R.A.F. Leuchars B of B Display 12.9.09

[viscount]

An excellent show, held on a rare cloudless day, with only light winds. One of the warmest B of Bs I can recall in 40 years!

STATIC DISPLAY

TJ398 (BAPC.70) Taylorcraft "Tyler-Jay" camouflaged, in a WW II diarama.
XS713/C HS.125 Dominie T.1 High Vis black scheme
XV582/M F-4K Phantom FG.1 111 Sqdn, overall black scheme
XX195/195 BAe Hawk T.1 208(R) Sqdn
XX201/201 BAe Hawk T.1 208(R) Sqdn
XX349/349 BAe Hawk T.1 19(R) Sqdn
XX484/566-CU Jetstream T.2 RN 750 Sqdn
XX486/567-CU Jetstream T.2 RN 750 Sqdn
XX546/03 (G-WINI) Bulldog T.1
XX667/16 (G-BZFN) Bulldog T.1 RAFC blue band colours
ZA406/015 Tornado GR.4 2 Sqdn marks
ZD463/53 BAe Harrier GR.9 20(R) Sqdn marks
ZE200/HN Tornado F.3 111 Sqdn marks
ZE602/XB (BGA.3052) Grob G.103 Viking T.1 Air Cadets
ZE734/JU Tornado F.3 111 Sqdn marks with special tail colours - in an open to the public hangar.
ZF317/317 Tucano T.1 special aerobatic colours
ZG712/122 Tornado GR.4A no code/squadron marks
ZG713/123-G Tornado GR.4A 2 Sqdn marks
ZJ234/S Bell 412 Griffin HT.1 60(R) Sqdn/DHFS
ZJ267/67 AS.350B Squirrel HT.1 crew provided by 660 Sqdn/DHFS
ZJ939/DXI Typhoon FGR.4 11 Sqdn marks
ZJ990/AA Merlin HC.3A yellow griffin rampant badge
ZK454/N Beech B.200 King Air 45(R) Sqdn marks
9258M (XW265) Harrier T.4 nose section No.2345 Sqdn ATC, Leuchars.

Also:
"IR808" a scale fibre-glass Chinook RAF recuitment aid
an E-3 Sentry forward fuselage fibre glass mock-up
a Tornado F.3 fibre-glass nose RAF recuitment aid


2507 Czech Antonov An-26 24th Transport Air Brigade, special Kbely anniversary markings on engines and tail
6069 Czech Aero L.159T1
9820 Czech (39820) JAS 39D Gripen
J-869 Dutch F-16AM
U-05 Dutch Fokker 50 334 Sqdn
43+65 German Tornado Strike JbG-31 special anniversary paint scheme
61+03 German Navy B.1150 Atlantic Elint MFG-3 fancy tail scheme
020 Polish AF CASA.295M
AF61-011/BD (61-011) AFRC Boeing B-52H 2nd BW
23547 (62-3547) ANG Boeing KC.135R "Rose of York" New Hampshire ANG 133ARS/157ARW
493rdFS (84027) USAFE F-15C 48FW/493FS yellow & black fin tip
AF84.014 84-014) USAFE F-15C 48FW/493FS yellow & black fin tip

G-BSBT J-3c-65 Cub yellow
G-BVHC Grob G.115D Tayside Avn
G-BYEW Pegasus Quantum 15-912
G-BYVD/VD Grob G.115E Tutor VT Group
G-CFVG Rotorsport UK MTO Sport (autogyro)
G-CFWV Vans RV-7 polished metal finish
G-DRAM Cessna F.172F - on floats!
G-EVIE PA-28-181 Warrior Tayside Avn
G-GBVX Robin DR.400/120A
G-GEOS Diamond HK.36TTC Univ of Edinburgh Earth Sciences
G-INGS Bellanca 8KCAB Super Declathon
G-KEVI Jabiru J.400
G-OWAI/WA1 Schleicher ASK-21 Scottish Gliding Union
G-SUEB PA-28-181 Warrior
G-WEND PA-28RT Arrow IV Tayside Avn
VH-IJH WAR Spitfire, or possibly a Twister? (painted as a scaled down Spitfire)- in the flight line just over the barrier

