Photo report B-2 and B-52 deployment including air to air

[nellis6]

Now put the photo report on the website on the recent 2AEG deployment to RAF Fairford with the B-2's and B-52's, including the air to air images I took.

http://www.jetwashaviationphotos.com

[looknlisten]

Great article and wonderful photos. Thanks for sharing.
I managed to get a view of one of the BUFFs as it made its way home over CYQI.

[garyscott]

Nice! Just how close was that Virgin 747? Surely that would have generated a proxy report, so close to a refuelling flight - on the boom or off?

[nellis6]

Nice! Just how close was that Virgin 747? Surely that would have generated a proxy report, so close to a refuelling flight - on the boom or off?

I know it looks close Gary, but if you look at it closely there's a lot of distance both in terms of both vertical and horizontal distance

[opsjockey]

RVSM applies!!

[garyscott]

I know it looks close Gary, but if you look at it closely there's a lot of distance both in terms of both vertical and horizontal distance

Just looked a little 'brown-trouser close', lol! Fantastic images though fella, really nice.

[graham luxton]

Great photo's and interesting article.
Have to correct the opening statement though. The last operational deployment to Fairford wasn't in March 2003 it was in Aug 2008 by the 5thBW! Prior to that the 2ndBW deployed to fly Ex Bright Star missions from the base in Sep 2005.
The article could have been more comprehensive though, by mentioning the various transport types involved (B-747, B-757, B767, C-5 and C-17) - without them these deployments wouldn't have happened.

[nellis6]

Graham, we were categorically told 2003 was the last deployment of B-52s to RAF Fairford and I have also seen this reported elsewhere and in official air force publications. I can find no record of any B-52 deployment to Fairford in 2008 for Bright Star. I know that Barksdale B-52s used Fairford as a staging post for missions during the exercise in 2005 and maybe that is the case in 2008. It may be that they transitted Fairford, but that does not make it a deployment. If you can guide me to any links that would confirm otherwise I would be grateful and happy to be corrected if that is the case.

As to the transports, the article was about the B-2s and B-52s. The transports are not exactly unusual in the UK and whilst the exercise as you state could not have taken place without them, I chose not to include any info or photos of them. Apologies if that is not to your 'taste', but that was my choice; and the 747, 757, 767s are civilian types and I do not photograph or report on civilian aircraft. They may be military charters but to me that is irrelevant.