Exercise Excalibur

[DougGordon]

I'm unsure whether this should be in this forum or Aviation Nostalgia, but here goes.
I'm doing some research into the series of Excalibur exercises which
commenced in the mid 1980s and finished in 2005.
This was exclusively a USAFE exercise until 2005 (and 2004?) when the RAF also took part. It was based at RAF Lakenheath.
I would welcome any input from anyone who was involved in this exercise at some point over the years either as pilot or in a supporting role.
To put it simply I believe the exercise was basically a strafing and bombing competition held at Holbeach and Wainfleet......or am I being too simplistic?
All contributions welcome.

[bobward]

Doug,
Your post brought back some very happy memories.

On a couple of occasions OC Lakenheath opened up the base and allowed spotters on to photograph the attendees. All made a donation which went to local charities.

I'll have a look through my logs later and let you have a few dates etc, along with attendees. What I do recall was their being an absolute feast of jets from Ramstein, Hahn Soesterbourg, Pangdahlem , Zweibrucken - in fact most of the USAFE bases...

Happy days!

[Pontius Navigator]

I don't recall any F15 exercises at Wainflkeet after 2001 that were declared as exercise sorties which is not to say they didn't happen but were certainly not declared to us.

[typerated]

I remember the 88 comp (it was a comp not an Ex)

coast in at St Abbs

Nav point at Spade. If I remember correctly the winning Sqn would go to Red Flag (or was it a competition in the states)

Cap of F-15's from CR and BT over Haydon bridge.

Then down the Leeming gap

but some formations were mixed such as Hahn F-16's escorting UH EF-111's

Don't remember Wainfleet being used but I do remember Donna and Holbeach - might be Cowden too?

Also don't remember strafe on the early ones - mainly because F-111's were the most numerous and didn't!

Salty Hammer was much more interesting USAFE ex

Cheers

TR