10 Years On , Leuchars Airshow September 2012 , Part 3 – Northern Taxiway Static

[Des]

RAF Leuchars Airshow 2012 was held on Saturday 15th. September that year which actually coincided with the official celebration of Battle of Britain day much like its earlier days as one of many RAF Battle of Britain at Home Days but was a week or two later than in more recent times leading to a clash with by then well-established events on the continent.

 

Many participants in the main ramp area of the static display in Parts 1 and 2 were photographed during Friday as arrivals or during the late afternoon ‘ramp plod’ but others which had arrived earlier or had turned off at the runway mid-point for the northern taxiway static area were not accessible until Saturday morning on the day of the airshow itself.     Consequently barriers and spectators were more of an issue that on the Friday and helicopters especially which were parked on the grass between the taxiway and runway that year were not best placed in the strong morning sunshine for photography.

 

Gaps left by the lower than usual level of European military participation were filled by some less common visitors including the Dutch Coastguard Dornier 228 , Army Air Corps Defender and the first visit of the then recently acquired Royal Navy Avenger as well as some preserved aircraft of which some had links with Leuchars in times past.

 

 

Panavia Tornado GR.4  ZA614/(076)EB-Z from No.41 Squadron with markings to celebrate that years London Olympics , Group Captain Don Finlay had been a pre-war Olympian and a wartime commander of the squadron.

    

Panavia Tornado GR.4 ZA542/035 from the Lossiemouth Wing wearing what had become the more standardised style of markings across the fleet without squadron identification.

    

BAe Hawk T.1A XX203/CC from No.100 Squadron wearing a more intact set of squadron bars than XX184 which had been photographed on the Friday.

 

Leuchars based Grob Tutor T.1 G-CGKL from the East of Scotland University Air Squadron.

 

English Electric Lightning F.3 XR713/C in No.111 Squadron markings had been the long-time gate guard on that squadron’s HAS site during its 21 year service at Leuchars on the Tornado F.3 which had ended the previous year.

 

Port side view of Britten Norman BN-2T Islander AL.1 ZG845 from No.651 Squadron Army Air Corps with the early morning sun highlighting the heavy riveting around the doors and mission related hatches and patches along the fuselage.

 

Starboard side view of Britten Norman BN-2T Islander AL.1 ZG845 from No.651 Squadron Army Air Corps has the surface detail appearing somewhat less brutal when shaded against the prevailing light.

 

Westland Lynx AH.7 XZ645 from 9 Regiment Army Air Corps perhaps not best placed to photograph again the low sun.

 

Aerospatiale Gazelle AH.1 XZ334 from No. 665 Squadron Army Air Corps not from the best angle but it does show the bars fitted for carrying surveillance cameras and similar equipment .

 

Beech King Air 350ER Avenger T.1 ZZ500 from No. 750 Naval Air Squadron which had recently replaced the Jetstream in the Observer Training role made its first visit to a Leuchars airshow.

 

Dassault DA20 Falcon G-FRAW operated at that time by Cobham as threat and target simulators capable of carrying a wide selection of underwing pods depending on the specific mission was one of many operated by the company that were frequent visitors to Leuchars during exercises and for local training while it was an active air defence fighter base.

 

Dornier Do228 PH-CGN from Kustwacht , the Netherlands Coastguard , was an unusual and colourful first time visitor to the show.

 

Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1 (G-WINI) XX546/03 now privately owned but in the typical colour scheme carried during the many years that similar Bulldogs were operated by the RAF at Leuchars (and elsewhere) on University Air Squadron and Air Experience Flight service.

 

Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1 (G-BZFN) XX667/16 also now privately owned and in the typical RAF colour scheme although in this case with the blue fuselage band of the Royal Air Force College when operated by No.3 Flying Training School at RAF Cranwell.

 

Finished as de Havilland Chipmunk T.20 ‘169’ of the Irish Air Corps the aircraft is actually former RAF T.10 WD305 now G-ARGG and owned by Caledonian Chipmunks which was parked alongside similarly finished  ‘170’ formerly WP857 and now G-BDRJ , in RAF service the Chipmunk had preceded the Bulldog on UAS and AEF duties at Leuchars and elsewhere for many years.

 

 

CASA 1131E (a licence-built Bücker Bü 131 Jungmann) E-3B-599/791-31 retains its Spanish Air Force colour scheme and markings albeit overlaid with its somewhat intrusive civilian registration G-CGTX although this was later removed.

 

Preserved nose section of Hawker Hunter FGA.9  XE597 in No.1 Squadron markings with whom it served as ‘A’ during the early 1960s although the camera nose might possibly have been a later addition.

[Alpha Delta 210]

Another lovely set with plenty of detail on each 'frame. You were certainly lucky with the weather!

[canberraman]

Another fascinating photo collection of  a much missed event.  Thanks for sharing.

 

Mark

[JohnT]

Great pics and thanks for sharing. Happy days. Ditto @canberraman

[Latinbear]

Really enjoying this series Des especially with the details accompanying the photos. Thanks for sharing all of these.