By: mjr - 28th August 2007 at 11:27
. As with most2sq ships. she spent 2 years after delivery at Riyadh, via jeddah whilst sauds worked up to type, then spent career between Riyadh and mainly Dhahran, with some Camis and Al Salem. spent most of 72 on decimal conversion for RSAF instruction, then to LSU riyadh in 74 for fast mods programme. after which it spent the rest of its career, between Riyadh, Dhahran on various duties. On retirement from 2sq, she returned home with the second batch of Lightnings. last flight @Tabuk 01/01/86, then on to to Warton for open storage 14/01/86, with just over 2000 hours and FI 85(?) and over 2100 flights.
contractor ground runs for anti dets at Warton from feb 86 until feb 87. Sold Wensley haydon Bailey 1990 and shipped to Southampton docks container storage. Sold to Marine Salvage, and moved to Portsmouth in 1997. The last ex-Saudi airframe to be sold from marine Salvage (I think?), moving to Rochester in early 2001, where it was stripped of spares,then painted by Bae for gate duties.
By: FMK.6JOHN - 28th August 2007 at 07:57
53-675; G27-45 (ZF581).
First flight by R. P. Beamont on 19/12/67 from Salmsbury, Delivered to Jeddah on 16/9/68 by Flt Lt Anders.
Spent her career with 2Sqd and reported in storage at Riyadh 04/71.
Returned to the UK in the 80’s with a possible deal with the Austrians but the deal collapsed.
Sorry but this is the best I could find, it seems that the historys of Saudi/Kuwait airframes are understandably sketchy.
John.
By: Lindy's Lad - 27th August 2007 at 23:32
from thunder and lightnings survivors list : ZF581 (ex 53-675) F53 BAe Systems gate guard
history here
http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk/lightning/survivorspics6.html#ZF581
By: Robert Hilton - 27th August 2007 at 23:15
Do you have a photo? Preferably showing it’s registration or maintenance number.
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August 27, 2007 at 10:00 pm