FighterControl

In the early 70s the 'Hall was chosen to host SAC ops evicted from Upper Heyford and Torrejon. This required extending the over-runs meaning that only base hacks and TDY Hercs could safely use the runway - anything else had to go to the 'Heath. The favor was returned the following year when the 48th began prepping for its long-awaited Rhinos and detached thirty Sleds to the 'Hall for nearly six months which sorely tested the tower and ramp personnel.

1. BW0068 66-0196 C-141A 436 MAW Lakenheath 5SEP70 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

2. BW0073 151890 EC-130G VQ-4 Lakenheath 5SEP70 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

3. BW0074 61-0324 KC-135A 379 BW Lakenheath 5SEP70 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

4. BW0081 59-1496 KC-135A 319 BW Lakenheath 23SEP70 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

5. BW0077 53-0106 EC-97G 7407 SS Lakenheath 23SEP70 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

6. BW0078 53-0106 EC-97G 7407 SS Lakenheath 23SEP70 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

7. BW0158 F-100 48 TFW flightline Mildenhall 9MAR71 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

8. BW0156 F-100 48 TFW flightline Mildenhall 9MAR71 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

9. BW0224 56-2980 F-100D 494 TFS 48 TFW Mildenhall 9MAR71 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

10. BW0223 55-3672 F-100D 493 TFS 48 TFW Mildenhall 2MAY71 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

Classic stuff matey - brilliant post

Oh yes, what a great look into the past, love the F100 line up, but all are brilliant

nices et,especially #7

Great stuff - I remember it. F-100D 56-2964/LS was written off at Mildenhall during that bolt hole - crashed at the West end of the base on approach to Rwy11 26 Aug'71.

Cracking images

Top set John and great memories F100 line up for me too, impressive Great times, thanks for posting

Wow ! Those two photos of the guns lined up are wonderful.....but that silver lifter???? Classic,absolutely classic!

Thanks for sharing!

Fantastic set! If you've got any more, feel free to post!

Fabulous set of images

Great pictures,i know people said about a book on the Air-Fete but what about a book on the USAF in the 1960s and I970s in England.

Wow.

Just.

Wow.

Quality stuff.

Andy

Hi John



Never seen so many Huns

EC97G

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy

Glorious shots - looks like the lifter is silver but has a grey finish on the tail & rear fuselage? What really caught my eye though is what is lurking in the background of the EC-130 shot - looks like an RC-135 of some type. RC-135D maybe?

Brilliant images - thanks for sharing.

DanBeeden wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 11, 2020 8:10 am

Glorious shots - looks like the lifter is silver but has a grey finish on the tail & rear fuselage? What really caught my eye though is what is lurking in the background of the EC-130 shot - looks like an RC-135 of some type. RC-135D maybe?

Brilliant images - thanks for sharing.

I agree Dan it looks like an RC-135D. As Wigzy said, SAC ops were relocated from Upper Heyford which meant there were usually 2 and sometimes 3, RC-135's plus 3 to 5 supporting KC-135A's at Lakenheath. At the end of Nov'70 they finally moved over to Mildenhall. The mass influx of KC-135's relocating from Torrejon to Mildenhall took place in Aug'76.

Wow, great pics, brings back memories, I remember logging about 40 F-100s at the Mildenhall show on 22May71. Moving the RC's to Mildenhall from Heyford wasn't personally popular though as Heyford was much close to home!

Absolutely brilliant vintage shots John - love them all but the line up of F-100s is something else!

Thanks for posting

Darren

graham luxton wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 10, 2020 5:22 pm

Great stuff - I remember it. F-100D 56-2964/LS was written off at Mildenhall during that bolt hole - crashed at the West end of the base on approach to Rwy11 26 Aug'71.

nearly taking off Clive Woolards head, remember it well.

Wonderful pictures, thank you.

Terry: I recommend 'Force for Freedom - The USAF in the UK since 1948' by Michael J.F.Bowyer (Publisher - Patrick Stephens Ltd).

Well spotted Dan : – it was in fact the very naughty KC-135T* 55-3121 which went through many configurations over the years (I logged it at Brize Norton in July 1963 as a ‘RIVET STAND’ KC-135R* and again at Heyford in May 1968). It had been detached to the ‘heath to perform CIA sponsored ‘RIVET JAW’ missions along the northern Soviet border which ended abruptly in November when it was ‘closely intercepted’ by Migs firing their guns alongside. A week before my pic it had failed to wind back its weird trailing antenna which then had to be cut loose and dropped into the Arctic Ocean. See this website for the history of what was described as one of the most important recon -135 platforms before it struck a mountain in Alaska in 1985 during poor weather while on a 'RIVET DANDY' training flight out of Eielson.

http://www.clubhyper.com/reference/boei ... 21jh_1.htm

* Confusingly, the -R and -T suffixes have no connection to their later use.

Proteus wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 11, 2020 4:40 pm

graham luxton wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 10, 2020 5:22 pm

Great stuff - I remember it. F-100D 56-2964/LS was written off at Mildenhall during that bolt hole - crashed at the West end of the base on approach to Rwy11 26 Aug'71.

nearly taking off Clive Woolards head, remember it well.

Wonderful pictures, thank you.

that F-100 hit the chimney pots on one of the houses at the bottom of Pollards Lane ,
a friend of mine was close by and through there end had come ,
could have been a a nasty incident