FighterControl

14:30 today saw a PD by “Cluster Flight”

Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA 12-1023 Eagle “Cluster 51”
Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA 12-1054 Eagle “Cluster 52”

Out on a check flight I assume

Thanks for revealing what they were. They must have been the ones that flew over my house on the way to Valley.

From what I've been told (I was in work at the time) They did not appear on 360 (or other VR set ups) and they came in over Amlwch for a runway 19 approach then they went into the NWMTA. No idea if they went into the loop.

Seen arriving at LN on 23/03/18 as Retro 63/64 along with 12-1020 & 12-1022. Been in the UK a while then.. Was callsign Cluster or Custer? Latter used by 48th.

It's thought the callsign was "Cluster" but as I said I didn't hear the actual radio comms.

My ears thought they called CRUSTY 51 Flight - also did a PD at Boscombe before returning to Lakenheath via Westcott - American sounding voices

Yammer wrote:My ears thought they called CRUSTY 51 Flight - also did a PD at Boscombe before returning to Lakenheath via Westcott - American sounding voices

Saw them on approach to Boscombe, never expected them to be Saudi!

Wes...

in a JW post Derek says re above Eagles

"Does anybody know the 2 F15s that did an approach or two at Boscombe Down around 1530 local on Wed 25 Apr - presumably in connection with the exercise? I am pretty sure one was 86-0154."


Did anybody eyeball these aircraft ? 86-0154 is a somewhat different era from the new looking F-15SA Saudi 12-1023 and 12-1054 - 86-0154 wears nice large "LN" tailcode - the Saudis don't.

Factual facts welcomed from anyone who eyeballed them thanks - Saudi machines or regular "LN" machines - thanks

86-0154 is away in Morroco so it definately wasn't that,, to me i thought they were calling RUSTY51 , certainly sounded like that

Having had another look at a rather rushed photo I took - I now believe the second one had 1054 on the tail - definitely no "LN". I was thrown by the USAF emblem below the cockpit.

Seems they were Boeing test pilots, so I wonder if the USAF roundel were on just for the ferry flight to Saudi?

Hi

All the 28 jets delivered (ferried) via UK so far incl these (which dep UK fri 27/4) have worn (pseudo) USAF star & bar markings. Presume the 6 that went via Lajes did also. I would imagine the political sensistivity of this order is the reason why no saudi markings/serials are worn. Obviously the "USAF" serial presentation on the fin tips plus the camo scheme give the game away so to speak without checking the serial allocations.

HTH

Cheers

The correct callsign was CRUSTY51-52.
They carry stars and bars until they are officially handed over in Saudi Arabia as part of the FMS contract.
Regards

My god, my ears actual heard something right for once!

""My ears thought they called CRUSTY 51 Flight - also did a PD at Boscombe before returning to Lakenheath via Westcott - American sounding voices""

They will be the USAF delivery pilots.
Regards