA A380-861 Etihad Airways f/v; SE-

RJR 737-76N SAS f/v. 28/12 HB-JVL E190LR Helvetic

Airways op for Swiss f/v; N30913 787-8 United Airlines

f/v. 30/12 B-5925 A330-243 Air China f/v.

LONDON LUTON2/11 VP-CBF Global 5000; VP-CHA A320-232CJ;

9H-LDV Challenger 605. 7/11 N650GA Gulfstream


Fly Solution Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage OK-ALF (c/n 4622068) departing Denham for Prague on January 19. Clive Glaister

Gulfstream G650 OE-LZM visited Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield on December 13. Correne Calow

72-74_airports.JR.indd 73 03/02/2015 16:14

G650; N945GS Gulfstream IVSP; A6-RJC Global

5000; N650ER Gulfstream G650. 8/11 9H-JGR

Challenger 604. 9/11 PH-ARO Legacy 600. 10/11 T7-TAN Citation 750 X; PH-HGT Citation 680 Sovereign.

13/11 N999NN Gulfstream G650. 14/11 SE-RKS

CitationJet 525A CJ2; 9A-CTK A320-214 Croatia

Airlines. 15/11 4270 Gulfstream G450 Pakistan Army. 16/11 N524EA Gulfstream G650; EC-LQI

717-2BL Volotea Airlines; OM-GTA 737-4Q8 Go2Sky.

21/11 PH-MJP Fokker 100 op for Denim Air; VP-CTT

Falcon 2000EX. 22/11 VP-CAX Gulfstream G450.

23/11 N288Z Gulfstream G650; LV-CCW Challenger 605; N280GU Gulfstream G280. 25/11 N31GJ Learjet

36A. 26/11 9H-SMB Global Express 6000. 27/11 PP-CFJ Falcon 7X. 28/11 VP-CAK Global 5000. 29/11

VP-CJT Global Express. 30/11 N650PR Gulfstream

G650; HA-JES Citation 650 VI.

2/12 C-GMRL Challenger 604; OE-ISF CRJ200.

3/12 TC-AOM Falcon 900LX; A9C-DHE 757-225F DHL for maintenance. 5/12 G-273 C-130H-30 336

Sqn, Royal Netherlands AF. 6/12 N7707X Falcon

7X. 9/12 B-8026 Falcon 7X; CS-TGU A310 -304

SATA International. 10/12 VP-CTS Gulfstream

G650; SP-MRE SAAB 340A Skytaxi. 13/12 9H-OME

737-505 Air X Charter; HS-KPI Gulfstream G550 Farnborough diversion. 15/12 N714K Falcon 7X;

OK-PBS CitationJet 525 CJ1; 9H-SMI Challenger

300. 16/12 N280EX Gulfstream G280; N400BC

Global 6000; PH-TFK 787-8 Arke� y for maintenance.

17/12 TC-VPG Challenger 300. 18/12 A7-CEI Global

5000 Qatar Executive. 19/12 N1RP Gulfstream

G550; T7-FGD Falcon 50; N280GD Gulfstream

G280. 20/12 9H-VFA, 9H-VFB, 9H-VFC, 9H-VFD &

9H-VFE Challenger 605s all on delivery to VistaJet.

23/12 9H-VFF Challenger 605 on delivery to VistaJet;

VP-CKK Boeing 737-9JAER BBJ3. 26/12 A7-MHA

Challenger 604. 27/12 9H-BVJ Challenger 850. 28/12

TC-CBK Gulfstream G550. 31/12 D-CGAA Citation

560XLS+; 9H-KAZ Hawker 900XP.

LONDON SOUTHEND 15/11 F-HRSC CitationJet 525A CJ2+. 18/11 D-CAAL

Do228-212 Arcus Air; D-IATE Cessna F406 Air-Taxi

Europe dep 19th. 20/11 P4-GAS 757-2G5 Air Astana

to ATC (Lasham) dep 12/1/15. 26/11 CS-LAM Global

5000 n/s. 28/11 D-CPRO Learjet 31.

MANCHESTER2/12 XA-BUA Gulfstream G550 f/v. 5/12 T7-MJB

Falcon 900EX f/v. 7/12 A6-ENW 777-31HER

Emirates Airline f/v. 8/12 B-KQO 777-367ER Cathay

Paci� c f/v, inaugural Hong Kong service; HZ-AKL

777-268ER Saudia f/v; F-HIJD CitationJet 525A

CJ2+ f/v. 9/12 B-KQC 777-367ER Cathay Paci� c f/v;

A6-EOB A380-861 Emirates Airline f/v. 11/12 B-KPZ

777-367ER Cathay Paci� c f/v. 12/12 SP-EQB Dash

8-Q402 Eurolot f/v; 9H-AHA 737-505 Air X Charter f/v;

CS-DVI Global Express f/v. 13/12 B-KQP 777-367ER

Cathay Paci� c f/v; OE-LDD A319-112 Austrian Airlines

f/v. 14/12 9V-SWV 777-312ER Singapore Airlines f/v.

