British Phantom Aviation Group (Official Topic)

[Unknown74]

To think I was there and somehow missed it, was XV582 on Static at Leuchars to commemorate this achievement?

[BPAG]

To think I was there and somehow missed it, was XV582 on Static at Leuchars to commemorate this achievement?

Not as far as we know. 43 Sqn had a few other aircraft at the Airshow that year (571, 586 & 587) though.

[BPAG]

100 days to go...

[BPAG]

Rear canopy fit complete. XV582 is now ready for tomorrow's photo call. Pic courtesy of Steve Brown.

[paddyboy]

'Nuff said

Paddyboy

[balamorybuzzed]

Magnificent work guys, thanks for looking after him!

[BPAG]

This Sunday (1st April) is RAF100 Open Cockpit Day at Newark Air Museum. The British Phantom Aviation Group will be attending, the cockpit section of XV490 will be open, Phantom merchandise will be available and a team from BPAG (including former Phantom aircrew and author/journalists Dave Gledhill and Caroline Paige) will be on hand to chat and answer your questions. More information on the link below or contact NAM direct on 01636 707170. Hope to see you there.

http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/100th_Anniv_RAF

[BPAG]

The May issue of Flypast magazine includes an article about XV582's speed run authored by Mike Pugh, who was navigator during the record breaking flight. In the shops now.

[BPAG]

To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the first flight of the F-4 Phantom, our friends over at the Aviation Skills Partnership will be hosting an event later this month, featuring guest speaker Rick Peacock Edwards (Retired Air Commodore and former RAF pilot). Tickets are available now, please follow the link- https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/f-4-phan ... 5582750233

[BPAG]

Number 2 in the Cosford charts!



Held off the number one slot by a mere Typhoon...that can't be correct, surely?

[paddyboy]

Not in MY book

The might Toom upstaged by the Eurofarter

NEVER

[BPAG]

60 years of the F-4 Phantom

60 years ago today, on 27th May 1958, the F-4 Phantom II prototype (XF4H-1 BuNo 142259) took its maiden flight from the McDonnell facility at Lambert Field, St Louis, USA. In order to celebrate this anniversary, the British Phantom Aviation Group is proud to announce that we will be taking XV490, our Phantom FGR.2 cockpit section, out on the road. We will be attending various events over the summer period, with opportunities for cockpit visits as well as a chance to meet and chat with ex-F4 aircrew and groundcrew members. Exclusive Phantom merchandise will also be available at all events.

Dates confirmed so far are-

10th June, RAF Cosford Airshow
XV490 will be onsite- located only a short walk from its BPAG stablemate XV582- at this year's airshow, as part of the Open Cockpits ground display. With a large crowd of around 60,000 expected, demand for cockpit visits will be high. The BPAG team will be on hand to assist as many of those as possible to experience the legend that is the F-4 Phantom.

20th & 21st June, Lincolnshire Show
This hugely popular show is now a regular venue for XV490 and the Aviation Village is set to be expanded this year in celebration of RAF 100, which should ensure that the show is quite an event. Former F-4 navigator and successful author and journalist Dave Gledhill, who was aircrew on board XV490, will also be on site to meet the public and answer your questions.

23rd & 24th June, Newark Cockpit Fest
This two day charitable event provides a focal point for cockpit owners from across the UK and always features an impressive line up of cockpit sections, panel displays and numerous other guest contributions. Dave Gledhill will again be in attendance with XV490 and additional attractions on both days include an aerojumble and a flypast from the BBMF Spitfire.

30th June & 1st July, Cleethorpes Armed Forces Day
North East Lincolnshire Council’s Armed Forces Day 2018 will be held at Cleethorpes as part of a full weekend of celebrations of the important work done by our Armed Forces. The full, free programme of events will include activities across the resort with parades, air displays and ground events on the seafront.

[BPAG]

The BPAG engineering team have been busy up at Cosford this weekend, putting the final touches to XV582 'Black Mike' ready for next week's event. Burner cans refitted and looking good...

[BPAG]

And looking almost ready for QRA again...

[paddyboy]

Top work all of you

Well done

Paddyboy

[BPAG]

A note of thanks from the British Phantom Aviation Group-

"Dear Friends. It cannot have escaped your attention that the Cosford Airshow is now only days away. There are only some final small tasks to attend to on 'Black Mike', a few matters of logistics involving XV490 to confirm and a whole bunch of boxes of new merchandise to sort through and then the British Phantom Aviation Group will be ready to meet you all this coming Sunday.

This weekend's event will be the culmination of a year's worth of planning and preparation and would not have been possible without the hospitality and generosity of the team at RAF Cosford. In particular we would like to thank Peter Reoch, for inviting the aircraft and ourselves to be part of the RAF100 celebrations and for his efficiency and patience in dealing with our presence and the ever-increasing demands it placed on both his time and facilities. Huge thanks and eternal gratitude also go to WO Steve Brown, whose contributions to the engineering effort have been immeasurable and without whom, the process of preparing 'Black Mike' would have been considerably more difficult. Frequently going above and beyond what we have asked of him (sometimes at considerable personal inconvenience) his support for the project has been unwavering and his presence and abilities have played a vital part in what we have achieved.

In the seven months since XV582 left RAF Leuchars for the last time, the shelter and working facilities that RAF Cosford have provided have been a life line to the aircraft and have saved it from tough times and difficult decisions. Both 'Black Mike' and the British Phantom Aviation Group would not be where we are now without the help we have selflessly been given.

For this, we would like to take this opportunity to say a heartfelt and sincere thank you.

The British Phantom Aviation Group."

[BPAG]

09.30 today. XV490 leaves Newark Air Museum, en-route to RAF Cosford. Hope to see some of you at the Open Cockpit zone on Sunday.

[BPAG]

To all those of you attending Cosford tomorrow. The BPAG will be ready to greet you, please come and say hello. XV582 will be in the QRA display in the static and the BPAG stall will be nearby. XV490 is in the Open Cockpit zone and will be open for visits all day. Hope to see you there.

[BPAG]

A huge thank you to everyone who turned out to the Cosford Airshow on Sunday and a special thank you to all those made time to visit XV490 or Black Mike, chat to our team or stop by the BPAG merchandise stall. The group would not be able to carry out its aims if it wasn't for your support and every penny made yesterday will go toward helping the BPAG in its activities in the future. The group is made up entirely of volunteers so your contribution, however small, really does make a difference. Our next event is the Lincolnshire Show on 20/21 June, when XV490 will again be in attendance, hopefully we will see some of you there. Once more, many many thanks to you all.

[Stroudy]

I'd just like to say thanks to the volunteers at BPAG for their time at Cosford. One person, an ex-nav, took the time to thoroughly show my 6 year old son and I around the back seat of XV490.. and was patient enough to answer all of his 1001 questions! I learned a huge amount in 20 mins and it was very interesting to hear about the ex-nav's many Soviet intercepts around the world in the cold war, low flying sub hunting Bear-F's trying to squash them into the north sea if they got too close underneath trying to photograph their detection equipment being particularly fascinating!

All the best for the future, Marcus.