MILITARY AVIATION REVIEW APRIL 2012 ISSUE No. 293 EDITORIAL TEAM COORDINATING EDITOR - BRIAN PICKERING WESTFIELD LODGE, ASLACKBY, SLEAFORD, LINCS NG34 0HG TEL NO. 01778 440760 E-MAIL”[email protected]” BRITISH REVIEW - GRAEME PICKERING 15 ASH GROVE, BOURNE, LINCS PE10 9SG TEL NO. 01778 421788 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 2012) UK £40 EUROPE £48 ELSEWHERE £50 @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ABBREVIATIONS USED * OVERSHOOT f/n FIRST NOTED l/n LAST NOTED n/n NOT NOTED u/m UNMARKED w/o WRITTEN OFF wfu WITHDRAWN FROM USE n/s NIGHTSTOPPED INFORMATION MAY BE REPRODUCED FROM “MAR” WITH DUE CREDIT EDITORIAL - The new look printing for the March MAR seems to have been accepted without too much comment - one person did not like it and two preferred it to the old style. Which probably shows that what is inside the covers is what matters to the majority of readers - and that has not changed. The question of the new UK Section Editor was rapidly resolved with Mick Boulanger taking over from Graeme after this issue so, with immediate effect, please send all UK news, visitors, reports, etc to Mick at “[email protected]” or to 27 Tudor Road, Heath Town, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV10 0LT. Mick is well known to most of you through his work in the Wolver- hampton Aviation Group and the UK Serial website as well as his many other projects on UK military matters. Hopefully, this will be the start of a long partnership with MAR (he is already a regular contributor to @MAR). With Mick’s arrival on the editorial team, it is only fitting that I extend a huge thanks to Graeme for all his regular UK sections in MAR (and before that in Strobe) for the last twenty years and to Caroline, his wife, who has typed up the section over the years. A lot has happened in those years and Graeme has faithfully recorded it all for MAR - a very big thank you to you both! I have no idea what they plan to do with all their new found spare time they will have, but I hope they enjoy it to the full! It is indicitive of the changes that have affected the contents of the magazine during that time - the UK Section is now around half of what it was when MAR started in the mid 1990s. This is entirely due to the massive reductions in aircraft numbers and bases that have occurred during that time, while the advent of the internet and email has vastly increased the contributions to the contents! COVER PHOTOGRAPH: New arrival at NAF Atsugi - CO of VAQ-141 with his specially painted EA-18G Growler 166928/NF-500 on March 24th (Masanori Ogawa) Closing date for the May issue is 08.05.12 Brian Pickering 16.04.12 178 BRITISH REVIEW Well, what can I say! This is my final section as British Editor as due to heavy work commitments I am handing over with immediate effect to a very willing and capable Mick Boulanger who has come forward and offered his services to Brian. Many of you will recognise the name or already know Mick from his work with the Wolverhampton Aviation Group, UK Serials, Demobbed or his new Jet Provost website. He has superb knowledge of British Military and I am confident the section will expand under his leadership and your continued support. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time over the last twenty years and have made many new friends. Your support has been fantastic, there are just too many of you to list individually but each and every one of you who has sent in reports over the years has made a much valued contribution. So from Caroline and myself, we send our very best wishes to you all. Caroline, who will now have some much needed spare time will be able to finish the book she started reading years ago and our dog, Bella, will benefit from longer walks in the woods! DCAE ARBORFIELD - a base visit by Globemaster Tours on 28.3 reported the following changes to the list detailed in the UK Review Gazelle AH.1 XW900/TAD900 although still on charge of the SEAE the airframe is off site at Bramley TA XZ333 is due to be transferred to the REME museumat Arborfield soon. Lynx AH.7 XZ216 & XZ607 are both new arrivals (both l/n at Fleetlands BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT - military visitors noted during March :- 02 ZH102 Sentry AEW.1 8/54(R)Sqn “NATO03” * 15 ZD621 BAe 125 CC.3 32(TR)Sqn “RRR1369” 05 ZE706 Tristar C.2A 216 Sqn “RRR3247” 16 XW223 Puma HC.1 33/230 Sqn “SHF010” ZH777 Chinook HC.2 18/27 Sqn “SHF427” landed at