Tornado F3 Final Low Level Flights

Its strange, when the Tornado started to equip squadrons I hated it because of the varied amount of different types of aircraft it replaced, Hunters, lightnings, phantoms, buccaneers.
Now it is itself being scrapped, I feel saddened at he loss of it.

Oh and I too voted for the present idiots, TBH there is not much to differ any of the different breeds of idiot as they are all so similar in their liberal, pc views….unfortunately there is no real alternative to the current, smiley face wearing suits.

Tornado F3 low level flights

I have to agree with Phil (Phyler) in some respects, but as others have said much of the trouble lies with Brown and his cronies. I have read, alas only in my local paper that David Cameron is giving “SERIOUS THOUGHT” to some of the defence cuts by delaying some of them and not going ahead with others. It is of course too late for Tornado F3 Nimrod and such like. I presume the Sentinel R1 may be one aircraft that may be saved. I have a vested interest in that in having a son presently serving with 5 sqn.
Is it too late for Harrier to be returned to srvice??? A good novel to show the effects of defence cuts is Patrick Robinson’s ” Ghost Force” Worth read.:rolleyes:
I have added a few photo’s taken at leeming to my own website. Not i may add anything like those that appear in this thread

I always rated the F3 as a candidate for the Fairey Fulmar of WW3

Moggy

I have yet to find ANYONE who openly admits voting for this shower.

Will the F3 also turn out to be the RAFs last PURE interceptor?

The Tornado has been replaced by the Typhoon in the fighter and interceptor roles and is generally accepted that the RAF have a great fighter capability back since the loss of the Lightning in 1988.
The Tonka F.3 was fine as a long-range interceptor for knocking out Russian bombers, but not as a fighter in a period when the RAF lagged behind most other F-16 equiped European nations.
It has suitably been replaced so there is no politics behind its withdrawal from service, it had just reached its time with the RAF.

I for one voted for for the present government, but embarrassed that the Libs got attached to them!

Excellent pictures sully, and for all its downfalls the sight and sound of the brute will be missed.

Yes, you can try and use this as a political argument, but the F3 was due to be retired soon anyway – whoever was in power.

I happily admit not voting for another five years of Labour. After the colossal mess they got us into, I dread to think where they would have taken us. For sure, they too would have had a DSR, and I suspect the decisions taken would not have been all that different.

Bruce

PS – Lovely pictures!!

No one voted for “this shower”, in the sense that no one bar some tactical voters voted for a coalition. I voted against another 5 years of the worst Prime Minister since the war.

I have yet to find ANYONE who openly admits voting for this shower.

I did.

The alternative was five more years of Brown.

Moggy

i see very few poor politicians !!

But you do see the odd one in jail now and again. 😉

Regards,

kev35

awesome Tonka, even if she had the same turn ratio as the Hunter that was phased out fifteen years before she was put in service.. at least she held a decent belly of fuel and carried a full rack of missiles…

I have yet to find ANYONE who openly admits voting for this shower. Personally i blame the students falling into the mantrap of believing pre election promises. But, youngsters, you can tell them till you’re blue in the face, but they wont listen, always know best, and think its us old wrinklies that know nowt… 😡

we had 12 or so years of ministers consistantly ignoring the CDS probably because their university grad numbnut special advisor (see above) was reliably informed by the Commons barman over a spliff that the military always make things out to be worse than they are.

I dont like the Cameroon Highlanders anymore than the next chap. I accept savings have to be made, but NOT like this, and the sheer fallacy of trying to drive through cuts of this size and depth in one Parliament has well and truly been exposed as lunacy, as I and many others have been banging on about ad nauseum. This whole thing really does read like a Yes Minister script! Anyway – enough.

Meanwhile, back on the thread – yes very nice pics. Sadly I want able to get back to Leeming on the Monday to see them come in, and these shots reminds me of an F3 I saw coming up Bassenthwaite Lake several years ago, at about 100ft 🙂 They might not have been super dopoer, but they have served us well and when needed, performed. I amongst many others will miss them. The F3 had (just about) reached its natural end, unlike others.

Will the F3 also turn out to be the RAFs last PURE interceptor?

Don’t be too hard on the current dumbasses

The previous dumbasses and their mind-boggling incompetence brought us to the point where there was no real alternative but swingeing cuts.

Moggy

and the ones before that the last few runs of government have been full of people eager to line thier own pockets with little regard to what happens to the country

i see very few poor politicians !!

Don’t be too hard on the current dumbasses

The previous dumbasses and their mind-boggling incompetence brought us to the point where there was no real alternative but swingeing cuts.

Moggy

Well you folks really picked some real rocket scientists for a Govt. this time,, down to less than 2% of GDP and still scrapping your armed forces,, As a Brit living abroad now it brings great sorrow to see what is being done to one of the finest militaries in the world. Truly disgraceful and a sad time indeed to be a Brit. I wish only the best to all those armed forces members who i feel have been betrayed by the current crop of dumbasses in the govt. JT

Many thanks all,gonna miss it:(

Really excellent shots and a nice tribute to the Tonka. It still looks like a decent bit of kit despite all the problems it apparently had.

Five F3’s on their final flights on route to RAF Leeming from Leuchars to be scrapped or RTP,Return to Produce

IMG_3174 by LFA17ULV, on Flickr

Brilliant picture! 😀

Beautiful shots!

Thank you.

1Saludo

Fantastic shots, thanks for sharing

:confused: I thought they were F3s?

Moggy

The funniest thing I have read all day……:D

… an everlasting reminder of a fine aircraft.

:confused: I thought they were F3s?

Moggy