FLIGHT LINE

F5447/N SE.5A Replica Flying only
PA474/HW-R & BQ-B Avro Lancaster B.1 BBMF
PM631 Spitfire PR.19 PR blue & D-day stripes BBMF
PS853/C (G-RRGN) Spitfire PR.19 D-day stripes Rolls Royce
PZ865/JX-E Hurricane BBMF
WM167/G-LOSM G. Meteor NF.11 Classic Flight
WR470 (G-DHVM) DH.112 Venom FB.50 Classic Flight
WV908/188-A H.Sea Hawk FGA.6 RN FAAHF
XG194/N (G-PRII) H.Hunter PR.11 Delta Jets, all black scheme
XH558 (G-VLCN) Avro Vulcan B.2 VTS
XR538/01 (G-RORI) F.Gnat T.1 4 FTS marks. Not noted flying in the display, but did depart afterwards!
XV699/823-PW Sea King HU.5 Red/silver 'Rescue' scheme, RN, Ace of Clubs logo. Although static display item, arrived late and departed early from a flight-line area.
XX179/227/233/237/242/264/266/292/294/306 & 308. 11 x 'Red Arrows' on arrival and departure. XX294 & XX306 spares during their display.
ZD704 BAe.125 CC.3 32 Sqdn VIP flight
ZE788/HV Tornado F.3 111 Sqdn emerged from HAS area for a simulated Alert departure, returned later for a single pass along with the two Falcons, before a break to land and return to the HAS area. Rather minimal showing for the resident unit at its last Leuchars Show.
ZJ916/QO-U Typhoon F.2 3 Sqdn marks, spare aircraft
ZJ926/QO-Y Typhoon F.2 3 Sqdn marks
ZK451/K Beech B.200 King Air 45(R) Sqdn marks

red 15 Polish AF Mig-29UB 1 ELT
FA-116 Belgian F-16A spare aircraft
FA-134 Belgian F-16A 349 Sqdn, special aerobatic markings
J-007 Dutch F-16AM 313 Sqdn, 55 years special tail scheme
J-...... Dutch F-16 spare aircraft
9240 Czech JS.29C Gripen

H-98 Dutch AF (G-CCCA) Spitfire T.9 Also numbered IAC161 under the tail
126922/402-AK USN (G-RADR) AD-4N Skyraider in colours of VA-176 USS Intrepid

G-BWDS Jet Provost T.3A blue/white scheme did not display, departed after the display
G-BYXN/XN Grob G.115E Tutor aerobatic markings
G-CDFE & G-YKCT Yak-52, 'The Cossacks" team, along with G-TYAK spare.
G-EIGG Jetstream 32 Highland Airways, enthusiasts charter flight
G-FRAJ & G-FRAT Falcon 20 of Cobham. Arrived with the returning 111 Sqdn Tornado F.3
G-OFFO, G-ZEXL, G-ZXCL & G-ZXEL Extra EA.300/L 'The Blades' team
311 (G-MXPH) Strikemaster 84 Singapore AF colours
425 in Arabic (G-SOAF) Strikemaster 82A Omani colours
G-UVNR Strikemaster 87
G-VPER/1130 Strikemaster 80A Saudi colours - 4 x 'Team Viper'

N707TJ Stearman & N74189 Stearman. Wing walking 'Team Guinot'

NOT FULLY IDENTIFIED

This list has not been compared to any other logs as yet. There are a couple of flight line aircraft that remained inconsiderately parked.

Does anyone know of any other website with a full display listing for this show?:

2 x Chipmunk T.10s in RAF scheme, presumably 'The Caledonian Chipmunks'. Parked nose-on by flight-line.
2 x Lynx of 'The Black Cats' a Mk 3 coded 630 and a Mk.8 coded 314, both of 702 Sqdn, RN. Operated from far, south side of runway.
1 x Chinook of RAF. Dropped 'The Falcons' free fall team from 8000', but when in flight preparing for its display slot, returned to land with a technical issue. operated from far, south side of runway.
2 x Long Rangers, one G-KATO flew overhead filming the Vulcan take-off, the other with Lothian helicopters was noted a couple of times in the distance possibly pleasure flights. Black with a diagonal yellow flash.

GENERAL COMMENTS
Home based aircraft were thin on the ground, with just 3 Tornado F.3s and a Grob Tutor in view of the public (after the display the hangar near the flight line opened with ZE961/FO (ex 25 Sqdn) and ......./HE, along with Robin DR.400/180 G-JUDE visible).

Highlights of the flying were the Mig 29 and the Gripen - although the Vulcan was probably the crowd's favourite. The Meteor and Venom flying together brought back memories of the CFS 'Vintage Pair' of the 'Eighties, while the all-black Hunter was a delight to see and hear. Of the three Spitfires, I felt the Dutch AF colours two seater flew the best display sequence

While the static and especially the flying had nothing of the numbers and variety of air displays 10-15 years ago, in comparison with many shows of the year, Leuchars managed to put together a reasonable static and good variety in the flying, but where were the RAF Hawk and Tucano solo aerobatic 'acts', and shockingly not a Hercules in sight!

Special photographic oportunities were provided by the 'Red Arrows' formating on a Typhoon for a single pass, and towards the end of the show the Skyraider and Sea Hawk formating. As the 'Red Arrows', Typhoon and the Vulcan were in the air at the same time, I feel that an opportunity for a special pass with the Vulcan was missed (especially as the Typhoon and Vulcan had formated on arrivals day).

