FighterControl

According to the Station magazine, RAF Honington is again officially a 'Tier 1 aerodrome' with based aircraft, albeit just the Viking gliders of 611 VGS. I recall the then Station Commander saying the airfield would be home to aircraft again 'sometime in the future' when the Tornados left in 1994, so I guess technically he has been vindicated!

Would of loved it be active again in the 'good old days' around the back with the visiting deployed/exercise visiting good times in the farmers field.

Here's the magazine for anyone interested: https://issuu.com/voicebedford/docs/hon ... 23_digital

Interesting that they have chosen Honington for a glider base given that it is underneath the approach to Mildenhall!

Ah I remember my first few visitst to Honington seeing Buccs, Tornados, Harriers on exercise & many more. Ah great memories .

Remember when we had Wyton's a/c there in 1970 - Victors, Comets and Canberras plus our based Buccs and Hunters. It was a really busy station and so was Mildenhall!

luxto wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 14, 2023 6:26 pm

Remember when we had Wyton's a/c there in 1970 - Victors, Comets and Canberras plus our based Buccs and Hunters. It was a really busy station and so was Mildenhall!

Oh to see photos of those days again. Me, I was only there on a BARG trip in 1992.

I remember visiting Honington in the early 1990's for the exercises involving the masses of French Mirages.

I think it was in the late eighties when the Phantoms from Wattisham temporarily re-located to Honington while their runway was re-surfaced. Great times!

Snoop 95 wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 14, 2023 4:00 pm

Interesting that they have chosen Honington for a glider base given that it is underneath the approach to Mildenhall!

I used to fly with VGS at south cerney. We were always being grounded due to aircraft movement from Brice, Lynham, and Fairford. If you drew a line through all those runways, plus Kembles’, the lines converged over the airfield

roughcutter wrote: ↑

Thu Dec 14, 2023 9:46 pm

I remember visiting Honington in the early 1990's for the exercises involving the masses of French Mirages.

Great memories and need to get those slides scanned though the images are probably better in my head than the actual pictures I took.

Remember those French Jags and Mirages III, V and F1 April 1990 and 1991. Were they French AF exercises or part of Mallet Blow / Elder Forest ?
Another great day was the 50th Anniversary September 1990 Battle of Britain must have photoed 30 x Tornado's based aircraft and RAFG visitors.

Doughnut wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 15, 2023 10:36 am

Remember those French Jags and Mirages III, V and F1 April 1990 and 1991. Were they French AF exercises or part of Mallet Blow / Elder Forest ?
Another great day was the 50th Anniversary September 1990 Battle of Britain must have photoed 30 x Tornado's based aircraft and RAFG visitors.

I'm not sure which exercise involved the French, but do remember there were two waves of Mirages over two weeks and the trick was to get the right date for when they 'changed the guard'. We got it right (for once), in 91 capturing both waves in the one day, managed to log all 40 Mirages. I came away feeling real chuffed like the cat that got the cream.

I'm not sure of the year, but on 1 single day Honington had 60+ visiting French fast-jets (Mirages & Jaguars), anyone remember that?

RC-you mean 'le chat qui mange la creme' ? (sorry just trying to show off)

johnwayne wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 15, 2023 5:39 pm

RC-you mean 'le chat qui mange la creme' ? (sorry just trying to show off)

And failing as there should be a grave accent on the first "e" ⁹

plmc135 wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 15, 2023 5:49 pm

johnwayne wrote: ↑

Fri Dec 15, 2023 5:39 pm

RC-you mean 'le chat qui mange la creme' ? (sorry just trying to show off)

And failing as there should be a grave accent on the first "e" ⁹

Well here you are matey , ^ , chuck it on for me . Merci .

Nope, that's a circumflex - you want one of these `.

All of which is irrelevent if the rule to only use plain English is observed

Merry Christmas

Granted NH , I couldn't find a grave on my keyboard so thought circumflex could be chopped in half to make one - a sort of circumflexision ?

Bon Noel