Leuchars QRA 30 years ago..

[forthbridge]

Came across this interesting upload:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYMcCeXb ... re=related

[Garry Russell]

Sue Cook

Thanks Jim

Garry

[forthbridge]

Strange pronouciation of 'Leuchaahhhrs' mind you

[Garry Russell]

She's a foreigner Jim

Garry

[gordon-in-aberdeen]

I think I saw that when it was on the air.

I remember the last year they had the Phantoms at their airshow when they were in the process of rearming with the Tornado. I'm sure that at the end of the flying display that year they had a mass scramble of all the Phantoms they could get in the air for a fitting and noisy goodbye. One of the last ones to take off, when it lifted off, went almost vertical and we watched it for quiet some time as it climbed higher and higher. We lost it for a short while till a short vertical contrail formed for bit, still almost straight up, so high we couldn't see the aircraft itself. Lost it after that, but the height it must have reached was very impressive for us young lads.

Was a much smaller ground display then, but the flying dislpay seemed to be much more interesting than now for some reason (or maybe I'm just getting olde! :think: ) . All the nice letters of the alphabet to, like Vulcans, Victors, Vampires etc.

Ah memories, where would they be without cameras...

[Garry Russell]

I've never seen a Phantom flying :-(

Just statics in museums

Garry

[Trev Clark]

I've never seen a Phantom flying

Noisy buggers!!! All 'sound and fury', but not much action, is my memory.

[forthbridge]

Yup.. Spey powered Phantoms sounded so different to the GE powered Spooks - the GE is a harsh dry sound whereas the Speys were meaty, and richer with a noticeable extra 'bass tone'.

The wider exhaust made for a more impressinve afterburner display.. the ungainly appearance just made the power climb look more impressive as you could see hear and feel the Speys blasting away....

I remember one time, a Jet Provost which was toodling along suddenly veered off south onto the Crosswind runway and a pair of 43's F4s let rip on a genuine QRA scramble, slap bang in the middle of airshow day!

[gordon-in-aberdeen]

Was a sight to behold Garry.

Big, gruff, noisy, smoky things, impressive, though they made the first Tornado's look positively cutting edge at the time. I suppose you could compare the technology leap favourably with the F3 today against the Typhoon now starting to filter out to the squadrons. Would be good to see one again.

I came home from the airshow the next year with one of my prize possessions, in the form of a primary attitude indicator from the front seat of 111 sqn's Black Mike. Cost me £15 squids, with a certificate to prove it too... (She's still there, they still wheel her out at the show for photos each year).

[Garry Russell]

Hi Gordon

I always wished we would get them down our way but alas not and the odd appearance they have made I missed :-(

Garry