'No shows', when compared to the list in 'Aircraft' magazine were a Bf.109J (to fly a mock dog flight with a Spitfire), Classic Flight's Vampire (although the Venom and Meteor arrived), and a pair of 111 Sqdn Tornado F.3s as a final salute. From the static missing were a Dutch Navy SH-14D (Lynx) and a French Mirage 2000.

Don't think I've made too many errors in translating my notes. Quite a while since I 'published' a full major military air display log and report. Hope you enjoyed my efforts, when (and if) I master getting images off Finepix to Photoshop to Photobucket and then to this site I'll add some photos.

[GHB]

A* for your efforts, Brian, and thank you for posting it. Just wish now that I could have made it there. By the by, any photos to accompany it?

Regards Cliff W

[viscount]

Rather than start a new thread, as visits to Dundee were due to being there for the Leuchars display, I'll enter this log on this existing thread.

Due to early morning and evening visits, I did not try for inspections of the hangars. Total log for aircraft outside:

G-BWIR Do.328 CityJet titles
G-BWWT Do.328 CityJet titles
G-BZOG Do.328 Scot Airways titles
D-CIRI (or T?) Do.328 City Star Airlines, appeared to be stored

G-BGKS PA-28 Cherokee
G-BVHC Grob G.115
G-BWUB PA-18 Super Cub on floats. Well tied down, missing engine and propellor,
G-BXET PA-38 Tomahawk
G-CROY Shaw Europa
G-EVIE PA-28 Cherokee
G-FIFE Cessna 150
G-JLCA PA-34 Seneca
G-RN.. (rest covered) PA-28 Cherokee, presumably G-RNCH ?
G-RNRM Cessna A.185F tail-dragger
G-WEND PA-28R Cherokee Arrow
N808.. (rest covered) PA-32RT Cherokee Lance

[viscount]

Saw only a few aircraft when driving around and staying in S.W. Scotland - on Arran and Kintyre for over a week. Thought I might see traffic for Prestwick and Glasgow - but heard little and saw nothing!

Copped an airfield though! A place which when I started spotting was mentioned in whispers due to the rumours of exotic testing and transit night flights by both British and Americans, was Machranish. Now Campbeltown, there was not a single aircraft to be seen when I called to inspect! I did however note the twice daily Twin Otter (in full Flybe scheme) scheduled flight from afar and a visiting yellow King Air 200 G-SASC, along with a Squirrel.

En route from Kintyre to Perth, Aviat Husky (Piper Cub look-alike) G-WATR on floats, was noted in an outdoor pursuits centre car park at the west end of Loch Earn. The Cub I've seen on Loch Earn before at the east end (St.Filians) G-BWUB was not there (seen next day engineless at Dundee).

To complete the log, driving south down the M74 en route home, a Tornado belted over the car - my wife says I ducked! It was so low though, I may well have done. Later noted a pair of Typhoons at low level but more distant near Shap. There are signs on the M6 'Aircraft Noise for next 8 miles' near Shap.

[Deleted]

Sept 18, 2009 20:53:13 GMT 1 viscount said:

Copped an airfield though! A place which when I started spotting was mentioned in whispers due to the rumours of exotic testing and transit night flights by both British and Americans, was Machranish. Now Campbeltown, there was not a single aircraft to be seen when I called to inspect!

Not a lot has changed since I was last there Brian. I was there for a whole week in the mid 70's and the only thing I saw were Chipmonks on ATC-AE-Flights. Oh, there was one other and well worth seeing. It was the RAF's last (still in service) commissioned DC3 which did a flyby. So, even though it was a designated airport back then, seeing the civvies is one up on me. ;D

Steve

[GHB]

Brian, here are three shots of G-BWUB taken at St Fillins in November 07

[rafaleuk]

Coming back to the original theme of this thread, Leuchars was a fine show this year. I hope Viscount doesn't mind me stealing any of his thunder with a few images:













Regards

Peter

[viscount]

Viscount welcomes any relevant images, especially those that add to the text entered.

Your shots well illustrate the fustrations of a late summer show in cloudless weather with a south facing crowd, the photographed subject being sillouetted against the bright sky.

Good to find that I was not the only NWAN forum member who made the long trek north.

[spotter27]

Viscount,

Me and the missus go very year and have done for the last 9 years.

I took 780 photos and the only decent one was of a horse yawning in the field by the B&B! Entirely my own fault; I decided to be a smart a**e and use th manual settings. That's something I haven't done in a long time, and it shows. Shooting to the south in bright sunlight IS a pain. I have tried adjusting in Photoshop but even that has been, mostly, defeated. I will post a couple of the more reasonable ones later.

We did have a lad from Warrington (Paul) sitting beside us. He was good company, a nice lad.

Ray