16/12 B-KQL 777-367ER Cathay Paci� c f/v; HZ-AKW

777-268ER Saudia f/v; TC-JNR A330-343X Turkish

Airlines f/v; OO-SSH A319-112 Brussels Airlines f/v;

EC-IQR A340-642 Iberia f/v, for painting Air Livery,

dep 31st. 17/12 TC-JIO A330-223 Turkish Airlines f/v.

18/12 B-KQQ 777-367ER Cathay Paci� c f/v. 19/12

LN-NII 737-8JP Norwegian Air Shuttle f/v. 20/12

B-KQD 777-367ER Cathay Paci� c f/v; SX-DGQ A321-

232 Aegean Airlines f/v; EC-LUN A320-214 Vueling

Airlines. 21/12 TF-AMM 747-4H6SF Saudia Cargo f/v;

ZZ337 Voyager KC3 10/101 Sqns, RAF f/v; HB-JOE

Gulfstream G550 f/v. 22/12 B-KQB 777-367ER Cathay

Paci� c f/v; LN-NHB 737-8JP Norwegian Air Shuttle

f/v. 23/12 B-KQA 777-367ER Cathay Paci� c f/v. 25/12

A6-EEZ A380-861 Emirates Airline f/v; ZH541 Sea

King HAR3A 22 Sqn, RAF. 26/12 YR-BAO 737-42C

Blue Air f/v, Liverpool snow diversion. 27/12 MRTT026

A330-243MRTT Air Tanker f/v, for painting Air Livery.

29/12 B-KQT 777-367ER Cathay Paci� c f/v. 30/12

B-KPY 777-367ER Cathay Paci� c f/v; HZ-AK23 777-

368ER Saudia f/v.

NORWICH3/11 D-CULT Do228-202K Businesswings; LN-OLB

AS332L CHC Helikopter Services; ZJ694 Sentinel R1

5 Sqn, RAF dep ex Air Livery; 253 CN235-100MPA

101 Sqn, Irish Air Corps. 5/11 G-CDYK RJ85 to

Air Livery dep 14th. 8/11 YL-BAH Dash 8-Q402 Air

Baltic to Air Livery, dep 13th. 13/11 OE-EMA PC-12

also 16th. 17/11 D-IROL Do228-100 Businesswings;

I-EASN AW189. 20/11 I-LCIH AW189. 21/11 VQ-BDN 737-8K5 Nordstar to KLM Maintenance dep 4/12.

22/11 EI-EEZ Challenger 850.

PRESTWICK3/11 HB-FSW PC-12. 4/11 09-0525 C-37B 99th AS,

USAF; UR-CKC An-74TK-100 Cavok Air. 5/11 RA-

82046 An-124-100 Volga-Dnepr Airlines, collecting

G-CGUA EC225LP Bristow. 6/11 N992NA Gulfstream

III NASA. 8/11 C-FGZD & C-FGZE A-4N Skyhawks Discovery Air dep 10th to Wittmund. 9/11 N259GA

Gulfstream G280 c/n 2059. 10/11 N260GA Gulfstream

G280 c/n 2060. 11/11 HB-FQA PC12 c/n 1505 & HB-

FQD PC-12 c/n 1508; CH-09 C-130H 15 Wing, Belgian

Defence – Air Component. 12/11 N28SA Maule MX-

7-180. 13/11 N757AF 757-2J4ER; N9002 TBM 900.

14/11 83-0495 C-12D USAF. 16/11 A7-AKA Citation 560 V; N444NG PC-12 on delivery to Afghan AF.

17/11 RA-82074 An-124-100 Volga-Dnepr Airlines;

N261GA Gulfstream G280 c/n 2061. 20/11 N6824G

TBM 900; HB-FQE PC-12 c/n 1509. 21/11 N947WA

TBM 900. 24/11 N262GA Gulfstream G280 c/n 2062.

28/11 80-0320 & 80-0324 C-130Hs 158th AS, USAF;

N850CQ TBM 900. 29/11 166696 C-40A VR-56, USN.

