FighterControl

Myself & my late dad were fortunate to visit RAF Alconbury on numerous times during the late seventies to its closure in the nineties & what a great airbase it was for photography, ‘Owl End’ now goes down in folk law as one of the best places ever for photography.

#1

82-0977\TJ F-16A 401st TFW, Torrejon AFB. RAF Alconbury 27-7-86 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#2

79-0036/BT F-15C 36th TFW, Bitburg AFB, RAF Alconbury 27-7-86 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#3

80-0050\IS F-15C 57th FIS, NAS Keflavik, Iceland. RAF Alconbury 10-10-86 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#4

64-1074/KY RF-4C Kentucky ANG, 123 TRW, Louisville AFB, RAF Alconbury 10-07-86 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#5

80-0043\IS F-15C 57th FIS, NAS Keflavik, Iceland. RAF Alconbury 10-10-86 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#6

WR965 Shackleton AEW2 8 Squadron, RAF Lossiemouth. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#7

74-1532 F-5E 527th Aggressor Squadron, RAF Alconbury by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#8

74-1559 F-5E 527th Aggressor Squadron, RAF Alconbury by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#9

684 F-5E Bahrain Amiri AF. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#10

74-1532 F-5E 527th Aggressor Squadron, RAF Alconbury by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#11

69-0248\SP F-4G 52nd TFW, Spangdahlem AB, Germany, by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#12

XV569/Q Phantom FGR2 111(F) Squadron, RAF Leuchars by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#13

69-0248/SP F-4G 52nd TFW, Spangdehlem AFB, RAF Alconbury 22-4-82 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#14

26+74 F-104G West German Navy, MFG-2, Eggebek AB, RAF Alconbury 29-7-86 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#15

68-0215 C-5A 337th Military Airlift Squadron, Westover AFB, RAF Alconbury 23-08-93 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#16

85-0072/DY B-1B 7th BW, Dyess AFB, RAF Alconbury 23-08-93 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#17

68-0570 RF-4C 10th TRW, RAF Alconbury by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#18

65-0843\BH RF-4C Alabama ANG, 106th TRS, Birmingham MAP. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

Brilliant post
A fantastic moment in time for aviation enthusiasts that we will never see again

A simply stunning post.
I use to visit and just watch, could not afford a camera in the early 80,s wished I had visited more often.
Great place, great aircraft and great viewing.

Think I will have a rest now.
Thanks again for a stunning post.

Andy

Magic ! What a memory trekking down that field side but what a prize standing on the fenceline. Certainly on par with Crash Gate 3 Binbrook for photography.
Excellent pics and thanks again for posting Stuart
3Greens

Great post Stu. Never made it to Owl End myself, just one trip to Alconbury for the airshow in 92 if I remember correctly.
Hard to pick a favourite but the F-5Es and Spang F-4Gs stand out for me.
Tim

Wow, what a sick collection of classic shots! That Kentucky Recce Rhino is a rare catch

Blimey,how good are these,absolute corkers.Alconbury was on my doorstep (Huntingdon),spent many good hours up owl end.I used to be on QRA with my motorbike at weekends awaiting a call from my brother Ray to whisk him up there at a moments notice for the numerous visitors.

Another great post Stuart - fantastic images that look as if they were only shot yesterday

Never made it there on a day out - only managed to get to Alconbury for one of the shows in 1993 (I think)

Thanks for posting these and keep all these good shots coming

Cheers

Darren

My only experience of Alconbury was the Airshow event in 1988, quite an enjoyable show but not one of the best I've been to, the U-2/ TR.1 and the RF-4C Phantom on Static and the U-2/ TR.1 in the Flying were among my highlights, shame about the lack of F-5E Tiger II's as I hadn't realised they had already left leaving a rather smart example for the static, if the Tiger IIs had still been there that day would have been a great send off seeing them do some sort of display.

Brilliant, brilliant post. So many memories of that location. Thanks for sharing, with just one request; more F-4's please!

A fantastic collection of shots there goes without saying. Boy do I miss those Phantoms. Can't help noticing that the grass in all those shots is so well manicured, it's like a bowling green!

Wonderful photo`s. No. 12 is a block 34 F.G.1. Note the slotted stabilator. Happy days !

A fine set, lots of memories for you.
I remember watching statojets, B47s rolling towards me. The wings would flex quite dramatically when they took the load just prior to liftoff. Huge clouds of black exhaust smoke.
Thank you for posting them.

Green with envy! Am I seeing things- B-1s at "AR"?

H.A.Bucken wrote:Green with envy! Am I seeing things- B-1s at "AR"?

Airshow ones.

Ah..............Those were the days !!

However, the nearest I got, was driving on the A1 and seeing many of them in the circuit, and
at the other end, going by on the train from Peterborough to Kings Cross.
The B47's could be seen on dispersal from the train.
Happy days

Great post though.

Regards,

John

John W wrote:Ah..............Those were the days !!

However, the nearest I got, was driving on the A1 and seeing many of them in the circuit, and
at the other end, going by on the train from Peterborough to Kings Cross.
The B47's could be seen on dispersal from the train.
Happy days

Great post though.

Regards,

John

Think you may have these mixed up with B-45's or B/RB-66's John - B-47's were never operated from Alconbury.

cheers,
Graham

No Words, buddy

Going through all my programmes, now

Great 'frames, great displays, and what fab shots you have posted

So many great memories evoked by them

That is what WR&N is all about

Thanks so much for sharing

Paddyboy

Thanks guys glad you enjoyed the trip down memory lane. Always remember the first time I visited 'Owl End' it totally blew me away how close you could get & only a wooden fence. Here are a few more..

#19

68-0583/AR "Starize" RF-4C 10th TRW, RAF Alconbury 15-04-87 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#20

68-0571/AR RF-4C 10th TRW, RAF Alconbury 22-04-82 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#21

80-1065 TR-1B 9th SRW, Beale AFB. RAF Alconbury 28-10-87 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#22

ZE353\E F-4J(UK) 74(F) Squadron, RAF Wattisham. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#23

74-1553 F-5E 527th Aggressor Squadron, RAF Alconbury by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#24

74-1554 F-5E 527th Aggressor Squadron, RAF Alconbury by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#25

WJ992 Canbeera T4 DRA, MOD(PE) Bedford by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#26

69-7566/SP F-4G 52nd TFW, Spangdahlem AFB. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#27

74-1534 F-5E 527th Aggressor Squadron, RAF Alconbury by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#28

74-1545 F-5E 527th Aggressor Squadron, RAF Alconbury by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#29

80-0050/IS F-15 57th FIS, Keflavik, Iceland by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#30

69-0248/SP F-4G 52nd TFW, Spangdahlem AFB. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#31

BA31 Mirage 5BA Belgium AF, 1 Sqdn, Bierset AB, RAF Alconbury 23-08-93 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#32

65-0854\BH RF-4C Alabama ANG, 106th TRS, Birmingham MAP. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#33

71-0259/AR RF-4C 10th TRW, RAF Alconbury. by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

#34

65-0843\BH RF-4C Alabama ANG, 106th TRS, Birmingham MAP, RAF Alconbury 8-4-89 by Stuart Freer - Touchdown Aviation, on Flickr

If only you could go back in time Just how cool are those Recce Rhinos... Phrickin Awesome