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523FS (Crusaders) F-111Fs RAF Fairford "Salty Hammer"

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fisherman
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523FS (Crusaders) F-111Fs RAF Fairford "Salty Hammer"

Post by fisherman » Mon Jun 21, 2021 8:31 pm

It's 1995, and Fairford hosted F-111F's from the 523rd FS from Cannon AFB, New Mexico; they remained for Central Enterprise, which bought Four B-52's into RAF Fairford.
Hope that they are of interest?

https://legendarymilavia.blogspot.com/2 ... rford.html

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BOLLO
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Re: 523FS (Crusaders) F-111Fs RAF Fairford "Salty Hammer"

Post by BOLLO » Tue Jun 22, 2021 10:37 am

They are smart fella .
http://www.airfighters.com/photosearch.php?phgid=SHED" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; LOADES
http://www.airliners.net/search/photo.s ... _entry=140+" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; at last

What do cry when we see The Man With the Stick???

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Re: 523FS (Crusaders) F-111Fs RAF Fairford "Salty Hammer"

Post by DanBeeden » Tue Jun 22, 2021 11:01 am

Great deployment that was - a 'last hurrah' for the Vark in Europe. They opened up the base one Friday evening and bussed everyone out to the flightline where all 8 F-111s and 4 B-52s were lined up. Crews selling merch and answering questions. They put a set of steps up alongside one of the F-111s so you could have a look in the cockpit - happy days indeed.

I think the F-111s flew either with the callsign 'Sabre' (mostly) or 'Cutlass' during the deployment.

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Knife 04
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Re: 523FS (Crusaders) F-111Fs RAF Fairford "Salty Hammer"

Post by Knife 04 » Tue Jun 22, 2021 2:02 pm

Great post and report Michael - very nice. Can remember this deployment but only managed to pass by once in the early morning and get them sat on the ground

Please keep them coming

Darren

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fisherman
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Re: 523FS (Crusaders) F-111Fs RAF Fairford "Salty Hammer"

Post by fisherman » Wed Jun 23, 2021 7:48 pm

DanBeeden wrote:
Tue Jun 22, 2021 11:01 am
Great deployment that was - a 'last hurrah' for the Vark in Europe. They opened up the base one Friday evening and bussed everyone out to the flightline where all 8 F-111s and 4 B-52s were lined up. Crews selling merch and answering questions. They put a set of steps up alongside one of the F-111s so you could have a look in the cockpit - happy days indeed.

I think the F-111s flew either with the callsign 'Sabre' (mostly) or 'Cutlass' during the deployment.
Knife 04 wrote:
Tue Jun 22, 2021 2:02 pm
Great post and report Michael - very nice. Can remember this deployment but only managed to pass by once in the early morning and get them sat on the ground

Please keep them coming

Darren
BOLLO wrote:
Tue Jun 22, 2021 10:37 am
They are smart fella .
Thanks guy's and keep up all your great reports :thumbs:

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Re: 523FS (Crusaders) F-111Fs RAF Fairford "Salty Hammer"

Post by luxto » Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:39 am

Great post - I spent several days there during that deployment and recorded the activity on many hours of video. Arrestor gear was flown in and installed, which was just as well because on one day an F-111 had to use it. This had an Aussie exchange crewman - not sure if he was the pilot or WSO. I also recall one Swinger, the sqdn c/o's a/c, spent about half of the deployment grounded with one of its engines removed. Normally they flew 6 F-111's per day, 6 in the morning and again in the afternoon, so plenty of action to savour. Think it was on the last day of exercise flying that one crew wanted to do a beat up of the squadron area at the West end but not surprisingly, this was refused! At the end of the F-111 deployment not all the a/c returned to Cannon - 2 were sent to an airshow in Portugal and after that they re-positioned to Mildenhall prior to the flight home.

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Re: 523FS (Crusaders) F-111Fs RAF Fairford "Salty Hammer"

Post by DanBeeden » Sun Jul 11, 2021 3:03 pm

luxto wrote:
Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:39 am
Think it was on the last day of exercise flying that one crew wanted to do a beat up of the squadron area at the West end but not surprisingly, this was refused!
Hi Graham,
I've got some video from the deployment that captures the immediate aftermath of an F-111F low & fast pass over the ramp (it wasn't anticipated so camera must have pointed elsewhere). After the flyby the aircraft pulls up and does either a roll or wingover - can't quite tell as by this point it was some distance away from the camera. However the camera is picking up the audio from the tower frequency very clearly and immediately after the the flyby the tower calls the aircraft and says "Sabre you have been disapproved for the flyby of the ramp. Don't do it. Copy?" Probably a tea-no-biscuits meeting when the pilot landed but I'm sure most people on the ground appreciated it!
Cheers,
Dan

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Re: 523FS (Crusaders) F-111Fs RAF Fairford "Salty Hammer"

Post by luxto » Sun Jul 11, 2021 6:57 pm

DanBeeden wrote:
Sun Jul 11, 2021 3:03 pm
luxto wrote:
Sat Jul 10, 2021 1:39 am
Think it was on the last day of exercise flying that one crew wanted to do a beat up of the squadron area at the West end but not surprisingly, this was refused!
Hi Graham,
I've got some video from the deployment that captures the immediate aftermath of an F-111F low & fast pass over the ramp (it wasn't anticipated so camera must have pointed elsewhere). After the flyby the aircraft pulls up and does either a roll or wingover - can't quite tell as by this point it was some distance away from the camera. However the camera is picking up the audio from the tower frequency very clearly and immediately after the the flyby the tower calls the aircraft and says "Sabre you have been disapproved for the flyby of the ramp. Don't do it. Copy?" Probably a tea-no-biscuits meeting when the pilot landed but I'm sure most people on the ground appreciated it!
Cheers,
Dan
Thanks Dan,
you're reply gave me a reason to dig out the video I made that day - not watched it for over 20 years! The date was Friday 23rd June - the last day of `Central Enterprise missions`. They were on R09 and I was down the West end. The a/c involved was "Sabre3" 70-2406 which wanted to do a single ship pass over the maintenance area at 500 ft and 500 kts. At first the SOF approved it, subject to confirmation, with the words "don't go too fast or too low". When it was denied 406 just did a run and break down the runway and landed at 1124L. Also of interest that day was that some of the F-111 crew chiefs were given `orientation` flights on their a/c - joyrides to you and me!

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