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Text: |
Michael E. Fader |
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Pictures: |
Michael E. Fader, Andy Herzog |
The
2017 Air Day at RNAS Yeovilton was different from the shows in the past
years. Since I can remember the Air Days at RNAS Yeovilton, the
absolutely highlight was the "Assault" as the final presentation of the
Day. Helicopers swarms in and troops (Royal Marines) disembark on ropes
or jumping out of the hoovering helicopters. But this year it was indeed
different an unusual. No assault and also the old Stringbag (Fairey
Swordfish), with its crew standing beside the white ensing, was missing.
But it was still a quite spectacular programm, the Fleet Air Arm showed
on its main Naval Station.
Fleet Air Arm 2017
The
FAA has, at the time, very few aircrafts. Only the BaE Hawk, Beech
Avenger (Beech King Air) and some Grob Tutors. All of them participated
at the Air Day at RNAS Yeovilton. The FAA relies more on helicopter, but
only on two main types. The Westland Merlin in the version HM.2 as ASW
helicopter and the troop transportversion HC.2, HC.3, HC.3A. In the next
years all HC. versions will bebrought up to the common HC.4 standard.
The first HC.4 was also on display at RNAS Yeovilton.
The second helicopter type is the Westland Wildcat who has replaced the
venerable Westland Lynx on the Frigates of the Royal Navy.
Westland Merlin HC.4 from 848 NAS (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Westland Wildcat HMA.2 from 815 NAS (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Westland Sea King ASaC.7 from 849 NAS (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Westland Sea King ASaC.7 from 849 NAS (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
BaE Hawk T.1 from the 736 NAS (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Westland Merlin HM.2 from 824 NAS (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Beech Avenger T.1 from 750 NAS (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Flying Display
I think it is now a nice tradition, in the recent years it was so, that Rich Goodwin opens the show with a spectacular solo flight in his Ptts Special S-2S (G-EWIN). The second display was very unusual. An old Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 in the colors of the No. 22 Sqn RAF showed the techniques used in the late fifties and early sixties in SAR role. Fascinated was, that these techniques of picking up a injured person, are quite the same as today.
This HAR.10 G-BVGE was built in 1956 as HAR.2 XJ729 for the Royal Air Force and later rebuilt to the HAR.10 standard with a more powerful Rolls-Royce Gnome engine. Besides No.22 Sqn. RAF No.84 Sqn, No.202 Sqn used the Whirlwind HAR.10 in the SAR role.
After a long restauration process the helicopter made in 2016 again his "first" flight and is now privatly owned by Andrew Douglas Whitehouse.
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
At
RNAS Yeovilton in 2017 were many of the todays high speed jets. The
French Navy showed the performance of two Dassault Rafale in a splendid
performance of fast and low speed passes and extremely tight turns.
Two General Dynamics F-16AM Falcon were also displayed, by the Belgian
Air Component and the Danisch Air Force. The Belgiums had to made their
flight in a phase of a cloudy sky. The weather was quite unpleasant with
a strong wind and clouds over the base in Somerset. The Chech Grippen
also suffer with his display by the weather.
Dassault Rafale M French Navy (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Dassault Rafale M French Navy (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Dassault Rafale M French Navy (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Dassault Rafale M French Navy (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Dassault Rafale M French Navy (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Dassault Rafale M French Navy (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Dassault Rafale M French Navy (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Dassault Rafale M French Navy (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
MIG-15 UTI (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
MIG-15 UTI (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
MIG-15 UTI (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Greppen C Chech Air Force (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Denmark General Dynamics F-16BM Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Denmark General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Denmark General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Belgium General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Belgium General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Belgium General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Belgium General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Belgium General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Belgium General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Belgium General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Belgium General Dynamics F-16AM Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
The Royal Air Force also took the opportunity to show its main Fighter the Bae Typhoon. The performance of this fighter ist in the same class as the one of the Rafale. Interestingly the display was not flown by a dedicated Display pilot, no it was an ordinary Fighterpilot from the no. 29 Sqn in Coningsby.
The second display from the czech air force was made by a pair of Aero L-159 ALCA pilots. The made a tactical display to show the crowd the attack abilities of this light attack plane.
BaE Typhoon FGA.4 No. 29 Sqn RAF (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
BaE Typhoon FGA.4 No. 29 Sqn RAF (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
BaE Typhoon FGA.4 No. 29 Sqn RAF (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
BaE Typhoon FGA.4 No. 29 Sqn RAF (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Aero L-159 ALCA (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Aero L-159 ALCA (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Aero L-159 ALCA (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Aero L-159 ALCA (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
A little more quiet were the overflight of the BBMF, but with an extraordinary sound of the Merlin engine. The Lancaster new from a reworking at IWM Duxford made its first display with a single Spitfire Mk. 19. It was not a real display of the Lancaster, only some overflights wer permissioned as the crew was not fully qualiflied for a display.
