Kinloss early 2000's ?

[Stug298]

I know im asking the impossible but.....i recall being held at the lights on the findhorn road whilst canadian f18's beat up the airfield for 15 minutes i had no camera or pen and paper....any serials gratefully recieved....thanks

[Thunder]

Can you remember if they wore special marks and what day ie: Monday/Friday?

[Bluetail]

Are you sure they were Canadian, because there were two large visits of Hornets around this time, in June 1999 there were 8 Canadian Hornets arrived on their way home from the Balkans, and in July 2000 some USN Hornets of VMFA 321 diverted in from Leuchars, which did a formation flypast on departure.

[Stug298]

this is the problem i have im sure they where canadians and they where doing circuits for ages just skimming the low fence at the findhorn end of the runway it was very impressive i was just hoping that someone else would remember the spectacle and could pin it down for me im thinking it was more 2000 ish...thanks lads..

[Thunder]

The date I have for the Canadians is August 2001, they arrived roughly at 1520l on a Friday(I got a heads up from the guys at VASS at Kinloss, and I left work at Lossie at 1500). The first jets entered the overhead just as I was arriving at Kinloss. From memory some of the a/c carried out a couple of circuits before landing.

Serials for these are

CF-188A-188724, overall Checkerboard special
CF-188A-188784
CF-188A-188732
CF-188A-188720, 30yrs 1971-2001, 1st AMS special tail
CF-188A-188712, 60yrs 1941-2001, 416 Sqn special tail
CF-188A-188776, carried mission marks under the cockpit on the port side

As I don't take numbers, the serials are taken off photographs from the day, however there was at least one(maybe two), more jets that I didn't take photos of. Again from memory they were returning to Canada from Romania.

[Stug298]

Wow thunder i think youve aced it thank you very much for your time and trouble that ties in with my distant memory....case closed thanks again...

[Thunder]

I imagine that 'Bluetail' has the missing one/two from the above list. I'm fairly sure that these jets were in Romania for an exercise as the Canadians normally deploy jets without Squadron marks for combat deployments and all these were marked, also it appears that Canada left the Balkans in Dec 2000.

[Stug298]

I do remember the checkerboard markings so that seals it for me....thanks to all for your time....keep safe...cheers..

[CastleDon]

Page 432 of August 2001 MAR has the other 2 as 188736 (416 Sqn) and 188763 (441 Sqn). 188732 was 416 Sqn and 188784 441 Sqn. Arrival on 3rd August, a Friday.

[Thunder]

Thanks for providing the missing two serials and for confirming the date.

I'm not sure why I didn't photograph these two? I think they may have arrived after the main party and I couldn't hang around or maybe because they were standard schemed jets I concentrated on the specials. Being in the days of film you always had to conserve and pick your shots carefully.