F-15Es and F-35As at RAF Lakenheath, April 2025

[Alpha Delta 210]

I spent a fantastic four hours at Lakenheath yesterday with a good mate enjoying plenty of fast jet action!

 

Here are a few favourites.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gorgeous as it was, the sun became a bit of a challenge in the afternoon!

 

I've never seen a completely clean Strike Eagle before - it just doesn't look "right" to my eye!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Parabat]

Superb pics, really show off the lines well. That Strike Eagle sans CFTs does look a bit like a gangly eaglet that needs to put some weight on! 

Thanks for sharing.

[gaputz]

Fantastic photographs.  Enjoyed seeing them.

[Bedders]

Very nice pics. I didn't used to like the F-15 but these days I've grown rather fond of it, particularly as its successors come on stream. I also like the penultimate shot of the F-35 and how it shows the fin/fuselage merge. 

 

Justin

[CH-53D]

Wonderful pictures, thank you! 

The different helmets front and rear are quite clear.

[Alpha Delta 210]

3 hours ago, Parabat said:

Superb pics, really show off the lines well. That Strike Eagle sans CFTs does look a bit like a gangly eaglet that needs to put some weight on! 

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks for the kind words, Parabat! Great description of the naked Strike Eagle!!

 

2 hours ago, gaputz said:

Fantastic photographs.  Enjoyed seeing them.

Om delighted that you enjoyed them, gaputz. Thanks for looking in!

 

4 minutes ago, Bedders said:

Very nice pics. I didn't used to like the F-15 but these days I've grown rather fond of it, particularly as its successors come on stream. I also like the penultimate shot of the F-35 and how it shows the fin/fuselage merge. 

 

Justin

Thanks very much, Justin. I preferred the 'C' to the 'E'-model Eagles and miss them at Lakenheath, so the F-35 will just have to do! We commented how the single-engined F-35 seemed more noisy that the twin-engined F-15E!

[Longhorn]

Very nice photos, thanks for sharing. I think that’s the first time I’ve seen an E model without the CFTs fitted. 

[Alpha Delta 210]

8 minutes ago, CH-53D said:

Wonderful pictures, thank you! 

The different helmets front and rear are quite clear.

Thanks very much - helped by the glorious early Spring sunshine!

5 minutes ago, Longhorn said:

Very nice photos, thanks for sharing. I think that’s the first time I’ve seen an E model without the CFTs fitted. 

I'm delighted you enjoyed them! The naked 'E' somehow looks a bit scrawny!

[SprueMan]

Thanks for sharing, those are some nice pictures!

 

You are right, that naked E looks like malnourished. A proper E has CFTs and enough stores to bend the wings.

[Bedders]

59 minutes ago, Alpha Delta 210 said:

the single-engined F-35 seemed more noisy that the twin-engined F-15E!

Yes quite. I saw one take off from Marham a while back and wondered what the stealth thing was all about, with that racket going on...

[Alpha Delta 210]

32 minutes ago, SprueMan said:

Thanks for sharing, those are some nice pictures!

 

You are right, that naked E looks like malnourished. A proper E has CFTs and enough stores to bend the wings.

Thanks for the kind words, Sprueman! I'm pleased you enjoyed them. We decided that it looks more like a 'D' than an 'E'!

18 minutes ago, Bedders said:

Yes quite. I saw one take off from Marham a while back and wondered what the stealth thing was all about, with that racket going on...

We said the same! We could still hear them when we could no longer see them! There must be some technical reason!

[SAT69]

I suspect the "clean" Eagle was taxiing out for a Functional Check Flight (FCF) after some kind of intense maintenance. The clean configuration is typical, so far as I know, for such flights.

[Alpha Delta 210]

7 hours ago, SAT69 said:

I suspect the "clean" Eagle was taxiing out for a Functional Check Flight (FCF) after some kind of intense maintenance. The clean configuration is typical, so far as I know, for such flights.

That would make sense, SAT69 as it was only airborne for around 5 minutes. 

[geedubelyer]

Wonderful 🥰

[Alpha Delta 210]

1 hour ago, geedubelyer said:

Wonderful 🥰

Thanks very much, geedubelyer!

[112 Squadron]

Thank you for sharing your outstanding pictures.

[Alpha Delta 210]

2 hours ago, 112 Squadron said:

Thank you for sharing your outstanding pictures.

I'm delighted that you enjoyed them. Our next outing will be to catch some heavies at Mildenhall. 

[canberraman]

Smashing stuff as ever Leigh! Lakenheath is hard to beat for lots of fast jet activity, and with blues skies to boot what's not to like!

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

[Alpha Delta 210]

2 hours ago, canberraman said:

Smashing stuff as ever Leigh! Lakenheath is hard to beat for lots of fast jet activity, and with blues skies to boot what's not to like!

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

Thanks very much, Mark! We had a great few hours and have decided that our next trip will be to Mildenhall. 

[ColinChipmunkfan]

Great photos -as ever- Leigh,  The last time I took photos at Lakenheath all the aeroplanes were Phantoms.

Colin

[talbot]

excellent photos, thanks for sharing them

both are gorgeous aircraft

[Alpha Delta 210]

1 hour ago, ColinChipmunkfan said:

Great photos -as ever- Leigh,  The last time I took photos at Lakenheath all the aeroplanes were Phantoms.

Colin

Thanks very much, Colin! I remember F-111Fs at Lakenheath on the occasional spotting trip with my Dad.

1 hour ago, talbot said:

excellent photos, thanks for sharing them

both are gorgeous aircraft

Thanks for the kind words, talbot. I'm pleased that you enjoyed them.

[exdraken]

On 4/3/2025 at 10:12 PM, Alpha Delta 210 said:

We said the same! We could still hear them when we could no longer see them! There must be some technical reason!

The F-35 is famous for being noisy...quite a lot of environmental impact analysis going one when basing a squadron somewhere for that reason...

 

The engine is big and powerful , noise seems not yo have been a design criteria...

[HOUSTON]

Leigh,

Wonderful  photography with very enjoyable and SUPERB photographs. 

You always manage to convey  movement  of the aircraft effortlessly. 

Thank you for sharing  them.

[Alpha Delta 210]

20 hours ago, HOUSTON said:

Leigh,

Wonderful  photography with very enjoyable and SUPERB photographs. 

You always manage to convey  movement  of the aircraft effortlessly. 

Thank you for sharing  them.

Thanks very much, Houston! I'm delighted that you enjoyed the shots! 🫡