Tiger_Mate, as a former AD WC my answers to you questions
A nice photo that would have been most usefull of late. A few further questions for the Air Defenders if I may: I would like to paint a similar painting that includes either AEW Shackleton or Canberra T17 along with a fighter that will probably be F4.
Are there any circumstances when these aircraft would have joined up at altitude or were they autonomous operators?
Canberra all altitudes and weather day and night. Shack mostly affil sorties at L/L again day/night and all weather, but was intercepted (at M/L for a Shack) when they were RTB in Transit.
Is 'Chaff' visible at height?
Did the T17 execute any dynamic manouvres when playing?
Oh yes when part of Ex or in brief or feeling their oats. But most QRA embelish PI's were usually straight and level. Most memerable was a visual spot of Canberra going to N of Peterhead power Station stack and F4 going S of it both at high angles of bank.
If civilian airliners were used for PI; how close to the airliners would a fighter get?
In old days if Civy pilot and controller were happy, Interceptor was allowed to a 200ft bubble officially. Not sure these days as I've been out for over 6 years.
How often does such a scenario be it practice or real involve IMC flight?
With the weather in the UK, IMC intercepts were practiced all the time. Certainly remember having to hunt for targets/victims during bad weather. System used to be that you could intercept any VFR with military modes and codes. Bad weather usually sent us to the Civy/Mil ATC units, asking if their high or medium level traffic was willing to be embelished. If an actual QRA, most would start above the weather and then sometimes start down dependant on events.
Regards
Trap One
Last edited by trap one; 3rd Jan 2012 at 07:03.