Harriers Final goodbye happenings (updated)

[ch1965]

Latest Cottesmore TAF from the MET office,

1509/1518 33013KT 3000 BR BKN004 TEMPO 1509/1510 1500 BKN002 BECMG 1509/1511 5000 HZ SCT006 TEMPO 1510/1513 2000 RADZ BKN003 BECMG 1513/1515 SCT007 BKN015 TEMPO 1515/1518 FEW012 BKN015

Basically says from 9 to 11 becoming 5000 metres vis with a 600 foot cloudbase with temporary periods between 10 to 3 of 2000 metres drizzle with a 300 foot cloudbase but should lift to 700 feet between 1 and 3 with no rain. Hope it clears up for you guys enough for the flypast to go ahead.

[Fighterfoto]

Latest info I have is that final decision will be made shortly.

Plan A is 16-ship, Plan B 4-ship, Plan C singleton, Plan D (well you can guess!). Likely to be in the weather window early afternoon, but weather will clag in at 15:00hrs so has to be before then.

[T_J]

BBC MIGHT be covering the Harriers, if the students behave themselves and don't go to a swingers party at the Cenotaph.

Is there any off-road car parking? I read that there might be some parking at the caravan site..

There is also the Farmers yard at the end of runway 22. See following.

http://www.thunder-and-lightnings.co.uk ... esmore.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TJ

[POL]

Reports of a 30 minute delay to the flight due to weather.

[headset 57]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11996936" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


The Harrier jump jet will make its final operational flight on Wednesday, leaving from RAF Cottesmore in Rutland.

One of Britain's greatest technical achievements was retired early after falling victim to defence cuts.

In celebration of the aircraft, Harriers will pass over seven military bases, the town centres of Stamford and Oakham, and Lincoln Cathedral.

The Harriers will be decommissioned in 2011 to be replaced by the Joint Strike Fighter by the end of the decade.

Aircraft engineer Lt Cdr Mark Kingdom, of 800 Naval Air Squadron, is being redeployed to work on the replacement and says the Harrier will be missed.

"It's so special because it's effectively the only aircraft we can operate from sea. It's a British evolution, a British design, and it's done such a fantastic job in its 41 years of service," he said.
End of era

Axing the Harrier is set to save £450m over the next four years and £900m in total, and involve the redeployment of 12,000 jobs in the Harrier force.

Overall, the defence review is cutting 5,000 personnel from the RAF - bringing the number serving in the air force down to 33,000 by 2015.
Harrier leaving the Ark Royal The Harrier was revolutionary when it was introduced in the late 1960s

Last month, a formation of Harriers made a final journey from HMS Ark Royal - the last such flight from a Royal Navy aircraft carrier for about 10 years.

The four GR9 jets marked the end of an era when they roared off the deck near North Shields, North Tyneside.

The crew of the 22,000-tonne Ark Royal, which saw active service in the Balkans and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, lined the decks to watch the historic departure.

The Ark Royal is being scrapped under cost-saving measures, along with the Harriers.

The ship will be replaced by the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carrier at the end of the decade, which will carry F35s.
'Difficult decisions'

Meanwhile, the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir David Richards, has said the package of cuts announced in the government's strategic defence and security review (SDSR) will "not be plain sailing".

The head of the armed forces acknowledged that some decisions such as scrapping the Ark Royal and the Harrier had already provoked an "understandable emotional response".

Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in Whitehall, he said: "The SDSR has undoubtedly meant taking difficult decisions.

"All three services and the civil service will lose manpower, and I am painfully aware of the understandable worry caused by the decisions we have made.

"Achieving this will not be plain sailing and much innovative and radical thinking will be required, including being prepared to shed outmoded or irrelevant attitudes and structures."

[POL]

Reports on Twitter that 04 now in use. Weather not really improving; EGXJ 151113Z 34012KT 2500 -RA OVC003 04/04 Q1035 YLO2

[jagmadandy]

The media is saying the flypast may now be smaller than a 16 ship and an hour late? can anyone confirm this? will be at waddington waiting for it

Andy

[POL]

Latest info I have is that final decision will be made shortly.

Plan A is 16-ship, Plan B 4-ship, Plan C singleton, Plan D (well you can guess!). Likely to be in the weather window early afternoon, but weather will clag in at 15:00hrs so has to be before then.

That'll answer your "smaller flypast" question.

[jagmadandy]

Latest info I have is that final decision will be made shortly.

Plan A is 16-ship, Plan B 4-ship, Plan C singleton, Plan D (well you can guess!). Likely to be in the weather window early afternoon, but weather will clag in at 15:00hrs so has to be before then.

That'll answer your "smaller flypast" question.

Cheers hopefully the weather will hold out, the pilots are walking to the jets on news 24 now, the reporter said about 30mins behind shedule.

ANdy

[blakey]

I take it Neil hasn't chained himself to the runway then

Hoping to see them over Swineshead soon

[PeteHemsley]

Visiting gr4 has landed at cott

[POL]

Just a thought, is anyone recording the radio transmissions? I'd love to hear them

[Dan D'Air]

Live coverage of events now, on News 24.

[POL]

Live coverage of events now, on News 24.

I've got weather at the moment!

[Dan D'Air]

You know what I mean!

[POL]

I didn't actually, I'm watching online so I wasn't sure if the TV version was different (They've done it before ) - Get you now though

[Andrewausfa]

Stuck at work without a TV etc and waiting to dive up to Wyton; could anyone give an update please? Thanks for doing a good job so far!

Thanks - Andrew

[Aileron]

Andrew I'm heading up there in about 5 mins as news was saying about 30 mins I will have scanner with me! But no phone orr net access

[POL]

There's a twin-stick up (Wx check) and they're powering up by the looks of it on BBC.

[jamesv9820]

preview report just showed live footage of Harriers being prepared

We are talking about Channel 503 on sky arent we and bbc news online? (currently the One oclock news???)