FighterControl

I have just received a message that the Texan T-6C ZM324 has had a decent break in the weather and is finally airborne from RAF Valley at 14,000ft over Newborough, heading for the MTA.

Second ZM328 now airborne as GAUNTLET 51

HEX CODE sequence so far.. TBC ??? All 2019 unless stated
ZM323 43C8CA ???
ZM324 43C8CB (started flying 21/2)
ZM325 43C8CC (started flying 20/6)
ZM326 43C8CD ???
ZM327 43C8CE (started flying 19/3)
ZM328 43C8CF (started flying 21/2)
ZM329 43C8D0 (started flying 21/6)
ZM330 43C8D1 (started flying 4/3)
ZM331 43C8D2 (started flying 4/3)
ZM332 43C8D3 (started flying 14/3)

Confirmation of ??? or otherwise, appreciated.

Thanks to "rh226" in particular for corrections
Cheers

Would expect 43C8D0 to 'D3 ('D4 is Phenom ZM333) as the last four.

22/ 02/ 2019

The same 2 x airframes have been airborne again this AM as Anglesey 71 and 78 before graduation day

rh226 wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:41 pm

Would expect 43C8D0 to 'D3 ('D4 is Phenom ZM333) as the last four.

Thanks for correction.

So the Texans will be operated under the 72 Sqn banner...makes sense as currently on Tucanos at Linton.
I recall in the 70s regularly seeing 72 Sqn wessex routeing thro Valley to/from NI.
Funny old game....

Cheers

TombsRIP wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 23, 2019 4:05 pm

Formally announced that the Texans will be operated under the 72 Sqn banner...makes sense as currently on Tucanos at Linton.
I recall in the 70s regularly seeing 72 Sqn wessex routeing thro Valley to/from NI.
Funny old game....

Cheers

It has been hinted at on base a couple of times, and logically it makes perfect sense, but nothing "official" has been said/ announced. However we are expecting 72 Sqn to move across at the end of X course, this year hopefully.

Current known used callsigns have been "LONESTAR" and "TEXAN" along with "ANGLESEY"

I read about 72 Sqn to reform on Texans from a RAF website/FB page recently. For the moment it appears it's the "Texan Integration Sqn".

ZM324 & ZM328 both up am today (Mon 15/2) former as callsign "Anglesey 80" (showing as "A80" on Planefinder. Latter as "V78" on planefinder (actual callsign "Anglesey 78" not "VYT78"). Each did 2 x SRA Talkdowns rwy 13 followed by touch & goes in visual LH circuit; before this each did circuits at Mona and stint over Lleyn Peninsula/SSW of Caernarfon (again).
ZM328 (hex 43C8CF) noted up pm as "G51" (BDN/Gauntlet 51) pm.

Cheers

Texan sorties are currently following a fairly standard format of:
Launch from Valley
General Handling in GH North
Circuits at Mona
Recovery to Valley.

nickowen wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 26, 2019 4:03 pm

Texan sorties are currently following a fairly standard format of:
Launch from Valley
General Handling in GH North
Circuits at Mona
Recovery to Valley.

Indeed Nick, at it seems ZM324 gets airborne first as ANGLESEY** then ZM328 then gets airborne as GAUNTLET** to as near as possible follow the same route.

ANGLESEY is the telephony (voice) callsign for VYT. GAUNTLET is Boscombe, so presumably some sort of test or evaluation flight.

Radio - I hear daily numerous callsign of Hawk T2 such as V25 ie victor 25.

This is a trunkation of VYT 25 - occasionally you will hear the full VYT 25, victor yankee tango 25 particularly if they are changing from one freq to another

I've not yet heard a radio callsign of ANGLESEY myself - hopefully if as and when the Texans fly further from homebase then I might do so.

There's a few "base" callsigns that actually end up with the phonetics used instead, "Lima" instead of "Linton" being the one that springs to mind (LOP being the code).

Nice to hear Anglesey used though!

Monday 4th March 2019

[43C8D2] was up early this morning as A78. Assume that this was ZM331.

It was indeed.

So far today no Hawks have ventured up, 1 x Juno has been in view m, but the Texans have been active with 324,328,330,331 so far being airborne.

11.05z. ZM330 & ZM331 Both currently showing as airborne.

eagle driver wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:05 am

11.05z. ZM330 & ZM331 Both currently showing as airborne.

Think we need a new header but anyway..

A74 was hex 43C8D1 (ZM330)
A78 was hex 43C8D2 (ZM331)
Confirms list tieups above in this thread.
I see A74 ventured as far as the Conway valley this am (1030ish) instead of to the "GH north" training area on Lleyn Peninsula SSW Caernarfon; then usual Mona circuits before recovering to rwy 19 (I presume).
A78 appeared to follow profile described earlier
in this thread.
They appear to be minimising the time they fly over water with only crossings of Menai Straits and minimal time spent over water setting up for talkdown to rwy 13 from Holyhead direction.
Probably reading too much into that but wondering if they are wearing full immersion suits (or avoiding their use?)
Up pm...
ZM324 "A74" & "Gauntlet/BDN 51" in ZM331.
Both usual sortie profile as before but G51 operating more east towards Porthmadog area at around 15kft presume still in GH North area.
Cheers

TombsRIP wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:20 am

eagle driver wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 05, 2019 11:05 am

11.05z. ZM330 & ZM331 Both currently showing as airborne.

Think we need a new header but anyway..

A74 was hex 43C8D1 (ZM330)
A78 was hex 43C8D2 (ZM331)
Confirms list tieups above in this thread.
I see A74 ventured as far as the Conway valley this am (1030ish) instead of to the "GH north" training area on Lleyn Peninsula SSW Caernarfon; then usual Mona circuits before recovering to rwy 19 (I presume).
A78 appeared to follow profile described earlier
in this thread.
They appear to be minimising the time they fly over water with only crossings of Menai Straits and minimal time spent over water setting up for talkdown to rwy 13 from Holyhead direction.
Probably reading too much into that but wondering if they are wearing full immersion suits (or avoiding their use?)
Cheers

In a BBC article it states that "The sources, who wish to remain anonymous, claim that US trainer jets???? bought for training at RAF Valley on the island of Anglesey cannot be flown over water, while Hawk T1 jets from the 1970s are being drafted in to fill gaps in training."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47420698

Airworthy Hawk T1s (T1As) only based at Leeming , N.Yorks (Tatty Ton 100 Sqn), at Scampton with Reds and Culdrose with RN/FAA (736NAS) with det at Yeovilton, plus CAM one at Boscombe (XX327)
Only T1(A)s at Valley are with the AMRO on deep servicing from these bases plus the one up on the plinth acting as a gate guard!
But interesting anyhow...

I understand that 100 Sqn have been tasked with training 6 pilots through a fast jet course in 2019