Contrails
In June 1972 I participated in Exercise Capricorn. Although we were not to know it at the time, this was the last occasion on which almost all of the "front line" RAF in the UK was exercised together. Our crew was dispersed from Waddington to Wyton and after about 30 hours at readiness 15 (RS15) we were brought up to RS05 at 0100 in the morning. We held RS05 for about 90 minutes before all the Bomb Lists were simultaneously scrambled. Note that at this time we were not aware of the scale of the exercise. We were that last of the 4 Vulcans at Wyton and shortly after we became airborne Wyton Tower instructed all 4 aircraft to call Eastern Radar. We checked in in turn with Eastern and then the controller asked whether all 4 aircraft were VMC? . When we confirmed this (It was a beautiful clear morning) he responded:
"I assume that your tracks have been deconflicted, continue as briefed"
This was our first clue that we were taking part in something unusual.
There was a contrail layer that morning starting in the upper 20s and extending to the mid 30s. As we climbed, trails started appearing all over the sky and the size of the force getting airborne became apparent, all the strike aircraft, tankers, air defenders, both RAF and USAF seemed to be out that morning and all heading East!
I reckon that as the trails appeared there must have been 250 to 300 visible and those were only the ones I could see. I recall thinking as we headed for the GO/NO GO line that I hoped that someone had given the other side a bit of warning that this was only an exercise and we were only practicing for Armageddon, it wasn't the real thing!
YS