QBF 1996 Tornado Diamond 16

[SRENNAPS]

The link below is a video of the Queen’s Birthday Flypast in 1996. The flypast was 16 Tornados from RAF Bruggen. 14 Sqn were the lead in organising the event and the diamond 16 was led by Group Captain Glenn Torpy, Station Commander RAF Bruggen.

14 Sqn Groundcrew, along with engineers from TTF, RAF Leuchars supported the aircraft which were all flown from RAF Bruggen to RAF Leeming several days earlier. I can’t remember how many aircraft we took to Leeming to support a 16 ship diamond, but to my knowledge it was every serviceable frame we had at Bruggen.

I asked one of the Navs (no names mentioned) if he would take my video camera and film the event from the cockpit. I was very pleased with the results he produced.

I have trimmed the video so that it just shows the main elements of the flying but it is still about 09 mins long! Sadly, the video is old now so the quality is a bit dodgy in places. The final shot is taken from the BBC news showing the aircraft flying over the palace.

A great job done by all involved.

Just wondered if anybody here either remembers the event or was part of it??

Happy Days

YouTube - Queens Birthday Flypast 1996. 16 Tornado aircraft from RAF Bruggen (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbFb6SrvMi0)

[jez_s]

Interesting to see it from the inside looking out so to speak.
:D

[bast0n]

Gosh - it all looks so calm and unstressed! I can assure you it was not like that in the middle of this lot. Shame we did not have video then. Lovely shots of Tornados though:ok:

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll301/tallbronzedgod/jsf_img992.jpg

[Geezers of Nazareth]

Excellent video!

Firstly, a correction to the date ... it was 1995, not 1996, that the Bruggen Wing did the Queen's Birthday Flypast o/h Buckingham Palace.

24 Tornado GR1s drawn from 9, 14, 17 and 31 Squadrons were detached to RAF Leeming, and sixteen aircraft were selected to form four "box four" formations.

The 24 aircraft were:
ZD810/AA
ZD739/AC
ZD719/AD
ZD890/AE
ZD845/AF
ZD720/AG
ZD747/AL
ZD789/AM
ZD714/AP
ZG756/AX all of 9 Squadron

ZD809/BA
ZA393/BE
ZD895/BF
ZD712/BY all of 14 Squadron

ZD793/CA
ZA463/CR all of 17 Squadron

ZG791/DC
ZG792/DD
ZG779/DK
ZG775/DN
ZD711/DY
ZG771/DW
ZD741/DZ
ZD742/-
ZD744/- all of 31 Squadron

They all arrived on either the 14th of 15th June.

There was a practise on 15th June (presumably with Waddington playing the part of Buck House) with 16 aircraft flying as four groups of four with eth callsigns 'Crossbow Blue', 'Black', 'Red' and 'Gold'. The 'Red' formation had an extra aircraft, presumably some for of photo aircraft, or maybe a 'whipper-in'.
There were also two air-spare aircraft which flew 'just in case'.

The flypast itself was on Saturday 17th June, when the callsign was 'Crossbow Formation', but I still need to identify which aircraft did the flypast, and which were air-spares.

[D120A]

bast0n, what was the Wessex occasion? Whirling rotor blades always make formation life just that little more exciting!

[Molemot]

And Betty gave her boys a nice wave as they flew over!!!!

[bast0n]

D120A

I THINK it was the Royal Fleet Review - the Jungly Squadrons returning to Yeovilton.

Before

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll301/tallbronzedgod/jsf_img991.jpg

and during

http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll301/tallbronzedgod/jsf_Photo_scan_3738.jpg

Happy days:ok:

PS and no practice to speak of!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Aur]

More impressive from inside. Thanks for sharing.

[SRENNAPS]

Geezers of Nazareth

Wow, thanks for that information.

It’s funny you said 1995. For some reason I did not put the date on the video tape when I downloaded it from my camera. I knew it was 95 or 96 but could not be certain. It was a long time ago so I guessed 96. I was a sooty Sgt on 14 Sqn at the time and I was promoted to Chief Tech in 96, so with hindsight I should have worked out the correct date.

14 Sqn were also involved in the QBF which we did from RAF Marham, It was either the following year (1996) or 1997. To be honest we were doing so many detachments in those days I lost track.

but I still need to identify which aircraft did the flypast, and which were air-spares.

