Aviation_News_2017-03

TFS at Bitburg AB in West Germany. A

highlight was a TF-100F Super Sabre

(N418FS) from Flight Systems. There

was also a former West German Air Force

F-104G that had been flown into the UK en

route to a museum.

A range of RAF types were on show

including two 111 Sqn Phantom FG.1s,

208 Sqn Buccaneer S2B, 237 Operational

Conversion Unit (OCU) Hunter T.7, 233 OCU

Harrier T.4 as well as two Jaguars from 6

Sqn and 226 OCU. There were also trainer

types such as a Jetstream and a pair each

of Hawks and Jet Provosts. The largest

aircraft in the static park were a Victor and

VC10

FLYING DISPLAY

The flying part of the event was disrupted

by the weather with a number of aircraft

cancelling displays. Those performing

included a French Air Force Mirage F1C and

an A-10A, F-15C and F-111E from the units

previously mentioned. Among the RAF

flyers were an 8 Sqn Shackleton AEW1,

Tornado Weapons Conversion Unit (TWCU)

Tornado GR.1 and 74 Sqn F-4J.

I spent a fair amount of time keeping dry

in the hangars but headed out under my

umbrella to witness the Lightnings’ mass

take-off and flypasts. A nine-ship flyby, plus

a solo display, was programmed.

I had not seen any pre-display practices

and had no idea what was to happen. The

display Lightnings were parked fairly close to

the crowd line and 11 aircraft started up and

taxied out to the runway. Appropriately, the

first aircraft to depart was XR728 coded ‘JS’,

the initials of Group Captain John Spencer

who was the station commander of RAF

Binbrook. Each took to the air, right to left,

and kept low before turning to starboard and

disappearing into the murk. Each then re-

appeared coming straight at the crowd and

low over the top of a departing Lightning on

the runway and went into a zoom climb with

its afterburners illuminating the sky. This

stunning sequence was repeated for all 11

aircraft. I was so captivated by the scene I

forgot to take photographs. A mass take-off

is a spectacle usually worth witnessing

but the one performed at this show, in my

opinion, has never been bettered. The thrill

of it was no doubt enhanced by the murky

weather with the aircraft creating vapour

above the wings when going into the vertical.

After transition to the Tornado F3, 5 Sqn did

perform a similar take off routine with five or

six jets at an event at RAF Coningsby but

since then I have not seen anything similar.

The Lightnings formed up for a number of

‘Diamond 9’ passes and as a finale the two

air spares performed fast flybys, creating

their own clouds (due to the moisture in the

air). The low cloud base meant two solos by

Flt Lt Jon Fynes, which opened and closed

the show, mostly consisted of impressive

tight turning passes.

Conditions had been far from ideal but

the event still brings back many happy

memories. A chance to watch the Lightning

in action one last time was worth the effort

of getting there.

I was able to quickly escape from the

airfield on my bike and, travelling mainly

downhill, was soon at Market Rasen

to catch the train back to Lincoln. With

the excitement of the show I had not

bothered to worry about the return journey

and any problems there might be with

the engineering works. At Lincoln, the

additional trains stopping were chalked

up on a board and there were plenty each

hour. Still there was a problem. The

platforms at Lincoln were not long enough

for the diverted trains and the guard’s

compartment, where I needed to put my

bicycle, was several coaches away from

the platform. After missing several trains,

the station staff came to my rescue. When

the next train arrived they took me along

the tracks so I was able to manhandle the

bike into the compartment and clamber

up into the carriage. The journey south

to Peterborough passed through the fens

and to the south east there was a huge

thunderstorm over East Anglia. The flat

landscape enhanced the sky which was

nearly black with the storm, except for

the constant flicker of lightning flashes. I

remember thinking, “lucky me, I’ve been

treated to two ‘lightning’ displays in one

day”.

54 Aviation News incorporating Jets March 2017

‘A mass take-off is

a spectacle usually

worth witnessing but

the one performed

at this show, in my

opinion, has never

been bettered.’

Lightning F.3, XP764, in the markings

of the Lightning Training Flight. The

aircraft flew with 74 56, 23, 29, 5 and

11 Squadrons before joining the LTF.

A single Lightning F.6 creates its own cloud

as it makes a low, fast pass over the airfield

during one of the solo displays.

50-54_lightning_talesDC.mfDC.mf.indd 54 02/02/2017 18:18