SOUTHAMPTON1/11 9H-AHA 737-505 AirX Charter. 3/11 5N-BNU AS332L2 Bristow Nigeria en route to Fleetlands;

D-CVHB Citation 560XLS+. 6/11 D-IDBA Premier

1A. 7/11 HS-DQC Dash 8-Q402 on delivery to Nok Air. 11/11 5N-BGP AS332L2 Bristow Nigeria en route to Fleetlands. 16/11 HS-DQD Dash 8-Q402 on delivery to Nok Air; OO-JPC Premier 1A. 21/11

G-MCGG S-92A on delivery to Bristow. 26/11

G-WNSO EC225LP on delivery to CHC; PH-NDK

Falcon 900B. 27/11 D-CKNA CitationJet 525C CJ4.

28/11 OO-PSE Falcon 2000EX.

1/12 OK-ASA LET L 410UVP-E Van Air Europe op

for Aurigny. 7/12 2-BOYS Commander 114B. 17/12

F-HMPR CitationJet 525A CJ2. 18/12 OY-JAI Citation

500 I. 20/12 F-GLOS Citation 510 Mustang. 26/12

HB-GPI Beech 300LW. 27/12 OE-LDB A319-112

Austrian Airlines.

Key: f/v � rst visit; n/s night stop; o/s overshoot

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With thanks to: D Apps, D Banks, D Bougourd, S Boyd, J Brazier, N Burch, P Claridge, A Clarke, I Cockerton, KW Ede, M Farley, N French, P Gibson, D Graham, A Greening, J Gregory, I Grierson, D Haines, M Harper, K Hearn, G Hocquard, B Hunter, S Lane, G Morris, S Morrison, R Richardson, R Roberts, E Russell, RJ Sayer, M Shepherd, A Smith, D Turner, JA White, G Williams, Blackpool Aviation Society, Manston Movements, Solent Aviation Society/‘Osprey’, South Wales Aviation Group, CIAN, GSAE, The Aviation Society, EGPE ATC, www.dtvmovements.co.uk, Aerodata Quantum Plus, RHADS.

Saudi Arabian Government A340 HZ-HMS2 on approach to Heathrow on January 23. This is the world’s only A340-8000, a -200 variant adapted to extend the aircraft’s range to 8,000nm. Airbus shelved the project in favour of the A340-500. Richard Vandervord

Diamond DA-42 Twin Star LZ-AMI visited Jersey from Brest, France on January 1. Graham Hocquard

72-74_airports.JR.indd 74 03/02/2015 16:13


Call UK: 01780 480404Overseas: +44 1780 480404




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FEATURES INCLUDE:

GAZING INTO THE ABYSSVic Flintham outlines the Cuban Missile Crisis, when the USSR and the USA waited to see who would blink fi rst.

HONING THE ELITEPeter Green and Andrew Thomas describe the vital role of the RAF’s Central Fighter Establishment.

BREAKTHROUGHWith the incredible MiG-25 the Soviets had an interceptor that challenged – and rattled – the West. Nikolay Yakubovich describes its development.

REFLEX ACTIONStrategic Air Command’s early deterrence relied on the ability to send jet bombers to forward bases at short notice. Bob Archer explains the concept.

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019 Cold Special FP.indd 49 07/01/2015 17:21

RAF BRIZE NORTON2/12 08-8201 C-17A 62nd/446th AW, USAF. 3/12

5601 C-130J 335 Skv, Royal Norwegian AF also 8th

n/s & 20th; 2572 C-130H 1/1GT Brazilian AF dep 5th. 7/12 0011/F-RBAD A400M ET01.061, French AF.

10/12 5629 C-130J 335 Skv, Royal Norwegian AF also

27th & 30th. 11/12 KAF342 C-17A 41 Sqn, Kuwait AF.

12/12 CB-8007 C-17A Indian AF dep 14th. 14/12

5607 C-130J 335 Skv, Royal Norwegian AF also 17th;

5699 C-130J 335 Skv, Royal Norwegian AF also 17th

& 20th. 15/12 G-275 C-130H-30 336 Sqn, Royal

Netherlands AF; KAF328 KC-130J 41 Sqn, Kuwait AF dep 17th. 19/12 1301 A330-243MRTT UAE AF n/s also 23rd. 30/12 140107 CP-140 407 LRPS, RCAF.

RAF CONINGSBY1/12 97-00101 UC-35A D/52nd Avn, US Army. 3/12

ZK351 Typhoon FGR4 delivered from BAE Warton.

8/12 077 Xingu EPV/28F, French Navy; 099/YP

Xingu EAT00.319, French AF. 10/12 30+02 Typhoon

TLwG31, German AF. 11/12 103/YT & 105/YU Xingus

EAT00.319, French AF.

