Log Lossiemouth - Wed 15/3/17

[vulcanxl425]

Noted today at Lossie between 1020 and 1645
RW 23 in use again

Visitors
G-MAJT Bae 41 Jetstream of Eastern in at 1201 out 1335 c/s E Flt 103/104
MM40125/41-12 Br 1150 Atlantic Italian AF c/s IAM 4112 in at 1348 (N/Stopping D Hard)
ZH 840 Merlin HM2 R Navy 820NAS c/s Navy 310 in 1433 ( HMS Queen Elizabeth on nose)
ZH 846 Merlin HM2 """"""""""""""""""c/s Navy 311 in at 1443
ZH 827 Merlin HM2 """"""""""""""""""c/s Navy 312 in at 1443
(All 3 Helos in on RW28 to B Hard before being Hangared)

Local
Plenty of local a/c flying today
ZK 302/ EC Typhoon departed at 1047 c/s Lossie 37 (Perf t/off) To Coningsby
ZK 368/368 Typhoon arrived at 1630 c/s Lossie 37 From Coningsby. (To 11(AC) on arrival)

Al

[Mark Lawley]

Al / All

just to add the local stuff seen today ;-

Based Typhoons

with 1(F) Sqn

ZK372 / BB ' active '
ZK314 / EO ' active '
ZJ950 / un-mk'd ' active '
ZJ913 / II

with II(AC) Sqn

ZJ919 / DC ' active '
ZK323 / C ' active '
ZK338 / FF ' active '
ZK348 / FN ' active '
ZK368 / 368 ( arrived from CBY )

with 6 Sqn

ZK320 / 320
ZK302 / EC ( dep to CBY )
ZK318 / FG
ZK369 / un-mk'd ' active '
ZK316 / FA ' active '
ZK336 / FD ' active '
ZJ811 / W ' active '

Tonkas

ZA588 / 056 ' active '
ZD711 / 079 ' active '
ZD848 / 109 ' active '
ZD713 / 081
ZG752 / 129

may be of use to someone ......................... Mark

https://www.flickr.com/photos/132336242@N03/albums

[Sky Pirate]

ZH 840 Merlin HM2 R Navy 820NAS c/s Navy 310 in 1433 ( HMS Queen Elizabeth on nose)

Hope Philip made it home ok !!

[Thunder]

When is HMS Queen Elizabeth due to leave Rosyth to commence sea trials, can't be far off now?

[CosmonautX]

It was supposed to be "Spring 2017" but slipped to "Summer 2017" earlier this year, if I remember correctly.

[ythanpythan]

It was supposed to be "Spring 2017" but slipped to "Summer 2017" earlier this year, if I remember correctly.

Using Spring & Summer as timelines is a genius bit of project management on the part of the contractor as they are pretty open to interpretation being anything up to end of June or end of September respectively (or beyond if they fancy being cheeky).

[Mark Lawley]

All

Just to let you know that all three Merlin carried HMS Queen Elizabeth on their noses

Mark

[Bluetail]

One of the main reasons for the delay will also be the Tide levels in the estuary, the clearance under the Forth Rail Bridge is critical for the ship's departure I.ve been told that its only a few feet, the tide has to be high enough so the ship doesn't ground but low enough so it doesn't hit the bridge. Tide times will be known many months in advance hence the original Spring departure date (Mar 10th), miss that window which they probably now have by now and you have to wait months for them to be right again. And dredging a channel in the Firth was never going to be an option. I gather the next correct tides are now not until the Autumn.

[ythanpythan]

Tide cycles are a little over 4 weeks long, so they'd have broadly one window per month, then they just have to hope the wind is within limits.

[Bluetail]

And to be really picky, the vessel has not yet been officially handed over to and accepted by the Navy from its builders, so technically it isn't really an HMS, she is still civilian and as yet it still operates under a Red Ensign rather than the White Ensign, although I accept everyone knows it as HMS QE, and nobody really worries about that.

[dougie_wheeler]

Did you get the callsign of 079 al?

[vulcanxl425]

Dougie 079 on Wednesday flying AM as Axis 32 back about 1210 . Out later at 1320 call sign then was "Lossie 25".

Al