Happy 100th Birthday Royal Air Force

[Nighthawke]

Someone had to start it off!

No party/celebration smilies but congratulations to the Royal Air Force

[welshandy]

Happy 100th.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV3hscgyuAs (RAF March)

[turmo]

OK I'll get it in before the day's mayhem starts:

"As of 2 April 2018 the Royal Air Force (RAF) and aviation elements of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA) and Army Air Corps (AAC) will be placed under the command of the Permanent Joint Forces Command Headquarters (PJHQ) at Northwood. The contributing arms will be disbanded and the amalgamated force will be re-established as the Royal Flying Corps."

https://WWW.G0V.UK/government/organisat ... april_2018

[jules50]

April Fool

[acw367]

I was lucky to attend the RAF 75th celebration at Marham with the Queen presenting the Colour. As a trip down memory lane, these were the aircraft (and VIP transports arrayed) in the static and hangar displays. There was a semi-monsoon that day and the flypast was weather scrubbed with the ceremony taking place in the Hangar. Probably the reason the RAF decided a concert was appropriate for this 100th weekend - with the parade and flypast scheduled for high summer.

Log : 01 Apr 1993
01 Apr 1993 Marham
BAPC.165 Bristol F.2B Fighter Private
G-AENP Hawker Hind Afghan 41H/81902 The Shuttleworth Collection
G-MIMA BAe 146 200 E2079 Manx Airlines
PS915 Vickers Supermarine Spitfire PR.XIX 6S.585121 Royal Air Force
RAFGSA R23 Schempp-Hirth Discus b 241 RAF Gliding and Soaring Association
WJ630 English Electric Canberra T.17 Royal Air Force
WK633 de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 C1/0647 Royal Air Force
WZ872 de Havilland DHC-1 Chipmunk T.10 C1/0905 Royal Air Force
XF995 Hawker Hunter T.8B HABL003150 Royal Air Force
XH131 English Electric Canberra PR.9 SH1721 Royal Air Force
XH671 Handley Page Victor K.2 HP80/56 Royal Air Force
XH672 Handley Page Victor K.2 HP80/57 Royal Air Force
XL158 Handley Page Victor K.2 HP80/61 Royal Air Force
XL512 Handley Page Victor K.2 HP80/80 Royal Air Force
XM352 Hunting Percival Jet Provost T.3A PAC/W/6309 Royal Air Force
XR453 Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 WA403 Royal Air Force
XR497 Westland Wessex HC.2 WA122 Royal Air Force
XR808 Vickers VC-10 C.1K 828 Royal Air Force
XS605 Hawker Siddeley HS.780 Andover E.Mk.3 Set 12 Royal Air Force
XS737 Hawker Siddeley 125 Dominie T.1 25076 Royal Air Force
XS789 Hawker Siddeley HS.748 CC2 1561 Royal Air Force
XS794 Hawker Siddeley HS.748 CC2 1566 Royal Air Force
XT606 Westland Wessex HC.2 WA533 Royal Air Force
XT672 Westland Wessex HC.2 WA540 Royal Air Force
XV103 Vickers VC-10 C.1K 833 Royal Air Force
XV210 Lockheed C-130K Hercules C.1P 4236 Royal Air Force
XV213 Lockheed C-130K Hercules 4240 Royal Air Force
XV233 Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2P 8008 Royal Air Force
XV236 Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2P 8011 Royal Air Force
XV240 Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2P 8015 Royal Air Force
XV244 Hawker Siddeley Nimrod MR.2P 8019 Royal Air Force
XV393 McDonnell Douglas Phantom FGR.2 2791 Royal Air Force
XV722 Westland Wessex HC.2 WA617 Royal Air Force
XV724 Westland Wessex HC.2 WA619 Royal Air Force
XV744 Hawker Siddeley Harrier GR.3 712007 Royal Air Force
XV864 Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B B3-13-67 Royal Air Force
