LFA7 Pictures 18-03-07 - A big thank you!

[Geoff Hibbert]

Morning all,
I would just like to post a few pictures from an exceedingly cold day spent standing up a mountain with three other like minded freaks. Many thanks to all the crews for the waves.
My first post here and sorry for the delay as I had some trouble registering.
I hope you like them?

Geoff Hibbert

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/rol1968/2a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/rol1968/1a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/rol1968/3a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/rol1968/5a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/rol1968/4a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/rol1968/8a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/rol1968/7a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/rol1968/6a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/rol1968/9a.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a149/rol1968/10a.jpg

[Heywood Djablowme]

Awesome pics, thanks very much for posting them!

The paint job on that Tonka is superb! Does anybody know if that's a one off or the first [I've seen] of many?

[2.5 miles]

Good to see pictures of proper planes at their best, miss seeing such activity. Love (anorak) watching planes, but shiny civiliners not quite the same buzz (no pun intended).

[Tiger_mate]

Puts anorak on:


The Tonka is part of the 'Saudi sustainment program' from BAe Warton. It is a saudi colour scheme with an RAF reg and mini roundels.

The blanked out bit on the starboard wing would have had RSAF written there.

In the current area of Ops, I am surprised that such camouflage patterns are not widespread across the RAF Fleet.

Takes anorak off:

[harrogate]

Awesome pics, thanks very much for posting them!

The paint job on that Tonka is superb! Does anybody know if that's a one off or the first [I've seen] of many?

It's one of the RSAF (well, UK serial) machines that Warton use.

[diginagain]

Sad to see that the size of the lettering on the Js is so small. Anyone would think there's some embarrassment in being seen out and about with "ROYAL AIR FORCE" on your cab.

[rab-k]

In the current area of Ops, I am surprised that such camouflage patterns are not widespread across the RAF Fleet.

I suppose if those on the 'other side' were in a position to draw a bead on a Tonk 'from above', then such a scheme would indeed be of use.

Great pics BTW.:ok:

[TEEEJ]

Excellent, Geoff. Welcome! I'm sure the forum members on here will appreciate them!

TJ

[StopStart]

Good stuff as usual Geoff :)

diginagain - it's a transport aircraft not an advertising hoarding.
It's not like we're trying to sell seats on the thing. :rolleyes:

[ARINC]

Are those slats deployed on that Typhoon or is it just a very noticeable crank ?

[diginagain]

it's a transport aircraft not an advertising hoarding.
It's not like we're trying to sell seats on the thing.

Not that I disagree with you, StopStart, but it might be useful to remind the hoi polloi of your continued presence. Perhaps you should be advertising a little more.

[StopStart]

Wouldn't change the price of fish old chap; those corporate style Royal Air Logos that are appearing everywhere do nothing to heighten Joe P's awareness of the RAF and everything to embarass the crews.
I maintain that Joe P's interest in me and my lot is broadly in line with my interest in theirs ;)

Anyway, there aren't many hoi polloi where we do 95% of our flying these days :)

Sorry Geoff - dragging this thread off down the garden path :) I'll shush now.

[diginagain]

Likewise.:ok:

Cracking pics, BTW, Geoff, keep them coming.

[Saintsman]

Yes they are great photos but...

They are starting to become a bit common on here and when you have seen the typhoon on its side 20 or 30 times the impact wears off.

What I am saying is that perhaps you need to be a bit more selective in what you post. A bit like the Tonkas with the Saudi paint job. They were super because we haven't seen them before.

I'm sure that I'm coming across as super critical and ungrateful which I don't mean to be. I do appreciate that you've spent all day waiting for them to come through and thank you for sharing them. Its just that the internet spoils us and when you see the same type of thing several times, it becomes just another photo. Your efforts deserve more than that.

