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Spadeadam 2011/2014

Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 6:42 pm
by johnhowe
viewtopic.php?f=121&t=10965" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Defintive guide to Spadeadam & Northumberland Otturburn Etc.http://www.nats-uk.ead-it.com/public/in ... id=59.html
After checking Notams went to Spadeadam on Friday the 28th, October, arrived at 11.00am , http://www.ais.org.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://www.scramble.nl/sis-sum.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://www.raf.mod.uk/raftain/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; http://notaminfo.com/node/5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcXU7G6zhjU
viewtopic.php?f=119&p=423022#p423022" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Info about Tain Range
http://notaminfo.com/ukmap" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/About ... Locations/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
we had a couple of GR 4s from Lossie dropping live practise bombs on targets in the Afghan village. At the same time a Hawk I think
it was Pirate 19 was involved with an FAC at Grey Mare Hill.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... -timetable
Nice long break for Lunch and in the afternoon the Hawk returned to Grey Mare Hill, but he was joined by a USAF C130 callsign Talon 71
also heard was the callsign Shadow but I never saw or heard any other aircraft.
http://lfa17.port5.com/MAIN.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Alan W's informative site covering the Lakes & Spadeadam
http://uk.yhs4.search.yahoo.com/yhs/sea ... +spadeadam
http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/About ... Events.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
This answers a lot of queries viewtopic.php?f=115&p=333786#p333786" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Watchkeeper Trials at Aberporth.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafspadeadam/gall ... fm?start=5" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Everything you want to know about RAF
Spadeadam.http://www.gl-nobledenton.com/en/consulting/813.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

viewtopic.php?f=287&t=60529" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Spade Equipment used in Typhoon Promo
Video.viewforum.php?f=16

Trails over Spadeadam JW 2015 Item2

Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2011 10:31 pm
by johnhowe

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 8:33 pm
by johnhowe

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 9:16 pm
by warrior2035
How easy is it to get up to Grey Mare Hill, or Berry Hill? PS, I know who has got the hotel near Wick.

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2011 11:06 pm
by catkins
warrior2035 wrote:How easy is it to get up to Grey Mare Hill, or Berry Hill? PS, I know who has got the hotel near Wick.
Not easy for most I guess as it is in the centre of the range area, so a mil friend, a timber haulier or an airdrop would be useful. Most of the edge of range is accessible though, some by car, some by bike or walking.

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 1:14 pm
by PeteHemsley
All areas are not accessible apart from Wiley sike. This is all MOD land and unless you've been invited, you will be trespassing. It's either Wiley sike or nothing I'm afraid

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 11:01 pm
by catkins
PeteHemsley wrote:All areas are not accessible apart from Wiley sike. This is all MOD land and unless you've been invited, you will be trespassing. It's either Wiley sike or nothing I'm afraid
Officially even Wiley Sike can have restrictions on the parking if MOD personnel need the use of it. The parking area beyond tends to have less usage. These two parking areas provide the best public viewing.
However, it is a public road along the south and east side of the range all the way to near Churnsike Lodge (don't park inconsiderately and mind the soft verges), there is a cycle route that takes you all the way round the outside of the range through the forest (good views of trees and beware the logging lorries which drive rather fast!) to the north and there are a few public footpaths across the SW fringes of the range (see http://195.171.180.22/PROW/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;). As an aside, I see that modern maps now only show the Standingstone Rigg area (impact area with the 'village' in just to the north of Wiley Sike) as Danger Area, whereas older maps showed the majority of the Spadeadam forest area as Danger Area.

The Countryside and Rights of Way (CRoW) Act 2000 has brought about changes in some areas and MOD Byelaws (which take precedence over CROW designation) are also being reviewed, but it is very unlikely that there will be much change to the RAF Spadeadam central core range area. Spadeadam historically did not have byelaws because of its remote location but public access restrictions to the range area were brought in as part of the CRoW reforms sometime around 2007 or thereafter and, under a Section 28 Indefinite Direction at RAF Spadeadam, the range is now an MOD Excepted Land area where Open Access does not apply. As with any of the RAF airfields, MoD Training Areas and Range areas, there is information available to try to keep everyone 'happy', safe and secure, so as Pete says, don't bother accessing the range area, you will have no excuses.
A good map showing access areas to the Irthing gorge for example can be found at http://www.cumbria.gov.uk/elibrary/Cont ... 132216.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regards
Chris

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 5:12 pm
by johnhowe

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 3:28 pm
by PeteHemsley
johnhowe wrote:FAC Ex at Spadeadam on Thursday 1st, December, 2011. 9am to 5pm this involves both D510 & D510A. 5509N00235W013

There is another Notam for Thursday 1st, December, 2011, It reads FAC Exercise 29 miles west of Newcastle at 5502N 00233W
Bet 10am & 3.0pm It gives the Spadeadam ICF 308.775. Jpot 264.5 & 137.075.
maybe being controlled from Peat Hill?

anyway. the fac was wrapped up before lunch time. obviously the lack of aircraft taken its toll

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 6:47 pm
by zeebra3
hi,we had a trip up to the spade today,arrived about 1100,the red flags were
hoisted so that was promising with the serviceman parked up at Wiley sike(we are casual spotters really)
it always manages to be colder up there
2 x GR4s turned up about 1140,picked up Moehne on the scanner,so 617sqn Lossiemouth
I believe. Both did about half-a-dozen east to west passes,dropping practice bombs
on the Iraqi village.
(the red flags were then taken down)
Next up was Ascot 700 C-130 that did some nice low passes with some chaff runs.
then without any comms on the scanner,another GR4 made several passes with
one smokey Sam launch.
decent day for the spade really

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 8:50 pm
by Blackcat1
Bring back the good auld days though zeebra3 eh?!!