XW199 Westland/Aerospatiale Puma HC.1 1042 Royal Air Force
XW236 Westland/Aerospatiale Puma HC.1 1216 Royal Air Force
XW369 British Aircraft Corporation Jet Provost T.5A EEP/JP/1019 Royal Air Force
XW429 British Aircraft Corporation Jet Provost T.5A EEP/JP/1051 Royal Air Force
XW788 Hawker Siddeley 125 CC.1 25255 Royal Air Force
XW791 Hawker Siddeley 125 CC.1 25268 Royal Air Force
XW870 Westland/Aerospatiale Gazelle HT.3 1146 Royal Air Force
XX146 SEPECAT Jaguar T.4 B.11 Royal Air Force
XX169 Hawker Siddeley Hawk T.1 41H-312016 Royal Air Force
XX196 Hawker Siddeley Hawk T.1A 41H-312043 Royal Air Force
XX278 Hawker Siddeley Hawk T.1A 41H-312103 Royal Air Force
XX283 Hawker Siddeley Hawk T.1W 41H-312108 Royal Air Force
XX292 Hawker Siddeley Hawk T.1W 41H-312117 Royal Air Force
XX317 Hawker Siddeley Hawk T.1A 41H-312142 Royal Air Force
XX318 Hawker Siddeley Hawk T.1A 41H-312143 Royal Air Force
XX498 Handley Page Jetstream T.1 424 Royal Air Force
XX614 Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1 BH.120-272 Royal Air Force
XX658 Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1 BH.120-316 Royal Air Force
XX900 Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B B3-05-75 Royal Air Force
XZ106 SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1A S.107 Royal Air Force
XZ362 SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1A S.129 Royal Air Force
XZ381 SEPECAT Jaguar GR.1 S.146 Royal Air Force
XZ595 Westland Sea King HAR.3 WA861 Royal Air Force
XZ935 Westland/Aerospatiale Gazelle HCC.4 1742 Royal Air Force
ZA143 Vickers VC-10 K.2 813 Royal Air Force
ZA370 Panavia Tornado GR.1 BS052 Royal Air Force
ZA453 Panavia Tornado GR.1 BS083 Royal Air Force
ZA459 Panavia Tornado GR.1 BS089 Royal Air Force
ZA594 Panavia Tornado GR.1 BT022 Royal Air Force
ZA679 Boeing-Vertol Chinook HC.1 M.7014 Royal Air Force
ZD407 British Aerospace Harrier GR.5 P.36 Royal Air Force
ZD466 British Aerospace Harrier GR.5 P.56 Royal Air Force
ZD468 British Aerospace Harrier GR.5 P.58 Royal Air Force
ZD660 Schleicher ASW 19 B Valiant TX.1 19383 Royal Air Force
ZD703 British Aerospace 125 CC.3 257183 Royal Air Force
ZD789 Panavia Tornado GR.1 BS132 Royal Air Force
ZD895 Panavia Tornado GR.1 BS155 Royal Air Force
ZD951 Lockheed L1011 Tristar K.1 193V-1165 Royal Air Force
ZE160 Panavia Tornado F.3 AT011 Royal Air Force
ZE339 Panavia Tornado F.3 AS042 Royal Air Force
ZE560 Grob G 103A Twin Astir II Acro Viking T.1 33924-K-159 Royal Air Force
ZE700 BAe 146 CC.2 E1021 Royal Air Force
ZE701 BAe 146 CC.2 E1029 Royal Air Force
ZE705 Lockheed L1011 Tristar C.2 193Y-1188 Royal Air Force
ZE706 Lockheed L1011 Tristar C.2A 193Y-1177 Royal Air Force
ZE809 Panavia Tornado F.3 AS071 Royal Air Force
ZE964 Panavia Tornado F.3 AT040 Royal Air Force
ZF343 Short Tucano T.1 T78 Royal Air Force
ZF446 Short Tucano T.1 T110 Royal Air Force
ZF512 Short Tucano T.1 T127 Royal Air Force
ZG508 British Aerospace Harrier GR.5 P.79 Royal Air Force
ZG705 Panavia Tornado GR.1 BS172 Royal Air Force
ZG775 Panavia Tornado GR.1 BS187 Royal Air Force
ZG791 Panavia Tornado GR.1 BS190 Royal Air Force
ZG793 Panavia Tornado F.3 AS142 Royal Air Force
ZH106 Boeing Sentry AEW.1 24114 Royal Air Force
ZH120 Grob G 109B Vigilant T.1 6513 Royal Air Force
ZH553 Panavia Tornado F.3 AT045 Royal Air Force
ZH554 Panavia Tornado F.3 AT046 Royal Air Force
ZH556 Panavia Tornado F.3 AT048 Royal Air Force

