RidgeRunner Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 I'm sure many of you remember the great days when you could sit around East Anglia and spend the day being "attacked" from all angles ........ Especially those Mirage 4s http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/wattisham/exercise/redredred.htm Martin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainpeden Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 I remember being at Binbrook in October 1986 and a call came over the radio "You are cleared to attack but do not exceed 500knots or come below 500 feet". 12 Luftwafe Phantoms and 12 Luftwaffe Alphas proceeded to do both! Happy days when you were almost certain to see something unusual wherever you went. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted February 10, 2017 Author Share Posted February 10, 2017 (edited) Ah yes :). For those out there who was part of it as your day job it must have been great and for enthusiasts like me it was one of the highlights of the year every time..... unless the weather killed it, of course Here are a few scrappy shots (un-edited) .... 1 & 2 at Coningsby 3 & 4 at Wyton 5 & 6 at Wattisham The Hunter normally wrapped up the day at Wattisham with a "gas" attack. It was from Boscombe Down I think XE601? Very happy days!!! Martin Edited February 10, 2017 by RidgeRunner correction 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary West Posted February 10, 2017 Share Posted February 10, 2017 Oh the days when the UKADR was regularly tested - Mallet Blow, Priory, Elder Forest.........Will we see the like again? I witnessed such an attack in 1989 at Wattisham - just a day visit to prop the fence up and watch a good days flying, I stumbled across a live TACEVAL. Mid afternoon with fading winter light, and without any radio coms, a French Mirage IV, 3 Jaguar As (2 in Green/Grey & 1 in Chad scheme) and 2 Mirage F1's (again 1 Green/Grey and one in Chad scheme) attacked in loose battle formation. All but the IV eventually landed at Wattisham and I managed to get pics of them parked up on the ramp. I'll never forget only 5 minutes before, Id been thinking it was time to make tracks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted February 10, 2017 Author Share Posted February 10, 2017 (edited) I never saw the Mirage 4s land either. Generally they swooped over low near the end of the day and disappeared. My mates and I camped along side the Wattisham fence one time to watch the night flying F-4s :).... The local RAF Rozzers were intrigued and woke us up regularly with their torches shining in to our tents... All part of the fun. Then we also camped on ther grass one night by the gate at Coningsby.. and nobody approached us. Can you imagine that nowadays? Martin Edited February 10, 2017 by RidgeRunner typos Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackem01 Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Happy days indeed, my friends and I used to watch them attacking Otterburn and Spadeadam ranges. I don't think I've ever seen military aircraft more "operational" than the way they were flown then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head in the clouds. Posted February 12, 2017 Share Posted February 12, 2017 Remember it well, what days they were, I remember a scramble at Wattisham when the F4 and Hawk T1A defenders scrambled followed by 5 minutes of silence.....then all hell broke loose with, I beleive Dutch F5's screaming across the base from various directions with the Hawks on their tails jinking all over . Fabulous and never to be forgotten. I only ever saw the Mirage IV's going over at medium level. Can anyone remember the Tactical Fighter Meet at Waddo, I beleive in 86, I missed only 3 days flying, the base was crammed with visitors, FB111A, F15A, CF188A and much more, what a couple of weeks that was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iainpeden Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 23 hours ago, Head in the clouds. said: Remember it well, what days they were, I remember a scramble at Wattisham when the F4 and Hawk T1A defenders scrambled followed by 5 minutes of silence.....then all hell broke loose with, I beleive Dutch F5's screaming across the base from various directions with the Hawks on their tails jinking all over . Fabulous and never to be forgotten. I only ever saw the Mirage IV's going over at medium level. Can anyone remember the Tactical Fighter Meet at Waddo, I beleive in 86, I missed only 3 days flying, the base was crammed with visitors, FB111A, F15A, CF188A and much more, what a couple of weeks that was. Summer 86. I watched 72 aircraft go out in an hour, within 10 minutes of the last one out the first one was coming back in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Head in the clouds. Posted February 13, 2017 Share Posted February 13, 2017 1 hour ago, iainpeden said: Summer 86. I watched 72 aircraft go out in an hour, within 10 minutes of the last one out the first one was coming back in. Indeed, now they were the good old days and the movements at Waddo during that exercise were as good as I have seen anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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