Five a day - Part 5

[haveblue]

Some USN F4s today which were very rare visitors locally in my time. First one is from a hazy day at RAF Kinloss with two examples at their most colourful.

F4J USN Ser 157297 AA 100 - RAF Kinloss mid 1970s by Alan M, on Flickr

The following 4, taken a few years later, are posted in response to a request from a fellow forum member. The story as I recall is that good number of aircraft (possibly 17) could not recover to the USS Forrestal after a launch and had to divert to RAF Lossiemouth late on a Sunday afternoon. The following day the mixed fleet, mainly A6/A7 and F4, departed throughout the day. Fortunately for me the last to go were the Phantoms. I would love to say that I have photos of the rest, but unfortunately I don't. Some other forum members may have, or may be able to fill in the missing details of exactly what else dropped in on that occasion.

F4J USN VF11 Ser 157308 AA 111 - RAF Lossiemouth 1979 by Alan M, on Flickr

F4J USN VF11 Ser 157275 AA 105 - RAF Lossiemouth 1979 by Alan M, on Flickr

F4J USN VF74 Ser 157307 AA 210 RAF Lossiemouth 1979 by Alan M, on Flickr

F4J USN VF74 Ser 153910 AA 206 - RAF Lossiemouth 1979 by Alan M, on Flickr

[dragonchaser]

Wow! Part 5 is an absolute cracker. It’s difficult to beat a Phantom, can’t wait to see part 6.

[daggerfan]

Very nice Alan. I didn't see the F-4s at Kinloss but I remember well the diversions to Lossie that wonderful Sunday. The date was September 10th, 1978, and you are correct on the number of aircraft being 17: five A-6, one EA-6B, three A-7, two E-2, two S-3 and the four Phantoms. As a matter of interest, another S-3 visited on the Monday.

It was a good weekend, because I saw three USMC AV-8A parked on Alpha on the Saturday, though I believe they arrived on the Friday. There were also the two Norwegian Falcon 20 ECM (041 and 053).

The only bad bit about that weekend was I didn't have a camera with me on any of those days!

[haveblue]

Hi Terry. Something never to be repeated unfortunately. Work got in the way of my photography that day as far as the rest of the USN contingent goes. Thanks the reminder on dates and the make up of the other 13.

[Nighthawke]

That's another date to add to the time machine's schedule. Brilliant set of some real gems visiting our shores.

[Punkrunner62]

Brilliant once again Alan, thanks so much for posting these gems.
Cheers.

[SniperElite]

Returned to heaven!!! superb

[retro11]

Utterly amazing Alan, that is a day even now is still talked about at the fence line by us old timers SO in no shape or form of a highjacking intended this is Mr TC log of 10/09/1978 when i saw it i thought Terry i need a shot of that its pure Lossie history. Cheers Donald
BLAST FROM THE PAST (2) by Donald Douglas, on Flickr

[Thunder]

Absolute belter of a post taken when Lossie was at its best. Only USN F-4’s I saw were a pair of NAWTC in 1997 at Pensacola. Would give anything to see what was at Lossie that day.

Very nice Alan. I didn't see the F-4s at Kinloss but I remember well the diversions to Lossie that wonderful Sunday. The date was September 10th, 1978, and you are correct on the number of aircraft being 17: five A-6, one EA-6B, three A-7, two E-2, two S-3 and the four Phantoms. As a matter of interest, another S-3 visited on the Monday.

It was a good weekend, because I saw three USMC AV-8A parked on Alpha on the Saturday, though I believe they arrived on the Friday. There were also the two Norwegian Falcon 20 ECM (041 and 053).

Probably one of your best days in the hobby there Terry?

Out of interest what’s the a/c sitting on Alpha behind AA-105?

[MR TERRY GREEN]

Wonderful F-4s.

[haveblue]

Hi Thunder. Think aircraft in background is a locally based Jaguar.

[bigcrow]

Wonderful post, US Navy F-4’s we’re always a rarity in the UK

[LM47]

Sadly I missed all of these as I left LM in September 1969.
Saw my first Vanguard a few days after moving to Glasgow ( I Used to log everything I saw ) Not quite the same as the Argus in Terry's log is it.

These are superb posts.

[paddyboy]

Yet another awesome set

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

[F3]

Phabulous Phantoms. Could do with a dose of these every day! USN diversions obviously one of the benefits of living so far North as to have permanent nose bleeds!

[ewddie]

Thanks for sharing these gems from Lossie and Kinloss heydays.

[TARGET]

Wonderful.Days like that are very few and far between i am afraid

[Jabba]

I was wondering when you would post these. I think the only one I got was the S.3 that came in on the Monday, everything else had gone. If ever there was a day to throw a sickie! Mind you I did get the pair at Kinloss in the first photo, it was a Sunday and you could cut the heat haze with a knife it was so bad as I recall.

[Mustang531]

Thanks for sharing these, there's some real gems there and as others have said, if only for a time machine! Some might remember that Yeovilton show in the nineties, when about fifteen USN aircraft made up a substantial part of the static display, because they couldn't get to the carrier they were from.

[matt e]

Very nice especially #2