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
The the combined helicopter force of the Fleet Air Arm and the Army then took into the air. The Navy displayed the Westland Wildcat, which is much maneuverable as the Lynx, in its sea control role. This includes the insertion of a commando unit at the airbase.
The Merlin HM.2, as the main ASW-Helicopter, then showed its performance and maneuverability. Same as the Whirlwind HAR.10 the crew showed how an injured person would be rescued by a helicopter.
The last Helicopter show was made by a Hughes AH.1 Apache again with pyrotechnics. The British Army showed the 40'000 spectators how a mission in Afghanistan was performed. An attack on suspected Taliban combatants.
Westland Wildcat HMA.2 from 815 NAS (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Westland Wildcat HMA.2 from 815 NAS (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Westland Wildcat HMA.2 from 815 NAS (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Westland Wildcat HMA.2 from 815 NAS (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Hughes Apache AH-1 British Army (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Hughes Apache AH-1 British Army (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Hughes Apache AH-1 British Army (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Hughes Apache AH-1 British Army (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Red Arrows
There are only a few air Shows in the UK without the famous Red Arrows. The team was formed in late 1964 as an all-RAF team, replacing a number of unofficial teams that had been sponsored by RAF commands. In 2014, The Red Arrows celebrated 50 years of Aerobatic history as a display team returning to RAF Fairford for the Royal International Air Tattoo. For the entirety of the 2014 display season, the aircraft carried special 50th Anniversary markings on their tails instead of just the red, white and blue stripes.
(Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Royal Jordanien Falcons
The Royal Jordanian Falcons is the national aerobatic team formed in 1976 at the initiative of His Majesty the Late King Hussein Bin Talal. The Jordanians flying the German Extra 300 L. The team impresseses with a spectacular precision with this little plane.
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Guests in the Static
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Auster AOP-9 British Army (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Aerospatiale HAS-4 Lynx French Navy (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Westland HAS.90 Lynx Denmark (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Belgium General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Belgium General Dynamics F-16A Fighting Falcon (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Antonov M-28B1R Bryza Polish Navy (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Antonov M-28B1R Bryza Polish Navy (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Gloster Meteor T.7 (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Gloster Meteor T.7 (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Pilatus PC-9M Irish Air Corps (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
BaE Typhoon FGA.4 No. 1 Sqn RAF (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Embraer Tucano T.1 RAF (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Embraer Tucano T.1 RAF (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Aero L-159 ALCA (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog
Fleet Air Arm Historic Aircraft
Also present at HMS Heron, the Ship's Name of RNAS Yeovilton, were some historic Aircraft from FAA-Museum and privately owned ones. Here the De Havilland Sea Vixen FAW.2 was the most interresting one. After his belly landing on the 27. May 2017 it was the first time that XP924 G-CVIX “Foxy Lady” made a appearance in public. The incident have been caused by a hydraulic problem that prevented extending the landing gear. The damage is extensive and it woud cost around Ł 1'500'000.00 to rebuild the aircraft in flying conditions.
De Havilland Sea Vixen of former 899 NAS. (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader & Andy Herzog)
De Havilland Sea Venom FAW-22 of former 809 NAS (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Hawker Sea Fury F.10 of former 802 NAS (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
Mc Donnell Douglas FG-1 Phantom of former 892 NAS (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog
Wastland Wasp HAS-1 of former 829 NAS (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Westland Gazelle HT-1 of former 705 NAS (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Fairey Swordfish II Historic Flight (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Fairey Swordfish II Historic Flight (Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
De Havilland Chipmunk T-10 Historic Flight (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
De Havilland Chipmunk T-10 Historic Flight (Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
Patrouille Suisse
The
last part of the flying programme, was not as mentioned the assault, is
was the Patrouille Suisse. The six sleek nimble Northrop F-5E Tiger of
the Swiss Air Force took off in two groups of three aircaft. The
performance was, as usual spectacular and the Speaker (Lt. Mario Winger)
did its best to explain some "swissness" in his commentary like
Hosenlupf, Gotthard Basistunnel and Roger Federer. OK the last one ist
well known around the world.
After around 20 Minutes the flying programme was over. It was a unique
Air Day at Yeovilton and i'm sure that we will cover a next issue of
that event in the coming years.
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Andy Herzog)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)
(Picture courtesy Michael E. Fader)