FAIRFORD3/12 80-1076/BB & 80-1086 U-2S 99th RS, 9th RW,

USAF both n/s; 68-10337/BB U-2S 99th RS, 9th RW,

USAF dep 5th. 4/12 80-1087 U-2S 99th RS, 9th RW,

USAF n/s. 10/12 03-3123 C-17A 437th/315th AW,

USAF. 17/12 84-0085 C-21A 76th AS, 86th AW, USAF.

LAKENHEATH1/12 C-172 Challenger 604 Esk.721, Royal Danish

AF. 2/12 84-0165 C-12U D/52nd Avn, US Army n/s

also 10th; 08-8202 C-17A 62nd/446th AW, USAF

n/s. 3/12 63-3187 C-130E 222 Filo, Turkish AF; L1-01 Falcon 2000EX Slovenian AF. 7/12 63-8031 KC-

135R 92nd/141st ARW, USAF dep 13th. 8/12 AT-14 &

AT-30 Alpha Jet 1B+s AJeTS, Belgian Defence – Air

Component. 10/12 02-1111 C-17A 62nd/446th AW,

USAF n/s.

RAF LEUCHARS8/12 AT-30 & AT-14 Alpha Jet 1B+s AJeTS, Belgian

Defence – Air Component. 9/12 168069 KC-130J

VMGR-252, USMC. 19/12 01-0040 C-40B 1st AS,

89th AW, USAF.

RAF LOSSIEMOUTH27/11 13, Atlantique II 21F, French Navy dep 2/12. 28/11 157331 P-3Cs VP-4, USN dep 7/12; 162775/YD

P-3C VP-4, USN dep 2/12, also 4/12; 166696 C-40A

VR-56, USN n/s; 164997/AX C-130T VR-53, USN n/s;

R203/64-GC Transall NG ET00.064, French AF also

29th. 30/11 163002 P-3C VP-4, USN; 140105 CP-140

14 Wing, RCAF dep 6/12.

1/12 130609 CC-130J-30 8 Wing, RCAF n/s. 2/12

163002 P-3C VP-4, USN. 6/12 86-0036 KC-10A

305th/514th AMW, USAF dep 11th; 166696 C-40A

VR-56, USN n/s also 11th & 12th. 15/12 FA-133, FA-

97, FA-89 & FA-101 F-16AMs 2 Wing, Belgian Defence

– Air Component all n/s. 17/12 B-537 C-130J-30

Esk.721 Royal Danish AF n/s. 31/12 162773/YD VP-4,

USN dep 8/1.

MILDENHALL1/12 63-8888 KC-135R 351st ARS, 100th ARW, USAF

returned to USA. 2/12 13-0009 A400M 221 Filo, Turkish AF n/s also 15th n/s & 18th-20th. 3/12

87-0126 MC-130H 15th SOS, 1st SOW, USAF dep 5th;

64-14855 HC-130P 39th RQS, AFRC n/s. 4/12 86-

0021 C-5B 337th AS, AFRC. 7/12 12-5760 MC-130J

delivered to 67th SOS, 352nd SOG, USAF. 8/12 88-

0192 MC-130H 15th SOS, 1st SOW, USAF dep 1/1/15;

88-1803 MC-130H 7th SOS, 352nd SOG, USAF

returned to USA; 08-6202 & 09-6208 MC-130Js 522nd

SOS, 27th SOW, USAF both dep 10th. 9/11 99-0003

C-32A 89th AW, USAF dep 11th. 11/12 12-5759 MC-

130J delivered to 67th SOS, 352nd SOG, USAF. 12/12

162770/770 P-3C VP-30, USN dep 15th; 63-3187

C-130E 222 Filo, Turkish AF dep 14th. 13/12 07-3170

C-130J-30 317th AG, USAF. 14/12 84-0476 MC-130H

15th SOS, 1st SOW, USAF. 16/12 05-0932 C-40C

73rd AS, AFRC n/s. 17/12 96-0042/GA E-8C 116th ACW, USAF. 18/12 01-0040 C-40B 89th AW, USAF

n/s. 20/12 11-9355 E-11A 430th EECS, USAF n/s.

RAF NORTHOLT5/12 65 Xingu EPV/28F French Navy n/s. 8/12

97-00105 UC-35A1 D/52nd Avn, US Army. 9/12 258

Learjet 45 102 Sqn, Irish Air Corps also 17th. 10/12

MM62275 Avanti Reparto Volo, Italian Police. 11/12

14+01 Global 5000 FBS, German AF n/s. 13/12 81

Xingu EPV/28F French Navy n/s.

