Operational Log for February 2010.

[johnhowe]

As Bernard Mathews of Turkey fame use to say Its Bootiful Weather at Warton, Frosty but wall to wall sunshine just the sort of day for lots of activity we shall have to wait and see.

Log for Wed 18.2.10. updates later.

[chrisward123]

Something flying around at the moment, sounds like 2 EJ200 Jets! Sounds like he is having fun

[johnhowe]

As Bernard Mathews of Turkey fame use to say Its Bootiful Weather at Warton, Frosty but wall to wall sunshine just the sort of day for lots of activity we shall have to wait and see.

Log for Wed 18.2.10. updates later.

A couple of weeks ago we had a PC 9 pairing up with a GR4 today we had 2 PC 9s callsign
Percy.

11.50am Percy Flight going low level in the Lake District & Dunmill etc.

11,56am Tarnish 17 in IPA 5 reheat rotation off 08 went up vertical over charlie to 4k feet
This was tame compared to what happned at 15.10pm.

12noon Tarnish 15 in T1 Hawk XX 278 out on local sortie.

The Typhoon the 2 PC 9s and the hawk all returned to the circuit did their T & Gs and landed.

The Main Show Wow Wow Wow you have to see this to believe it.

15.10pm Tarnish 8 in IPA 5 ZJ 700 rotated off 08 ultra low level transition west to east along 08
as he flew past the Red and White ILS post which is about 45 feet high all the fuselage was
framed in the white painted part he continued to the mound and pulled the Typhoon into a vertical climb corkscrewing as he climbed and rolled inverted at the top of his climb.

A note about the ILS pole i estimate that the three sections are 15 feet each and the white one
is in the middle so I estimate the Typhoon at just over 20 feet and about 70 feet at the mound.
On his RTb he did two absolutely stonking T & Gs passing in a very tight turn right over the mound. Photographs of this rotation and the RTB are worthy of entry in Wartons Hall of Fame
but as I dont want the H O F cluttered up with photos at the moment, Steve D. is going to post them in the photography section.

Mid afternoon a primer Typhoon was towed out onto the North Apron as was ZK 303 all towed back in.

[johnhowe]

Log for Thursday 18th, February,2010. Well its a wet and misty day at Warton Ive just been to Bank Lane which overlooks
the North Apron at 11.58am On the Apron 3 Typhoons ZK 303 2 seater, ZK 071 Primer 2 seater, IPA 5 ZJ 700. also a grey GR4 being towed north to south. Update at 18.30pm The GR4 was towed back PM
without going out on a sortie. Nimrod PA02 ZJ 516 was on the short runway doing tests. ZJ 518 was out on a sortie as AVRO 04 prior to my arrival.

12.44pm tarnish 8 in New build Hawk ZK 033 off 08 out on a sortie for just over an hour no heroics just landed.

Tarnish 5 in IPA 5 out on a sortie off 08 just climbed away into the gathering gloom of precipitation.

Gauntlet 14 a GR9 Harrier from Boscombe Down arrived did a couple of touch and goes along
08 what made it more interesting was the clouds of steam and spray off the wet runway surface, G14
landed at 15.15pm and was later towed over to the north side.

It was still raining when I left at 16.00 and ZK 071 had not flown perhaps tomorrow. I am away on a
train trip to Fort William and The Great Glen on Fri/Sat. Whilst on the subject of trains, in my report on Saturday the 13th, February I mentioned that the steam train I was on broke down, this is the official version of what happened. It seems that the middle big end disintegrated this resulted in the
centre piston being driven through the middle cylinder causing considerable damage to the middle engine of the locomotive. I only hope it can be repaired in time for the Help For Heroes Excusrsion on the 27th,March.

[Guts69]

Gauntlet 14 was ZG860.

Greetings Roland van Bommel

[johnhowe]

As nobody has posted a log for Friday the 19th, I take it that the primer 2 seater Typhoon didnt
make its anticipated first flight It flew Mon 22nd. and no other flights took place either.

Here is my report on my journey from Preston to Fort William on 19h/20th,February 2010.
Set off from Preston at 9.25am hauled by Class 47 Diesel Roy Castle OBE, with 9 carriages and
another 47 on the rear of the train both owned and operated by West Coast Railway.

