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Michael E. Fader |
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Michael E. Fader |
In the summer of 2017 Wings-Aviation visited the home of the BaE Typhoon at RAF Coningsby Lincolnshire again. Unfortunately the weather was not quite good with low clouds and frequently some rain showers. For this report, we use mostly pictures from the summer 2016, at we had nearly perfect conditions.
Ampelanlage die vor ankommenden Maschinen warnt. (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Spotter am Zaun, auch der Author (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Landeanflug einer Typhoon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
RAF Coningsby is a pure fighter base which host four fighter squadrons of the RAF. No. 3 Sqn and No.11 Sqn are responsible for the air defence of the UK. No 29 (R) Squadron is the Operational Conversion Unit for the Typhoon and No. 41 Sqn. is the Test and Evaluation Squadron and has beside the Bae Typhoon FGA. 4 ist has some Panavia Tornado GR4 on strengh.
Spotters can take easely pictures from the langing planes at both ends of the Runways. On the east side is the Langrick Road and the approach is secured with a traffic light system, as the planes are quite low over the road. A pleasant side effect is that the traffic light always "annonce" the landing of a plane.
On the opposite side of the base is the Coningsby Road which has a large car park with its own mobile snack bar. From this parking you have a good overview of the aircraft in the landing pattern. The operator of the snack bar is well informed about the flight shedule of the Base.
A pretty pleasurable for the common spotter is the fakt that the planes often make several touch and go's before the actual landing. In addition to the Typhoon Squadrons, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is also based at RAF Coningsby.
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Andreas Herzog)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Urs Schnyder
(Picture courtesy Andreas Schmucki
Boeing E-3D
In 2016 we witnesses the Boeing E-3D ZH104 from the No. 8 Squadron on a very short flight. After the take off, just after noon it was already in the landing approach at 13:00 hours. On the the radio, we learned that they had engine problems and would only land with three running engines.
Boeing E-3D ZH104 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Boeing E-3D ZH104 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Boeing E-3D ZH104 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Boeing E-3D ZH104 (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon and Tornado
No. 11 or XI Squadron is one of the oldest fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force. After a history of equipment with numerous different aircraft types, the squadron most recently operated the Tornado F3 until 2005 when it was disbanded. It was reactivated on 29 March 2007 at RAF Coningsby to operate the Typhoon F2 and today theTyphoon FGA.4.
No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised as a unit of the Royal Flying Corps in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) for the Typhoon.
Since the late 1920s, the squadron marking has been three (red) Xs (XXX). Since this closely resembles the Roman numeral for "29" (XXIX) there is a "traditional" belief among current squadron personnel that this originated as a "misspelling" of the Roman numeral. It seems probable that the original adoption of "XXX" for squadron marking was nothing to do with Roman numerals, but was a reference to the brewers mark for "extra strong", frequently applied to kegs of beer.
Typhoon T.3 ZJ803 BA (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon FGR.4 ZK320 BR (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon T.3 ZJ814 BH (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon FGR.4 ZK320 BR (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon T.3 ZJ808 BP (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon T.3 ZJ810 BI (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon FGR.4 ZK320 BR (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon T.3 ZJ810 BI (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon FGR.4 ZK342 BX (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
No. 41 (R) Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron ("TES"). The squadron was formed in 1916 during First World War as part of the Royal Flying Corps and served on the Western Front as a ground attack and fighter squadron. Disbanded in 1919 as part of the post-war draw down. During the Second World War, the squadron flew Supermarine Spitfire fighters and saw action over Dunkirk and the during the Battle of Britain in the early years of the war.
On 1 April 2010, the Boscombe Down-based Fast Jet Test Squadron (FJTS) was amalgamated into 41(R) Squadron to create a new entity, 41 Squadron Test and Evaluation Squadron, or "41(R) TES", in which form it continues today. On 1 April 2010, the Boscombe Down-based Fast Jet Test Squadron (FJTS) was amalgamated into 41(R) Squadron to create a new entity, 41 Squadron Test and Evaluation Squadron, or "41(R) TES", in which form it continues today. Since April 2013 No. 41 (R) Squadron flies the Bae Typhoon besides the Panavia Tornado GR.4, wich is in use since April 2007 and will be whitdrawn in 2017.
Typhoon FGR.4 ZK335 EB-B (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon FGR.4 ZJ947 EB-L (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon FGR.4 ZK321 EB-R (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Tornado GR.4 ZK315 EB-A (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Tornado GR.4 ZA560 EB-Q (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Tornado GR.4 ZA560 EB-Q (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Tornado GR.4 ZR775 EB-Z (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Tornado GR.4 ZR775 EB-Z (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Tornado GR.4 ZR775 EB-Z (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Tornado GR.4 ZR775 EB-Z (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Tornado GR.4 ZR775 EB-Z (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Visitors
Typhoon T.3 ZK381 EX from No 6 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon T.3 ZK381 EX from No 6 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon FGR.4 ZK337 FP from No 1 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Typhoon FGR.4 ZK222 GS (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Two Tornado make a flyover (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Beech King Air ZK455 No. 45 Sqn. (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Beech King Air ZK455 No. 45 Sqn, (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)