FighterControl

Does anyone here take any interest in the residents of RAF Topcliffe - presumably all 645GS gliders?

I passed by on Sunday and the following Viking TX.1s were flying:

ZE564 "WN"
ZE685 "YV" - this was showing on ADSB Exchange as "ZE555" and 43C99D.

Also noted on ADSB Exchange on the ground were 43C9AA (which was probably ZE564) and 43C9B3.

Does anyone know anything about the Vikings and anything else at Topcliffe. It's actually impossible to get close to the airfield so difficult to see anything except when their in the air.

Since the new year the Viking fleet seems to have started using Mode-S alongside FLARM, sometimes broadcasting both at the same time. Looking at FR24 the tracks for these broadcasts can line up well enough to assume their tie ups, I have noted the following for Topcliffe but they are not confirmed visually:

Serial FLARM Mode-S
ZE522 DDE6D9 43C9AA
ZE555 DDE6E5 43C9BC
ZE594 DDE6E6 43C99E
ZE685 DDE6C0 43C9DD

43C9B3 (Going by your post possibly ZE564)

Some Vikings don't appear to even broadcast FLARM. My local at Kenley has yet to use Mode-S, I assume it's a fleet wide upgrade slowly rolling out.

Thanks NeilP - I'll probably wander past on occassion and try and tie these up visually if they get airborne!

Noticed NOTAMS for Topcliffe 24th April

EGTT/QWELW/IV/BO/AW/000/195/5412N00123W006

A) EGXZ B) FROM: 24/04/22 08:30 C) TO: 24/04/25 17:00

E) EXER FAST DAGGER/EXCALIBUR WALK. MIL ACFT, INCLUDING FAST JETS, WILL CONDUCT HIGH ENERGY MANOEVRES WI 5NM RADIUS: 541221N 0012254W (THIRSK). FOR INFO 07584 063715. FREQ 271.400MHZ. AR-2024-2237/AU3.