Key: n/s night stop; o/s overshoot

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AIR BASE MOVEMENTSA selection of the most interesting aircraft to visit air bases in the UK recently.

Italian Air Force Tornado IDSs MM7038/6-37 and MM7007/6-01 were part of a three-ship formation from 6° Stormo/154° Gruppo that visited RAF Lossiemouth, Moray on January 8. MM7072 and MM7038 departed the following day but MM7007 went unserviceable and didn’t leave until January 21. Niall Paterson

German Air Force Typhoon 30+02 night-stopped at RAF Coningsby on December 10. The aircraft is operated by TLwG31 based at Nörvenich but still wears the marks of its former squadron, TLwG74. Peter R Foster

76_airbases.JRDC.mf.indd 76 02/02/2015 12:16

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Shortly after 04:00 on June 13, 1944 a Royal Observer Corps post near Dymchurch in Kent reported to the next level of the Fighter Command

chain that a small aircraft “spurting � ames from its tail” had been seen. Within minutes, the unidenti� ed hostile crashed near Gravesend, Kent. Shortly afterwards another came down near Cuck� eld in West Sussex. A third brought the � rst fatalities when it struck a railway bridge at Bethnal Green in London’s East End, killing six and injuring ten others. By the end of August the � ying bombs, soon nicknamed ‘Doodlebugs’, had claimed another 5,470 victims and injured more than 16,000 others.

The arrival of the � rst � ying bomb was no surprise to Allied intelligence, which knew of the development of secret German weapons. Designed by the Fieseler Company as the Fi 103, the V-1, (Vergeltungswaffe 1 - literally ‘Reprisal Weapon 1’) was powered by a simple Argus pulse jet engine that pulsed 50 times per second and resulted in the colloquial name ‘buzz bomb’. It was built of welded sheet steel with plywood wings. The pilotless aircraft was nearly 25ft (7.6m) long with a wingspan of 17ft 6in (5.3m). It was guided by an internal gyro-stabilised system that sent signals to the � ying controls. Range was determined by the fuel load so that when it ran out the

engine would cut, causing it to nose over and dive to the ground where its 1,870lb (850kg) high explosive warhead detonated Although inaccurate, it was sufficient to bombard cities, with London being the biggest target. By late 1943 a large number of ‘ski-jump’ structures and associated storage facilities were detected in the Pas de Calais area of northern France and correctly associated with one of the German secret weapons. Counter measure operations were codenamed ‘Crossbow’ and the launch sites ‘Noball’. Bombing attacks began in November 1943. In response, the Germans developed prefabricated facilities and the Allied High Command realised it was


DOODLEBUGDESTROYERS

During the summer of 1944 RAF fi ghters were on the front line in southern England countering the threat of V-1 fl ying bombs, as David Nicholas describes.

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a matter of when, not if, the V-1 would be unleashed. Operation Kirschkern (Cherry Stone) began and countering the threat of the � ying bomb, codenamed ‘Divers’, immediately assumed the highest priority. Plans had been prepared by HQ Air Defence of Great Britain (Fighter Command’s predecessor) based on speci� c engagement zones with guns on the coast and � ghters operating over the sea, and inland zones, backed by a balloon barrage as a last resort around the capital.

The V-1’s speed of around 400mph (644km/h) at 2,000ft (610m) meant only the RAF’s latest � ghters, the Tempest and Griffon-engined Spit� re, were most suited for interception duties. Nos 91 and 322 (Dutch) Sqns of 24 Wing, under Wg Cdr Bobby Oxspring � ying the Spit� re XIV, and the Tempests of 150 Wing (3 and 486 Sqns) at Newchurch, Kent, under Wg Cdr ‘Bea’ Beamont were switched to the task.

THE FIRST ENCOUNTERSThe � rst time the RAF encountered a V-1 was over the English Channel at 00:40 on Friday, June 16. Flt Lt John Musgrave and

his navigator, F/Sgt F W Samwell, � ying a Mosquito VI of 605 (County of Warwick) Sqn, spotted a � ying bomb and after a short chase shot it down about 20 miles (32km) off Dunkirk. Musgrave said: “It was like chasing a ball of � re across the sky. It � ashed past on our starboard side a few thousand feet away and at the same height as we were � ying. I quickly turned to port and chased it. It was going pretty fast, but I caught up with it and opened � re from astern.”

