Binbrook Lightnings

[avro748]

The Lightning has always been a favourite of mine and probably played its part in firing my life long enthusiasm for all things aeronautical. The type rests well within the NWAN forum as its certainly a 'Home Grown' product.

The following collection of Lightning photos were taken from the late seventies through the eighties until the RAF Lightning flying units disbanded (5 Sqdn 31-12-87, 11 Sqdn 30-04-88 and Lightning Training Flight 01-08-87). All the photos were taken at RAF Binbrook. The quality of the photos is not up to modern standards as they are all scanned from 25 to 30+ year old slides!

Lightning F3

XP694:R 5 Sqdn (Painted in 29 Sqdn markings for the 25th Anniversary celebrations in August 1979).


XP701:BN 11 Sqdn


XP702:P 5 Sqdn


XP706:DD LTF


XP707:BM 11 Sqdn


XP741:DD LTF


XP749:A LTF


XP751:AQ 5 Sqdn


XP764:AR 5 Sqdn


XR716:AS 5 Sqdn


Lightning T5

XS416:V LTF


XS416:AT 5 Sqdn


XS419:DV LTF


XS452:BT 11 Sqdn


XS457:Y LTF


XS458: -- 11 Sqdn


XV328:DU LTF


Lightning F6

XR728:D LTF


XR752:-- 5 Sqdn


XR753:AG 5 Sqdn


XR755:BF 11 Sqdn


XR769:BG 11 Sqdn


XR770:AA 5 Sqdn


XR771:BA 11 Sqdn


XR773:AF 5 Sqdn


XS895:DF LTF


XS897:BC 11 Sqdn


XS898:AK 5 Sqdn


XS919:AD 5 Sqdn


XS921:AB 5 Sqdn


XS925:AD 5 Sqdn


XS928:BJ 11 Sqdn


XS932:AC 5 Sqdn


XS936:L 5 Sqdn


I hope these photos will stir some memories for some of you?

Cheers

Shaun

[Deleted]

Thanks Shaun - lovely pictures. The Lightning was once described to me by a Lightning pilot as a couple of engines with a cockpit on top - pretty accurate really!

[johnoakes]

just brilliant--what photos--10/10

[jiveturkey]

me too - bravo. somebody once said bunsen burners was a good descr.

rgds jt

[Biggles]

Fond memories from staying at Binbrook with the ATC many years ago. I managed to spend days in the Control Tower as that was what my career was heading for those days, at the time my uncle was SATCO at the ATC training school at Shawbury,so I was hooked.
I recall in the tower one day watching two aircraft return from an intervention flight of the usual Russian "invaders" over the North Sea. The controller told me to watch them now the pilot would be a bit like the film Top Gun when he buzzed the tower, only difference being they knew what was coming as he was a regular fly byer.
The pair did the fast fly by and a wing over back onto downwind, finals and landed. As I departed out of the door for lunch the two aircraft had taxied back to a dispersal near the tower and the pilots where climbing out. One of them took the bone dome off and I could see he had a nose bleed. He was laughing with his partner and commented to him I must stop this as it always happens to me.
Very impressive though, never forgot the sight or sound of those especially when they scrambled in a pair and departed vertically at tremendous climb rate.
Thanks for the pics.

[crumb]

youtu.be/Tx28jWfr80w

Back in 1987 I attended the last great lightning show at Binbrook. The weather was awful, but the flying was brilliant. I found this on youtube. I believe the plane was recorded at mach 0.98. Enjoy.

[avro748]

For those interested in this sort of thing, below is a list of the RAF Lightnings during the last years of service. The numbers in brackets are dates of sighting (month year). There are i am sure lots of gaps in the histories, but i am confident the serial list is accurate from the early eighties to the end.

