USAF Hercules touch and goes at RAF Cosford

[Wolverhampton]

Does anybody have any information regarding evening / night touch and goes at RAF Cosford which are scheduled for 16th March? There is a vague notice posted at a local petrol station advising of unusual night activity. Seems a strange location for such operations. :hmm:

[chevvron]

Careful what you say guys, as far as I can see from RAF publications, Cosford has no lighting for night ops, so it may be something the USAF don't want too many to know about.

[BDiONU]

Careful what you say guys, as far as I can see from RAF publications, Cosford has no lighting for night ops, so it may be something the USAF don't want too many to know about.
LOL!! USAF Special Forces have carried out NVG night landings for at least 15 years to my certain knowledge. Cosford looks like an ideal little backwater to practice.

BD
p.s. Might be a little difficult to keep a C130 doing approachs hush hush ;-)

[Phileas Fogg]

The first time I ever flew was from Lyneham and then around the IOW and back via Salisbury Plain, to drop out a Land Rover, and all at 250ft in a C130.

Upon arrival back at Lyneham every airfield light, and I mean EVERY light including building red obstruction lights, had been switched off and there were merely 3 torches at the threshold of the shorter runway.

Thereafter we must have done 15 landings & take offs utilising only approximately 1000ft of runway. When going into a war zone C130's operate from short strips, unmade strips, strips without lighting and I think that the fact that Cosford may not be licensed for night operations is neither here nor there in comparison, C130's practice for 'real life' operations.

[RS2]

Believe it cancelled as it suffered some form of technical hitch at the HALL.

[MAN777]

Seen, or should I say heard C130s flying nightime low level in the lake district on many occasions, must have been on nvgs as its as dark as a dark thing up there at night. Seen Tornados do it as well.

Off topic a little, but the best low level military sighting ever, for me that is, was when hill walking near to Silverdale, Lancashire. I could hear the distinctive roar of a vulcan approaching but couldnt see it, I looked down into the valley and saw this beast clawing its way up the contours smokey exhaust pouring out of all engines, the noise was deafening as it passed only a few hundred feet over my head, absolutely awesome !!:D

And the best bit was when its partner came along behind it seconds later, what a show !

Any ex Vulcan pilots like to tell us some stories about these training flights.