Soon after dawn, Oxspring’s Spit� re XIVs and Beamont’s Tempests began anti-Diver patrols, shooting down a dozen through the day. They developed techniques and virtually ‘wrote the text-book’ as they went along. The � rst to claim a � ying bomb by day was F/Sgt Morrie Rose of 3 Sqn who at 07:50 shot one down in � ames near Maidstone, Kent. He told the press: “This new Nazi terror weapon didn’t deviate an inch as it came straight on towards me. The whole situation seemed crazy, almost unreal. I just � xed it in my sights and gave it a full burst with my guns. Fortunately the thing blew up in mid-air.”

Soon afterwards, Wg Cdr Beamont had his � rst encounter, though he missed completely with his � rst burst. He adjusted his � re and hit it before calling in wingman F/Sgt Bob Cole to � nish it off which he did with a well-aimed burst causing the missile to roll on to its back and crash into a � eld near Faversham, Kent. ‘Bea’ Beamont was to bring down a further 30 missiles through the summer. Late on the evening of the 18th he became the � rst pilot to claim � ve V-1s destroyed.

The 18th saw the two day � ghter wings hit their stride with 3 Sqn bringing down 22, the New Zealanders in 486 Sqn shot down 13 and the Spit� re XIVs a further dozen. By night the Mosquitos too were active with crews from 96 and 219 Sqns shooting down several V-1s; 96 Sqn was to end as the top-scoring night � ghter unit against the V-1 and fourth most successful overall.

More units were allocated to the � ght as the threat posed by the V-1 to London in particular became more evident. Bringing down these unmanned aircraft was no sinecure, as was brutally brought home on June 17 when Flt Lt Wally Iderma, in a Spit� re IX of 229 Sqn, was killed. The V-1 he was attacking exploded and he was the � rst of more than 70 pilots and navigators killed on anti-V-1 operations over the next few months. Scorched � ghters with blistered paint became a regular sight at southern air� elds over the next few months.

Mosquito pilot Fg Off Norman Head of 96 Sqn noted one such incident in his log book: “Exploded 1 FB in air and forced to land at Manston. One engine dead, other half dead. Both radiators punctured, Perspex nose blown in and paint burnt off mainplane.” Despite the considerable efforts of the � ghters and anti-aircraft units, the bombs continued to fall on London.

The Dutchmen in 322 Sqn began scoring when Fg Off Rudi Burgwal, eventually the most successful Dutch pilot, brought a V-1 down near Hastings, East Sussex. A third Griffon-Spit� re unit, 610 Sqn, began operations


Left: Flt Lt Remi van Lierde of 3 Sqn performs a tip on a V-1. He was the second most successful pilot in the V-1 campaign claiming no fewer than 36 when � ying in Tempest V, JN862/JF-Z. David Ails/www.ailsaviationart.com

Below: A V-2 rocket is test � red from the Peenemunde experimental testing station. via John Weal

Above: The Mustang IIIs of 129 Sqn were active against the V-1 and the leading Mustang pilot, Fg Off Jim Hartley shot down several in this aircraft. Paul Hamlin

Below: A Fieseler Fi 103 or V-1 � ying bomb just after launch. Variously nicknamed as ‘buzz bombs’ or ‘doodlebugs’, they were unpredictable and feared by the civilian population. via John Weal

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when its CO, Sqn Ldr Dicky Newbery, shot one down. On June 23, he became the � rst Spit� re pilot to destroy � ve V-1s. It was his squadron that improved the Spit� re XIV’s already impressive performance. They used 150 octane fuel, increased engine boost to 21in (53cm), removed the Browning guns (leaving 2 x 20mm cannon) and external rear view mirrors and polished the aircraft; all of which gave a few more precious knots of speed. Other aircraft also received similar – and sometimes unofficial – mods.

DARING TECHNIQUEIn late June Fg Off Ken Collier of 91 Sqn in Spit� re XIV NM698/DL-F coolly used a novel method to despatch a ‘Diver’ as the unit diary vividly described: “Getting within range, he � red, with no apparent effect as it carried straight on. This peeved him somewhat, so he had another go, and in fact several goes, but still nothing happened, and what was worse he ran clean out of ammo. By this time Ken was really swearing mad, and was determined to do or die. He therefore formed up with it and with

his wing tipped it over. On his second attempt, down it went in a tight spin, but it very nearly landed in the centre of the town. However, it did no damage, and Fg Off Collier thus brought into practice a new method of getting rid of these � ying bombs.” Others too were to regularly use this technique in coming weeks.

