Wow! What a fantastic experience that was - almost 26 years ago!

Lets put the trip in context...I went to visit my brother Chris who was stationed there at the time, to check out if I had the 'right stuff' with a view to applying to join as aircrew. It's a long story but I decided that most of the guys who were flying with 19 and 92 Squadrons, RAF were something special and it wasn't for me. Indeed have you read the excellent book by Bob Prest: 'F-4 Phantom, A Pilot's Story' ? You should...if you want to capture what the atmosphere was like at the time. Everyone expected the Russian and Eastern Bloc to attack - nothing specific in terms of timing, but it wasn't a case of 'if' but 'when' will they attack!

I had little money then and no camera - having to borrow one from a friend before going out. I so wish that I had taken more notes and kept a record of who the guys were that were so kind in showing me what was what.

The what in this instance was 92 Squadron on Battle Flight. Two FGR-2s kept on readiness for immediate launch when the next threat came - and they were scrambled, often. Luckily, the bombers and fighters never did come. So we can look back to that time with great happiness and grattitude. And so this part of the site is given over to capturing for all of you, something of that trip and some great close-ups of Phantom FGR-2 XV498 'R'.

Just see how grubby the aircraft is - fantastic! the finish is waxy and satin in look - with hydraulic stains all over the rear fuselage, chipping on the leading edges of the wings and lots of other interesting points of detail. This is definitely going to be a future modelling project - watch this space!


Blimey! I can hardly believe I looked like that then...(very sad.)






















Here the awesome SUU-23A Vulcan rotary cannon on the centreline pylon







And here are a few other images I captured on the visit...



Here a No 111 Sqn Phantom taxies past fully laden homeward bound to RAF Leuchars in Scotland - note the storage cannister.

One of the most interesting is from the No 60 Sqn Pembroke I managed to get a short trip in...looking back on all the Bloodhound surface to air missile batteries. They were located at the East end of the base and, unsurprisingly, all face East!!


The RAF Regiment could have put up a sign that said: "Hello, we're the RAF Regiment, welcome!)...ok, maybe not...


Very hard to spot from the air...I think this is the 92 Sqn HAS dispersal.