Always found this pic interesting – it shows RAF Spey engined Phantoms escorting 2 of surely THE most smokey “modern” jets- Mig29s and a Mig23. Bringing up the rear are Tornado GR1s, again smokey when in dry power…
14 Vulcans did not get airborne at Waddo in 1976 – 4 did. Don’t forget the “scramble” and similar lists are produced by spotters who list every single airframe on the airfield at the time. The Vulcans listed were far side on the still current B, C, D and E disperals, in hangars and static. The 4 that took part in the scramble were – XL388, XM571, XM653 and XM611 of 101 Sqn that returned to perform the solo display. The event took place on Saturday 19 June and though in the long summer of 1976, the hot, sultry day ended in a tremendous down pour.
The most Vulcans I have seen active in one place was the aforementioned Finningley Jubilee review on 29-30 July 1977. 7 were static from the current front line units (OCUs were’nt included), 4 performed a scramble take off, 3 formed the centre of the combined “strike formation” along with a Harrier, Buccaneer, 3 Jaguars and 2 Canberras and finally a solo performer on the public day. What a show!!
Having re-read the thread there appears to be a bit of confusion re the Silver Jubilee. The awesome review took place as described above and is the subject of Air Scene’s wonderfully illustrated article. The Queen’s birthday flypast was a combined a Silver Jubillee special and featured Vulcan + 2 Buccaneer, Vulcan + 4 Jaguar, Victor + 2 Lightning, Victor + 4 Phantom and the Reds. Pic below is scanned from the RAF yearbook 1978 and was used as a BAe advert, taken by Arther Gibson from one of the Reds. presume copyright rests with A Gibson/Crown.
Also, here is the programme insert from the 1976 Waddo open day. – note 4 Vulcans! It folded out to a very nice poster of XM606 at low level…
I thought it was ’13 G’ Fynes 😉
Could be wrong though 🙂
As said, the pic shows an F6 whereas John Fynes flew one of the last 2 F3s in service for solo demos, the other being used as the spare.
What amazed me about that day was even though the weather did it’s upmost to destroy the day, a full programme went ahead and Mr Fynes even managed two “full” shows.
A few from the day..
She is in the colours she wore as an ETPS airframe. When she retired from flying use the cockpit was lopped off and the internals converted to allow TPs and FTEs to ‘calibrate’ their hands in the way of control forces. When I graduated in 1991 we used her….last year of her use sadly. Was a simple but effective tool. The cockpit gauges still works for this and pugs into the wall using a 3 pin plug!!!
WV910 was marked up with the ETPS fleet number ’20’ and she flew between 1953 and 59.
The attached crap photo shows XE601 in her last colours prior to raspberry ripple taken in the late 80s. The Sea Hawk would have been similar with a red tail….I would need to check for cheat line….dont think there is one under the paint though
XE601 was never used by the ETPS, it spent all of it’s life IIRC with A sqn and later fast jet Sqn of A&AEE, so it’s scheme was a little bit of a one off. Here’s a more side on view of XE601
And an ETPS F6 in the period ETPS scheme – XF375 at IAT76
Just for fun here’s 601 rippled…
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