Hot_CharlieI think we all just have to pray that the conservatives will bin the airtanker PFI on election and just buy the bloody planes
Difficult seeing as the AirTanker infrastructure is well and truly on the way to being completed at Brize. Wouldn’t be easy, or in the short term, very cheap. In fact, in the short term I wouldn’t be surprised if it was prohibitively expensive. Cancellation wouldn’t work either considering who the local MP is…
Hot_CharlieSomeone posted on here a couple of months ago that there is a clause that allows MOD to use anything if necessary but they would be required under the FSTA contract to pay compensation, don’t know if its true could just be an internet rumour.
Under operational circumstances I’m sure we will be able to use any tanker as required – as we do now.
What we won’t be able to do is operate another type (which for a PFI contractor is an understandable request in some ways), such as a tanker variant of the C-130J, in UK plc colours after the retirement of the VC10 and Tristar.
Hot_CharlieYour kidding me? They agreed to have only FSTA as the only tanker as part of a legally binding agreement? Knobs, utter knobs!
There’s a brief period of transition allowed where the A330 will operate alongside the Tristar and VC10 in the AAR role until it has its full AAR operational capability, and to allow the VC10 and Tristar crew to remain current until their types retirements in 2014 and 15 respectively.
Not ideal, rather limiting options, but then again, at least we’re getting a new tanker quite soon, which (for once) is a better position than our US cousins, who are having to suffer the rigmarole of politics over-interfering in the procurement process.
Hot_CharlieIf the UK was to lease or purchase another 6 C130J’s would they be the KC130J? Is only the KC-130 able to be turned into a gun ship with the Harvest Hawk Kit. I thought i read it that the Optical equipment would be housed in the front of the Wing tank.
The UK used to have Air to Air Refueling for the Hercules after what happened in the Falklands. But i think they gave up that ability a while ago. (i never understood why) Then the hercules would be able to do all the missions that the KC-130 can do. The Merlin’s are plumbed for AAR i’m not sure about the Apaches or Chinooks though. Could be really useful in theatre. Also could be used for Tornado’s or other planes to keep them on station longer. There is a video here of AAR from an RAF C-130. Also it has Jim Davidson in the Cockpit! What a treat for all!!
http://www.patricksaviation.com/videos/Contrail_25/2956/
Anyone know anything more on the topic?
No C-130J production slots are available in the near future IIRC (2012-13 earliest I beleive). As for any AAR capability, by the time we could get have it, the FSTA contract would have made it obsolete by its terms (FSTA A330 being the only RAF/MOD operated tanker aircraft).
Hot_CharlieProbably right on that one. Sometimes i read in the press that we still have the same airforce that originally went out there for the 3000 troops now supporting 8500. Not sure if there is much truth in that.
You’re probably not too far wrong, sadly.
🙂
Hot_CharlieAnyone got Info on numbers of uk aircraft/helicopters in Afganistan just now. I have read elements of NAS 845, 846 and 847 squadrons with RN seaking helicoters and Lynx helicopters. There are also the chinooks and Apaches but not sure how many.
No. Probably best it stays that way. Call me old fashioned, but that’s the kind of info that we used to want to keep to ourselves, and the chaps and chappesses out there probably think the same.
Hot_CharlieYour sentiment is not lost on me BUT, as I understand it we have just Harriers in that particular war zone at present, and not by any means the whole force, infact just a squadron or two.
I suspect it has far more to do with the personnel and engineering requirements than the number of airframes (with personnel rotating in and out of theatre on a reasonable regular basis), and the OCU’s requirement to keep the force well topped up as it were.
(As has been reported in the press that Harriers pulled out a couple of weeks ago.):)
Hot_CharlieThat impetus seems to be lost, and it is disgraceful that the premier Royal Air Force event can field such a thin showing of front line aircraft.
Well, to be fair we were expecting a Harrier solo again this year, but due to unforeseen operational circumstances (ie, the delayed withdrawal of the Harrier from the Stan) that’s been delayed until next year IIRC. Admittedly it would be nice to get a solo GR4 back, although of course they are now deployed again as a force after coming back from Telic.
Of course RAF support was further diminished by the Tucano work up crash.
Hot_CharlieA few too many formation display teams IMO. Orliks, PdeF, Breitlings, Blades, Reds (and the Vipers too on a more novel scale).
