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Carried over from the other thread I stared today from this book Chapter 7 relates a tale from Rick Groombridge who was on QRA at Wattisham with 29 Sqn one night when called by the duty controller. He relates that he was told to hand over his aircraft with no questions asked to an American Exchange Officer who would be about to pitch up at QRA and then to stand down. He asked if that "was it" and was told simply "Yes" and was hung up on. The US guy dutifully turned up and one Lightning was handed over. Rick duly retired to the officers mess to hear a Lightning take off shortly thereafter. An hour or so later a Lightning returned and he was called and told to resume QRA duties. He says there was no routine flying going on so he concludes he had to have heard a QRA aircraft take off and return. A short while later he heard that a C130 from Mildenhall had been taken by a USAF sergeant on pretext of a taxi test, took off and headed for the USA. It had gone into the sea. Everyone was tight lipped about the Lightning but he says rumours abounded. One was that the Lightning that came back only had one of her two missiles and on landing she had taxied to the airfield missile site before returning to the QRA hangar with the normal quota After reading the above a Googled a search and there is some stuff on the sites such as prune but its all rather iffy One thing is certain is that the C130 was taken and it did go into the sea.