[nacluv]

I was impressed by how far that Albert was cranked over. Must have been driven by a frustrated biker... ;)

[SALAD DODGER]

Don't listen to Saintsmain. Keep them coming, its always a pleasure and I am sure that you have been restrained as you must have taken one hell of a lot of photos to get where you are. I am a serving Pilot and am always keen to see if you have snapped either myself or my friends. It would be a shame to exclude any because of such a 'bah -humbug' postings. I think that your photos do a lot to show the RAF in a good light doing something we are good at and should be proud of.

As far as I am concerned, Saintsman has a choice to look at them or not.....More please

[rab-k]

Just noticed the guy in the right-hand seat of the Herc with the bird-sh1t on the cab is doing a damned fine job of holding onto his can of schweppes tonic. :E

[Ogre]

Fantastic photos, it was nice to see the grey Herc with the chipped paint job, everything else looked too clean!

I was a little confused to see the RSAF jets with a full load on the pylons, if they had just come off the TSP line at Warton then they would have been on flight test not fully loaded.

Still it's nice to see these aircraft where they belong, in the air. My compliments to the artist who took them.

Ogre

[L Peacock]

Saintsman

What a pointless post. The content of these threads is obvious by their title. If it doesn't rock your world then click elsewhere. Geoff and TEEJ, keep 'em coming.

[Wingswinger]

Please excuse my digression. As one of the first "Tonka" drivers in Aunty Betty's Flying Club, from '82 to '89, I would be delighted if someone would be kind enough to tell me how and when Tornadoes came to be called Tonkas. In my day we simply called them "Fins" although some of the ex-Bucc mates referred to them as "The Bacofoil Bomber".

Saintsman,

I don't find them boring at all. In fact, I rather wish there had been someone around to take a few happy snaps of me when I used to do that sort of thing for a living. I look at the photos of Tyhoons and it makes me jealous of the youngsters who have the privilege to fly them. We could have done with a jet with that sort of performance 25 years ago!

[kokpit]

As one of the first "Tonka" fixers at RAF Bruggen, they were already, to my knowledge, known as Tonkas.

Why? Apart from the word association, possibly because of: "Real tough toys, for real tough boys. TONKA!" ;)

[Geoff Hibbert]

Many thanks for the comments, much appreciated.

I hope to post some new ones in a month or so after my next trip.

Anyone who noticed that my banner said 2007, it was a long day and when I processed them I was shattered. I haven't made a 2008 one yet!! :)

Cheers

Geoff Hibbert

[glad rag]

Post #21 It started at RAF Cottesmore, TTTE, Thomas The Tank Engine and became Tonka shortly after....@ 1982/3........around Rutland you can still see fading dayglo caricatures of steam engines on some roadsigns.

:ok:

[Wingswinger]

Thanks for that, glad rag. I can't imagine why I hadn't heard of it since I was through TTTE in summer '82 and then Honington, Marham, Bruggen, Honington thereafter to '89. Happy days.

Oh, by the way, many thanks, Geoff. Wonderful shots.

[Pontius Navigator]

The comment about 'Royal Air Force' on the Herc missed the point:

wrong font

It should have been Royal Air Force with the special mega bucks design for A and Y to lean and suggest motion, modernity and movement.

[Dan D'air]

Just noticed the guy in the right-hand seat of the Herc with the bird-sh1t on the cab is doing a damned fine job of holding onto his can of schweppes tonic. :E


Aw, don't be like that, he's just practising for when he goes to BMED.

[MightyGem]

What's the cluster of white "circles" on the top of the second Herc shot?

[fcbellio]

Just noticed the guy in the right-hand seat of the Herc with the bird-sh1t on the cab is doing a damned fine job of holding onto his can of schweppes tonic. :E Well the ALM certainly wouldn't make him a brew!

[MightyGem]

Get my drift?
Yes, thanks.

[Dan D'air]

What's the cluster of white "circles" on the top of the second Herc shot?


Now that the MoD has gone all green and fluffy, surely you must realise that it's the charging point for the electric motors??:O

[ZH875]

Never mind the white circles, who put R2D2 in front of them.