It is a shame I did not video the “Rects Board” otherwise I would have been able to tell you which aircraft they were. Sad, because I normally did video everything.:)

[Auntie Maureen]

SRENNAPS,

What a blast from the past. :D Thought the vid looked familiar, then I realised - I was that nav! Thank you for editing out my bit of airborne commentary filmed as we recovered back across the N Sea. Do you also remember the carnage that we caused for the continuity team of the film crew that were filming 'Strikeforce', aka 'Strikefarce', at Leeming at the same time?

As I remember the following year was a diamond 9, or possibly just a 4 ship, as part of a larger package, which we flew from what was then sleepy Marham - sadly don't have access to my log book at present to confirm details.

Happy days, eh?

[SRENNAPS]

Auntie Maureen

Hello Mate, how are you. I was thinking about you when editing the video whether you would want your face in it, but decided to edit it out. I cannot believe you have seen it here on PPrune. Brilliant! :ok::ok:

I can’t seem to be able to send you a private message; it must be because you are Probationary.

Yes I remember the making of Strikeforce and also have some video of the action…..if you could call it that.:yuk:

If we can make proper contact I can send you the full unedited version. They were great days with the Crusaders and I am so glad that I have a lot of video to remind me of the good old days. :D:D

Message for a moderator:
Can you help me send a private message to Auntie Maureen please?

[Geehovah]

I remember seeing that one on the box

We could only generate a 9-ship in 1985 but then again, we only had 10 Tornado F2s at the time

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/DeeGee/QBF8.jpg

[Free Vortex]

I believe that the date of the 229 OCU Tornado F2 9-ship QBF should be 14 Jun 1986 - 'Windsor' formation. I recall that 229 only had about 6 ac in Jun 1985.............

[airborne_artist]

PS and no practice to speak of

I remember the rehearsals - we lived about 10m N of LoS at the time. One of the reasons I joined the FAA :ok:

[Fortissimo]

BAst0n

Re your second pic, what are all those grey pointy floating things underneath the formation? Do we still have any? :E

[Geezers of Nazareth]

14 Sqn were also involved in the QBF which we did from RAF Marham, It was either the following year (1996) or 1997. To be honest we were doing so many detachments in those days I lost track.


but I still need to identify which aircraft did the flypast, and which were air-spares.

It is a shame I did not video the “Rects Board” otherwise I would have been able to tell you which aircraft they were. Sad, because I normally did video everything.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/smile.gif

Actually, I think that I've just found the info in another source. Should I send all the details in another message?

[SRENNAPS]

Geezers of Nazareth

Yes please, then I can print all the info and place it with my DVD.

Dont know if you have read all the recent posts but the Nav that had my camera to make the film, has seen this thread and the video. It just go show what a small communty of people we are....even after 15 years:)

Thanks

[bast0n]

Fortissimo

Them my lad are what has kept England safe for many centuries past as opposed to the camouflaged pointy things in a sixteen ship above who have marginally helped out since 1918. Har me Hearties. Carry On.:ok:

[bast0n]

Big green Gilbert

Bu***r - you noticed!..........................:ok:

[NutherA2]

Can anyone suggest a possible source of photographs of Queen's Birthday flypast formations? I would very much like to obtain one of the June 2nd 1971 event.

[Geehovah]

"229 OCU Windsor Formation
I believe that the date of the 229 OCU Tornado F2 9-ship QBF should be 14 Jun 1986 - 'Windsor' formation. I recall that 229 only had about 6 ac in Jun 1985............."

I stand corrected. Just checked the log book and you're absolutely correct. Alzheimers setting in:sad:

[Two's in]

I expect the singleton Tucano will be equally as impressive at HM's next big shindig...

[Geezers of Nazareth]

Can anyone suggest a possible source of photographs of Queen's Birthday flypast formations? I would very much like to obtain one of the June 2nd 1971 event.

Can you say what was in that particular flypast? It is one of the few years from 1970 to 2009 that I don't have any information. Did you fly in it?

[NutherA2]

As I remember it the formation consisted of a Victor with two Phantoms on either wing, a Vulcan with two Lightnings on each side and a Nimrod with two Buccaneers on each wing. I was flying number 2 in the Phantom four ship.

[Safeware]

I was there - remember the jet with the massive fuel leak? Fuselage punctured by the flap IIRC, or was it by a detaching flexifoot?

sw

[SRENNAPS]

remember the jet with the massive fuel leak? Fuselage punctured by the flap IIRC, or was it by a detaching flexifoot?



