CQWIC RAF Leuchars June 1999 - Part 1

[Des]

In late June 1999 I was one of a party invited into RAF Leuchars during a Combined Qualified Weapons Instructor Course which other than airshows was the first time I had been on the base rather than hanging over the perimeter fence for such an event.     We were given access to the roof of the old control tower for the mass launch and return of the the 'package' before returning to ground level to photograph the aircraft on the main ramp.

 

Qualified Weapons Instructors are experienced squadron aircrew who spend an intensive six months course at the OCU for their respective aircraft type expanding their skills in weapons and tactics which they will then share when they return to their squadrons.     The course culminates in a two week combined phase when all of the students plus supporting aircraft from frontline squadrons and the OCUs operate a daily COMAO (Combined Air Operations) strike package , planned by different designated students each day , which in the case of the Leuchars based courses would involve a number of targets ranging across and down the country from the ranges on the Moray Coast to Spadeadam in the borders.

 

My image scans here were all taken from the roof of the old tower and cover a range Tornado , Hawk , Harrier , Sea Harrier , Jaguar and Falcon 20 (but not the Tornado F.3 whose scans I have misfiled).     The Tornado include a mix of Tornado GR.1/1B/4 and what would still have been GR.4A , the ALARM equipped GR.4 from 31 Squadron were operating from the 43 Sqn. HAS Site.     

 

Hopefully the images illustrate the often mismatched colours of stores and panels (including a green Harrier GR.7 tailplane) that were common at the time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cookenbacher]

Thanks for posting these. There are a lifetime's worth of subjects here.

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

I was on the UAS at Leuchars not long after this, and anecdotally there was (probably urban myth) rumour of signs being erected requesting Jaguar pilots to refrain from using reheat whilst taxying.

[Alpha Delta 210]

Absolutely gorgeous set! Those were the days! Thanks for sharing. 

[junglierating]

Excellent post ....nice to see the mighty Shar....id left the harrier circuit by then busy out in Bosnia at that time  ....Leuchars always a great run ashore though great phots

Edited June 16, 2020 by junglierating

[Troffa]

Great shots, but if you had told me that the only type left in service 20 years later was going to be the Hawk I'd have laughed at you.

 

 

[Richard E]

A diverse range of types, schemes and stores that we'll never see again, I don't think I've ever seen a Harrier GR Mk.7 carrying a Phimat pod: it looks like its still wearing a grey ARTF scheme ?

 

Interesting to see the different colours of the Sea Harriers' radomes - definitely a case of check your references !

 

Thanks for sharing them.

[JohnT]

2 hours ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

I was on the UAS at Leuchars not long after this, and anecdotally there was (probably urban myth) rumour of signs being erected requesting Jaguar pilots to refrain from using reheat whilst taxying.

Perhaps the source of the story that the Jaguar only takes off without reheat due to the curvature of the earth

[DAG058]

Thanks for sharing!

[Des]

4 hours ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

I was on the UAS at Leuchars not long after this, and anecdotally there was (probably urban myth) rumour of signs being erected requesting Jaguar pilots to refrain from using reheat whilst taxying.

The Northern Taxiway does have an uphill gradient heading from the ramp towards 27.

[Lord Riot]

Beautiful photos!

 

Probably more jets on one airfield then than left in our whole air force today. 🙄

[Red Dot]

lucky chap.

 

The Jag bombs are nearly as big as the plane!

 

Andy

[F-32]

Some classic types there, much missed

[Swamp Donkey]

I’m liking that little lot, superb collection

 

SD

[Des]

I don't recall having had the time to post much before Photobucket went greedy so hopefully will not be repeating anything that I might have posted before.

 

Glad that everyone likes the photos and thanks for your comments , it was certainly a great day out and although I got access to many more exercises at Leuchars , Kinloss and Lossiemouth over the next 15 years it was a hard one to beat.

 

The images had been scanned for another project which did not work out and although it might be a while before I can get round to scanning anything else from that day or later visits using film cameras  I do have some of the Tornado GR. already scanned for the same cancelled project that were taken during the ramp walk later that afternoon that I will post in a day or two.

 

Other visits with digital imagery will hopefully follow , thinking about starting with Ramp , Old Control Tower roof and Runway access on an Enthusiasts Day organised when  the French Carrier Air Group took part in Joint Warrior during April 2013 - E-2C , Rafale M , SEM along with 6 Sqn. Typhoon , 100 Sqn. Hawks and RN Lynx.

[Richard E]

On 6/17/2020 at 1:10 PM, Red Dot said:

The Jag bombs are nearly as big as the plane!

A 2,000 lb Paveway III Penetrator which probably explains why the poor old Jag needed the boost from its afterburners.

 

I think the Jag was the only British type which operated this particular version of the Paveway ?

[Unfinished project]

Great pictures from much happier times at RAF Leuchars 

[Des]

5 hours ago, Richard E said:

A 2,000 lb Paveway III Penetrator which probably explains why the poor old Jag needed the boost from its afterburners.

 

I think the Jag was the only British type which operated this particular version of the Paveway ?

Cannot say which variant of the weapon was being carried but the green/grey 14 Sqn. Tornado coded 'BD' was also carrying the same size of inert LGB as the Jaguars that day.     Carried on the port fuselage pylon although it only shows in two of my unscanned prints , one a rear shot from a distance as the aircraft heads up the taxiyway and the other in silhouette as the aircraft takes off.      As with those carried by the Jaguars that day the weapons were dropped on the Luce Bay range and the crew could be heard talking somewhat excitedly about the accuracy of the drop with others as they walked back from the aircraft.

[Glen]

Sadly, a friend of mine was killed in a Jag when he didn’t select reheat for take off from Colt. He clipped the top of the barrier and crashed in the overshoot. About 1995 I think.

 

The Harrier GR7 is interesting - it appears to have a green port stabiliser, presumably robbed from an aircraft in the old scheme?

[Robert]

It must have been lovely and noisy that day.

 

Regards

Robert

[Britman]

Serious hardware. Thank you for sharing.

 

Keith