A 'Heli of a Day out' - RAF Benson, SPTA, Middle Wallop

[MFoster]

With the routing of the Puma flypasts not going anywhere near me, I decided that the best bet to see them, was to go to RAF Benson to see their departure. I had never spotted at Benson before, but I took a gamble on the footpath at the end of the 01 end of the runway. The wind was very light and fairly variable but thankfully WARLOCK flight requested to depart from 19. Unfortunately, there was quite a bit of heat-haze and the spot very quickly became backlit, I am still very happy with the images of a type that I have not managed to see very often!

1. IMG_8317-Enhanced-NR by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

2. IMG_8343-Enhanced-NR by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

3. IMG_8376-Enhanced-NR by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

Shortly after the Pumas had departed, a based Chinook and went up into the circuit, so stuck around to grab a couple of shots.

4. IMG_8565-Enhanced-NR by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

After seeing the Chinook, it was time to drive over to Salisbury Plain Training Area, this was my first time attempting to catch anything in the area, and went in with the attitude of 'expect to see nothing, and if something turns up, then thats incredible'. I got to Everleigh just as a Chinook departed to the north and the wildcat was just finishing up some movements around the drop zone, so no images of those. I'd spotted on ADSB a ETPS Squirrel working Deptford Down, so decided to chance a drive over, but that had already departed back to Boscombe Down by the time I had reached Deptford, until the scanner crackled into life and RECON22, the same Wildcat I had seen earlier around Everleigh requesting to work Deptford Down! What followed was a brilliant 50 minutes of circuits and auto-rotations and was an incredible experience to watch, unfortunately the heat-haze was quite bad near the ground which ruined a few of my shots

5. IMG_8919-Enhanced-NR by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

6. IMG_9494-Enhanced-NR by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

7. IMG_9505-Enhanced-NR-2 by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

8. IMG_9572-Enhanced-NR by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

9. IMG_9738-Enhanced-NR by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

10. IMG_9742-Enhanced-NR by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

My final stop before heading home was Middle Wallop, with most of the apaches out and about on exercises up north, only one airframe PANTHER76 was on a sortie, so stuck around till it returned, I was definitely on the wrong side for the light, but still made for some nice shots!

11. IMG_9932-Enhanced-NR by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

12. IMG_0169-Enhanced-NR by MattFosterPhotos, on Flickr

Thank you for taking the time to look through the photos!

Matt

[R1nger]

Love the moody sunset shot

[MFoster]

Thanks Ringer - the Apache rounded off a stunning day and was a great way to end the day

[Osprey555]

Nice shots !
The wildcat on ev was calling as Recon 21 so was a different sortie to yours