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Reach1985 wrote: ↑Fri Sep 27, 2019 6:40 pmThanks for this not a great deal of info on the length or permanence of this deployment. Does anyone have any news on this front? Are they going to be based there permanently from now on? (Or at least rotated through like they do to Akroteri?) i.e. a proper ‘det’.
Thanks for posting. Not much about the deployment and couldn't see any footage of Fairford at all! It appears to be an Air Force Public Affairs Agency site but I'm not too surePeteHemsley wrote: ↑Fri Sep 27, 2019 6:21 pmSorry if I'm being a plum and this is being discussed elsewhere, but it's just popped up on my YouTube.
https://youtu.be/7Z2_ABltXVY
A small report by us military
Excellent info Grahamgraham luxton wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:38 amMight resurrect the title `Operating Location - United Kingdom` last used when U-2's were based at Fairford Mar'95 -Jan'96. Although they had 3 (differently configured) U-2R's based, a total of 10 U-2's used Fairford during that period with the maximum present at one time being 5 a/c. This was a combination of tail swaps from the US, transits to and from downrange and those downrange sent to Fairford for `Phase` maintenance. A bonus regarding those which came out of `Phase` was that their first flight was an air test or Functional Check Flight (FCF) in US speak. This normally involved overshoots and a bit of circuit bashing which made things a bit more interesting. Could history repeat itself?
Spitfire88 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 10:07 amExcellent info Graham, this deployment is a lot longer than the last time in the 90’s (I won’t post the time scale on a public forum ) I remember watching them take off in the early 90s , of course the USAF also sadly lost a u2 and it’s pilot last time they were based at Fairford.graham luxton wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:38 amMight resurrect the title `Operating Location - United Kingdom` last used when U-2's were based at Fairford Mar'95 -Jan'96. Although they had 3 (differently configured) U-2R's based, a total of 10 U-2's used Fairford during that period with the maximum present at one time being 5 a/c. This was a combination of tail swaps from the US, transits to and from downrange and those downrange sent to Fairford for `Phase` maintenance. A bonus regarding those which came out of `Phase` was that their first flight was an air test or Functional Check Flight (FCF) in US speak. This normally involved overshoots and a bit of circuit bashing which made things a bit more interesting. Could history repeat itself?
Thanks for posting this info' guys, hopefully I'll be making more regular trips down Fairford way.Spitfire88 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 10:10 amSpitfire88 wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 10:07 amExcellent info Graham, this deployment is a lot longer than the last time in the 90’s (I won’t post the time scale on a public forum ) I remember watching them take off in the early 90s , of course the USAF also sadly lost a u2 and it’s pilot last time they were based at Fairford.graham luxton wrote: ↑Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:38 amMight resurrect the title `Operating Location - United Kingdom` last used when U-2's were based at Fairford Mar'95 -Jan'96. Although they had 3 (differently configured) U-2R's based, a total of 10 U-2's used Fairford during that period with the maximum present at one time being 5 a/c. This was a combination of tail swaps from the US, transits to and from downrange and those downrange sent to Fairford for `Phase` maintenance. A bonus regarding those which came out of `Phase` was that their first flight was an air test or Functional Check Flight (FCF) in US speak. This normally involved overshoots and a bit of circuit bashing which made things a bit more interesting. Could history repeat itself?