Oh yes, I remember it well. It was a flexifoot. Sliced through the skin of the aircraft and the internal tank like a hot knife through butter. It could have been much worse.

Me and a couple of other Sooties had to remove the tank and then TTF were going to recover the rest. What a nightmare trying to get the tank out. Use of a stanley knife springs to mind:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Geezers of Nazareth]

As mentioned above, here's the details of the aircraft involved in the 1995 Queen's Birthday Flypast ...

The flypast formation was made up of four 'cells' of four aircraft each, with each cell having an airspare aircraft.

The whole thing was 'Broadsword Formation', which comprised the following:

Broadsword Red 1-5
ZD742/CZ
ZD711/DY
ZD739/AC
ZD719/AD
plus airspare ZD890/AE

Broadsword Black 1-5
ZA463/CR
ZD793/CA
ZD720/AG
ZD845/AF
plus airspare ZG791/DC

Broadsword Blue 1-5
ZD714/AP
ZD810/AA
ZG756/AX
ZD744/BD
plus airspare ZG779/DK

Broadsword Gold 1-5
ZD789/AM
ZD747/AL
ZD741/DZ
ZG792/DD
plus airspare ZD712/BY

ZA393/BE and ZG775/DN also launched as airspares, but went directly back to Bruggen once the main flypast neared London.

After the flypast at 1.00pm the whole flypast returned directly to Bruggen.

[SRENNAPS]

Many thanks for that info. Do you have any idea which jet had the fuel leak (see posts 26 & 27). Many of us ( I have been contacted by so many since I posted this vid) seem to think it was a “Charlie” jet and it had previously plagued us with problems in the gulf. The aircraft certainly did not recover to Bruggen after the flypast for several days (if not weeks). To be honest I really cannot remember.

Finally, a short message to all here that think the BBMF should be canned to save money; I have been contacted by so many people that saw the video that I posted. It brought back many memories for them and they felt very proud that they were part of that event. There was no question of “what a waste of money” that might have been.

That is what history does. It makes people proud of past achievements and makes them and others determined to ensure that they achieve in the future.

Those that wish to sell off the past have no vision for the future.

[Ringroad]

ZD712 was actually used as the weather ship on the Saturday. I recall that our outbrief from the Station Commander was “to do what you need to do to find out what the weather is in the run-in area”. We were the first aircraft airborne and I remember being at around 500ft just below cloud inside the M25 about 45 minutes before the flypast was due in. Happily that weather improved before the main formation arrived.

[Geezers of Nazareth]

Many thanks for that info. Do you have any idea which jet had the fuel leak (see posts 26 & 27). Many of us ( I have been contacted by so many since I posted this vid) seem to think it was a “Charlie” jet and it had previously plagued us with problems in the gulf. The aircraft certainly did not recover to Bruggen after the flypast for several days (if not weeks). To be honest I really cannot remember.


The two jets that didn't take part in the flypast due to 'failures on start-up' (!) were ZD809/BA and ZG771/DW.

[SRENNAPS]

Just watched the Trooping of the Colour flypast for 2010. Really enjoyed and a great pleasure to see:D

I for one know how much hard work goes into these flypasts and with today’s workload it is probably something you could do without.

But if it’s of any consolation it reminds me and many others of the Great Spirit, dedication and hard work that the Royal Air Force is capable of. Thank you.:ok::ok:

[Jimlad1]

To echo the above comments, I was in central London today on the flypast route. The reaction from the large number of members of the public who stopped to watch was one of sheer pleasure and delight at seeing the RAF over London.

Many thanks to all, you made a lot of people of all ages very happy today. (Although at least one member of the public was heard to say - "are they doing this for the england team in the world cup :E)

[WHBM]

Went down specially yesterday with Mrs WHBM :) to watch it from Green Park. A significant cheer went up for two of the formations.

The two were the Spit/Hurricane, and the Reds. Good to see the old team still get recognised for what they did, and so sorry if you were one of those flying the others, don't worry, everyone was watching and admiring you as well ! The formations were, as ever, immaculate and tight. Just how far apart, horizontally and vertically, were those two VC-10s from each other ?

[Geezers of Nazareth]

Saw the program on TV last night, especially enjoyed the final 10 minutes where they showed the RAF flypast.

Standards on journalism at the BBC are slipping though - on their website this morning there is a selection of pictures from the whole ceremony, one of the last pictures shows the Sentinel and two BAe125s overhead BP and the caption talks about the Memorial Flight :eek:.