RAF-Run (by Chris Smith)
Tuesday 20th May 2014
I've been planning a two-day trip to the Midlands for months now and recently had to cancel it for the fifth or sixth time, with my next attempt penciled in for week beginning 2nd June, so in the meantime I decided to do a "RAF-Run" down to Lincolnshire and back to satisfy my cravings for a trip.
I was joined by a colleague and childhood friend, Ollie, who isn't an enthusiast per se, but does have an appreciation for military jets thanks to his Dad being ex-RAF.
First port of call was Leeming for the Wildcats; three were visible, looks like one had left altogether and another had been replaced by ZZ390.
RAF Leeming (EGXE)
1030 - 1040
| SERIAL | A/C TYPE | OPERATOR | NOTES |
| ZZ389* | AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat AH1 | Army Air Corps / AgustaWestland | |
| ZZ390* | AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat AH1 | Army Air Corps / Wildcat Fielding Team | |
| AgustaWestland AW159 Wildcat (HMA2) | (Royal Navy / Fleet Air Arm) |
Next was the 'halfway house' of aviation, Gamston, if only for the usual break from driving.
Retford Gamston Airport (EGNE)
1210 - 1230
| G-BCKV* | Reims Cessna FRA150L Aerobat | Private | |
| G-BCPN | Grumman AA-5 Traveller | G-BCPN Group | |
| G-BGRR* | Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk | Private | |
| G-BMVL* | Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk | Gamston Flight Training | |
| G-BMXB* | Cessna 152 | XB Flying Group | |
| G-BOIG* | Piper PA-28-161 Cherokee Warrior II | The Flight Centre 2010 Ltd | |
| G-BRPV | Cessna 152 | Eastern Air Executive Ltd | |
| G-BTVX | Cessna 152 | The Flight Centre 2010 Ltd | |
| G-BWEU | Reims Cessna F152 | Eastern Air Executive Ltd | |
| G-CEWN | Diamond DA42 Twin Star | Halsbury Travel Ltd | |
| G-CMSN | Robinson R22 Beta | Kuki Helicopter Sales Ltd | |
| G-WPDD* | Eurocopter EC135 P1 | South Western Helicopters Ltd | t/a WPD Helicopter Unit |
| N7NP | MD Helicopters 369E | Eastern Atlantic Helicopters Inc | |
| N88NA* | Piper PA-32R-301T Turbo Saratoga SP | Private | |
| N113BP* | Piper PA-46-350P Malibu Mirage | Corporate |
Click here for Gamston photos.
Our first port of call in Lincolnshire was Barkston Heath, there are no ideal spotting spots here but pull-over on the side of the road in the right place and the entire apron can be read off; if you're really committed, you could probably pull off some shots of arriving or departing aircraft too. The aircraft based here train future Army Air Corps and Fleet Air Arm pilots.
RAF Barkson Heath (EGYE)
1315 - 1325
| G-BYUD/UD* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-BYUK/UK* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-BYUM/UM | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-BYUN/UN* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-BYUX/UX* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-BYVM/VM* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-BYVO/VO | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-BYVZ/VZ | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-BYWI/WI* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-BYWJ/WJ* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-BYWN/WN* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-BYYB/YB* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
| G-CGKA/KA* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Defence Elementary Flying Training School |
A stones throw away is Cranwell, there are a couple of unofficial 'pull-ins', one overlooking the main ramp with the Beech 200s, the other near the Grob Tutor hangar, the latter is good for photos of arriving aircraft providing runway 27 is in use. It was very quiet here and my last Beech 200, ZK456/P, went begging. The Grobs are operated by two squadrons, 16(R) and 115(R) as well as East Midlands University Air Squadron.
