OCTOBER 2013 ISSUE No
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MILITARY AVIATION REVIEW OCTOBER 2013 ISSUE No. 311 EDITORIAL TEAM COORDINATING EDITOR - BRIAN PICKERING WESTFIELD LODGE, ASLACKBY, SLEAFORD, LINCS NG34 0HG TEL NO. 01778 440760 E-MAIL”[email protected]” BRITISH REVIEW - MICK BOULANGER 27 Tudor Road, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV10 0LT TEL NO. 0770 1070537 EMail "[email protected]" FOREIGN FORCES - BRIAN PICKERING (see Co-ordinating Editor above for address details) US FORCES - BRIAN PICKERING (COORDINATING) (see above for address details) STATESIDE: MORAY PICKERING 18 MILLPIT FURLONG, LITTLEPORT, ELY, CAMBRIDGESHIRE, CB6 1HT E Mail “[email protected]” EUROPE: BRIAN PICKERING OUTSIDE USA: BRIAN PICKERING See address details above OUT OF SERVICE - ANDY MARDEN 6 CAISTOR DRIVE, BRACEBRIDGE HEATH, LINCOLN LN4 2TA E-MAIL "[email protected]" MEMBERSHIP/DISTRIBUTION - BRIAN PICKERING MAP, WESTFIELD LODGE, ASLACKBY, SLEAFORD, LINCS NG34 0HG TEL NO. 01778 440760 E-MAIL.”[email protected]” ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION (Jan-Dec 2013) UK £40 EUROPE £55 ELSEWHERE £60 @MAR £20 (EMail/Internet Only) MAR PDF £20 (EMail/Internet Only) Cheques payable to “MAP” - ALL CARDS ACCEPTED - Subscribe via “www.mar.co.uk” ABBREVIATIONS USED * OVERSHOOT f/n FIRST NOTED l/n LAST NOTED n/n NOT NOTED u/m UNMARKED w/o WRITTEN OFF wfu WITHDRAWN FROM USE n/s NIGHTSTOPPED INFORMATION MAY BE REPRODUCED FROM “MAR” WITH DUE CREDIT EDITORIAL First off for this month - can everyone please note that Andy Marden has a new email address and that his old one has ceased to exist! The renewals are coming in at a steady pace and ths is a great help - the more we receive early then the easier it makes the administration task (there are so many extra tasks that have to be carried out at the end of the year that early arrivals of renewal forms is a great help). Still no reports from the USA but Moray is expecting a rush for the November issue as everyone returns home from the USA and sorts out their reports - so remember to send them in please! However, a large number of reports from Europe has all added to a bumper Foreign Section with several reports carried over to the November edition of MAR. Anyone travelling outside Europe during the winter months please send in reports from wherever you end up - no matter how small the report is. Sometimes, reports do not appear in the magazine, this can be due to a number of reasons - one of the most common being we have just printed a report rcently (but the information wil update our master files)! COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Specially marked German AF EF-2000 30+29 blasts off from Neuburg on the base’s Spotters Day on August 29th (Dietmar Fenners) Closing date for the November issue is 08.11.13 Brian Pickering 15.10.13 524 BRITISH REVIEW History was made on 20th September 2013 when the final operational flight by a VC-10 took place; this ends 47 years of RAF serv- ice for the type. Sadly they will not grace our skies anymore with the thunderous roars of the four Rolls Royce Conway engines other than on high speed runs at Bruntingthorpe (and possibly Dunsfold). 101 Sqn, the last Squadron to operate the VC-10 will be converting to the Voyager fleet so will remain in an Air to Air tanking role which they have performed since 01st May 1984. Another milestone was reached during September. After 47 years of maintaining the RAF’s C-130K fleet, XV177 is the last of these ageing Hercules that Marshall Aerospace, Cambridge will service for the RAF. These are not the last K model Hercules that will go though at Marshall Aerospace as they will continue to support the three Austrian AF examples in the coming years. It is believed the RAF’s remaining Ks will be flown to St Athan where they will be kept flyable by a team from Marshalls and potential buyers will be sought, the out of service date for RAF K model is28.10.2013. Finally, BAE Systems unveiled an offer at the Defence Services Equipment International Exhi- bition in London to equip the RAF with BAE 146 Air to Air tankers, this has been turned down by the Ministry of Defence stating that the Voyager fleet of nine aircraft will be ample for the RAF requirements.......Mick Boulanger (Military movements is history, now and for our future) ALDERGROVE - Residents noted during September 665 Sqn Gazelle AH.1 XW847 XZ334 ZB669 ZB674 ZB678 ZB683 Residents notes XW846 has returned back at 665 