As we went through Cumbria, I saw a Tucano or was it a PC 9 flying overhead. On approaching Glasgow, we were diverted through the underground system via Motherwell and Dumbarton and
onto The West highland Line. The scenery on its own is superb, but to find as we approached Rannoch Moor, that it had snowed to a depth of betwen 4 to 6 inches, made for a winter wonderland. Because of the snow the stags and hinds had been forced down from the higher
levels, they were grazing near to the railway making for fantastic photographic opportunities.

We duly arrived at Fort William, after passing through The Bridge of Orchy, Spean Bridge. After
a good nights rest,and a typical hearty Scottish breakfast, we set off on our return journey, above Ben
Nevis we saw a Royal Navy SeaKing transitting north. The journey south through Scotland was
uneventful with no holdups (Scotsrail drivers were on strike) and an added bonus for us Railway
Buffs because of Engineering work on The West Coast Main Line we had to divert along the
Carlisel to Settle Railway.

[johnhowe]

Log for Monday 22nd, February,2010.
http://fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 709#p38709" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I was driving west along The A584 between Warton & Lytham, on my way to visit the dentist, when I
saw a 3 Squadron Typhoon on approach to 08. My Dentist had just returned from a Ski-ing holiday in Switzerland, when he arrived for the flight at the Swiss Airport, there was 3 feet of snow at the Airport but everything was functioning normally. He then heard an announcement over the tannoy to the effect that Manchester International Airport was closed because of 2 inches of snow, he was not amused. (what a Country we live in)

I duly arrived at Warton, on the northside apron were 2 3-Sq Typhoons QO-M & QO-Z and our 2 based Nimrod MRA4s 16 & 18 one was being readied for flight. a quick call revealed that today was
going to be an all action day as it proved to be.

11.55am 41 Sq Tornado GR4 500knot run and break into the circuit landed coded EB-G to southside.
12.05pm 3 Sq 2seater Typhoon QO-Z RTB CBY.
13.05pm 2 Hawks XX 278 & XX 321 out as Lightning 1 & 2 ACM Trg.land 14.10pm
13.40pm Callsign Special 04 Volkow? Helo from Gloucester to Blackpool black with yellow top similar
to Police Aircraft flew through Warton overhead.
13.45pm Army Air 587 Islander did approaches on 08 & 26 later went to HMS Inskip for G.H.
14.00 Police 152 and Thunder called up on Warton Radar for Matz penetration. end of part 1 time for tea.

[johnhowe]

Log for 22.2.10 Continued

14.31pm First flight of Primer Typhoon ZK 071 Tarnish 17 prior to flight engaged each engine singularly and rotated on reheat off 08 hard right turn level out bank to left to fly along 26 dive over
airfield target on southside and climb to height to continue sortie. On RTB flew low speed ILS with
U/C down along R 26 repeated profile on this occasion clean flew approach to 08 did a roller and hard
left turn into circuit to land at 15.25pm.

15.44pm IPA 6 as Fighter sounded like T5.

15.45pm Target 1 was XX 321 (Dusty Bin)

15.46pm Target 2 IPA 5 ZJ 700 as target 2 caught up with target 1 the Typhoon deployed the Airbrake
on top of the fuselage rear of the cockpit the Typhoon slowed down to same speed as the hawk and were last seen heading west holding hands. almost all rotations have been from 08 as have been the
landings.

Whilst listening to the radio throughout the day RAF Spadeadam
was having a lot of traffic with both English and American accents.

Whilst I was nice and warm in the shed the more hardy souls were on the Mound IE Steve,Ken, Mickey S, BrianBMW, Roger, Brian SAAB Ian & John Volvo. and other UID souls.






B

[johnhowe]

[quote="Tonka 71"]keep the logs comin Frank[/quote

Do you mean the Railway logs or the other kind?

[johnhowe]

Tues 23.2.10. Today was a bit like Noahs Ark at Warton

12.40pm Percy flight landed as a pair taxi to southside.

