RAF Form 414, Vol 27
Listen now
Description
My logbook tales continue with my tour on Tremblers flying the F3 Tornado which had got off to a difficult start when our compliment of brand new aircraft were shipped off to other squadrons and, in return, we received the dregs of the RAF’s Tornado ADVs.  They certainly weren’t in the best of condition and I began to think I was fated when I was forced to divert following a generator failure and X-drive clutch failure on an air test but then I was looking forward to leading a detachment down to Coningsby to fight F-16s over the North Sea in the Air Combat Manoeuvring range for a week.   The British Aerospace North Sea ACMI served UK and European Air Forces   Tremblers formate on the RAF's new E3D Airborne Early Warning aircraft.   An F3 Tornado fires an AIM 9 Sidewinder missile   A piper plays at sunset   A 100 Squadron Hawk trainer   An F3 on approach   The K2 Victor Air to Air Refuelling tanker trailing all 3 hoses   Italian firemen hose down a Tornado canopy as it was too hot to close properly   The F3's single Mauser 27mm cannon   The golfer Tom Kite playing for the USA in the Dunhill Cup at St Andrews   The Royal and Ancient golf club at St Andrews beside the 1st tee and the 18th green. In front is the historic bridge built for herders over the Swilken Burn   Images under Creative Commons licence with thanks to the RAF, the R&A golf club, BAe, Mike Freer and Optograph.
More Episodes
My logbook tales continue and after 5 months without an income the bucket of shekels I had to keep us afloat was starting to run dry... I could see glimpses of the bottom. Luckily the mortgage on our modest 2 up, 2 down, 250 year old, Scottish stone, terraced cottage at Leuchars wasn’t excessive...
Published 10/23/24
Published 10/23/24
Stories from my logbook continue with the last few weeks of my service career, which were a blur of form signing, return of equipment, formal dinners, informal parties, speeches and gifts, all accompanied by feelings of regret and excitement at to what my future held. I flew my last flight in an...
Published 10/09/24