Sqn Aldergrove from MPSU Middle Wallop ZA766 has returned back at 665 Sqn Aldergrove from MPSU Middle Wallop RAF BENSON - So far six Puma HC.2s have returned to 33/230 Sqn Benson following conversion to HC.2 standard at Eurocopter, Brasov, Romania. They are: - XW204 XW231 XW235 ZA935 ZA940 ZJ954 XW216 and XW232 have returned to the UK but are operated by QinetiQ undergoing trials. BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT - Military visitors noted during September: - 12 50+96 Transall GAF LTG 61 ZJ170 Apache AH.1 673 Sqn “Viper1”* 17 ZJ963 Sentinel R.1 5 Sqn “Snapshot1”* ZJ167 Apache AH.1 673 Sqn “Viper2”* 19 XZ176 Lynx AH.7 671 Sqn “AAC733”* 25 ZE704 Tristar C.2 216 Sqn “RRR3995” XZ192 Lynx AH.7 671 Sqn “AAC738”* ZA147/F VC.10 K.3 101 Sqn “RRR848”* 20 ZA147/F VC-10 K.3 101 Sqn “Tartan52* BOURNEMOUTH HURN AIRPORT - Military visitors noted during September: - (With thanks to BAEG) 02 (QQ102) RJ70-ER QinetiQ “BDN59” G-BVRJ * 09 556 A320-214CJ RAFO 4 Sqn “MJN517” ZA713 Chinook HC.2 Odiham Wg “SHF485” (until 11.09) 554 A320-214CJ RAFO 4 Sqn “MJN512” 11 ZA297/W Sea King HC.4 848NAS“Avenger916”* 04 (QQ102) RJ70-ER QinetiQ“Gauntlet59”*G-BVRJ 12 ZJ780 AS.365N3 8 Flt “1WT18”* ZD574/DB Chinook HC.4 Odiham Wg “Lifter1” ZJ783 AS.365N3 8 Flt “1JM14”* ZA683/AK Chinook HC.4 Odiham Wg “Lifter2” ZE166/116 Tornado GR.4 Marham Wg “MRH42”* ZH878/878 Hercules C.4 24/30 Sqn “Zorro1” 16 ZJ992/AB Merlin HC.3A 28/78 Sqn “SHF753”* ZH869/869 Hercules C.4 24/30 Sqn “Zorro2” 18 ZF117/X Sea King HC.4 848NAS“Avenger913” ZH901 Chinook HC.3 Odiham Wg “SHF532”* 19 ZH901 Chinook HC.3 Odiham Wg “SHF532”* 06 ZA310/B Sea King HC.4 848NAS“Avenger916”* ZJ782 AS.365N3 8 Flt “1JS16” 09 ZD980/DD Chinook HC.2 Odiham Wg “SHF388”* 25 ZE428/H Sea King HC.4 848NAS “NVY450”* (ZZ403) Wildcat AH.1 WFT(A) “Recon21”* BRISTOL LULSGATE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - Military visitors noted during August: - 01 ZF124/L Sea King HC.4 848NAS “NVY A918” dep 10.08 as “Quebec50” 03 VX281/VL-120 Sea Fury T.20S RNHF G-RNHF* 15 ZK456/P King Air 200 QinetiQ “BDN54” 05 ZK452/L King Air 200 QinetiQ “BDN89” 20 ZJ166 Apache AH.1 673 Sqn “Stalker 08 ZA298/Y Sea King HC.4 848NAS “NVY Y450”* Combine” + ZJ169 09 XX219 Hawk T.1A RAFAT + XX227, XX242, ZA542/035 Tornado GR.4 Marham Wg XX245, XX263, XX264, XX311, XX319, XX323 & XX325 “MRH49/58” ZJ280/80 Squirrel HT.1 SYS22/RED10” 21 ZJ132/Q Merlin HC.3 28/78 Sqn “SHF300” ZJ927 Typhoon FGR4 29(R) Sqn “Quebec51/ 22 258 Learjet 45 IAC 1 OW/102 Sqn dep 11.08 as “Triplex50” “IRL258” ZK344/BQ Typhoon FGR4 29(R) Sqn “Quebec50/ 27 ZK451/K King Air 200 45(R) Sqn “CWL67” dep 10.08 as “Triplex50” 28 ZJ124/H Merlin HC.3 28/78 Sqn “SHF385” 11 ZK344/BQ Typhoon FGR4 29(R) Sqn “Triplex50/ 525 RAF BRIZE NORTON - Military visitors noted during September: 05 66-0215 MC-130P 352 SOG 67 SOS“Arson11” 16 81 yl An-30 Ukraine AF “OSY37T/F” 08 ZE700 BAe.146 CC.2 32(TR) Sqn “RRF01” (until 18.09) 09 7T-WHLC-130H Algerian AF “KJD181/182” 18 81 yl An-30 Ukraine AF “OSY37F/T” 13 2402 A.330MRTT RSAF 24 Sqn RSF3872”n/s (until 20/09) 15 2401 A.330MRTT RSAF 24 Sqn “RSF3884/5”n/s 26 87-0045 C-5M 436/512 AW”Rch480”n/s 2403 A.330MRTT RSAF 24 Sqn “RSF3885/4”n/s 27 Defender AL 651 Sqn “AAC515” 16 KAF323 C-103H Kuwait AF 41 Sqn 28 85-0002 C-5M 436/512 AW “Rch478”n/s “KAF3200” (until 19.09) 29 130607 CC-130J-30 RCAF 436 TS “CFC2561” n/s QQ101 BAe.146 QinetiQ “BDN53” Residents notes 47 Sqn Hercules C.1/C.3A XV177/177 returned back to 47 Sqn on 23.09 having departed on 21.12.2012 to Marshall Aerospace for overhaul XV196/196 departed from 47 Sqn for the last time to St Athan on 04.09 as “Omen2” for storage and disposal 101 Sqn VC-10 K.3 The last operational flight by 101 Sqn took place on 20.09 when VC-10 K.3s ZA147/F (Tartan 52) and ZA150/J (Tartan51) de- parted Brize Norton to Air-to-Air Refuelling Area 7 (AARA7) over the North Sea, east of Newcastle. Tartan 52 refuelled two 617 Sqn Tornados and a Hercules and finally Tartan 51 refuelled two 1 Sqn Typhoons disconnecting from the VC-10 at 1130 local having taken 4.1 and 4.5 tons of fuel. The VC-10 formation then split, Tartan 51 departed for a flypast over Lossiemouth, Leuchars, Prestwick, Samlesbury and Warton. Tartan 52 overflew Coningsby, Marham and Birmingham Airport. The two aircraft then re-joined for a flypast over Brize Norton and landing, ZA150/J landing first then finally ZA147/F. ZA147/F made the last VC-10 flight in the world on 25.09 when it flew from 101 Sqn to Bruntingthorpe for preservation.