Fairford 1980

[Gruncle 01]

I have scanned these few slides that I photographed at the Fairford Airshow in 1980, although the first picture was from the Busy Brewer B52 deployment a few weeks before and because it was the only picture I had of the deployment I have added it to the others. As you will see it was a fairly low key affair, with no barriers and not a lot of people around, but it did have a few nice aircraft present.
B52D 550073 7BW Fairford 15/06/1980 Busy Brewer by Michael Skinner, on Flickr

CH47C 6815865 180AvCo Fairford 05/07/1980 by Michael Skinner, on Flickr

F4D 687789/SP 52TFW Fairford 05/07/1980 by Michael Skinner, on Flickr

F15A 770087/CR 32TFS Fairford 05/07/1980 by Michael Skinner, on Flickr

VC140B 624201 58MAS Fairford 05/07/1980 by Michael Skinner, on Flickr

VC10 C1 XV102 10Sqn. Fairford 05/07/1980 by Michael Skinner, on Flickr

Mirage IIIC 67/10-RC EC2/10 Fairford 05/07/1980 by Michael Skinner, on Flickr

Magister 166/10-KK Fairford 05/7/1980 by Michael Skinner, on Flickr

A10A 770257/WR 81TFW Fairford 05/07/1980 by Michael Skinner, on Flickr

KC135A 563646 92BW Fairford 05/07/1980 by Michael Skinner, on Flickr

[Mustang531]

Yes, another one I missed and as you say, a few nice aircraft. Love that KC-135 in the old scheme, also nice to see a couple of French AF machines. Thanks for sharing these.

[page_verify]

Yes, another one I missed and as you say, a few nice aircraft. Love that KC-135 in the old scheme, also nice to see a couple of French AF machines. Thanks for sharing these.

How many KC-135 sim instructors does it take to change a lightbulb?

Five - one to change it while four tell you “how much better it was back with the A model.”

[Knife 04]

Brilliant Michael - loved these low key shows prior to IAT. Went in 1984 and again in 1986 (not good weather) between the IATs

Thanks for posting

Darren

[derek hopkins]

I am sure that was the only time a B52D was in UK

[paddyboy]

Hi Michael

Cracking set there

Thanks for posting

Only other B52D I can think of landing in the UK is the one on show at Duxford

Paddyboy

[Mustang531]

I'm sure that some of the slightly more senior ones who view this will come up with lists of more B-52Ds that visited the UK over the past seven decades.

[Bucky P]

There used to be 3 -4 deployments of B52Ds to Brize and Fairford each year, 3 each time, in the late 70's and very early 80's. I remember seeing 5 or 4 of these deployments, maybe more.

[raptor9]

Patrick. That wasn't a landing, it was a controlled crash!!!. I was amazed to find that it took place AFTER the runway was shortened!.

[Andy Marden]

Dozens, if not hundreds, of B-52Ds visited the UK!

[Alf]

I am sure that was the only time a B52D was in UK

B-52D 56-0694 was in the static at Mildenhall show 23rd May 1981. As already mentioned B-52D visits to UK could be 100+ over the years.

[Mustang531]

The saga of the B-52D in the UK could run and run! I had a look through the Airshows 1979 book and it mentions a deployment to Upper Heyford in May 1979. 50109, 50677 and 60659 of the 337BS/96BW arrived on 8th May and departed on 25th May.

[luxto]

I went to that show as well - some nice reminders, thanks. Low key yes but enjoyable nevertheless.

I went to all 16 B-52D deployments which came to the UK after 1965 and saw many visits made by single B-52D's to the English SAC bases before that. I suggest that the actual number that visited may never be known, such was the poor coverage of those bases by spotters back then. What is known is that at least 63 D''s have been confirmed but the total is highly likely to be more than that.

Starting at Upper Heyford in Sep'76, SAC started deploying black tailed Buff's to the UK, also using Fairford, Brize Norton and Marham where their last deployment ended in May'82. A total of 35 D's were involved in 16 deployments. Included in those deployments were the 3 D's which also visited again for other reasons - one which diverted into Mildenhall while on a GPM , another which attended a Mildenhall show and the Duxford one. Fairford only supported 2 deployments, each with 3 D's from the 7thBW, Carswell. 55-0073 was in the first of these 10-16 June'80, the other being 20 Oct - 13 Nov'81.

[Herkchaser]

Very nice, like the 135.

[Halo]

Loving that B 52D. What a beast!

[Precinct7]

B-52 visits to the UK from the fist one circa 1958 were well covered in articles in BARG late 90's , ( & WLAG late 60's) cant find the dates on a quick search.
but it is all there every single visit
full details of every SAC base also covered in BARG article's
available on CD

RAF Brize Norton & Strategic Command 1950-1965 (by Colin Smith)
Part 1: MY454-457/1999 ( 4 pages)
Part 2: JU557-568/1999 (12 pages)
Part 3: JY662-673/1999 (12 pages)
Part 4: AU769-780/1999 (12 pages)
Part 5: S849-862/1999 (14 pages)
Part 6: O967-976/1999 (10 pages)
Part 7: N1051-1062/1999 (12 pages)
Additions etc: N1062/1999, O976/1999, S863/1999, D1144/1999, S486/2000, O538/2000

RAF Fairford & Strategic Air Command 1948-1964 (by Colin Smith)
Part 1: N1179-1187/1996 ( 9 pages)
Part 2: D1273-1280/1996 ( 8 pages)
Part 3: JA54-63/1997 (10 pages)
Additions etc: D1280/1996, MY495/1997, 1157/1998, AU429-430/2000

RAF Lakenheath & Strategic Command 1948-1959 (by Colin Smith)
Part 1: S912-925/1997 (14 pages)
Part 2: O1028-1041/1997 (14 pages)
Part 3: N1142-1154/1997 (13 pages)
Additions etc: MR303/1998, N1157/1998, JA62/1999, JY673/1999, AU430/2000, O538/2000

RAF Upper Heyford & Strategic Air Command 1950-1965 (by Colin Smith)
Part 1: O525-537/2000 (13 pages)
Part 2: N576-590/2000 (15 pages)
Part 3: D651-661/2000 (12 pages)

RAF Greenham Common
missing for this list must be out there ?

[luxto]

I saw most of the 23 B-52's known to have visited Greenham Common during its SAC days but I think that Colin would agree with me, that its highly likely others slipped through the net, not only here, but also at Brize, Heyford and Fairford, such was the lack of weekday reports back then.

[daggerfan]

I realise this post is about Fairford 1980 (nice to see aircraft without barriers), but since we have veered off into B-52D territory I'll add my tuppence worth!

I remember a Friday evening back in the late 1970s when a B-52D did a fly-through down Lossie's runway 23, low and fast. A rather impressive sight!

[roughcutter]

I am sure that was the only time a B52D was in UK

Hazarding a guess, I think what he really meant, was that it could possibly have been the last occasion that a B-52D graced our shores (with the exception of the Duxford example).
Wonderful set of images, thanks for sharing them with us.