Your first ever military spotting trip, where, when etc?

[GOOSE]

Inspired by member Paulo's question as to how to spend his first ever spotting day, cheers Paulo, I thought - what a great idea for a thread!

So the question is simple, where did you spend your first ever military spotting day, what did you see and how did it inspire your addiction to the hobby?

[Figure8]

I think mine would be watching Hunters from Chivenor heading across the Bristol Channel and heading up the Swansea valley.

We had a great view from my mum's house, I used to run like a fool when I heard them coming.

[Rotörhead]

Lakenheath maybe, possibly Boscombe Down. Trouble is i really can't remember!

[Rory]

Well I was on a family holiday somewhere near Lossiemouth. I must of been around 10 years old maybe even younger. My dad took the family along to Lossie one afternoon. Spent the whole afternoon in the car with windows up covering my ears and crying at the sound of F-15's and Tornados taking off Before I knew it I was craving more.

[Tiger 1]

Hi Goose

Well i have been interested in aviation from being a very small boy, i used to live just a couple of miles off the end of Rwy 02 to Finninley in Bawtry and my Dad always took us to the R.A.F. Finningley Air Show and i eventually ended up spending the first part of my working career at R.A.F. Bawtry from 1979 to 1984 untill moving to Finningley in Nov 1984 untill 1996.

It was whilst at Bawtry that a made a Freind called Dave who was going to Greenham Common for the 1983 IAT.

I was asked by Dave if i would like to go, which i jumped at the chance, Dave was a spotter and he introduced me to the art of spotting, it was at IAT 1983 that i first put pen to paper and logged my first aircraft.

What a way to start, from memory, as sadly i do not have that first log anymore, there were 25 F4s lined up, Jordanian F1s flying, and also the likes of C5 and C141, TR1, and my first ever SR71 in the old livery with white markings and lettering, serial no was 17980.

Another highlight of the show was the launch and fly past of 16 Spitfires.

So that is what got me started, sadly i lost touch with Dave when he got posted on.

But im still spotting amd logging, some 28 yrs on and im just as enthusiastic now as i was then.

Best rgds

Tiger 1

[Mike]

Leuchars Airshow 18/09/1965.

PS853 Spitfire 19
PS915 Spitfire PR19
PZ865 Hurricane 2C (G-AMAU)
TX227 Anson T21
VM325 Anson C19
VP968 Devon C1
WD363 Chipmunk T10
WE188 Canberra T4
WF333 Varsity T1 AES
WF374 Varsity T1 AES
WG349 Chipmunk T10
WG459 Chipmunk T10
WJ610 Canberra B2
WJ870 Canberra T4
WJ909 Varsity T1 AES
WJ948 Varsity T1 AES
WK106 Canberra B2
WL649 Meteor
WL671 Varsity T1 AES
WP839 Chipmunk T10
WP965 Chipmunk T10
WV318 Hunter
WV749 Pembroke C1
XA536 Canberra T11
XA911 Vulcan B1
XD225 Scimitar F1
XE956 Vampire T11
XG211 Hunter F6
XH392 Javelin T3
XH395 Javelin T3
XH435/D Javelin T3 228OCU
XH436 Javelin T3
XH437/X Javelin T3 23sqn
XH647 Victor B2R
XH716/G Javelin FAW9
XH767/F Javelin FAW9
XH843 Javelin FAW9
XH883/K Javelin FAW9 228OCU
XH905/L Javelin FAW9 228OCU
XH909 Javelin FAW9
XL230 Victor B2
XL390 Vulcan B2
XL560 Hunter
XM277 Canberra B(1)8
XM973 Lightning T4 74sqn
XM974 Lightning T4 74
XN302 Whirlwind HAS7
XN503 Jet Provost T3
XN854/F Argosy C1 232OCU
XN950/635 Buccaneer S1
XN979/232 Buccaneer S2
XP530 Gnat T1
XP698/F Lightning F3 74sqn
XP700/A Lightning F3 74sqn
XP702/C Lightning F3 74sqn
XP703/G Lightning F3 74sqn
XP735/E Lightning F3 23sqn
XP736/F Lightning F3 23sqn
XP737/L Lightning F3 23sqn
XP751/B Lightning F3 74sqn
XP755/P Lightning F3 74sqn
XP756/C Lightning F3 23sqn
XP758/D Lightning F3 23sqn
XP759/J Lightning F3 23sqn
XP760/K Lightning F3 23sqn
XP761/N Lightning F3 23sqn
XP763/M Lightning F3
XR396 Comet 4C 216sqn
XR398 Comet 4C 216sqn
XR663/57 Jet Provost T4 3FTS
XS180/61 Jet Provost T4 3FTS
XS416 Lightning T5
XS423 Lightning T5
CP39 C119 Packet Belgian AF
FU16 F84 Belgian AF
FU106 F84 Belgian AF
0-53644 F100 USAF
0-60009 F101 USAF
0-60027 F101 USAF
G-764 F100 Danish AF
G-768 F100 Danish AF
G-775 F100 Danish AF
G-776 F100 Danish AF
GT-982 TF100 Danish AF
G-AMZU J/5F Aiglet
G-ANZZ DH82A Tiger Moth
G-AROK Cessna 310F
G-ASPI Cessna 172
G-ATBK Cessna 172

Yes,this list is from Scramble but I sent it to them in the first place.

