Last Sea Harrier carrier departure

[sunshine band]

I always love to be around to capture a little bit of history. I've never seen any other photos of the last departure of the Sea Harrier from HMS Illustrious, so thought I'd show you mine, as something that most of you would never get to see (as no-one will ever see it again now). I hope that it is of interest...

The practice flypast went like this the week before...

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo116/sband/shararrive.jpg

...but was tamed down to this on the day...

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo116/sband/sharflypast280206.jpg

Nice and steady...

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo116/sband/sharhova280206.jpg

...steady...

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo116/sband/sharhovb280206.jpg

...damn, the deck rose at the last moment...

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo116/sband/sharland280206.jpg

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo116/sband/shara280206.jpg

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo116/sband/sharb280206.jpg

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo116/sband/sharc28feb09.jpg

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo116/sband/shard28feb06.jpg

He counted them in (one Sea Harrier), and counted them out (one Sea Harrier)...

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo116/sband/sharbrian280206.jpg

...and then it was gone and consigned to history...

http://i367.photobucket.com/albums/oo116/sband/sharlaunch280206.jpg

SB

[exscribbler]

It's enough to make you bloody weep. :sad:

[sunshine band]

AIDU, I thought that I'd make a storyboard and collect the ones from the last day (28 Feb 2006) together... Sorry if you don't agree, but nice to be remembered!

SB

[AdLib]

Sunshine,

Thanks for posting those pics; the first one is now my desktop background.

Please don't respond to AIDU. I'm afraid there could be some kind of limit on my 'Ignore List' quota and I might end up seeing some of the inane drivel he (she/it?) posts.

I'm glad you were around to capture that history and thanks again for sharing it with us.

[Ronald Reagan]

Thanks for the great photos. A sad, sad day not only for the Royal Navy but for the country as a whole.
Reminds me of the end of Coltishall and the Jaguar. I drove past Colt today and foolishly went to take a look. Never again say I! Made me feel sick to think what this country used to have and what we have lost.

[Navaleye]

Good to see Brian, I well recall his broadcasts at the time and I think he did a fantastic job as did all the journalists in such difficult circumstances, despite the MoDs paranoia which still exists today. Below is a picture of Mike Nicholson with me taken by his charming wife on a lecture tour in January of this year on board Fred Olsen's Balmoral. He is now a neighbour to Lynn Middleton, the Captain of HMS Hermes at the time. Funny but true.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/Navaleye/4c8a1540.jpg

[Modern Elmo]

... Made me feel sick to think what this country used to have and what we have lost.

An implicit assumption that Britain has no future.

[sunshine band]

"Oh god it's Diana mania all over again".

AIDU, as I carried her coffin (so heavy that we nearly dropped it at one point!), my autobiography will be a best seller when it is published...:E

SB

[tornadoken]

Sad, sad day: Ministers' reason for deleting SeaJet was in the sense: as any V/STOL type is payload/range restricted, better to use limited lift not on radar/AAM v.defunct USSR, but for Joint Force Harrier GR.9 in GW2-style Tasks. Use CVS Air Group over the beachhead, and cover them and the Fleet, if exposed to MiGgery, with Coalition assets.
If your position is that CVS Groups should be part SeaJet, part GR.9, you risk doing neither job adequately.

[The Helpful Stacker]

Isn't the Type 45 the new wonder kid of the RN air defence world?

Arrived just in time to rattle a sabre for the RN against the Soviet hoards too.:ok:

[WE Branch Fanatic]

However, all is not well with the Type 45 and her systems - see Evolution of PAAMS/Sea Viper (http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/365087-evolution-paams-sea-viper.html). Also, we were meant to get twelve, not that is down to six.

This interview (http://www.warshipsifr.com/interview_alanWest.html) with the then First Sea Lord back in early 2003 may interest you.

You need a lot of Type 45s to give the same coverage as a naval air-defence fighter.

This interview is on page one of the Sea Jet thread (http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=98152). I think losing Sea Harrier was a very real loss for the RN. The Korea Sanctions Blockade (http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/248211-korea-sanctions-blockade.html) thread from October 2006 (no contributions from me due to technical issues - PC being repaired rather slowly) is worth a read. Unless you're particularly good at looking into the crystal ball, you cannot say with any degree of certainty that fleet air defence or other carrier based capabilities with not be needed in the next decade.

[1.3VStall]

Ronald Reagan,

So just what is the status of Colt these days?

[The Helpful Stacker]

Must be tough in the Admiralty at the moment, deciding which shiny new bit of kit to get and which piece of kit to get rid of/reduce projected purchase of in order to afford it all.

Perhaps its the one area where the RAF can truly assist the Senior Service. The skill required to draft briefs explaining 'capability holidays' whist at the same time trying to carry on as if everything is alright is surely one at which some within the light blue military excel.:{

[Ronald Reagan]

Colt now has sheep on it keeping the grass down! Lots of moss on the runway etc. The prison is being built round the back. It sounds mad but there seems to be more security round the back now with the building site than when it was an active RAF base. It kind of looks like a ghost town. If you used to serve there I suggest its not wise to go back. Its so depressing to see.
I see one or two people obey the party line and seem to think the cuts are/were a good thing.
My question is as a country exactly what do we have left!? No Jaguars, no SHARs, very few f-3s and soon to be none, F*** all Typhoons, f*** all Harriers which work and as for the GR4 force about 4 jets per squadron which work at anytime! Plus more cuts rumoured!
Would it not have been easier to scrap the lot and buy a 'real' number of something like F-16s, F-18s or both!? Maybe 100 of each! Still only gives us about 200 jets total which is not a lot really. A total combat force of 300 to 500 would be about right! (Also a proper Fleet Arm with Navy pilots flying from Navy carriers).
It amazes me but we have so little. When my namesake was American President he must have created truely the greatest military force the world has ever seen!
As for the person who asked if I think this country has a future, I don't think the UK has any future. We are a hugely over populated tiny island, full of immigrants, welfare scroungers and other ilk with 3 main politcal parties who are all totally crap. I think unless something drastic changes this country is finished.