Serial Mark Notes
XP693 F6 BAe Warton Trials Fleet
XP694 F3 5/R ‘29/R’ (0879). 11/BO (1082). Stored BIN (0887)
XP695 F3 ‘11/M’ Decoy (0879). 11/M (0680). Decoy (0887).
XP701 F3 ‘11/O’ Stored BIN (0879). 11/BN (1082). 5/AN (0684). Stored BIN (0887).
XP702 F3 5/P (0879). Stored BIN (0887).
XP706 F3 Stored BIN (0879). 11/BM (0082). Stored BIN (0887).
XP707 F3 ‘5/P’ Stored BIN (0879). 11/BM (0982). ‘LTF/DB’ Stored BIN (0887).
XP737 F3 11/N (0879). W/O 17-8-79.
XP741 F3 ‘11/N’ Stored BIN (0879). LTF/DD (0781/1082). 5/AR (0887).
XP749 F3 LTF/A (0878). LTF/DB (0883). Stored BIN (0887).
XP750 F3 ‘LTF/B’ Stored BIN (0879). LAF/-- (0280). Stored BIN (0887).
XP751 F3 U/m/-- (0878). 5/S (0879). 5/AQ (0383/0084). Stored BIN (0887).
XP753 F3 5/S (0878). ‘5/S’ Stored BIN (0879). LTF/-- (0583). W/O 26-08-83.
XP764 F3 LTF/B (0879). 5/AR (0083/0084). LTF/DC (0887).
XR713 F3 11/O (0879). 5/AR (0083). ‘5/AP’ Stored BIN (0887).
XR716 F3 ‘LTF/C’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/AS (1082). 5/AQ (0887).
XR718 F3 LTF/C (0878/0879/0680/0780). 5/AS (0483/0983). LTF/BK1 (0784). 5/AQ (0887).
XR720 F3 ‘11/M’ (0879). LTF/DA (1082/0783). Stored BIN (0887).
XR723 F6 5/A (0879). W/O 18-09-79.
XR724 F6 5&11/-- (0879). LTF/K (0480). 11/BC (0085). 5/AE (0887).
XR725 F6 5/J (0879). 11/BA (0583/0887).
XR726 F6 5/K ‘23/K’ (0879). LAF/F (0582). LTF/DF (0383/0783). 11/BM (0887).
XR727 F6 11/F (0879). 5/AB (0887).
XR728 F6 LTF/D (0878/0879). LTF/JS (0887).
XR747 F6 ‘5/E’ Stored BIN (0879). 11/BF (0882/1082).
XR749 F3 5/Q (0879). 11/BK2 (0887).
XR751 F3 ‘111/C’ Stored BIN (0879). Stored BIN (0887).
XR752 F6 11/-- (0678). 11/D (0879). 5/-- (0084). Decoy (0887).
XR753 F6 ‘5/A’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/AG (1082). 11/BP (0887).
XR754 F6 ‘11/A’ Stored BIN (0879). 11/BC (0887).
XR755 F6 5/F (0879). 11/BF (0084). 11/BN (0887).
XR756 F6 5/G ‘23/G’ (0879). ‘11/BH’ Stored BIN (0887).
XR757 F6 11/A (0879). 11/BE (0583). 5/AL (0884). 11/BL (0887).
XR758 F6 5/E (0879). 11/BF (0887).
XR759 F6 ‘11/H’ Stored BIN (0879). LAF/-- (0582). 11/-- (0083). 5/AH (0983). 11/BJ (0887).
XR760 F6 5/B (0879). 11/BL (0586). W/O 15-07-86.
XR761 F6 ‘74/F’ Stored BIN (0879). Decoy (0887).
XR763 F6 ‘56/E’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/AE (1083). ’5/AE’ Stored BIN (0887).
XR765 F6 ‘11/C’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/AJ (0781). W/O 23-07-81.
XR769 F6 ‘19/B’ Stored BIN (0879). 11/BG (0084). 11/BE (0887).
XR770 F6 5/B (0879). 5/AA (0783/0983/0887).
XR771 F6 5/C (0879). 5/AN (0887).
XR772 F6 11/C (0879). 11/BB (0982). W/O 06-03-85.
XR773 F6 ‘11/D’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/AF (0783). 11/BR (0887).
XS416 T5 LTF/V (0878/0879). 5/AT (0684). 5/AZ (0887).
XS417 T5 LTF/W (0879). 11/BT (0581). LTF/DZ (0085). ‘LTF/DZ’ Stored BIN (0887).
XS419 T5 ‘5/T’ Stored BIN (0879). LTF/DV (0684/0887).
XS420 T5 ‘LTF/V’ Stored BIN (0879). LTF/DV (0483). ‘LTF/DV’ Stored BIN (0887).
XS422 T5 ETPS
XS452 T5 11/T (0879). 11/BT (0085/0488). ‘11/BT’ Stored BIN (0887).
XS456 T5 LTF/T (0879). LTF/DX (0887).
XS457 T5 LTF/Y (0878/0879). ‘5/AT’ Stored BIN (0887).
XS458 T5 ‘5/T’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/T (0580). 11/-- (0982). LTF/DY (0887).
XS459 T5 LTF/X (0879). LTF/DX (0381). 5/AW (0887).
XS895 F6 11/B (0879). LTF/DF (0684). 5/AO (0887).
XS897 F6 ‘11/H’ Stored BIN (0879). 11/BE (0081). 11/BC (0483/0783). 5/AD (0887).
XS898 F6 5/J (0879). 5/AK (0483). 11/BD (0887).
XS899 F6 ‘92/C’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/AJ (0884). 5/AM (0887).
XS901 F6 ‘11/G’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/AH (0887).
XS903 F6 LTF/-- (0979 Nosewheel collapse at BIN 14-09-79). ‘5/C’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/AM (0085). 11/-- (0887).
XS904 F6 ‘11/B’ Stored BIN (0879). 11/BQ (0887).
XS919 F6 ‘5/F’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/AD (1082). 5/AL (0684). 11/BN (0085).11/BB (0887).
XS920 F6 ‘11/E’ Stored BIN (0879). ‘5/AF’ Stored BIN (0887).
XS921 F6 11/F (0879). U/m/-- (0981). 5/AB (1082/0483). ‘5/AB’ Stored BIN (0887).
XS922 F6 ‘11/L’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/AF (0887).
XS923 F6 11/J (0879). 11/BE (0887).
XS925 F6 11/J (0975). 5/D (0879). 5/AD (0684). 11/BD (0887).
XS927 F6 11/H (0879). 11/BB (0887).
XS928 F6 5/L (0879). 11/BJ (0083/0085). ‘11/BJ’ Stored BIN (0887).
XS929 F6 11/E (0879). 11/BG (0887).
XS932 F6 5/F (0879). 5/AC (0085). 5/AG (0887).
XS933 F6 5/G (1282). 11/BE (1083). 5/AJ (0887).
XS935 F6 ‘5/B’ Stored BIN (0879). 5/AK (0887).
XS936 F6 11/G (0879). LTF/DF (1082). 5/L (0783). 5/AS (0887).
XV328 T5 ‘5/T’ Stored BIN (0879). LTF/DU (0085/0887).