[The Phantom]

Yes, it was a different world with the aircraft in the inventory back then

[Supra]

Agreed. If you remove the BBMF Inc' Chipmunk & classic historic (arguably most are really?), that line-up today by type would be just Hercules, Hawk, Tornado GR, 146,Tucano, Chinook, Puma & Sentry?
For the addition of Atlas, Voyager, Globemaster, Typhoon, Shadow, Sentinel & a heap of Civil rotaries & trainers with RAF roundels on them.
I can't help seeing that inept '100th' corporate logo as a gaudy pie-chart showing the RAF at less than a 'quarter' what it was.... & clearly requiring a three quarters investment to reinstate it?

[tm74sqn]

If I remember correctly - and I may not - there was no public access to the 75th event at RAF Marham. I can certainly remember being outside on the main road (A1122) trying to log /view some aircraft in dreadful conditions - Happy Days! Bit of a PR disaster I thought at the time . . . .
Cheers, TM74

[Nighthawke]

I think you recall coorrectly - no public access certainly not on the 1st April as The Queen was there. Likewise the full rehearsal on 30th March was by, I assume, invite only. Having said that, I did see several people I knew who must have wangled their way through contacts! A number of ATC squadrons were invited to act as "crowd control" IIRC. Regardless of the reason, our unit went and basically had a day out looking at the static and a grandstand view of the flypast. I do seem to recall the weather being dodgy that day too.

[Precinct7]

I was outside on Thursday 30th March 1993 with the great unwashed, from the field on the far side of the runway ,were the assembled static could
easily be seen, It was a nice day weather wised and we had the complete flypast rehearsal which HM Queen was deprived of two days later,

Formation 1 4 x Bulldog, Chipmunk, Wessex 2 x Chinook, Puma, Gazelle

Formation 3 4 x JP 6 x Tucano

Formation 4 5 x Hercules

Formation 5 1 x Tristar, 2 x VC-10 1 x Sentry

Formation 6 3 x Canberra

Formation 7 2 x Buccaneer, Hunter, 6 x Harrier, Hawk, 7 x Jaguar

Formation 8 13 x Tornado

Formation 9 8 x Hawk Red Arrow's

Formation 10 5 x Hawk 74(R) Sq

did not note Formation 2 maybe it is mixed up with 1 ??

a nice day our and a bonus on the way back 13 x 'SJ' F-15E at Lakenheath & a packed Mildenhall








,

[SCARECROW]

Saw the practice flypast on an escape from work, saw the cancelled flypast via the radar in Honington's approach room

[johnhowe]

I was outside on Thursday 30th March 1993 with the great unwashed, from the field on the far side of the runway ,were the assembled static could
easily be seen, It was a nice day weather wised and we had the complete flypast rehearsal which HM Queen was deprived of two days later,

Formation 1 4 x Bulldog, Chipmunk, Wessex 2 x Chinook, Puma, Gazelle

Formation 3 4 x JP 6 x Tucano

Formation 4 5 x Hercules

Formation 5 1 x Tristar, 2 x VC-10 1 x Sentry

Formation 6 3 x Canberra

Formation 7 2 x Buccaneer, Hunter, 6 x Harrier, Hawk, 7 x Jaguar

Formation 8 13 x Tornado

Formation 9 8 x Hawk Red Arrow's

Formation 10 5 x Hawk 74(R) Sq

did not note Formation 2 maybe it is mixed up with 1 ??

a nice day our and a bonus on the way back 13 x 'SJ' F-15E at Lakenheath & a packed Mildenhall








,

I was present at the dress rehearsal when the The Station Commander and his wife stood in for the Queen and the Duke, I was doing the East Coast Ranges as well. Lets hope for sunshine this time round. I'm staying at our family seat at Wallington Hall, South Runcton.