RAF Cranwell (EGYD)
1330 - 1410
| G-BYUC/UC* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Op for Royal Air Force |
| G-BYVR/VR | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Op for Royal Air Force |
| G-BYWF/WF* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Op for Royal Air Force |
| G-BYWG/WG* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Op for Royal Air Force |
| G-BYWR/WR* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Op for Royal Air Force |
| G-BYXH/XH* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Op for Royal Air Force |
| G-BYXZ/XZ* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Op for Royal Air Force |
| G-CGKC/KC* | Grob G115E Tutor T1 | Babcock Aerospace | Op for Royal Air Force |
| ZK455/O# | Raytheon B200 Super King Air | Royal Air Force - 45(R) Squadron | |
| ZK460/U | Hawker Beechcraft B200GT Super King Air | Royal Air Force - 45(R) Squadron |
Click here for Cranwell photos
Now it was time for the main event, Coningsby for some Typhoons, I don't need many thanks to a couple of visits to the production line at Warton but I was short on photos. First we went to the main apron used by 29(R) and 41(R)TES Squadrons to log what was there, before settling at the crash gate opposite the 11 Squadron HAS site.
RAF Coningsby (QCY / EGXC)
1440 - 1630
| G-MAJG | British Aerospace Jetstream 41 | Eastern Airways | BAe Systems shuttle |
| XS897/A# | English Electric Lightning F6 | Royal Air Force - 29(R) Squadron | Gate guardian, marked as F3 XP701 |
| ZA614/EB-Z* | Panavia PA-200 Tornado GR4 | Royal Air Force - 41(R)TES Squadron | Special c/s |
| ZG777/EB-Q* | Panavia PA-200 Tornado GR4 | Royal Air Force - 41(R)TES Squadron | |
| ZJ802/QO-B | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon T3 | Royal Air Force - 3(F) Squadron | |
| ZJ805/BD | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon T3 | Royal Air Force - 29(R) Squadron | |
| ZJ807/BF | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon T3 | Royal Air Force - 29(R) Squadron | |
| ZJ814/BH | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon T3 | Royal Air Force - 29(R) Squadron | |
| ZJ917/QO-G* | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon FGR4 | Royal Air Force - 3(F) Squadron | |
| ZJ930/EB-R* | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon FGR4 | Royal Air Force - 41(R)TES Squadron | |
| ZJ934/QO-T | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon FGR4 | Royal Air Force - 3(F) Squadron | |
| ZJ935/DJ | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon FGR4 | Royal Air Force - 11 Squadron | |
| ZJ939/DXI* | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon FGR4 | Royal Air Force - 11 Squadron | |
| ZJ946/EB-A | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon FGR4 | Royal Air Force - 41(R)TES Squadron | |
| ZJ947/EB-L | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon FGR4 | Royal Air Force - 41(R)TES Squadron | |
| ZK343/BX | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon FGR4 | Royal Air Force - 29(R) Squadron | 2014 Display c/s |
| ZK383/BN | Eurofighter EF-2000 Typhoon T3 | Royal Air Force - 29(R) Squadron |
Click here for Coningsby photos
Final call of the day was Waddington, I managed to bag my main target, the new Airseeker R1, but disappointingly, not a single Sentinel or Shadow was seen, but we did enjoy a damn good burger at the viewing area Café.
RAF Waddington (WTN / EGXW)
1720 - 1810
| G-BLVI | Slingsby T67M Firefly MkII | Private | |
| G-LNCT | MD Helicopters MD 902 Explorer | Police Aviation Services | Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance |
| XM607 | Avro 698 Vulcan B2 | Royal Air Force | On display |
| XR770/AA | English Electric Lightning F6 | Royal Air Force | Gate guardian |
| ZH101/01 | Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 | Royal Air Force - 8 Squadron | |
| ZH102/02 | Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 | Royal Air Force - 8 Squadron | |
| ZH103/03 | Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 | Royal Air Force - 8 Squadron | |
| ZH104/04 | Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW1 | Royal Air Force - 8 Squadron | |
| ZZ664* | Boeing RC-135W Airseeker R1 | Royal Air Force - 51 Squadron | |
| Westland Apache AH1 | Army Air Corps | ||
| Westland Puma HC? | Royal Air Force |
Click here for Waddington photos.
Time for home now and we called back in to Gamston at 1930 for the same reasons as the first visit, but much to my surprise it was all closed up! The only thing of note different was a PLM Dollar/PDG Helicopters AS350/355 that went begging.
* = logged / # = scrape
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