12.58pm 41 Sq GR4 Tornado arrived on Mon 22nd taxied with Base GR4 ZA 402 Tarnish8
lined up side by side on 08 when caravan reported fuel leak from T8 rudder both taxied
back to southside.

13.38pm Rebel 83 in 41 SQ GR4 rotated off 08 instructed to climb immediately to 5,000, feet.
very impressive just like Tarnish 8 & 9 do when they get their hands on a Tornado.

14.33pm Lightning pair 278 & 321 out on a sortie.

14.35pm Percy Flight 2 PC 9s out as a pair both side by side.

15.51pm Tarnish 17 in IPA 5 dry rotation from 08.

Today we had a pair of Valley Hawks in the circuit together XX156 XX 159.

Spadeadam busy again with traffic GR4s Typhoons and Magic 58.

[johnhowe]

Only joking if I didnt do the logs I might have to stay at home and do jobs around the house.

Log for Wed 24.2.10.

[chrisward123]

Great logs!
Just a question,
Does anybody know if there is going to be a Warton Families Day this year as it has been 4 years since the last (4/5 Sept '06?)

Cheers,

Christian

[johnhowe]

Not really a log more like a splinter.

13.41pm Tarnish 5 in GR4 Tornado ZG 773 out to the Ranges to drop munitions after about 20 minutes Tarnish 5
reported multiple birdstrikes and he was RTB landed at 14.20pm and taxied down to Rhag near to photo corner no
damge to cockpit possibly ingested FOD into engines.

1520 Fighter 1 & 2 request engine start. Target taxies to 08 threshold. Fighter 2 goes Tech & cancels sortie. Target
taxies back to Southside.

15.43pm Fighter 1 Tarnish 8 rotates off 08 keeps it low to the mound and pulls up into a righthand turn to three K feet
off to Colwyn Bay area and Welsh MTA possibly The Loop? on RTN at 16.30pm does GH in vicinity of Airfield lands on R 26 and uses chute.

15.45pm UAM 10, RAF Woodvales Chief Instructor, does his part piece 10 feet above the Runway east along 08 and
pulls up into a dumbell.

On northside the 2 MR4As 16 & 18 IPA 6 and a new primer single seat Typhoon. the Harrier ZG 860 towed southside
late in the afternoon.
THe Mound was full with Ian, John, Ken,Roger,Gerald, Mike, Dave and the BAE man who comes in his green car at
various times during the day. I was later joined by Martin from The Black Country.

[GWJPhantom]

John

ZJ700 through A5 pass p.m



Cheers Gareth

[mickeystix]

John

ZJ700 through A5 pass p.m



Cheers Gareth

Stonking shot Gareth

Mickey

[johnhowe]

Log for Thursday 25th, February,2010. Cloudy with slight rain in the afternoon but that didnt stop myself Mickey, Steve, Perry
Mason, Brian. Daz, Roger and two U.Is parking up on the very muddy mound.

Noonish Tarnish 5 in Hawk ZK 033. Tarnish 8 in in BT 20 ZK 071 Primer Typhoon out on sorties and later RTB Warton.

Mid afternoon an unidentified MK 128 Hawk landed on 08.

15.15pm Target XX 321 (Dusty Bin)

15.17pm Fighter One IPA 6 ZJ 938 low level reheat rotation along 08 turned over the mound and sharp right turn
climbed to height vertically. Only one guess allowed.

15.18pm Fighter Two IPA 5 ZJ 700 rotated dry cut the corner at Charlie. I think it may have been one of the cast
members from The Archers.

Edit Thanks Gareth, for the superb photo of IPA 5 ZJ 700.

I left at 16.40pm for tea no doubt on RTB both will have done stonking T & Gs probably turning over the mound and
waving to the lads. The forecast for Friday in wet wet wet.

[johnhowe]

Not a log more a weather report, It started raining heavily after midnight and has not let up for over 10 hours. What a difference a week makes. last Friday the 19th, I left Preston on The Statesman Luxury Train to Fortwilliam via The
West Highland Line, this week the line is blocked with heavy snow between Rannoch Moor and Fortwilliam and the line
to Inverness is also blocked with snow.

PS it would be nice if Flaps or Highland Sniper could post a photo with snow as the theme.