Background. RAF Leeming when it was an FTS in the late 70s/Early 80s. To the north, just off the end of the MATZ stub lay the fabled Low Flying System’s ‘Leeming/Teesside Gap’ (long before Teesside got Controlled Airspace) with its north-west/south-easterly flow arrow; from memory the Low Flying Handbook’s rules were that you could transit The Gap in the direction of the flow arrow ‘not above 1,000ft MSD’ WITHOUT calling Leeming.
(Presumably, someone thought that we Air Traffickers, with no SSR in those days, would be allowed to ignore fast moving returns on that track as ‘sort of’ 500ft separation would exist against instrument pattern traffic at 1,500ft QFE………. Yeah, right!
).
The rules also stated that if you were transitting The Gap in any direction above 1000ft MSD you had to call Leeming. It was a common occurrence for traffic to transit The Gap, against the flow arrow, at 2000ft (various pressures!). The scene is set.
Action. DM-L is sitting on Zone (aka LARS) dealing with the wonted 10/12 tracks (this is the Vale of York Area of Intense Aerial Activity remember, when the airspace designation was entirely appropriate) under various types of service when the following routine exchange took place:
“Warthog, check.”
“Two.”
“Leeming this is Warthog 12 Flight, 2 A-10s, for the Leeming Gap, 2000ft on the Barnsley, south east, north west for low-level north west of the Catterick ranges. Any Traffic?”
Me: “Warthog 12 Flight, no known traffic to affect in your area, the 16 pattern is not active, the Tyne if required is XY.AB inches. Flight Information Service. Report changing en-route.” (Radar shows 2 tracks in wide battle [blip–blip–blip–blip–blip] in the appropriate place…)
WH: “Wilco.”
A Short Time later…..
“Belgian 1234, check.”
“Tu”, “tree”, fur”
“Leemin’, zis iss Belgian Hir For 1234, 4 F-104s, 2000ft, zouth east, nor west, cross your centreline.” (Radar shows 4 fast moving tracks [blip – blip – blip – blip – blip] in the appropriate place…)
Me: “BAF 1234, the runway 16 pattern is not active. Flight Information Service. Two x A10s, same altitude, same track ahead of you for low-level to the north west. Report changing en-route."
BAF1234: “AHHH – Roooger!! Belgian Hir For 1234 – tactical, tactical – GO!” (Radar shows the 4 fast moving tracks accelerating like crazy! [blip - mega space - blip – mega space - blip – mega space - blip – mega space - blip].
Me: Ooo- err!
"Warthog 12 Flight, 4 x F104s behind you, same altitude, same track – now going VERY fast…”
WH: “Warthog 12 – stud 16, stud 16 – GO!
There then ensued a wonderous dogfight over Barnard Castle with the F-104s clearly fighting in the vertical (intermittent returns showing, with virtually no track history, but getting stronger, then diminishing…) and the A-10s fighting in the horizonal – no returns at all) as evidenced by:
“Belgian 1234, check.”
“Tu”, “tree”, fur”
“Leemin’, zis iss Belgian Hir For 1234, 4 F-104s, climbing FL240, passin’ FL 150, requesting FL 330 direct to Coltishall – tank you fur zee great intercept”
Me: (Nooooooooooo! Don’t say that!)
“BAF 1234, continue VFR, not above FL240 initially, free call Border Radar (pass ICF) – GOODDAY.”
Then:
“Warthog 12 Flight, check?”
“Two”.
“Where are you?”
“I’ma flying around a tree in the grounds of the Big Castle – ya’ll see me?”
“Yeah, gotcha – join on my left. Leeming, Warthog 12 Flight going en-route – and thanks”
Me: (Nooooooooooooo!)
“Warthog 12 Flt, roger, the Tyne remains XY.AB inches.”
“SUPERVISOR! Pass the logbook, please – and there’s something you’re gonna want to know!”
Epilogue. About 6 months later, in SATCO’s office:
“Ah, DM-L, do you know anything about 4 x F-104s around Barnard Castle a few months back? If you do, these nice gentlemen from Provost & Security Services would like a word with you………”
“Well, Sir – it was like this, see…….”
