10 Years On From September 2013 - The Final RAF Leuchars Airshow - Part 4 Warbirds And Civil

[Des]

The RAF Leuchars Airshow 2013 also acknowledged on the programme as being the 65th. Battle of Britain At Home Day returning to a long standing title that had somewhat grown out of favour in previous years.      From the first held back in 1946 when most RAF stations had held such events the number had dwindled over the years until Leuchars was the last operational base to host such an event.      However with hand-over to the Army approaching and the transfer of operational Typhoon squadrons to RAF Lossiemouth the point had been reached when after 2013 manning levels would have dropped to well under the 1100 required to host such events.      Images shown were taken at the show on Saturday 7th. September or during arrivals the previous day.

 

Over a number of years as military budgets tightened and their airshow participation had dwindled the number of civil and warbird participants had grown. Here are some from 2013 although many of the smaller civil light aircraft present have not been included.

 

 

Before the Grob Tutor (Part 2) the Scottish Aviation Bulldog T.1 served the UAS/AEF at Leuchars and elsewhere for many years and there were two examples on static display , XX546/03 (G-WINI) , in the original red/white/light aircraft grey colour scheme and XX667/16 (G-BZFN) in similar colours but with the vertical light blue fuselage band worn by aircraft assigned to the RAF College Cranwell.

 

 

Prior to the Bulldog the Chipmunk T.10 had spent many years in the UAS/AEF role at Leuchars and elsewhere and two ex-RAF examples were also present in the static display albeit in Irish Air Corps markings as 169 (ex-WD305/G-ARGG) an170 (ex-WP857/G-BDRJ)d.

 

Plane Sailing’s PBY-5A Canso , G-PBYA , marked as an OA-10A Catalina , 433915/'Miss Pick UP' , of the USAAF’s 5th. Emergency Rescue Squadron based at RAF Halesworth in 1945 flew an excellent but surprisingly quiet display.

 

Sud Aviation Fennec , 51-7545/Fennec No.119 (N14113) , wearing its original US and later French serials along with markings perhaps best described as inspired by rather imitating French service and a colour scheme inspired by a later generation of French Air Force combat jets rather than the overall natural metal worn it was none the less an impressive sight in the flying display for an aircraft designed as a trainer with the pilot perched way up on top.

 

At the other end of the trainer scale were a pair of Gnat T.1 flying in the display as duo giving the impression of the pilots wearing the aircraft , the first Gnat I ever saw was at Leuchars in the mid-60s on a very dull day with low cloud and the aircraft shining in the original silver/dayglo colour scheme very low and very fast as air displays tended to be back then performing a four-point hesitation roll along the line of the runway . . . . . fantastic !!

 

Gnat T.1 , XR538/01 (G-RORI) , taxies in from displaying in the late service colour scheme and markings of No.4 FTS it carried at the end of its service.

 

Gnat T.1 , (XP504/G-TIMM) marked as XS111 which was written-off after an undercarriage collapse in 1976 , aircraft is in a 1970s version of the Red Arrows colour scheme (XP504 never flew with the team) with larger fin flashes and has the Central Flying School crest on both sides of the nose (RAFAT Crest later replaced this on the port side of the Hawk) ,

 

Hawker Hunter T.7 , WV318 (G-FFOX) , in a representative No.111 Squadron ‘Black Arrow’ colour scheme first applied when it was assigned one of the few remaining T.7 assigned to support Buccaneer crew conversion with the Maritime Strike Wing at RAF Lossiemouth although it had previously served with 111 , taxies in after a formation arrival with the Gnats.

 

Jet Provost T.5 , XW324/U (G-BWSG) , restored to its final service configuration and markings with Central Flying School crest on the tail and RAF Finningley crest on the air intake arrives for the flying display.

 

Spitfire PR.XIX , PS853/C (G-RRGN) , owned and operated by Rolls Royce in the colours and markings (less company logo) when flown by No.16 Squadron in 1945 seen taxying-in after displaying.

 

Soko J-20 Kraguj (Sparrowhawk) , 30146/146 (G-BXSD) , in SFR Yugoslavia Air Force colours and markings heading out to display with the YAK 52 , designed as a light attack aircraft well suited to what would have been extensive guerrilla operations had the ill-will between Marshall Tito’s Yugoslavia and its former fraternal friends to the east ever gone beyond rhetoric.

 

 

Strikemaster Mk.82A , 425 (G-SOAF) , in Royal Air Force of Oman colours took part in the flying display and carries smoke dischargers in the rocket pod shapes on the inner wing pylons.

 

YAK 52 , G-TYAK/Betsy , taxies out for its flying display slot with the Soko Kragjui , and like many of the type sold for private flying after the collapse of the Soviet Union carries a faux-camouflage scheme based on WWII Russian fighter types.

 

 

SAAB Sk60E , 60140 - 5/140 (SE-DXG) , from the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight in Swedish Air Force 5 Wing markings and with ‘SAAB 105 50 ÅR (Years)’ across the upper wings shows off the variety of natural metal panel tones as it taxies in from displaying as well as the unusual wing-tip pressure refuelling point as it gets topped up for its next flight southward.

 

 

Vampire T.55/Sk28C , 8/A (SE-DXT) , from the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight in Swedish Air Force 8 Wing markings taxies in from its display and later has its drop-tanks re-fitted for an onwards flight to its next display in Jersey.

 

 

Saab J37 Viggen , 370098 - 7/52 (SE-DXN) , from the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight in Swedish Air Force 7 Wing markings while not quite flying south for the winter had departed Såtenäs early Saturday morning to join the other Flight aircraft at Leuchars (and from there further south to Jersey) arriving before the gates had opened to the public with the newly risen sun nicely picking out variations in the metallic panel finish as it taxied in and then later in the day showing off its distinctive outline as it landed from displaying.

 

Auster J/1N , G-AJAJ , had never seen military service but wore a typical Auster AOP colour scheme seen here in the static display.

 

Spitfire Mk.26 , BL-927/IJ-H (G-CGWI) , is two-thirds size kit-build replica seen arriving for the static display.

 

Eurocopter EC135 T2+ , G-SPAO , formerly of Strathclyde Police but incorporated into the unitary Police Scotland in April that year , sadly the aircraft was lost with its crew and multiple civilian casualties in December.

 

MBB BO-105DBS-4 , G-CDBS , of the Scottish Charity Air Ambulance which works within the same framework as Scottish Ambulance Service helicopter assets but is funded by charitable donations rather than from direct NHS Scotland funding.

 

Beech King Air 200C , G-SASD , of the Scottish Ambulance Service carries out long-range emergency casualty evacuation and inter-hospital patient transfer service connecting the Highlands and Islands of Scotland with specialist hospitals in the Central Belt and further south as required.

 

Jetstream 41 , G-MAJG , in Eastern Airways livery provided transport for British Aerospace corporate guests to the event.

 

 

[ColinChipmunkfan]

Lovely nostalgic shots, thank you for posting.

[mick]

great pics thanks for posting

[HOUSTON]

SUPERB photographs. 

Lovely nostalgia. 

I've been up in a Police Eurocopter when serving with the West Yorkshire  Police Force.

 

Sorry to hear the sad news.

MY deepest condolences.

 

Thank you.