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Seeking Americans & Russians in the West & South

For beginners to the hobby to have all those "newbie" questions answered...
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Dave Briz
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:42 pm
Location: Bristol

Seeking Americans & Russians in the West & South

Post by Dave Briz » Mon Jul 09, 2018 11:50 am

Hello everyone, I’ve just joined as I’ve followed civil aviation all my life (my father and both grandfathers were pilots) but only this year I’ve got into military aviation.

I’ve seen lots of British/European planes and am now trying to get to see as many American and Soviet fighters, bombers, transports, drones etc within a couple of hours of Bristol.

At the weekend I was pleased to see a MiG-15 and C-17 at Yeovilton Air Day, so am hoping to get up to Fairford, Brize etc to see more on my wish list below; I can't get to RIAT this year, but hopefully in 2019.

I realise that some of them I won’t see unless I visit the USA or Russia, but if anyone’s got any tips as to how, where, when to see some of these in the South or Midlands, with a limited budget and time, I’d be eternally grateful.
David Valencia, near Bristol’s Lulsgate & Whitchurch airports
Planes I’d like to see next:
A400M, F-35/117, B-1/2/52/58, XB-70, SR-71, U-2, C-5, RQ-4
MiG-25/29/31, Su-25/27/34/T4/T50, Tu-22/95/144/160
An-22/72/225, Il-76, Kawasaki C-2/Asuka

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jakdaw
Posts: 734
Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 4:22 pm
Location: lincoln

Re: Seeking Americans & Russians in the West & South

Post by jakdaw » Mon Jul 09, 2018 2:37 pm

Welcome aboard

Duxford (Imperial war museum) is about 3 hours away but well worth the extra travel, though not cheap, is good value for money the American Air Museum has a U-2, SR-71 and B-52 and is the only chance of the SR-71 in the UK (B-52 & U-2 along with B-1 and B-2 do deploy to RAF Fairford so watch the Fairford section on this board and is more local for you). A400M is based at Brize so again an easy local visit. C-5 do visit Mildenhall semi regularly but again quite a journey but could be tied in with a trip to RAF Marham for their based F-35 (although these will be popping up everywhere as more are delivered to various air forces). The Antonovs are rarer visitors and less predictable though any visit to the uk (usually on ad-hoc charters) would find its way onto the sites. The F-117/B-58/XB-70 all require a tripto the US. Mig 29 do sometimes visit UK airshows though getting more rare. The rest of the Russian stuff is tricky some types may make show appearances but they would be flagged up as and when in airshow section.

Happy hunting and welcome.

Jakdaw

Toefur
Posts: 110
Joined: Tue Jun 03, 2014 2:48 pm

Re: Seeking Americans & Russians in the West & South

Post by Toefur » Mon Jul 09, 2018 4:14 pm

Hi Dave , welcome onboard .just a short note I live in Bristol and you don't see a lot here last time I saw us planes were about 8years ago (4 f15's low must have been lost) and 4no f15's being dragged by kc135.did see caf hornet (late for nato at Celtic manorflypast so made up time by flying straight over Bristol).for f15's the machloop the place to be or Norfolk.as for Russian never seen any this way.sennybridge has more traffic these days and look out on this forum for the occasional action at castle margin about 2 hours away hope this helps .cheers toefur.

MRTT
Posts: 6545
Joined: Sun Jun 30, 2013 9:43 pm

Re: Seeking Americans & Russians in the West & South

Post by MRTT » Mon Jul 09, 2018 5:09 pm

Welcome to the forum!

Only Russian thing I've seen in this neck of the woods was an An-30, operating from Brize Norton as part of the Open Skies treaty.

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Dave Briz
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:42 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Seeking Americans & Russians in the West & South

Post by Dave Briz » Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:00 pm

Thanks very much guys, I'm gonna get myself up to Duxford and Fairford asap!

Toefur, what's Sennybridge and Castle Margin?

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Nighthawke
Posts: 5298
Joined: Tue Apr 05, 2011 10:04 pm

Re: Seeking Americans & Russians in the West & South

Post by Nighthawke » Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:09 pm

Sennybridge and Castlemartin are both training areas

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Dave Briz
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Jul 08, 2018 10:42 pm
Location: Bristol

Re: Seeking Americans & Russians in the West & South

Post by Dave Briz » Mon Jul 09, 2018 10:46 pm

Haha thanks Nighthawke!

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