RAF Valley Enthusiast's Day 21.8.14 Thursday

[viscount]

I have been informed by e-mail that the Valley Aviation Society "Enthusiast's Day" at R.A.F. Valley on Thursday 21st August 2014 is now open not only to VAS members, but also other Aviation Societies/Web Groups, with around 100 places available for this limited access day.

Visit www.valleyaviationsociety.net and scroll down to the section relating to the open day, then access the application form. Cost £15 per person, payment accepted by cheque, bank transfer or Postal Order. All applications must be in by 9th August.

A number of Air Forces have confirmed participation, the Belgium, Germany, Holland and USAFE included. Also XX154 the prototype Hawk will attend, celebrating its 40th birthday. In addition to the static, hopefully other aircraft will go-around on PD.

[vanguard]

Sorry to inform you Brian Valley A S has two "L,s" not one,see your form teacher after class

Vanguard.

[Deleted]

Hi all is anybody going to valley from merseyside as I do not have transport to get to valley I am willing to give petrol money for this visit?

Please pm me if anybody could help, thanks,.

[viscount]

R.A.F. Valley, 21st August 2014 (observations 0845-1540 hours)
Valley Aviation Society Enthusiast’s Day 2014

Despite a rather poor weather forecast, with frontal rain passing over Anglesey between 1100 and 1600, I arrived at RAF Valley visitors car park, at the base of the railway bridge, at 0845 clutching my ticket ‘purchased’ as a charity donation. Despite a reasonable list of promised aircraft including F-16s as a static park, there was just a based Hawk T.1 and a Tornado on the Visiting Aircraft Section (VAS) apron. Deciding that I did not want to be on base 0930 to around 1430 with little initially to see on the ground and without shelter or ability to return to the car; I then drove down to the south, Rhosneigr end of the long runway, as 31 was the active. Well I use the term ‘active’ - there being little movement for much of the early morning from the resident Hawks! The lack of aircraft participating as a static photographic attraction must have been a great disappointment for the organisers.

An entertaining variety of aircraft either arrived or performed go-arounds during the course of several hours, and in my opinion I was in the better place for action photos, well that is until a change of active runway to 19 at 1350 put the activity much closer to the enthusiasts gathered on the air base near the Control Tower. At that point I moved around and talked myself onto the otherwise closed (near full) car park by the base main gate at the 19 threshold, as I had an event ticket – but (rightly) could not access the airfield at that time of day.

Oh yes, finally the actual weather. Well the cloud base stayed high, with variable strength sunshine at times, cloudy at others. The cool moderate on-shore westerly wind increased during the day and moved from being a cross wind favouring use of 31 until it was near straight down 19, which then became the active. As to the forecast rain, well it did not appear at all! Certainly more October, than mid-August in feel though.


So onto the Log of aircraft noted during the day:

Resident and active Hawks:
XX158, XX199, XX201, XX287, XX303 & XX317 – all in full 208 Sqdn markings.
ZK014/E, ZK019/J, ZK022/M, ZK029/T & ZK030/U – all in full 4 Sqdn markings
Most of these resident Hawks flew a sortie in the morning and another in the afternoon.

Resident 22 & 203 Sqdn ‘Rescue’ Sea King HAR.3s:
XZ587/C, XZ592/H and XZ599/P, no squadron badges noted (although often worn on one side only)

Resident Bell 412 Griffins:
ZJ239/R, ZJ241/L in standard DHFS black and yellow scheme, and ZJ705 in grey, an Ace of Hearts logo on fin and ‘Rescue’ titles.

Resident AW.139:
ZR283 in black and yellow.

Not to overlook, as I usually do, the Hawker Hunter painted as a T.7 WV396/91 4 FTS red/white scheme up a pole on the main gate.

Visitors:

G-JIBO      Jetstream 31     with Links Air titles, departed around 0900 for Cardiff on the regular scheduled air service.
45+88      Tornado Strike     JbG33 badge on fin, German Air Force. Parked on VAS apron all day (arr late afternoon Wednesday, to leave Friday)
XX202/CF   BAe. Hawk T.1     in full 100 Sqdn markings. Landed 31 at 0958, parked on VAS as static, dep from 19 at 1525
ZA614/EB-Z Tornado GR.4      in full 41 Sqdn marks with special ‘Olympics’ fin. Single go-around 31 at 1000 (should have been a t&g, but the 100 Sqdn Hawk was still on the runway).
ZK379/BB      Typhoon T.3     in full 29 Sqdn marks. Initial go-around 31 at 1054, followed by 4 touch and goes (although more of a single bounce than a roller!) on 31, before a landing at 1114. Once on the ground the aircraft was declared ‘tech’ and pulled into a hangar.
OY-KGC      Cessna Citation 560XLS     Landed 13 (accepted slight tail wind component in the cross-wind in order to use the ILS) at 1150. Call-sign ‘Mermaid 6226’. There was a ‘Lego’ logo on the fuselage. Departed 31 at 1227 for Dublin.
ZJ262/62   AS.350 Squirrel HT.1      DHFS, landed 1157, missed whereabouts it landed and later its departure.
D-CKHG     Cessna Citation 560XLS      Landed 31 at 1218. Call-sign (sounded like) ‘Contrika 055H’. Departed 31 at 1320.
XX154      BAe. Hawk T.1     black with gold ‘ETPS’ initials and Hawk motif on tail. Call-sign ‘Tester’. Initial touch and go on 31 at 1232, followed by two more on 19 before a flyby along 19 and departure at 1238. This was the prototype Hawk, first flight 40 years ago.

Parked on VAS apron in mid-afternoon (around 1430) were the German Tornado, a resident Hawk (could not see which one), the 100 Sqdn Hawk T.1, the grey Bell 214 and the Sea King coded H.

There were tales of other aircraft anticipated, that became ‘no shows’ as the day progressed eg a pair of 48TFW F-15 Eagles, a Puma, an E-3 Sentry and pairs of Tornado and Typhoon aircraft, rather than the singletons. As I take little stock of rumours, I was quite happy with the special scheme Tornado, the twin-stick Typhoon, the 100 Sqdn and the ETPS Hawks, and consider the two civilian Citation XLSs a bonus.

 A big thank you to the team from V.A.S. that work hard to bring enthusiasts this annual event.

My photos of the day will not appear immediately, but will do in a few days time.

[iainball]

Hi Viscount

Your Hawk in the static was XX250, plus when the Typhoon was pulled into the hangar, Hawk XX157 was visible but in a state of disrepair!

[groth]

Bell Griffin HAR2 ZJ705 @ Valley 21-8-2014


Hawk T1A XX250 208 (R) Sq



Hawk T1A XX202 'CF' 100 Sq



Eurocoptor Squirrel HT1 ZJ262 '62' DHFS



Sea King HAR3 XZ592 'H' RAF SAR



Typhoon T3 ZK379 'BB' 29 Sq


Typhoon being pushed into hangar for attention


Tornado 45+88 GAF


Hawk T1 XX154 ETPS 'Tester'


Puma HC2 XW204 -late arrival