[graham luxton]

Family outing to Greenham Common Easter Mon 1960. At that time Greenham supported 6 B-47E's on rotation from the 341BW Dyess AFB, Texas -- all on Reflex Action nuclear alert parked close to the boundary fence at the Runway 29 end. Also seen was a silver and dayglo KC-97G doing multiple approaches and touch 'n go's. At the age of ten I was so impressed with the B-47 that this was the first of many visits to the base and I eventually saw about 250 B/EB-47's there.

It was a real choker when SAC moved out!

[Ben Montgomery]

How are we defining spotting Mr. Goose?

As in, first trip to some place with the intention of seeing aircraft, or first trip with the intention of photography/proper number spotting?

For just an aircraft trip, first one I can remember was a private base tour of Mildenhall/Lakenheath. Sitting in KC-135s, climbing up scaffolding on the tail, looking around the F-15 engine hall, cool stuff! I was only about 10 I think, so no chance of any decent photos!

[GOOSE]

Whatever people wish to share Ben.

[GOOSE]

Living on the Binbrook approach, I was often taken up there by family and friends as a kid but the first time with pen and paper to spot stuff would have been Finningley Airshow in 83 I think?

[The Phantom]

First base visit was while on holiday in 1976 and going to Lakenheath. Phantoms - and lots of them
Plus trips to Alconbury, Mildenhall, Binbrook, Honinton, over the same period.

First airshow was Filton in approx 1975. A Phantom was also the star of the show there as well.

[reaperops]

My first trip was in April 1985 when we first moved to Suffolk, and seeing the SR-71 return to Mildenhall from a mission and meeting 'Rumour' Ron Youngs for the first time in Folly Road.

Rgds
GC

[das]

Jan 28th 1987

I had broken my right leg in a motorcycle accident in November and was bored silly by this time! I still had a plaster on and had been watching the Alconbury and Wyton patterns from home just for something to do. Das had been trying to get me into a/c for years, and so with plastered leg I jumped on my sister's racer and headed for owl end. Late in the day, but see:

RF-4C 71-0259 AR 1 TRS - 10 TRW
RF-4C 68-0563 AR 1 TRS - 10 TRW
F-5E 01554 54 527 AS - 10 TRW
F.5E 01547 47 527 AS - 10 TRW
TR-1A 01079 95 RS - 17 RW
TR-1A 01069 95 RS - 17 RW
TR-1A 01084 95 RS - 17 RW
TR-1A 01081 95 RS - 17 RW

and I was hooked!

Ray

[Flyingmonster]

Ah for me it was June 1996 ( I was 5 lol ) and my Dad took me to Leuchars when he eas picking my Grandfather up in Leuchars. The F3s were buzzing about constantly with Burners galore!! I'd been to the show there every year since 92 ( Born in 91! ) But I remember that was the day I realised my life would be spent looking skywards at the Perimeter track of a Airfield

[Jordan B]

Mine was this year, in January at Coningsby. Will never forget it

[Lowfly11]

My first spotting trip was 1980..used to be a regular spotter at RAF Finningley at the crash gate near hangar 1 collecting military registrations..finished spotting around 1984 then just concentrated on sitting at military bases with binoculars and without note book and pen!!..back in those brilliant spotting days went to regular haunts..Donna Nook,Wainfleet,Holbeach, Coningsby,Waddington,Leeming,Scampton,Alconbury,Mildenhall,Lakenheath,Honington, and Fairford,Lyneham,Brize Norton,Bentwaters,Woodbridge just a few times..also when i was smaller started off at Finningley 'at home day' and only missed a few over the years..haven't been to the Hall and Lakenheath for about 7 years which is at the top of the list.

[HighlandSniper]

My very first real spotting experience was probably at Lossiemouth in 1963, followed by Lossiemouth air display Ca. 1965 and Abingdon BoB display probably in the same year. The first big display I remember with great detail however was the RAF 50th Anniversary display at Abingdon in 1968.

[Tiger 1]

Hi Goose

So we have someting in common then, as we both put pen to paper in the same year 1983

Best rgds

Tiger 1

[The Phantom]

I'm feeling old here!! I was watching Phantoms at Lakenheath in the mid-seventies and nobody else saw aircraft until mid-eighties or nineties! I'm just off to collect my pension

[graham luxton]

I'm feeling old here!! I was watching Phantoms at Lakenheath in the mid-seventies and nobody else saw aircraft until mid-eighties or nineties! I'm just off to collect my pension

Beat you mate, B-47's at Greenham Common 1960!