Just a little comment.
I’ve called in at Cottesmore on the way back home from Notty a few times, luckily, I’ve seen a bit of flying, if I hadn’t, fair enough, it’s an operational base, I don’t expect to see wall to wall Harriers on a whim.
A few years ago, when the Tonkas were in residence, I was driving down the A1 in the dark and saw the tell tale signs of re-heat take offs in the distance.
Great, it was a night exercise and I spent a happy half hour in the dark watching the most impressive take off’s. But then, I was lucky, it’s the same with any RAF or USAF base, you turn up and hopefully see something, no complaints if nowts about, the last time I was at Lakenheath, and I was with one of our Hungarian visitors, it was foggy, you couldn’t see across the airfield, too bad, it happened to me once at Lightning city at Binbrook, that was very dissapointing, but not requiring a winge at the gate guard.
Incidentally, I know that operational requirements prevent us seeing the always inspirational typical Harrier displays at UK airshows, but why was one performing at the Keszkemet Airshow in Hungary this year, no doubt with back up a/c, ground crew et al. A great expense carried out in a far flung European outpost, what was that all about, politics no doubt, perhaps they hope to offload the redundant airframes to the Hungarian Air Force when the F-35 comes on line, who knows.

Just a theory, but it might have been in return for past Hungarian Air Force displays in the UK. Hungarian MiG-29 displays in the UK. etc. Was there a cancelled previous commitment by the RAF in Hungary, or at the Keszkemet Airshow?

TJ