RAF Valley 22-1-10

[superian]

here's a few from a lovely and sunny Valley today.
Ian.

[vickersfour]

Top stuff. Sunshine and a couple of visitors. You must have been chuffed when the Tristar turned up?

Cheers

Shaun

[Ryanairflyer]

On one of the pictures theres a net gate stretched across the runway undeployed, in what circumstances are they used exactly? Nice catch with the Tristar dont think Valley sees them too often.

[viscount]

There are over-run barriers at both ends of Valley's long runway 13/31 and the shorter cross runway 01/19. Today, the aircraft photographed were landing on 31 (main runway, from the SE end), so the 31 barrier would have been down (out of use, as shown), while the stop-end, 13 (NW end) barrier would be up (in use) for RAF movements, but lowered for any civilian movement.

Going back to the Seventies, I can recall several Gnats ending up in the barrier, although not that many Hawks have.

Clearly not a bad day in the sand dunes with the Tristar, Tornado GR.4 and Hawks active. I gather most of the few Hawk T.2s that were at Valley are back at Brough for updates, and as there are no photos of them I can only assume that none flew today. Considering the number of T.2s that have flown at Warton, they are very slow at entering full operational service.

[superian]

Thanks for the comments all. Viscount, as you noticed, there were no T2's flying today but there were 5 lined up with cockpits open near to the main entrance. sorry no photo's as the sun was in the lens.
Ian.

[superian]

I forgot to mention, whilst on the way back to the car, a pair of eurofighter typhoons did a flyby, but the camera was in the bag so I got no pics and they were a bit too quick to clock the reg no's, sorry.
Ian.

[Ryanairflyer]

Thanks for the answer Viscount, would be interesting to see one in operation.

[vickersfour]

You got a better day than you thought .....The last shot you posted is a T2!!

I think the T2's are each doing a limited amount of flying hours with 19 (R) Squadron (usually using callsign "Stampede") then going into store at Shawbury prior to going to work on the PFI UK Military Flying Training System. The delay is explained in this extract from a FlightGlobal article from Feb 2009.

"The need to initially store the bulk of the service's new AJT fleet stems from ongoing infrastructure work at RAF Valley. The MoD signed a delayed Military Flying Training System contract with Lockheed Martin/VT joint venture Ascent last June, but work to lay the foundations for a new Hawk T2 hangar only began during the week that the first aircraft were accepted."

Cheers

Shaun

[Biggles]

Only in Britain could a Government order a fleet of replacement jet trainers, costing probably £billions. then get them delivered,then discover they have no place to hangar them, so THEN they are forced to arrange to have them placed into storage and not flown until a hanger is built to house them There should be an award of some sort for MOD cock ups and money wasting occurances.

I can`t beleive that any RAF Station Commander waiting to accept a Brand NEW aircraft onto his station forgot to ask anyone if they had anywhere to house them when they arrived ?

Additional info from anothe member is that the T.2`s may have a structural problem hence the storage prior to return by road to manufacturer I had no idea about that information.

[viscount]

Superian was not the only photographer at Valley that afternoon. www.valleyaviationsociety.net follow links to forum has photos posted by 'warhog' and 'bruin' . From that source, additional info:

The Tristar C.2A ZE706 which did two go-arounds was calling 'Ascot 829'

The Tornado GR.4 (ZA602)/067 with no squadron marks was calling 'Marham 51'.

The Tyhoons were both single seaters, one coded /DN in 11 Sqdn colours, the other without code or unit colours. The coded aircraft a FGR.4, the uncoded an F.2 (or a very new FGA.4)

Hawk T.2s ZK022 and ZK030 at least flew during the afternoon

The Highland Airways Jetstream 31 on the evening Cardiff-Valley schedule was G-LOVB.