Squadrons � ying the older Merlin-engined Spit� res also played their part and to reinforce the day � ghters, 165 Sqn � ying Spit� res moved to Detling in Kent, claiming six V-1s on its � rst day. CO, Sqn Ldr Blackstone described the frustrating lack of performance of the Merlin-engined Spit� re: “I could not close. IAS [indicated airspeed] of Diver was 375mph at 2,500-3,000ft.” One of his pilots Lt Selwyn Hamblett brought one down near Hailsham, East Sussex, to claim the � rst by a Royal Navy pilot. On July 9, it was an RN crew that claimed one of the more unusual V-1 shoot-downs. Flying from Hawkinge, Kent, early on July 10, an Avenger, JZ554/4K of 854 Sqn, � own by Sub Lt D P Davies was at the end of a long patrol when the Telegraphist Air Gunner (TAG), L/A Fred Shirmer, spotted a V-1

approaching from behind, gradually overtaking them. As the � ying bomb passed about 700 yards down the port side, Shirmer opened � re with the .50 machine gun from the turret and although he only � red 20 rounds, the V-1 went down. This was the only � ying bomb shot down by a Fleet Air Arm aircraft.

Another unusual type involved were the Typhoons of 137 Sqn at Manston, Kent. The aircraft were on anti-shipping duties but the squadron’s location and the Typhoon’s superb low-level performance saw it conduct anti-Diver missions. Plt Off Ken Brain shot down the � rst of the 30 missiles it would claim. One pilot, W/O Jack Horne even � red a barrage of 60lb (27kg) rockets at a V-1, with at least one hitting the target.

The night � ghters were also reinforced with the experienced 85 and 157 Sqns being switched to the anti-V-1 task whilst another night element, the Fighter Interception Unit (FIU) � ying Mosquitos and Tempests, was also involved. Flying the latter was Flt Lt Joe Berry who opened his V-1 account at the end of June by shooting down two in a single sortie.


LEADING ANTI-V-1 PILOTSName Service Units V-1 Victories Aircraft

Berry J RAF FIU/501 Sqn 59+2sh Tempest

Van Lierde R Belgian AF 3 Sqn 35+9sh Tempest

Mellersh F R L RAF 96 Sqn 39 Mosquito

Beamont R P RAF 150 Wg 26+5sh Tempest

Clapperton R H RAF 3 Sqn 24 Tempest

Moore A R RAF 3 Sqn 23½ Tempest

Burgwal R F Dutch AF 322 Sqn 20+4sh Spit� re XIV

Eagleson O D RNZAF 486 Sqn 20+3sh Tempest

Cole R W RAF 3 Sqn 20+3sh Tempest

Kynaston N A RAF 91 Sqn 22 Spit� re XIV

Wingate H R RAF 3 Sqn 19+3sh Tempest

Crew E D RAF 96 Sqn 21 Mosquito

Note: sh = shared victory

Above left: The most successful pilot against the V-1 was Sqn Ldr Joe Berry who initially � ew Tempests with the FIU, before commanding 501 Sqn. 501 Sqn Association

Above: Wg Cdr ‘Bea’ Beamont leans against the tailplane of a Tempest V of 3 Sqn at Newchurch. He eventually shot down 31 V-1s. P H T Green Collection

Above: On July 1, Fg Off G P Armstrong of 165 Sqn in Spit� re IX MJ221/SK-J had a V-1 blow up in front of him with the resulting damage evident. Charles Young

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V-1 CLIMAXThe intensity of the German effort can be shown by the fact that during one week in early July more than 800 V-1s were launched and during a single day 161 were tracked crossing the south coast. The offensive saw Winston Churchill note that the burden on Londoners was perhaps greater than during 1940 and 1941. The bad weather too, helped the enemy as low cloud shielded launch sites from Allied bombers. Thicker cloud above

covered missiles in � ight. The indiscriminate nature of the attacks was highlighted when Colindale Hospital in north London was hit, killing ten.

Another new � ghter was introduced when the North American P-51 Mustangs of the Polish-manned 316 Sqn � ew into West Malling, Kent. Over the next couple of months they shot down 74 V-1s. The � rst fell to F/Sgt Toni Murkowski who said: “I never got such a shock in the air as when I hit it, it went with a terri� c explosion – this � rst one just blew up in front of me. My God! I never thought the Mustang would stand the shock as I was hit by the pieces and the left wing � ew off above me. When I got back my wing tips had to be changed.”

It was the Tempest, however, that proved the most effective type with 3 Sqn’s Flt Lt Remi van Lierde, a Belgian, once shooting down four V-1s in a single sortie. The night � yers continued their nocturnal � ying bomb harvest and on one night Mosquito crews of 96 Sqn shot down eight with ‘Togs’ Mellersh and Sqn Ldr Alastair Parker-Rees each claiming two while their CO, Wg Cdr Edward Crew, bagged three.

