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Coltishall Jags, Midsummer 1990 - Before Desert Storm

Warbirds, Replicas and Nostalgic photos in here please.
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F3
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Coltishall Jags, Midsummer 1990 - Before Desert Storm

Post by F3 » Sun Jul 03, 2022 5:57 pm

Membership of the Royal Observer Corps gave one certain privileges, the most useful of which was an RAF ID card. This got me into many places, the best of which was RAF Coltishall - for a whole afternoon. It was late June '90 and I was attending the annual Training Camp @ RAF Watton in company with a couple of colleagues, one of whom had a brother-in-law who was a Jaguar Instructor up @ Lossie. Inquiries revealed that he a had good mate @ Colt, whose number he was happy to provide. One call later and we had lined up an afternoon visit to the 'Jaguar's Lair.' What an afternoon we had, idyllic summer weather, full flightline, plenty of movements and then like a cherry on the icing on the cake, a pair of visiting Italian Starfighters. Happy Days. After a tour of the flightline, the 41 Sqn. hangar and the photo cell we were taken to the Mess for refreshment. Yorkshire's finest Sam Smiths bitter @ just 90p a pint! After consuming just enough to ensure we did nt outstay our welcome we repaired to a nearby hostelry which rejoiced in the name of The Ratcatchers Arms for some superb pub grub. Just over a month later those Jaguars were given a coat of pink paint and sent to war in the Gulf. Sadly one of them did not return.

ImageColt '90 - EB 6 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - XX955 GK 54 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - XX143 GS 54 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - XZ373 GF 54 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - 54 Sqn. flightline by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - 54 Sqn. flightline (1) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - XZ398 GA 54 Sqn. being refuelled by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt - GF 54 Sqn. by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - 41 Sqn. flightline by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - 41 Sqn. flagship in hangar by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - F-104S 3-37 AMI by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - F-104 AMI by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - F-104 3- 40 AMI by Michael Britton, on Flickr

ImageColt '90 - F-104G 3 - 40 AMI by Michael Britton, on Flickr

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Petepilot
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Re: Coltishall Jags, Midsummer 1990 - Before Desert Storm

Post by Petepilot » Sun Jul 03, 2022 7:48 pm

Top post Michael, thank you. Jags and Stars....oh, the memories. Were we spoilt for choice, compared to today? I think that might be a rhetorical question! :whistle:

F3
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Re: Coltishall Jags, Midsummer 1990 - Before Desert Storm

Post by F3 » Sun Jul 03, 2022 8:11 pm

Petepilot wrote:
Sun Jul 03, 2022 7:48 pm
Top post Michael, thank you. Jags and Stars....oh, the memories. Were we spoilt for choice, compared to today? I think that might be a rhetorical question! :whistle:
Lets just say I would nt be going out of my way to see F-35s!!!

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paddyboy
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Re: Coltishall Jags, Midsummer 1990 - Before Desert Storm

Post by paddyboy » Mon Jul 04, 2022 4:27 am

Hi Mick :P

Unlike your good self, I was outside the fence at Scottow crash gate when those F104S’s were over :lol:

Some cracking shots in the mix there :thumbs:

The Ratcatchers at Eastgate, near Cawston, used to be one of our favourite pubs as well :D

Thanks for posting :thumb:

Paddyboy :clap:
XH558, always the first lady in my life
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F3
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Re: Coltishall Jags, Midsummer 1990 - Before Desert Storm

Post by F3 » Mon Jul 04, 2022 8:26 am

I can well understand why PB! Noticed from some AMI pics I was sorting through' after making the post that the Buscaglia Stormo had converted to the AMX by '93, so this could well have been the last visit by their F-104s.

Mustang531
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Re: Coltishall Jags, Midsummer 1990 - Before Desert Storm

Post by Mustang531 » Mon Jul 04, 2022 12:00 pm

Thanks for sharing these shots from what was one of my favourite bases to visit. The Jaguar was one of my favourite types, but it's easily trumped by the F-104.

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teeonefixer
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Re: Coltishall Jags, Midsummer 1990 - Before Desert Storm

Post by teeonefixer » Mon Jul 04, 2022 1:35 pm

To think we took all this for granted (relatively) back then. Nice one Michael.

Phoon
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Re: Coltishall Jags, Midsummer 1990 - Before Desert Storm

Post by Phoon » Mon Jul 04, 2022 2:11 pm

Nice set, is that an F4 behind the Starfighters in one of those shots?

F3
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Re: Coltishall Jags, Midsummer 1990 - Before Desert Storm

Post by F3 » Mon Jul 04, 2022 5:52 pm

Phoon wrote:
Mon Jul 04, 2022 2:11 pm
Nice set, is that an F4 behind the Starfighters in one of those shots?
Yes. It's one of the BAe development jets. It was just getting ready to go as we arrived and I did nt have time to catch it as I was too busy salivating over the Hooters. I have a pic of it somewhere taken by another member of our party that I'll try to find + add to the post. On second thoughts I did manage to get shot of it departing but taken with standard lens so quite small. Here it is. Having just consulted Peter Foster's Aircraft Special on the Phantom, I believe that it was a YF-4M either XT 852 or 853.

ImageColt '90 - F-4 departure by Michael Britton, on Flickr

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