RAF Fairford going to get a bit busier
RAF Fairford going to get a bit busier
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Trevatanus

Original Poster:

11,349 posts

179 months

Wednesday 24th May 2017
quotequote all
USAF RC135's are going to be based there, I have also heard a rumour, but it's only a rumour that the RAF will also base their Rivet Joint there.



anonymous-user

83 months

Wednesday 24th May 2017
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I want an f35a flight simulator facility

Trevatanus

Original Poster:

11,349 posts

179 months

Wednesday 31st May 2017
quotequote all
a RUMOUR that Buff's are arriving tomorrow for an exercise.

NM62

952 posts

179 months

Wednesday 31st May 2017
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There was a tweet from the USAF a couple of days ago that there will be B-52(s) and B-2(s) on display at RIAT.

It also mentioned a couple of other visits from the two types between now and the show as part of an exercise and as a show of force to Putin.

Trevatanus

Original Poster:

11,349 posts

179 months

Wednesday 31st May 2017
quotequote all
NM62 said:
There was a tweet from the USAF a couple of days ago that there will be B-52(s) and B-2(s) on display at RIAT.

It also mentioned a couple of other visits from the two types between now and the show as part of an exercise and as a show of force to Putin.
which account, would like to follow that.

NM62

952 posts

179 months

Wednesday 31st May 2017
quotequote all
Trevatanus said:
NM62 said:
There was a tweet from the USAF a couple of days ago that there will be B-52(s) and B-2(s) on display at RIAT.

It also mentioned a couple of other visits from the two types between now and the show as part of an exercise and as a show of force to Putin.
which account, would like to follow that.
I'm just trying to (re)find it but I follow a lot of USAF Twitter accounts.

NM62

952 posts

179 months

Wednesday 31st May 2017
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Hi Trevatanus

The first was UK Airshow Review - @UKAirshowReview - They Tweeted about B-52 and B-1 attending RIAT on May 17 and Linked to this story from Washington Examiner.
Which had a picture of the B-2 - hence why I remembered it.

Another twitter account was "planes on the net" @PlanesOnTheNet which also mentioned the same story

Trevatanus

Original Poster:

11,349 posts

179 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
quotequote all
NM62 said:
Hi Trevatanus

The first was UK Airshow Review - @UKAirshowReview - They Tweeted about B-52 and B-1 attending RIAT on May 17 and Linked to this story from Washington Examiner.
Which had a picture of the B-2 - hence why I remembered it.

Another twitter account was "planes on the net" @PlanesOnTheNet which also mentioned the same story
I have heard that the B52 will be at RIAT, not heard about the B1 though.

B52 due int today for the start of the exercise, approx 13 00 I am told.

NM62

952 posts

179 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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It'll be nice to have some BUFF's in temporary residence, always liked seeing them when I was spotting, couldn't get over their nose down attitude when in level flight but that may have just been the D model.

B-1's are something else and always nice to see, I presume you follow Bone Driver on Twitter - he posts some good photo's and videos.

Given the amount of hardware the Yanks are sending over these days it would be good to see some B-2s over too.

ukaskew

10,642 posts

250 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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Trevatanus said:
I have heard that the B52 will be at RIAT, not heard about the B1 though.
RIAT have officially announced the USAF stuff arriving for the airshow...


Static
B1 Lancer
B52 Stratofortress
C17A
Osprey
MC-130J
F16C
P8A Poseidon

Flying
F16
F22
Osprey

Despite one of the posts above there is no official confirmation of a B2 in attendance.

Eric Mc

125,606 posts

294 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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NM62 said:
It'll be nice to have some BUFF's in temporary residence, always liked seeing them when I was spotting, couldn't get over their nose down attitude when in level flight but that may have just been the D model.

B-1's are something else and always nice to see, I presume you follow Bone Driver on Twitter - he posts some good photo's and videos.

Given the amount of hardware the Yanks are sending over these days it would be good to see some B-2s over too.
The nose down attitude is common to al B-52sl. It's because of the angle at which the wing is attached to the fuselage. And that is dictated by the fact that the B-52 has a bicycle undercarriage rather than a tricycle undercarriage, which means that it cannot rotate to the take off attitude like a tricycle undercart aeroplane can.

Watch this bit of footage of B-52s taking off. They just hoist themselves straight into the air in their normal flying attitude.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cq6Hpxyrhyo

NM62

952 posts

179 months

Thursday 1st June 2017
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ukaskew said:
Despite one of the posts above there is no official confirmation of a B2 in attendance.
My Typo - B-1 not B-2 getmecoat

diametric123

171 posts

141 months

Friday 2nd June 2017
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Lots of action yesterday - several tankers doing touch & go runs all morning, then at about 1500 the first of the B52s came in - did a high level circle (probably passing over Brize) and then turned in from the East to land)

Got woken up by another one at 0600 this morning and then another at about 0800...

NM62

952 posts

179 months

Saturday 3rd June 2017
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How many turned up?

I saw a tweet that 3 had left their base at the same time.

Trevatanus

Original Poster:

11,349 posts

179 months

Saturday 3rd June 2017
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NM62 said:
How many turned up?

I saw a tweet that 3 had left their base at the same time.
Three have arrived I'm told.
This exercise is apparently going to feature all three bomber types.
Lots of stores arrived today. Oddly was refuelled by a KC10 off Ireland a short time before arrival.
IMG_9978 by Jim Pritchard, on Flickr

NM62

952 posts

179 months

Sunday 4th June 2017
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Cheers, it would be nice to see all 3 types over here (or the Baltics). I do need to sort out my ADS-B kit.

NM62

952 posts

179 months

Wednesday 7th June 2017
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MYTEE11 - 2 x B1 heading over to play, also DERBY53 reported as B1 heading over. Twitter is full of heavy stuff such as a couple of Rivet Joints...

Trevatanus

Original Poster:

11,349 posts

179 months

Wednesday 7th June 2017
quotequote all
NM62 said:
MYTEE11 - 2 x B1 heading over to play, also DERBY53 reported as B1 heading over. Twitter is full of heavy stuff such as a couple of Rivet Joints...
Someone locally has just confirmed that they have arrived Fairford.

NM62

952 posts

179 months

Wednesday 7th June 2017
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Good news - how many as the person on Twitter suggested two flights of two?

Thought they may go straight to the baltics and potentially return/recover to Fairford.

Seems to be a lot of heavy metal in the air too with C17s, KC135, KC10 and C5's, plus the RC variants.

Guess Trump wants a good rattle of his sabre.

NM62

952 posts

179 months

Wednesday 7th June 2017
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These twitter accounts @planesonthenet, @MIL_Radar and @CivMilAir have been giving good coverage of the aircraft involved.