In France the Allied Armies made steady advances in Normandy but they had, as yet, little effect on the intensity of the V-1 bombardment. The increasing damage and casualties were having a detrimental effect on civilian morale resulting in the Mustangs of 133 Wing – 129, 306 and 315 Sqns – being switched to anti-Diver duties. The Spit� re XIVs remained in the forefront. During one evening barrage on July 8, Wg Cdr Oxspring, in his personal aircraft NH714 that bore his initials ‘RWO’, shot down two. More notably that evening was Fg Off Burgwal who in little more than half an hour shot down � ve near Rye, East Sussex – the � rst pilot to achieve this feat in the V-1 campaign. The record set for the number of V-1s destroyed in a single sortie inevitably went to the FIU’s irrepressible Flt Lt Berry who of his record making and gutsy sortie, modestly recorded in his log book: “Seven destroyed. Petrol tank exploded. R/T u/s.” Such multiple claims were no stranger to him as a few days earlier he had brought down � ve in a day.

One of the more unusual types involved in the V-1 campaign was the USAAF P-61 Black Widow when in mid-July a detachment of the 422nd Night Fighter Squadron (NFS) arrived at Ford, West Sussex. Their � rst V-1 fell to 2/Lt Herman Ernst and his radar operator Flt Off Ed Kopsel � ying 42-5547 Borrowed Time. Ernst said of his squadron’s � rst ‘kill’: “Dive down, line up behind and open � re. This time we closed the gap and � red several 20mm rounds. They found their mark

all over the propulsion unit and the bomb lost power, nosed over and went into the sea.” Later in July another new, and revolutionary, type began to appear when 616 Sqn began re-equipping with Meteor I jets that began operations on July 27, though gun troubles reduced their impact.

The devastating attacks continued with 44 killed when a V-1 hit a restaurant in Beckenham, Kent, in early August. By then

616 Sqn’s Meteors had been � ying patrols from Manston for a week but success had so far eluded them. On August 4, Fg Off ‘Dixie’ Dean established his unique niche in RAF history, when having suffered a cannon failure, “I manoeuvred my wing tip a few inches under the wing of the Diver, then pulling my aircraft upwards and sharply I turned the Diver over on its back and sent it diving to earth”. He had claimed the RAF’s � rst jet victory.

Gradually pressure against the launch sites, together with the defences, began to nullify the V-1 threat. The FIU Tempest Flight had become 501 Sqn under Joe Berry, who by August 30 had claimed his 61st victim

Sqn Ldr Joe Berry wrote: “I closed in to 3000 yards dead astern and � red a short burst, which knocked pieces off the propulsion unit. I � red again from 150 yards and saw more strikes. The Diver exploded on the ground in the Faversham area.” Berry was killed three months later while leading a raid against V-1 infrastructure in Germany – his Tempest was shot down by German soldiers in the Netherlands.

Although more missiles would continue to be launched against England in small numbers until the last days of the war, Beckenham, Kent, in early August. By then numbers until the last days of the war,


“…this new Nazi terror weapon didn’t deviate an inch as it came straight on towards me.

The whole situation seemed crazy, almost unreal.”

Above: On July 15, P-61A Black Widow 42-5547 Borrowed Time of the USAAF’s 422nd NFS claimed the type’s � rst V-1 victory. H Ernst

Below: Fg Off Rudi Burgwal of 322 (Dutch) Sqn � ew one of the outstanding sorties of the entire campaign on July 8, when he shot down � ve V-1s in barely 40mins whilst � ying Spit� re XIV NH718/3W-G. M Schoemann


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the crisis had passed. As the V-1 threat subsided, a terrifying new horror to London emerged. On the evening of September 8, a V-2 rocket, � red from a mobile site near the Dutch capital The Hague, hit Chiswick, killing three. The era of the strategic missile had arrived and the west London casualties were the � rst of more than 2,750 killed by rocket attacks on Britain before the end of the war. Almost 1,500 were � red at London and the Norwich area. Once launched, they proved immune to the defences. Operation Big Ben was instituted to counter the threat. It included missions to detect and jam what was erroneously thought to be a radio guidance system. In practice, the only effective counter was to hit the mobile launch sites in the Netherlands or the production sites and logistics support. There was no real counter to the missile, which was capable of travelling at 4,400ft/second (1,341 m/sec). The last two rockets fell on March 27, 1945, the one striking Orpington causing the � nal British fatality.


Left: The most unusual aircraft to claim a V-1 was a Royal Navy Avenger. J Manson

Below: The Meteor Is of 616 Sqn made their combat debut against the V-1. T R Allonby


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