If the U.S. kept what it took, France would not exist except as a colony of the United States.

And using that logic, part colony of Canada, the UK (and it’s Commonwealth), the Free French, Polish, Czechs and all the other nations involved in its liberation too.

Go to Normandy, and not only be sobered by the US cemetary at Colleville, but note the thousands of other nations warriors who rest in its soil.

Boeing is reported to be unhappy with the new RFP because it explicitly spells out that “extra credit” will be given for the largest quantity of fuel off loaded in a single sortie.

Which in effect is the be all and end all of tanking. Fuel on the ground in useless. Extra fuel load give the extra flexibility to give people that little bit extra gas, or take a retasking which keeps you on task for an extra hour or so.

This of course has particular pertinance where the tankers operational area and towlines are at least over an hours flying time, and in future cases, probably more like two to three hours transit from its deployed operating base.

As the old saying goes, flexibility is the key to air power.:D The A330 in tanker form (with that apparently annoying freight capability) wins hands down, and the order book shows. Ask the Brits, Aussies, Saudis and UAE.

All good stuff except . . . I understand the Americans will not let mass public cars onto the base for security reasons.

.

And I’ll offer to put it into perspective to show how lucky we are.

I was in the States earlier this year, at the time of the Andrews AFB show, just outside DC. The only way to get on site was by bus, from “park and ride” sites a few miles away, or Metro stations. Not only were private cars obviously not allowed on site, but it was also widely publicised in the local press that not even bags or drinks containers were allowed on the base.

Could the financial hit mean that we have seen the last RIAT?

Nope. Far too much big-business behind it.

You’ll also find the Mk V Spit AB910 also used to have a civvy identity from it’s time on civvy street, as G-AISU (one behind AR213, which still is G-AIST).:)

Topcliffe is in the care of the Army, (Alanbrooke Barracks) and has in recent years seen aviation use by RN EFTS and AAC units.

Most of its aviation use is still as an RLG for Linton, hence the relative completeness and the continued use of 2 of the 3 runways.:)

Good spot HC!
Also the sun is very low down, probably catching those hedges, look at the shadows of the Canberra tailplanes against their wings.

Miss-spent (slighty post) youth spending too much time looking at airfields on Google/Flashearth!:) 😀

T-21’s clue was the best.

The Roundel is RAF, but why on the rudder rather than the fuselage?

Easier to stencil and paint on a flat surface rather than the fairly tightly curved fuselage?