Warning Stars and Willie Victors

[Wigzy]

Equipped only with a notebook in the golden days when Navy WV-2s visited Blackbushe regularly (Prestwick also, but that was way out of my bike range) I did bag a few at the 'Hall later on thanks mostly to VQ-2. The ADC birds on the other hand were a very rare sight although I believe they did use Leuchars as a weather diversion when things got too bad at Kef. When ADC handed off the GIUK mission to AFRES they traveled further south sometimes shedding the dorsal radome and antenna of the height-finding radar to reduce drag. Even the ugly radomes could not disguise the elegant lines of the Super Connies although it is hard to romanticize them with their squealing brakes, smoky starts and dripping oil (they were not a transient line chief's favorite).

2. 137895 WC-121N VW-4 17APR66 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

6. 131391 EC-121M VQ-2 30MAR69 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

11. 55-0118 EC-121T 552nd AEW&CW 25JAN76 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

16. 54-2307 EC-121T 79th AEW&CS 26AUG78 by John Wigzell, on Flickr

For more like this see

https://flic.kr/s/aHskGM4hQu

[Punkrunner62]

What can you but amazing and outstanding post, thanks very much.
Cheers.

[graham luxton]

Great post - remember some of them. One c/s which sticks in my mind from those days is "Adola.." used by those AFRES EC-121's on TDY at Keflavik when they visited Mildenhall.

[JAWS]

Awesome stuff , only ever saw 1 operationally and that was # 4 in 1978 . # 3 looks as though it could have been taken at it's " home " base rather than Mildenhall .

[garyscott]

Stunning shots of an icon, beautiful.

[PeteHemsley]

Oh hell, those are simply wonderful!

[steved]

Amazing. What a fantastic post from a Golden era, please keep them coming. You have an amazing photographic collection and such variety.

Your Flickr feed is fantastic too.

[F3]

Nice selection of a type I never got to see.

[eagle driver]

Second favourite aircraft of all time ,travelled up to Mildenhall to see No 3 .
No4 was at the air day for that year and I believe was the last Ec-121 to visit before there retirement .
Thanks for Posting made my day.

[Reach4060]

Thanks - Fantastic - now where's my time machine!

[dragonchaser]

Saw very few of these, but what a beautiful aircraft they were!, stunning shots.

[LM47]

Thank you for posting these wonderful photographs. They certainly bring back memories of the many 'Connies' I saw at Lossiemouth in the sixties.

[Wigzy]

Awesome stuff , only ever saw 1 operationally and that was # 4 in 1978 . # 3 looks as though it could have been taken at it's " home " base rather than Mildenhall .

Was doing the regular Sunday Rhino run at Alconbury and learned that 55-0118 was a weather divert and due out asap. Driving over to the 'hall became really sporty especially in the Earith area where the edges of the narrow road disappeared and I knew that there was deep water on both sides. But it was a Connie after all so the Krew voted to continue. 'Fortune favors..etc' and it turned out that there was nobody available for de-icing so it didn't get away on time. Good Connie pix and a free beer for the driver - good as it gets.

[PaulN]

Good shots John , must have been next to each other for the last 2 You too must have had a press pass for the 78 show
Happy days
Paul

[slogen51]

Wow lovely stuff

I like seeing pictures from familiar bases taken before I started spotting.

Only saw two or three on the ground and one over flying Weybridge Surrey on 10 Oct 1975 ( date is stuck in my mind - never found it out - it may of been civil)

[fisherman]

Number 4 takes me back, that was my last Mildenhall show for 11years. Really nice post

[paddyboy]

Hi John

Stunning pics

Only ever got to see one of those 121s once at the 'Hall

Thanks for posting

Paddyboy