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Thu Dec 01, 2011 9:19 pm
by zeebra3
Blackcat1 wrote:Bring back the good auld days though zeebra3 eh?!!
would be nice to see mallet blow/etc back! I also remember tactical air meet 86,almost every NATO fast jet type in the space of an hour over the range!
been up to spade on the last 3-4 Thursday's,still active,but a lot less low (250ft) fast jet activity now. hawks doing fac, typhoons at high level, falcon 20 doin jamming/ECM. then apache/lynx perhaps firing flares.

after quite a number of years absence,it's just nice to have the opportunity to be up there.
cheers

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Fri Dec 02, 2011 1:05 pm
by PeteHemsley
It will never be busy. Simple as that!

We only rely on helos and gr4s now. The range is equipped with everything they need for today's 'war' setup. There is no real need for low level work, only in the case of JTAC CAS. Most future weapons are designed to be dropped at height and this is simulated at spade. Yes, we did used to have some fantastic exercise days there, but they will never ever return. When the yanks pulled out of the range in 2001, we knew then that we would very rarely see anything with a US roundal. I stopped going to the range on a weekly basis (every Thursday) on normal ops days as we just don't have the aircraft anymore. I still visit the range from time to time when I know that something of interest is due. I miss the place and mostly I miss the people there, whom I became very close to in my 16 years of visiting.

Let's hope that 2012 brings some interesting times and hopefully a bit of variety.

Pete

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Mon Dec 05, 2011 10:12 pm
by michael1970
Well said pete yep we've had some good times up there. Infact I remember when we did night shifts and slept at spade during the missions for a couple of days.
As you say it's a rare occasion that we visit these days and not sure if the Thursday boys are as keen as they were.
Still two exercises next year will turn up a few goodies. Fingers crossed

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 4:19 pm
by AndrewBarclay
zeebra3 wrote:
Blackcat1 wrote:Bring back the good auld days though zeebra3 eh?!!
would be nice to see mallet blow/etc back! I also remember tactical air meet 86,almost every NATO fast jet type in the space of an hour over the range!
been up to spade on the last 3-4 Thursday's,still active,but a lot less low (250ft) fast jet activity now. hawks doing fac, typhoons at high level, falcon 20 doin jamming/ECM. then apache/lynx perhaps firing flares.

after quite a number of years absence,it's just nice to have the opportunity to be up there.
cheers
Anybody remember THE salty Hammer Exercises in the 1980s Salties only involved USAF aircraft from the European Theatre,
I remember up to 150 aircraft through the Range bet 13.15 & 14.00 usually on a wednesday, the RAF would put on CAPS all down the Eden Valley, Tornado F3s from Coningsby Leeming & Leuchars. they would intercept 30 F111s of these 6 would be EF 111s, 30 A10s these would be intercepted in the Kettlewell area, the rest would consist of F4s, F15s, and other USAF Types.

We occasionally had Hammer Exercises these were exercises involving USAF Aircraft which were based only in the UK. One
scenario would be that a USAF base such as Upper Heywood would be under attack and all available Fiiis would be flown to
another base for the duration of the exercise. I rember on one occasion 42 F111s Turning up at West Freugh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPCGT_DXh_Q Vulcan last flight with Reds.

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Thu Dec 08, 2011 5:12 pm
by Blackcat1
Dont F15Es or MC130s use the range anymore then?

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Mon Dec 12, 2011 5:44 pm
by PeteHemsley
Blackcat1 wrote:Dont F15Es or MC130s use the range anymore then?
you'll find MC130's on the range on a late morning/early afternoon on a friday for some ECM work, but other than that, no.

pete

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 9:22 am
by johnhowe
NVGs required for FAC on 27th, February,2012 18.00 to 20.45GMT SFC to 15,000 feet Jackpot on 241.950 or 137.075.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/89987501@ ... 2&t=104238
Day/night FAC 1st,March to 2nd,March,2012, 3 Fast Jets involved in FAC Schedule 10.00 to 21.00 Legend Control onj 242.50 or 267.500.
viewtopic.php?f=70&t=6369

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 5:10 pm
by craig51
I went to spade back in 2008, had some apacahes hover right above me, was awesome.

Now, i do have some q's for the regulars.

I remember approaching spade adam, went past a sign with a bullet hole thorugh it, then turned sharp right, and finally onto a road which had a pull over section, It was from here were a saw the Apaches etc. Is this veiwing area still open? Met some decent chaps from Durham and Newcastle IIRC. Great day so it was.

Re: FAC Ex at Spadeadam

Posted: Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:17 pm
by catkins
craig51 wrote:I went to spade back in 2008, had some apacahes hover right above me, was awesome.

Now, i do have some q's for the regulars.

I remember approaching spade adam, went past a sign with a bullet hole thorugh it, then turned sharp right, and finally onto a road which had a pull over section, It was from here were a saw the Apaches etc. Is this veiwing area still open? Met some decent chaps from Durham and Newcastle IIRC. Great day so it was.
Yes if no users of the compound, possibly if users of the compound. In latter case, head on for the next layby on brow of next hill or turn back to parking spot just after the cattle grid where you can head down to the Linn for alternative scenery!