RAF Linton-on-Ouse
08 October 19 - David Thompson
An access all areas visit was too good to miss with the long term Tucano store in Hangar 1 the main aim and I’m glad to say , mission accomplished ! The wind down of both the fleet and on a more sombre note the Babcock support team continues with expected redundancies of the latter to take effect in November and afterwards only a skeleton staff being kept on through to next year to see the disposal of the Tucano itself .
Regardless of this the Linton rumour mill continues to grind on
with the station main gates closing to the Royal Air Force on
the 31 December 2020 only to be opened the day after by the Army
Air Corps as an Apache base ? There were two Tucano End Of
Service ‘celebrations’ , the first being a formal Officers Mess
dining in night on Friday 9 August and then a more informal
hangar bash on Saturday 28 September with Tucano ZF448 having
been earmarked as the airframe to carry a special End Of Service
colour scheme carrying all of the crests of former Tucano units
on its port side fuselage .
Gate
ZF202/202
Tucano T1
Note ; all the Tucano’s listed are resident aircraft and repeat
their last three on
the nose , flaps and tail . I have omitted these for ease of
listing but have given shadow squadron allocations were noted .
HQ Flying Wing
on display outside the CFS Cheshire Hall building on Hobby Gate
XN589/46
Jet Provost T3A
carries 1 FTS markings
Flightline-flying
ZF140
72 Squadron
ZF142
ZF145
ZF172
ZF205
ZF239
ZF287
72 Squadron
ZF343
72 Squadron
ZF347
ZF407
ZF448
RAF Tucano Display
Team , Tucano user badges on fus.
G-BYUD/UD
Tutor T1
G-BYWA/WA
1 Hangar
(YUAS/72 Squadron/Tucano store)
ZF137
Tucano T1
207 Squadron , minus parts
ZF169
MAKESI , 72
Squadron
ZF170
ZF204
minus parts
ZF210
dismantled in transportable frame
ZF244
72 Sqdn , minus parts
ZF319
ZF338
WHIZZO , 78
Squadron , minus parts
ZF341
207 Squadron
ZF512
BASUTO , 72
Squadron ,Wg Cdr RM LEES
G-BYXT/XT
Tutor T1
G-BYYB/YB
3 Hangar
(Tucano Rectification and dismantling)
ZF135
Tucano T1
engine change after birdstrike
ZF143
minus parts
ZF243
minus parts
ZF264
ZF293
72 Sqdn , minus parts
ZF342
ZF374
ZF515
72 Sqdn
outside were ;
ZF269
ZF348
ZF491
4 Hangar
(Depth Maintenance and dismantling)
ZF240
minus parts
ZF291
ZF292
207 Sqdn , minus parts
ZF294
207 Sqdn , minus parts
ZF378/RN-S
72 Sqn ,
Enniskillen , S/L D Sheen DFC & LAC J Barton
ZF406
RAF BoB 70th
outside was ;
ZF171
5 Hangar
(Paint shops/wash bay)
ZF144
Tucano T1
ZF290
72 Sqdn , RAF100
ZF377
ZF379
ZF485
ZF489
ZF417
Tucano T1
in wash bay
ZF349
Tucano T1
cut up into sections/scrapped , 72 Squadron
ZF210/ZF289/ZF295/ZF339 wings only , large skip close by !
At the time of my visit
the Forward Fleet of airworthy Tucanos stood at 23 aircraft ;
ZF135
ZF317
ZF139
ZF342
ZF140
ZF343
ZF142
ZF347
ZF145
ZF348
ZF171
ZF374
ZF172
ZF407
ZF205
ZF417
ZF239
ZF448
ZF264
ZF491
ZF269
ZF515
ZF287
Tucanos noted wfu ;
ZF137
ZF292
ZF143
ZF293
ZF144
ZF294
ZF169
ZF319
ZF170
ZF338
ZF204
ZF341
ZF210
ZF377
ZF240
ZF378
ZF243
ZF379
ZF244
ZF485
ZF290
ZF489
ZF291
ZF512
Notes ;
1)
The two Vigilant T1’s which
were stored in H5 and last noted on the 11 July , ZH146/TT and
ZH205/UL are no longer there but the recycling skip is !
2) ZF448 is presently in Hangar 1 at Teesside Airport after going tech while in the circuit there on the 9 October . Late news ; it eventually fled Teesside on the 22 October following a failed attempt the previous week . The crew ferrying aircraft were ZF140 and ZF171 , c/s BLAZER 1 and 2 with ZF448 departing at 13:43 as LOP28 .
NB ; the Tucano retired from Royal Air Force operational service on Friday 25 October and a report and log from the day will follow , eventually !
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