Question About Royal Air Force RC-135s Please

[Aharon]

Shalom and greetings all my pals,

I am sure all of you as well as I read recent news from last week or so about Russian air force planes trying to shoot down Royal Air Force RC-135 plane over Black Sea.

My question is that from where or from what airport/base did the RAF RC-135 take off for spying missions over Black Sea, please??

Thanks,

Aharon

[TSR2]

They are based at RAF Waddington, but on occasion are detached to Chania in Greece. On that occassion the departed RAF Waddington.

[Aharon]

TSR2,

Thanks for cool answers!!

Regards,

Aharon

[Silversim]

Hi Aharon,

As TSR2 said, they often detatch to Chania (LGSA) I took this shot in 2018, but have seen them on numerous occasions over the years (one of my favourite holiday spots is across Souda Bay from LGSA )

Gina

DSCN7945.JPG (100.37 KiB) Viewed 689 times

[Aharon]

Thanks Gina!!!

I am lucky to discover that there is HIGH QUALITY but freeware LGSA scenery for FSX from Avsim that I can download for this RC-135 plane! What gate or what stand was that in your amazing photo of the RC-135, please?

Regarding the interesting incident where Russian air force planes tried to shoot down the RC-135, I suspect that all newspapers and tv news as well as radio news and magazines are NOT telling audiences that RC-135 probably did lots of electronic jamming and released flares to fool and make the anti aircraft missiles fired by Russian air force planes to miss the British plane.

Does anybody agree with me?

Regards,

Aharon

[Vc Ten]

Hardly call it an interesting incident Aharon. If that aircraft had gone down it quite likely would have been the start of ww3
NATO would have had to respond. Let's hope (and pray) there's no repeat. May not be so lucky next time. Wish this bloody war was over.
Tbh I think it's in pretty poor taste to think of a reenactment considering the potential seriousness of the event.
Dale

[Aharon]

Tbh I think it's in pretty poor taste to think of a reenactment considering the potential seriousness of the event.

Was NOT NOT planning to re-create this actual event or episode with Russian planes even though I do not think it is poor taste because RC-135 made a successful escape which is considered good or heroic news just like British Airways Trident went mach 0.90 to escape the Spanish air force Sabre interceptors.

Am thinking of doing routine RC-135 patrol over Black sea using LGSA as base without mentioning the event unless you think it is also poor taste too. If so, then I have to go back to Internet to do more researching to find other daily RC-135 patrols which have nothing to do with Black sea or Ukraine.

Since you are one of moderators of the CBFSIM forums and one of the staff members of CBFSIM VA, whatever your decision you want in regard to allowing or not allowing recreation of routine RC-135 patrol over Black sea using LGSA as base without mentioning the event is fine with me. I always observe strict rules of CBFSIM forums. I do not even realize it would be poor taste.

Regards,

Aharon

[Silversim]

Hi Aharon,

In answer to your question "What gate or what stand was that in your amazing photo of the RC-135, please?" see the attatched map, marked with an arrow.

The whole are has been steadily developed over the past 10 years by the American/NATO forces, in addition there is a large NATO/US Naval base due south of LGSA in Souda Bay, easily seen on Google or Bing maps.

Also, the civilian terminal to the left of the US/NATO pans was subject to a large redevelopment programme about 5 years ago when Fraport took over the rights to the "civvie" part of the airport, a big improvement from when I first started flying in to LGSA in 2001!

The south side of the airport with the two large semi circular dispersal pans remains largely operated by the HAF with two based F16 Squadrons....hope this info helps

Firefox_Screenshot_2023-09-28T08-05-59.523Z.png (905.13 KiB) Viewed 612 times

Gina

[Aharon]

Gina,

Thanks for cool answers accompanied by more cool graphic presentation.

Regards,

Aharon