Mallet Blow exercises ??

[Andyph]

I remember when we went down the hill at the end of the day to the car looking at where he went and thinking it would be sporty taking a helicopter through there!

I actually got an Apache going low through there, and the rumour was Harry was in it. I couldn't make out if it was him or not from the pics. The hill at Alwinton was my usual haunt during these, but I also did the western edge of the range. I was up there the day the 2 Harriers collided and the smoke was visible from over a ridge, and then the concussion wave hit me and it was a pretty hefty hit.

I heard someone went up the the ridge looking back toward Kielder - would have been an interesting spot.

I never went North of Spade on the winter MBs (Otterburn was an overnight trip) - nice when they were 3 a year though.

The Tornado crash in 85 and the F-104 in 83 were before my time

[Andyph]

My highlight of Mallet Blow was seeing seeing 30 F111s consisting of 24 F 111 with 6 EF111 Ravens flying into Spaeadam Airspace and being bounced by Leeming And Coningsby F3 Tornados All 30 were splashed as they flew over Wiley Syke and D510 before flying towards Berry Hill. Keith Fidler RIP captured all these on his Panasonic M10 Video Recorder. I recall he denoted his entire photographic Collection to Carlisle Airport

That was almost certainly Salty Hammer!

The USAF package attack on UK (Spade)
the May 1990 one in the space of 10 minutes was from memory
4 F-15C
4 F-16 s
4 SP F-4 - 4 F-16
2 EF-111 2 F-16
24 F-111
4 F-15
2 RF-4

with as you say Tornado F3s trying to intercept.
The F-111s were attacking targets on the north side of Spade.

I remember the mass of aircraft (everywhere) but also just how quickly they all vanished again and the only thing to see was the smoke tails of the RF-4s heading down to the lakes.

[toom317]

The previously mentioned Apache going through Alwinton on 17 Jan 09. I was standing in the area of the red flag when from the right this Apache came out of the Coquet valley. I fired off a few shots as it approached the gully then dashed over to the edge of the gully and I couldn't even see the whole of the airframe. Happy days.

[gamecock]

We need a "like" button this forum.....enjoying the posts

Agreed, brilliant thread. As a kid from the NE I was nowhere near an operational RAF base. I used to visit Newcastle Airport in the hope of seeing something interesting, and there were the airshows on the old Usworth airfield (now the Nissan plant). Seeing all sorts of traffic in Weardale, the Lake District and off the coast of Sunderland is what triggered my interest in aircraft and led to me joining the RAF.

[F3]

I just hope you all expressed your appreciation of the locality by attending the annual Alwinton Shepherds Fair!

[Knife 04]

Heres a couple pictures from Spadeadam on the 1st August 1990. Hopefully of interest. it was my first ever tractor photo. The Tornado is returning to Heyford.
Mallet Blow 90 3 by Yorker, on Flickr

Brilliant - reminds me of the early 80s at school and you would almost see a pair of them on a daily basis flying around, picking a target and completing mock attacks and 'jinking' about the place

Keep these coming

[Tiger-G]

Here are some of my pics from what I believe were Mallet Blow exercises at both Spadeadam and Alwinton.

Now these are Iphone pics I took today of blown up photographs that I intended to get framed, but never did, taken originally with a crap camera and lens when I was a young whippersnapper (no pun intended).....so please don't judge !!


IMG_8689 by Graeme Waller, on Flickr


IMG_8691 by Graeme Waller, on Flickr


Not sure about this being Alwinton due to direction, although I did used to clamber over to the other side of the valley ??

IMG_8692 by Graeme Waller, on Flickr


IMG_8690 by Graeme Waller, on Flickr


A10's circling on the outskirts of Otterburn before their run

IMG_8693 by Graeme Waller, on Flickr


IMG_8694 by Graeme Waller, on Flickr


German phantom coming off target at Spadeadam. The pilot rolled it 360 degree's at low level !!

IMG_8696 by Graeme Waller, on Flickr


The best Alwinton pic I managed to take.....crap by today's standards, but I was (relatively) happy at the time.

IMG_8697 by Graeme Waller, on Flickr


Cheers,
Graeme.

[verreli]

Thanks for posting. Never to be repeated. Not all things get better with time.

[Nighthawke]

I would still be happy with those! Great shots - thanks.

[F3]

Those are really fab-u-lous Graeme, esp the German Toom. One of the best Exercise shots I've ever seen. Those German Toom jocks were something else. Caught one once attacking Binbrook over the Lightning decoys leaving the biggest smoke trail you've ever seen. He was really stoking those fires! You guys do realise that you've got the makings of a good book here, right? I'd certainly buy it! If you want a title how about Exercise, Exercise or the Golden Age of Air Exercises? Of course you'd need to expand the content to include the Elder Forests and Priorys.

[Andyph]

Really good Graeme.

Super sharp for the day.

More than anything they take me to standing on the hillock at Alwinton - remember it like it was yesterday. You really have captured how it felt

Yes there was someone I saw on the other side above the cliff

[iainpeden]

The pink Tornado should be identifiable by the nose art. The German RF-4E is a beauty, fully tanked and carrying two ecm pods.
(I, too, will buy the book)

[time on target]

Superb photographs remember the days at Alwinton in the late 1980's.

[andrewn]

Hi Andy/all

Re...


Oh & if you're wondering about the question marks appended to the number of aircraft in some of the formations, and thinking "can this idiot not count?"; in my defence some of the participants would attempt to hit their chosen targets and then egress the range in different directions, i.

Mallet Blow 90/2 - Summary
(Note: Some formations used a Mission *** callsign for their attack, and a different one when switching to their chosen radar agency on climb-out.)

"Mission 309" RAF Tornado (x?)


It's worth noting that not all my days out and about for Mallet Blow resulted in seeing large numbers of aircraft as one of the days I was up at Alwinton the flying activity was suspended when following a pass by A-10s the grassland on the range was seen to be on fire! Also on another day my travelling companions & myself set out from Newcastle in reasonably decent weather conditions, but by the time we'd reached the hilly terrain of Alwinton, the cloud was 'on the deck' so flying was cancelled for the day; cue a lengthy session in a nearby ale house instead - which to be fair was almost as much fun.

Best wishes

Amazing log! I heard a few of those from the shack in Cheshire:

Mi 309 was a 2-ship (A&B), also used callsign "Vegas" which should mean they were 9Sqn jets.

Would love to see more logs from that period if you or anyone else has them.

[F3]

Not a Mallet Blow Ex but I have to ask whether anyone has any pics of the Tactical Fighter Meet in summer '86? Held @ Waddington the Meet culminated in a huge Strike package (Gorilla) of all the participants which struck Otterburn on the final day of the Meet. It was opposed by 11 Group assets (Lightnings and Tooms). The Lghtnings CAPped the ingress and I believe were neutralised by the advance sweep of F-15s/16s. However a 2nd CAP positioned above the egress got stuck in resulting in a huge furball (dogfight) over Barnard Castle which I'd have paid to see. I attended a Saturday Photo-call @ Waddo when examples from each unit were on static display but I've only ever seen one pic taken @ Otterburn, (and not a particularly good one at that) so if anyone has any I'd be most interested to see them. By way of a photographic contribution to the thread here is a close-up of the Gulf War nose art on that pink Tornado which was definitely the sexiest example of that genre! (Down Boy!)

Gulf War - Tornado ' Check Six' (2) by Michael Britton, on Flickr

[Tiger-G]

Thanks for the kind words chaps.....much appreciated. I've enjoyed reminiscing about the good old days

If anyone comes across this thread in the future, and you have Mallet Blow, Elder Forest, Elder Joust photographs hidden anywhere, please make an effort to get them digitised before it's too late (if you know what I mean )

And talking about digitising......what would be the best way to get my pics digitised ?? A good few years ago now I bought a second hand negative scanner and did all my family photographs, but it literally took weeks by the time I tweaked them all as well I resold it after I'd finished. Is there a quicker way than scanning each negative individually ??