Cheers

Shaun

[davecalveley]

Crumb
Thanks for link to you tube footage of the Lightnings taking off from both runways and doing what we thought on the day appeared similar to the gun carriage crossovers at the military tattoos. Think they called the event the LAST last lightning show in 87...got the programme somewhere.
Lousy day photo wise but still astounded by that take off sequence 25 years later..brilliant!!!!
Dont think they would allow it today though....

[jetjockey]

One from avro748's list now at the Midlands Air museum XR771 Lightning F6 5Sqd coded AN


JJ

[Deleted]

Here's a pic I took at the Last Lightning Show at Binbrook in 1987, showing just how bad the weather was (but what a show!). Might dig some more Lightnings out later.

[Deleted]

Some more of my pics from a soggy Last Lightning Show at Binbrook. Poor quality, but probably worth a look!

[avro748]

First of all thanks for your interest in this post and digging out your Lightning pics, very nice to see them. John it looks like MAM have made a nice job on the paint job on XR771. I too was at the Last Lightning show, that youtube vid certainly captures the flavour of the day, those Lightning pilots weren't going to let a bit of rain spoil the day!

Cheers

Shaun

[jetjockey]

Hi Shaun
XR771 was only repainted in December last year so the paint still looks good I only took that photo last Sunday I'd been to Airbase for a flight in their Rapide and called into MAM on the way back home and caught up with your list and hey bingo that was on it

JJ

[avro748]

.....and finally

This was the last time i ever had the pleasure of seeing a Lightning airborne. Warton based F6 XP693 taken on November 11th 1992, it passed to civilian hands as G-FSIX around a month later.









The end

Shaun

[paso904]

Hello Avro748,

Fellow Lightning enthusiast Colin Murray and I are creating a series of online photos albums, one each (eventually) for each Lightning airframe. Would you be agreeable to your Lightning photos being copied into the online Lightning album? Full credit will of course be given to the photographer/supplier. I am particularly interested in Lightning photos with dates and locations.

Thanks in anticipation.
David Harvey
<[e-mail]>