Tornado farewell flight

[TomL]

End of the line for the Tornados from Marham next week. Might try to get on the flypast route on Wednesday. Hard to believe that the Tornado has been in service for forty years.


Tornado Farewell Tour – Wednesday, February 20
• RAF Honington
• IWM Duxford
• Former RAE Bedford
• Cranfield Airfield
• RAF Halton
• RAF High Wycombe
• RAF Benson
• HQ Land Forces
• MOD Boscombe Down
• RAF Pembrey
• MOD St Athan
• Cardiff Airport
• Filton
• Abbey Wood
• MOD Shrivenham
• RAF Brize Norton

[howlindawg]

I didn't see that coming, I thought the Tonka had another decade of service before replacement.

Always sad to see these warbirds retired.
Hopefully someone will keep a few airframes airworthy and appearing at shows.

I've a 1/72 scale one not 3ft away from me as I type this.

[richtea]

Call me churlish, but shouldn't the map have the 3 routes on it?
Or am I being simple? (Again.)

[black-k1]

Now I feel REALLY old. I remember when it was just known as the MRCA!

[Coully]

Thru in Aberdeen I miss seeing the lossiemouth ones bombing about the moray coast (back home )

[raesewell]

Thru in Aberdeen I miss seeing the lossiemouth ones bombing about the moray coast (back home )

I think the choice of the adjective could have been better thought out 

[sudolea]

Now I feel REALLY old. I remember when it was just known as the MRCA!

Well, to be honest, that "MR" in MRCA was a little too much to be true, not so ? "Multiple" role ? I don't know of any Air Defence squadron NATO-wide flying them / having flown them?

[TomL]

Call me churlish, but shouldn't the map have the 3 routes on it?
Or am I being simple? (Again.)

You could get over to Benson on the 20th February.  I might head up to Duxford.




Tornado Farewell Tour - Wednesday 20 February 2019

    1300-1315 hrs RAF Honington
    1315-1330 hrs Imperial War Museum Duxford
    1315-1330 hrs Former RAE Bedford
    1315-1330 hrs Cranfield Airfield
    1315-1330 hrs RAF Halton
    1315-1330 hrs RAF High Wycombe
    1330-1345 hrs RAF Benson
    1330-1345 hrs HQ Land Forces, Andover
    1330-1345 hrs MOD Boscombe Down
    1400-1415 hrs RAF Pembrey
    1400-1415 hrs MOD St Athan
    1400-1415 hrs Cardiff Airport
    1415-1430 hrs Rolls Royce Filton
    1415-1430 hrs MOD Abbey Wood
    1415-1430 hrs MOD Shrivenham
    1415-1430 hrs RAF Brize Norton

[Phmode]

Now I feel REALLY old. I remember when it was just known as the MRCA!

I remember when Germany ordered millions of them (OK, 600), then changed their minds and bought 300 after they got the bigger say into the design...

Oh, and the head of EADS (then MBB, the German manufacturer) selling the design to the soviets right through the '70's...

And so, apart from the Red Arrows in their Hawks, that just leaves us with the Ty-Phoo to defend ourselves...oh, and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight...until and if the Light Thing ever takes off.

Cynical, moi 

[Andym535]

Reading the wikipedia article about it, it seems the Germans tried to patent the design of the air intake that the Concorde guys gave them, then tried some patent infringement nonsense so they refused to tell them how to get it to slow down from high altitude supercruise.

[richtea]

Call me churlish, but shouldn't the map have the 3 routes on it?
Or am I being simple? (Again.)

You could get over to Benson on the 20th February.  I might head up to Duxford.

Ah, thanks Tom, now I understand. That list is just one of the 3 days.
Unfortunately, I'll be somewhere else next week, which has only just registered in my pea-like.

[Coully]

Aye, perhaps not the best choice of word ...true

[Lotus26R]

Formation of three flew over Leeming/Topcliffe today.

Very uneventful but pleased to see them.