Just before 6.30 tonight and unmistakeable sound loomed nearer in the skies over us, a large, nay very large turbo prop was inbound to BZN. It was dark, too dark to see but I’ll stake my next months salary that there is an AN22 sat on the pan and Brize tonight.The other sure bet is that I will be heading that way camera in hand in the morning, unless of course I hear the departing rumble tonight.
Its strange I’ve never seen a Antei(I would have said **** but then I would have open to ridicule) , at least I don’t think I have, yet I know thats what it sounds like.
Then when I got back indoors after seeing its lights go off into the gloom I cought the tail end of a local news report about Fairford, is there to be a deployment there ?
By: philo - 11th January 2004 at 14:29
I am told that it dropped off some ‘Hazardous cargo’ at JATE on BZN then left for Manston. I did not hear it leave, must have taken a northerly track out.
By: Spey111 - 10th January 2004 at 07:18
The regular AN22 UR09307 was at Manston late last night so this is probably where it departed to from Brize.
By: philo - 9th January 2004 at 23:12
also just heard that the AN22 has already left, what a b*gger.
By: philo - 9th January 2004 at 22:56
I was over there the day after that and heard nothing, mind you they are not going to tell civvies their bad news I suppose.
Just had confirmation that it was indeed a AN-22 tonight.
By: Transall - 9th January 2004 at 22:15
Hi Philo,
Thanks for the news. Great sound, isn’t it?
Scramble magazine arrived here this week and it said that on the 11th of December 2003 a RAF C-17suffered a landing incident at Bagram. An engine and a wingtip hit the runway. Scramble said: “damaged, maybe even a write-off”!!!
Nobody else seems to have heard of this. Have you heard anything?
It could be that, with one C-17 out of action, the services of the An-22 were required.
Best regards, Transall.
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January 9, 2004 at 9:11 pm