Phantom weekend - Leeming 1/2 Sept. 1990

Post by F3 » Tue Oct 13, 2020 3:28 pm

Driving up the A1 one Saturday morning bound for a family day out in the Dales the sight of a swarm of Tornado GR1s circling to land led to a small diversion to RAF Leeming for an early lunch stop where my eye was drawn to a line of F-4s on the pan which, from their red/ white check markings I recognised as the property of Wattisham's 56 Sqn. After lunch an impressive wave of a/c was launched consisting of 8 Laarbruch based Tornado GR1s (4 ea from 2 & 15 Sqns), 4 F-4 FGR2s, a pair of F-4Js and 4 Gulf bound much modified Tornado F3s. It took about half an hour to launch this parade of air power. I returned the next day, more in hope than expectation. Surely they would have Sunday off, but they did nt and I was gratified to see the launch of a smaller wave consisting of 4 F-3s and 4 Phantoms. The latter were acting as targets as they were flown clean w/out even a sidewinder acquisition round between them. They likely had the afternoon off as the weather closed in and put an end to flying for the day - which explains the very grainy final shot.

Gulf War work - up - 56 Sqn. Phantoms by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Gulf War work - up - F-4J ZE 353 E 74 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Gulf War work - up - F-4J ZE369 74 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Gulf War work - up - F-4 Phantom XV481 56 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Gulf War work -up - Phantom XV480 I 56 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Gulf War work - up - F-4 Phantom XV 474 M 56 Sqn. (2) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Gulf War work - up - F-4 Phantom XV 432 N 56 Sqn. (2) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

Gulf War work - up - F-4s M & O 56 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr