As stated in my last post, https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/ ... 1#p1067146, in 1983 me and three of my aviation friends made our first long spotting trip.
We went to the UK for three whole weeks.
It's time to share some digitized slides again. Do not expect too much quality. Because these were taken by my first SLR camera, an all manual East German Praktika MTL3s. Also these are Fuji 100 slides.
This time from a regular operational morning at Honington.
Honington still was an operational RAF base then with some very decent aircraft.
XE665 Hunter T8C RAF 237 OCU
This aircraft was on loan from FRADU.
WB530 Devon C2 RAF 207 sqn
A visiting aircraft most probably bringing and/or picking up crews for the Tornado Weapons Conversion Unit ( TWCU ).
XS596/596 Andover C1 RAF 115sqn
Another visitor.
This was the only C1 variant in use with 115sqn then.
It was still painted in the attractive desert sand camouflage scheme.
161322/8D UC-12B USN NAF Mildenhall
Not far away from its homebase this visiting US Navy Huron.
XF995 Hunter T8B RAF 237 OCU
Still operational today with Hawker Hunter Aviation and coming under MoD auspices once more.
She is still flown and operates on various trials and defence simulation work.
ZA544/544 Tornado GR1 RAF TWCU
Almost brand new then. The new Tornado force was still working up in 1983 and the TWCU was a very busy unit with lots of new crews to train.
Now the Tornado is also an RAF machine from the past.
Time flies !
WV322 Hunter T8C RAF 237 OCU
XT283/G Buccaneer S2A RAF 237 OCU
237 OCU trained crews for the RAF Buccaneer force.
Fot this purpose they used Hawker Hunter trainers and Buccaneer S2A and Buccaneer S2B models.
In 1983 RAF Germany ( Laarbruch ) was in the proces of replacing these awesome bombers with the Tornado GR1 in the overland interdictor role.
But the Buccaneer was kept in service until March 1994 in the naval attack role.
WV701 Pembroke C1 RAFG 60 sqn
A visiting aircraft from RAF Germany.
I saw these in action a lot at their homebase at Wildenrath in Germany.
But this is the only picture I have got from one taxying.
XT274/E Buccaneer S2A RAF 237 OCU
Yeah !!!
ZA365/365 Tornado GR1 RAF TWCU
XL621 Hunter T7 RAF 237 OCU
Loaned tot 237 OCU from the ETPS at Boscombe Down.
XL573 Hunter T7 RAF 237 OCU
Still in the training colour scheme it wore during its former career with 4 FTS at RAF Valley.
That was it.
I did not include all the Tornado GR1's of the TWCU that flew.
Unfortunately the based 9 sqn with their Tornado GR1's and 208 sqn with their Buccaneer S2's didn't fly this morning.
But still it is a nice mix of very interesting birds.
Hope you all appreciate these shots taken a long while ago.
It does tend to scan with a colour cast even when the slides look beautiful! Mind you most films do. Don't be afraid to do a little experimenting with the scan settings, it may take you a while to get the best "recipe", it's taken me close on 5 years to be happy with most of my scans. But you are well on the way, some lovely shots there.
