Vc-10 refueling Typhoon over Malvern

[clarkey]

I watched a vc-10 refueling a typhoon heading south east over Malvern today. I've never seen refueling over land before, and very rarely see fast jets at weekends. Does anyone know what was going on? Another olympics exercise?

[fatboy69]

That would explain the other thread where it was thought the Vulcan was in the air. Any photo's?

[clarkey]

Found a photo here: http://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.ph...

Must be a pretty unusual thing to do?

[XG332]

Whilst doing my dofe a few years ago I watched about 10 tornados IIRC taking it in turn to refuel.

[GT3ZZZ]

In case you cant see it on FC:

[fatboy69]

Joined FighterControl earlier so saw the photo. It's a great photo.

[Yertis]

Isn't the VC-10 beautiful? Just as beautiful as Concorde IMO, and faster than just about any contemporary airliner you care to mention. Rather than worrying about whether Concorde could ever fly again, or fiddling around with the Vulcan, one of these should be restored to its original B•O•A•C magnificence, then we could all have a go in it.

[IroningMan]

Can you put a window in the tail so we can all see out?

[Ultuous]

Yertis said:

Isn't the VC-10 beautiful?

An absolute work of art - it will be a sad day when they're finally retired!

[kiteless]

Yertis said:

Isn't the VC-10 beautiful? Just as beautiful as Concorde IMO, and faster than just about any contemporary airliner you care to mention. Rather than worrying about whether Concorde could ever fly again, or fiddling around with the Vulcan, one of these should be restored to its original B•O•A•C magnificence, then we could all have a go in it.

Couldn't agree more.

[PaulG40]

Sitting backwards is the way forward I prefer these to the Tristars although would like to do a trail on the voyager FSTA once it comes into service.

[perdu]

I used to tell my lad that the VC10 tailplane is exactly the same size as the Hunter's mainplanes

And to this day I'm still not sure I'm wrong to laugh at his youthful gullibility, because the shape and size look pretty close to each other.

And definitely pretty, oh yes

One of our (Britain's) finest aircraft

[hornetrider]

That is an awesome picture

[Brigand]

Strange how they're doing it over land though, normally they do the AAR training over the North Sea.

I'd have thought that either that's the area they'll be refueling in during the Olympic patrols, or the Typhoon needed a quick top up!

[Brigand]

Ultuous said:

An absolute work of art - it will be a sad day when they're finally retired!

Lovely looking plane, but horrendously noisy! Even after 20 years of living at Brize, the noise would irritate me sometimes, although mainly it blended into the background.

It was 'interesting' living in the Block near the runway though, the windows would rattle when they took off!

[jonny142]

Brigand said:

Strange how they're doing it over land though, normally they do the AAR training over the North Sea

Here's Air to Air ,AWACS and low level maps

http://www.aeroresource.co.uk/aviationmaps/

[GT3ZZZ]

The Typhoon was a QRA - Quick Reaction Aircraft scrambled from Coningsby to intercept a plane that wasn't responding to any comms. The VC10 was scrambled to top him up.

[Simpo Two]

GT3ZZZ said:

The Typhoon was a QRA - Quick Reaction Aircraft scrambled from Coningsby to intercept a plane that wasn't responding to any comms. The VC10 was scrambled to top him up.

Presumably the top-up was after the interception... would it not have been easier, if he could not regain his home base, to divert somewhere closer, refuel on the ground and then go home?

[Brigand]

GT3ZZZ said:

The Typhoon was a QRA - Quick Reaction Aircraft scrambled from Coningsby to intercept a plane that wasn't responding to any comms. The VC10 was scrambled to top him up.

Ahh, I know what you mean, 'Tanzer' or something isn't it? I remember it being yelled out on the tannoy at Brize quite often, and had to ask what it was about. That call meant the VC-10 had to scramble to refuel a jet who'd scrambled for the above reason.

[WestYorkie]

Simpo Two said:

GT3ZZZ said:

The Typhoon was a QRA - Quick Reaction Aircraft scrambled from Coningsby to intercept a plane that wasn't responding to any comms. The VC10 was scrambled to top him up.

Presumably the top-up was after the interception... would it not have been easier, if he could not regain his home base, to divert somewhere closer, refuel on the ground and then go home?

Maybe throw in some training for the Olympics while he's up there?