FighterControl

Looking regularly at the excellent photos of RAF fighter jets in the Current Military Photos section has raised a question. A large proportion of Tornados do not carry squadron markings, just a tail number, whereas most Typhoons have both squadron marks and tail numbers. Is it just that Tornados change over frequently or that squadron markings are not encouraged? Living near Lakenheath it seems that USAF 48th jets don their new squadron markings and base tail code within a short time of their arrival at the base.
Can anyone provide information about this?

As you mentioned, the Tornado GR4 fleet is pooled, so squadron markings don't really match squadron flying the aircraft. However, 41 (R) TES at RAF Coningsby seem to have mainly 41 Squadron marked aircraft last time I checked.

Matt

Years ago I was told that at Lyneham, only the aircrew belonged to any squadron. Ground crew were either A or B lines and aircrew simply flew whichever Herk was at the end of the line up.
Did the VC10s carry 10 or 101 sqn markings?

101 sqn certainly did. Since they operated different variants (10 sqn had the cargo/pax ones, 101 sqn were the tankers) I don't suppose they pooled them in the same way they did the hercs..

Out with the old.. by Alistair Henderson, on Flickr

Al.

I believe 10 & 101 Had their own Squadron emblem on the tails, from the centre of each Squadron crest.

When I first saw a Tornado GR4 with a 'Fleet Code' in the static park of a certain Air Display I asked the crew what it was all about. They were not amused about the recent decision 'by the GR4 Force Commander' to replace Squadron Markings with a Fleet Code. They followed this by saying that the intention by that same person to stop the wearing of Squadron cloth patches on flying clothing (!!) would not be followed and, thankfully, they are still worn with pride.

What about displaying your allegiance to the unit you are serving with???

It is now true, as has been said, that very few Tornado GR4's display Squadron Marks. Thank goodness for the Anniversary schemes we have seen of late and can look forward to next year. I think 41 (R) TES get away with markings due to them being on their own at Coningsby and do not share their aircraft with anyone else. They are often trialling some modification be it armament, or a change to software, so the aircraft are often not interchangeable for other units to use.

Agree with RJ51s reply as pretty much accurate.
I was on II(AC)Sqn with a particularly classy rectification controller (who may stalk these pages). Whenever an aircraft went to paint the request was always to have Sqn markings applied, hence quite a few aircraft sporting II(AC)Sqn markings in the last few years.

Also comes down to Operations, if anyone has noticed all have had there Sqn marks removed from the Typhoons.

Yes that was my understanding that on operations any squadron marks were removed so as to give as little away as possible for security and ops reasons.

Thought the recent removal of marks from some Typhoons was ahead of the forthcoming drawdown of Tranch 1 birds to storage?

Nope the ones they removed the Sqn marks from in September went to the Falklands. And it was announced in SDSR we are not getting rid of them now.

The same thing happened with the Harriers at Cottesmore, they gradually lost their sqn marks as they participated in ops in the Balkans and Middle East.