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RAF Coningsby FAQ's Updated June 21

Please post movements and activities to do with RAF Coningsby here
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reaper493
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RAF Coningsby FAQ's Updated June 21

Post by reaper493 » Thu Jun 17, 2021 4:16 pm

Updated the original post by Steven as it was a little out of date.

How do I get to Coningsby?

By placing LN4 4TE in your sat-nav.
Coningsby does get very busy with visitors, especially during school holidays, so you may want to plan ahead.

Which squadrons are based at Coningsby?

The resident squadrons based at RAF Coningsby are 3(F) Squadron, XI Squadron, 12 Squadron, 29(R) Squadron (Typhoon OCU) & 41(R)Test and Evaluation Squadron. All squadrons operate the Typhoon FGR4 & T3.. The station is also home to the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and their fleet of 6 Spitfires, 2 Hurricanes, Lancaster, Dakota and 2 Chipmunk aircraft.

What visiting aircraft can I expect at Coningsby?

With Coningsby being as busy as it is, visiting aircraft are not as common as they once were. But F-15s from Lakenheath and F-35s from Marham can occasionally be seen in the circuit, along with the rarer visitors from Europe.

NIGHT FLYING:
It's night flying....which squadrons will be active and what time will they start?
I was planning a trip to Coningsby - how much activity will there be during the day?
What times does night-flying start?

The brutal answer is that no one knows. It all depends on which squadrons are night flying on any particular week and nobody outside the fence could possibly predict which squadrons will be night flying and indeed how much night flying they will do. I have personally been at Coningsby when flying has kicked off at 14.30 and ended at 18.30 but I have also been there when it has started later and had wall-to-wall action until 23:00 - it is just pot luck. Best thing to do is keep an eye on movements at the start of the week, that should give you an idea of who is doing what and when.

Where is the best place to take pictures?

This all depends on which end of the runway they are using. The "Thunder and Lightnings" viewing guide available on this forum is a great piece of advice and should be looked at by anyone wishing to visit Coningsby for the first time. Coningsby is generally very picture friendly with only a ladder required to shoot from most areas of the base.
Note: Please do not park in front of crash gates or block access to local roads. Please also be considerate to the farmer - who is courteous enough to let you use his fields to get your pictures

How much flying will there be on this date?

Another brutal answer is that no one knows. Regular Coningsby visitors often have this question asked and it is true that no one knows. Personally I have been at Coningsby on certain days where there is wall-to-wall action and then arrived on the next day to discover that nothing moves.

How do I know if a display is planned on the day of my visit?

Myself or Gary will try to post the NOTAM's that suggest a flying display will take place if we see them. Coningsby only publishes NOTAM's for Typhoon practice displays now, BBMF no longer require a NOTAM to display. It is always worth checking a NOTAM wesbite such as: http://notaminfo.com/ukmap - To check. Alternatively, when you arrive at the base (if you have a scanner) programme 278.8 and listen to see if any "bingo times" are listed, NOTAM's can be published on the day so.

If anyone has any other FAQ's they think should be in here please PM me and I will sort it out.

Mike

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