RAF Donna Nook

[theplayingmantis]

Was there in the week and some jet doing manouveres on its own. are there frequently such 'free' air shows there?

[giveitfish]

Back in the late 70's/early 80's as a child I spent hours on Mablethorpe beach watching Buccaneers, F111's and A10's doing endless bombing runs to Donna Nook

[chunder27]

I remember many years ago we had friends in Louth and used to go Donna Nook a lot for walks. Awesome place

It was a Sunday, no firing, no flag so me and my mate went toddling off to the range, to find casings, we found loads.

We walked out to the huge yellow sights, to the canvas targets and to the huge generator or whatever it was, full of 20 and 30mm holes, it was an amazing experience.

Standing metres away from the canvas targets, seeing the strafing marks.

Then we found a few practice bomb tails. About 8 inches long kept one for years.

And found one sticking out the ground, so my mate started digging, if you recall the body was often a turquoisey blue colour, he was digging away and I saw this colour and started shouting at him to stop! We ran like we were being shot!

[Dan_1981]

Wife has family at Somercotes / Saltfleet - we're out there probably every 2 months or so and have been for the last 8 years or so.

In that time I think i've seen one test flights/ practice runs whatever they are called at Donna Nook.

Maybe i've just been exceptionally unlucky.

[ecsrobin]

Donna nook is a range so regular flying activity there including live firing.

I believe there’s a Facebook page that tells residents when the range is active.

[Riley Blue]

I lived in Mablethorpe in the mid 1950s and it was a regular summer activity as eight year old boys to wander off for the day in the Donna Nook direction and watch from the sand dunes, always keeping an eye open for RAF Land Rovers. Once or twice we were spotted and chased off though were never caught.

[Johnnybee]

I visited a few times in the 70s/80s. The first time you hear the A10 gun fired was followed by

[mickrick]

I have family in Thedlethorpe St. Helen. Yes, they're always flying up and down the beach. I love it when they climb, and the afterburners are kicked in

[chunder27]

I do recall going up to a central target, some kind of old generator or turbine, about the size of a garage, and being amazed at the holes, they looked almost drilled through! It was eerie as hell! You could walk into the thing, and look out and it was full of holes all about 30mm wide lol!

[Gary29]

Johnnybee said:

I visited a few times in the 70s/80s. The first time you hear the A10 gun fired was followed by

BBRRRRRRRRRRRRRTTT

[eharding]

chunder27 said:

I do recall going up to a central target, some kind of old generator or turbine, about the size of a garage, and being amazed at the holes, they looked almost drilled through! It was eerie as hell! You could walk into the thing, and look out and it was full of holes all about 30mm wide lol!

..and presumably those holes would have been made by the practice PGU-15/B rounds rather than the full-fat depleted Uranium filled PGU-14/B rounds.

Either that, or you've been breathing DU dust....

[chunder27]

Never thought of that to be honest

As obviously neither did our parents!

Of a time I guess when things like that did not even occur to anyone, unless you were forces!

was a day i remember very fondly anyway!