[F3]

Hi there Tiger-G,
We're both of a similar mind. I've digitised and filed all my exercise pics as I realise their historic worth. I use an ION Pics 2 SD Film/Slide Scanner which does the job easily to a decent standard. Not expensive and does nt take up much room. You can do 6 negs at a time. Results compare favourably with those previously done by Max Spielman at some expense. I'm currently working on an article about the Tactical Fighter Meet held over here in August '86 and would dearly love to include a few images from the sharp end i.e. Otterburn. Mud participants included Belgian F-16s/Mirages, Canadian F-18s, Danish Drakens, Dutch F-5/F-16s, French Jaguars, German Tornados, RAF Jaguars (54 Sqn) and Tornados (31 Sqn) and USAF F-16s and FB-111s. I intend posting pics of examples of ea taken @ the W/end Photocall in the Warbirds, Replicas & Nostalgia section. Pl could you have a look through yr collection and see if you have pics of any of them. In the event of the article being published I guarantee that you will receive accreditation and any reproduction fee.

[Tiger-G]

Hi there Tiger-G,
We're both of a similar mind. I've digitised and filed all my exercise pics as I realise their historic worth. I use an ION Pics 2 SD Film/Slide Scanner which does the job easily to a decent standard. Not expensive and does nt take up much room. You can do 6 negs at a time. Results compare favourably with those previously done by Max Spielman at some expense. I'm currently working on an article about the Tactical Fighter Meet held over here in August '86 and would dearly love to include a few images from the sharp end i.e. Otterburn. Mud participants included Belgian F-16s/Mirages, Canadian F-18s, Danish Drakens, Dutch F-5/F-16s, French Jaguars, German Tornados, RAF Jaguars (54 Sqn) and Tornados (31 Sqn) and USAF F-16s and FB-111s. I intend posting pics of examples of ea taken @ the W/end Photocall in the Warbirds, Replicas & Nostalgia section. Pl could you have a look through yr collection and see if you have pics of any of them. In the event of the article being published I guarantee that you will receive accreditation and any reproduction fee.

I will be making an effort to get them digitised, so I'll bear that in mind.

Cheers.

[Andyph]

Thanks for the kind words chaps.....much appreciated. I've enjoyed reminiscing about the good old days

If anyone comes across this thread in the future, and you have Mallet Blow, Elder Forest, Elder Joust photographs hidden anywhere, please make an effort to get them digitised before it's too late (if you know what I mean )

And talking about digitising......what would be the best way to get my pics digitised ?? A good few years ago now I bought a second hand negative scanner and did all my family photographs, but it literally took weeks by the time I tweaked them all as well I resold it after I'd finished. Is there a quicker way than scanning each negative individually ??

I have quite a few but they are on slide.
Next time I come back to the UK I'll pick them up from my mum's and start getting them scanner.
Quite a lot of MB pics - including the "Red Tailed" Tornado giving it bags!
MB's were fairly unique in the UK attracting the German Navy - I have a Tornado shot of one coming out at Alwinton - not the greatest photo but the Dark Grey/White camo looks awesome against the Northumberland hillside.
Certainly got Jags and Harriers Gr3/5 pics below the horizon at Alwinton. Nothing USAF there though - they were too high!

[Andyph]

Hi there Tiger-G,
We're both of a similar mind. I've digitised and filed all my exercise pics as I realise their historic worth. I use an ION Pics 2 SD Film/Slide Scanner which does the job easily to a decent standard. Not expensive and does nt take up much room. You can do 6 negs at a time. Results compare favourably with those previously done by Max Spielman at some expense. I'm currently working on an article about the Tactical Fighter Meet held over here in August '86 and would dearly love to include a few images from the sharp end i.e. Otterburn. Mud participants included Belgian F-16s/Mirages, Canadian F-18s, Danish Drakens, Dutch F-5/F-16s, French Jaguars, German Tornados, RAF Jaguars (54 Sqn) and Tornados (31 Sqn) and USAF F-16s and FB-111s. I intend posting pics of examples of ea taken @ the W/end Photocall in the Warbirds, Replicas & Nostalgia section. Pl could you have a look through yr collection and see if you have pics of any of them. In the event of the article being published I guarantee that you will receive accreditation and any reproduction fee.

Pretty sure they did the clockwise Mallet Blow route once a day on the TFM.

Low level at Harrogate Lakes - up the Eden Valley and through a CAP then Spade - Otterburn and exit through a CAP.

Flight International did a good write up on it if you can find that....