King Edward School 06 (ZJ174) Apache AH.1 3 Regt + (ZJ200) 20 ZH898 Chinook HC.3 18/27 Sqn “SHF557” o/f “Sherman 1/2” * 21 ZH537 Islander CC.2 Northolt S/F “RRR7598” (ZJ192) Apache AH.1 673 Sqn “AA786” * ZZ172 Globemaster III 99 Sqn “ISF19DE” 07 ZZ176 Globemaster III 99 Sqn “ISF19DE” + 25th “ISF19DE” 08 (ZJ197) Apache AH.1 3 Regt + (ZJ215) 28 ZJ173 Apache AH.1 673 Sqn + ZJ192 “Sherman 1/2” * “Carnage 1/2” o/f BODNEY CAMP - helicopter activity noted here on 20.3 included:- Odiham Wg Chinook HC.2/A ZA704 ZH896 845/846NAS Sea King HC.4 ZA295/U ZD480/J 665 Sqn Gazelle AH.1 ZB683 8 Flt SA.365N ZJ781 ZJ783 MoD BOSCOMBE DOWN - noted visiting during March were the following foreigners:- 20th AT-08 AT-23 Alphajets BD AJeTS “BAF101/102” 28th L-03 L-05 L-07 PC-7 KLu EMVO “NAFUX/UU/UR” all departed 30th Resident notes BAe 146 the second example for QinetiQ (QQ102) a RJ70ER ex SE-DJP was delivered to Boscombe Down on 19.3 joining (QQ101) G-BZAY which arrived 2.3 as reported in MAR292 Chinook HC.4 an example coded BN (ZA718) was towed out of the hangar on 9.3 minus its rotors Hercules C.4 ZH871 is still operating on loan to QinetiQ - noted 28.3 using c/s “Gauntlet 57” Sea King an unidentified fuselage on a low loader was noted on 2.3 Sea King HC.4 ZD479/WQ ex 848NAS was noted departing Yeovilton on 4.4 using a Boscombe “Tester” c/s Tornado GR.4A ZA395/009 31 marks on loan from Lossiemouth arrived (12.3) will return to Lossiemouth after the Easter break. It was noted on 28.3 using c/s “Gauntlet 18” Tornado F.3 noted 4.4 were ZE203/GA & ZH552/HW Tucano T.1 ZF341 (72 marks) was still on loan fom 1 FTS at the start of April BOURNEMOUTH/HURN AIRPORT - military visitors for March were (with thanks to BAEG) 01 ZH886 Hercules C.5 24/30 Sqn “TACT300” * 09 XX342/2 Hawk T.1 ETPS “Gauntlet 50” * 02 ZF511 Tucano T.1 ETPS “Tetser 78” * ZF512 Tucano T.1 72(R)Sqn “Swift 03” - Sea King HC.4 848NAS “Avenger 933” * ZF379 Tucano T.1 1 FTS + ZF244 “72(R)Sqn 05 XZ184 Lynx AH.7 9 Regt + XZ645 “Sumo” “Swift 1/2” XZ184 Lynx AH.7 9 Regt “Sumo 1” ZF511 Tucano T.1 ETPS “Tester 106” * 06 ZJ994/AC Merlin HC.3A 28/78 Sqn “Battlecat 2” * 13 ZJ124/H Merlin HC.3 28/78 Sqn “SHF786” * ZJ124/H Merlin HC.3 28/78 Sqn “Battlecat 1” * 14 XX342 Hawk T.1 ETPS “Tester 101” * - (arctic cam) Sea King HC.4 848NAS “Avenger 915” * 16 ZF51- Tucano T.1 ETPS “Tester 71” * XZ184 Lynx AH.7 9 Regt + XZ645 “Sumo” 19 ZE700 BAe 146 CC.2 32(TR)Sqn “Northolt 18” * 08 ZE395 BAe 125 CC.3 32(TR)Sqn “RRR1261” * XZ212/X Lynx AH.7 9 Regt “AA970” ZF511 Tucano T.1 ETPS “Tester 102” * to RM camp Poole then Bovington camp 179 21 ZZ174 Globemaster III 99 Sqn “RRR813” * 28 ZD627/WO Sea King HC.4 848NAS “Avenger 928” * ZF622 PA-31 QinetiQ “Gauntlet 58” * 29 ZA674 Chinook HC.2 18/27 Sqn “SHF524/575” * ZH902 Chinook HC.3 18/27 Sqn “SHF525” * 30 ZF511 Tucano T.1 ETPS “Tester 102” * 26 ZH777 Chinook HC.2 18/27 Sqn “SHF575” * RAF BRIZE NORTON - additional visitors for February (adds to MAR292) followed by March February 09 144615 CC-144B RCAF 412 Sqn “CFC3038”n/s 02 CH-11 C-130H BD 15 Wg “BAF634” 13 R51/61-MW Transall FrAF ET00.061 “Ctm2003”n/s CH-09 C-130H BD 15 Wg “BAF654” 17 KAF325 L100-30 Kuwait AF 41 Sqn 03 ZD620 BAe 125 CC.3 32(TR)Sqn “RRR1657” “KAF3211” dep 19th “KAF3208” 06 164998/AX C-130T VR-62 “CNV3642” 18 J-755 Gulfstream 4 Pakistan AF “PAAF755” 09 ZK458/D King Air 200GT 45(R)Sqn “Cranwell 89” dep 21st 10 ZD620 BAe 125 CC.3 32(TR)Sqn “RRR1390” 19 (ZA714/AV) spl mks Chinook HC.2 18/27 Sqn “SHF557” 16 ZH002 Defender AL.2 651 Sqn “AA582” ZH898 Chinook HC.3 18/27 Sqn “SHF574” * 18 ZD621 BAe 125 CC.3 32(TR)Sqn “RRR1385” 20 E123/705-RM Alphajet FrAF AJeTS “FAF6410” + 20 5601 C-130J-30 RNoAF “NOW335C” E128/705-TM “FAF6412” 27 C-168 CL-604 RDAF Esk 721 “DAF1785” NZ7571 B-757-200 RNZAF 40 Sqn “Kiwi 916” March dep 24th 04 KAF323 L100-30 Kuwait AF 41 Sqn ZE700 BAe 146 CC.2 32(TR)Sqn “RRF3/KRF3R” “KAF3202” departed (arrived 29.2) ZE420/89 Sea King ASaC.7 849NAS 05 ZF511 Tucano T.1 QinetiQ * arr for onward transport to Afghanistan 07 - KDC-10 KLu 334 Sqn “NAF68” * 22 ZJ966 Bell 212HP AH.2 25 Flt SU-BAS/1286 C-130H Egyptian AF “EGY1503” ZG918 Lynx AH.9A 9 Regt dep 9th returned with a problem eventually dep 10th ZE378 Lynx AH.7 657 Sqn 61-0304 KC-135R 100 ARW “Quid 72” * 23 XX287 Hawk T.1A 4 FTS/208(R)Sqn KAF323 L100-30 Kuwait AF 41 Sqn (still present 25th) “KAF3204” n/s 24 ZH895 Chinook HC.2A Odiham Wg 08 ZJ127/L Merlin HC.3 ex 1419 Flt 27 130605 CC-130J-30 RCAF 8 Wg “CFC2595” ZG885