A bit too samey. More FJ’s needed (even if the RAF can only provide one (and a half) – from my memory shows like this have thrived on foreign FJ participation.
Hot_CharlieA quick glimse on Top Gear of one of the above in a scrapyard/storage area in the U.S. Anyone know which she is ? She had ‘Lucky Lady’ nose art.
Believe they mentioned it was Inyokern, which happens to be within, or adjacent to the USN’s China Lake facaility in California.
Hot_Charlieahhh sorry to be missleading their not my photos nor is it my website the main page is here
Noted. Ooops!:) Either way…:D
Hot_CharlieThe Mound and the field at the eastern end of the runway are a risk of being gated and fenced ,Due to people walking on crops and
not parking so the farmers have access to THEIR FIELDSI realise that yet again it is the few spoiling things for the many two examples at the bottom of this page one good one bad
http://milky01.piczo.com/?g=55198337&cr=5
If you visit Coningsby please have some respect and help keep the viewing areas open
Thank you
Gaz
Ignorant idiots in one of the photos. The fence is there for a reason, and not as a ladder stand!:)
Hot_CharlieSo surely it’s time that the whole show concept was dumped and a completely new approach was adopted? For example, as has been said above, even getting a VC10 for static display is a major task now, so surely under a different arrangement, a routine VC10 training sortie could involve a couple of overshoots? Not a “display” but way more interesting than seeing the aircraft dumped between a row of tents. Okay, it means taking advantage of week-day flying schedules (rather like shows such as St.Mawgan used to do) but why the hell can’t one day’s flying be scrubbed and shifted to just one weekend? A day off in the week ensures that personnel don’t have to perform any extra work.
Mmm, all very well, but when squadron personnel may already be working 2-3 weekends a month (or all of them if you’re really lucky), it’s difficult to make the extra demands of them – the extra day off in the week may look fine on paper, but these people have families and friends to visit, and their weekends don’t happen mid-week. As I’m sure you’re aware, transport Sqns aren’t 9-5 Monday to Friday either; they work 24/7/365. Then add to the fact that any training value would be limited (and the cost to the taxpayer wouldn’t be!) – places don’t like 1960s airliners doing circuits at the weekend, and there would be no trade for an AAR sortie.
In short, due to the nature of the work they do, it’s difficult to justify it, and as I mentioned in my previous post, we’re lucky that a VC10 will be in static at Kemble, Waddo and RIAT, and to have had the flying appearance at Duxford already this year. Maybe with a change in operational tempo, more flying appearances may occur in future. Static wise, I suspect it’ll be more limited by the airfields used for airshows in the UK.:)
Sadly we have a lean, mean RAF, which in some ways does nothing to allow it to raise its public profile.:)
No reason why what you suggest couldn’t happen in future though. Sadly I don’t see the burden being eased much, and the purse strings will only get tighter as those in power squeeze the life out of the forces.:mad:
Hot_CharlieWhat disappoints me is that the RAF don’t support the show better… Look at RIAT and you’ll see one of just about every RAF aircraft… VC10’s, Tristar’s C17’s etc etc… Then when it comes to Waddington, none of these aircraft are available. Shame on you RAF!!!!
Different weekends/time of the month etc often have different levels of tasking – and it’s well known that the larger aircraft at Brize Norton are tasked to the max anyway. In Waddo’s case they seem to be very lucky in getting a VC10 (and a crew to man it) for the whole weekend, as have Kemble, RIAT etc – a bonus of the VC10 fleet having just finished about 2/3 of its permanent overseas operations – having been in the middle east nigh on permanently for 19 years.
No commitment at all there…;)
Hot_CharliePeople wonder why we buy American over European, at least they deliver on time usually. As big a fan I am of the A400M’s potential I reckon we should pull out now, but C17’s and C130J’s again and wait until the next lot of transports need replacing (newer C130’s and the oldest C17’s) before we buy back into the A400M, to give it a chance to actually fly and meet the specifications we actually need.
Mmm, fair points. Sadly I think the best window for the A400M would have been as the C-130J was in development, not 10-15 years later. Cost aside though, as long as it appears soon, it’ll be a very capable aircraft plugging the gap between the C17 and the limits of the C130J (bearing in mind it’ll be a good few years before we can get any more of the Herc J), and the small hole left by the knackered Herc K fleet.
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