Cqwi 2009

[KarlADrage]

Morning all,

I was fortunate enough to be invited up to Scotland to spend a couple of days at CQWI, in the vain hope that I might actually come away with some half-decent images this time! The forecast was horrific, but as it turned out our forays out to the runway and VASS nearly all coincided with the sun shining - and at Lossie almost certainly with the most surreal conditions I've ever shot in...!

The full report, along with a whole host of other images is now live on the site in my profile.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_1544.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_1461.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_1433.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_3827.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_3609.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_3576.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_1642.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_1675.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_3846.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_1695.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_1812.jpg

Thanks for looking. :ok:

[AQAfive]

Super snaps, how I long to get that quality.

No Nimrods? Or do they not appear in Cqwi, a term I am not familiar with.

And yes people, the Moray Riviera does have nice weather in the summer. (It also has some crappy weather as well)

[500days2do]

I am still amazed this load of rubbish takes place. A huge waste of time supported by huge egos and people with no grip on reality and respect for what anybody else does.

I speak from experience. I spent a whole week as a truckie crew taking part in the exercises. Our day was ended when the FJ topcover decided that the 2 ship 120 man delivery wasn't his prime objective after 13 mins of exercise play.

W**ker

Hence the reason why no airborne ops ever get off the ground if fixed wing is a part of the plan...the FJ element cannot be trusted!

5d2d

[Bob Viking]

I'd say you've just done your contemporaries a huge dis-service.
If that really is your opinion and not a rather poor attempt at a wind-up and ,heaven forbid, is a view shared by your comrades then maybe you need to take a moment out of your day jobs to find out what the FJ jockeys really do!
I, and most of my breed, would never denigrate your endeavours in such a fashion, based on such un-founded and tenuous evidence. Might I suggest you take a similar stance?!
BV:rolleyes:

[soddim]

I hope for the sake of both the taxpayer and the Royal Air Force that the 500 days to do pass quickly.

[Griz]

Children, children please!

Why does everything on this forum seem to degenerate into 'us and them'? The problem here is a lack of communication.

500d2g

You're quite right. Too many times the focus of the COURSE was on FJ tactics but not necessarily the fault of those running it. It was debriefed on several missions that the emphasis on HVA protection was a little off the mark. Remember it was a training tool and if things were consistently that bad then maybe there were too many 'shrinking violets' :ok: out there. Lessons were hopefully learned all round.

AQA5

Combined Qualified Weapons Instructor course. Held annually as a COMAO exercise for the students on various FJ QWI courses to hone their leadership skills outside the academic environment. The point is that all participants bring whatever they can to the party and everyone else can learn. A point that has perhaps been missed above.

[Aerouk]

Fantastic pictures, how long does the course usually last for?

[Union Jack]

Fantastic pictures, how long does the course usually last for?

Well, according to 499.5days2do, 13 minutes for the flying element ...... :eek:

Jack

PS Thoroughly agree about the photographs - BZ KarlADrage:ok:

[Griz]

2 weeks but the individual courses last for months.

[4mastacker]

Anorak mode 'On' - I thought the identifying letters for 617 Sqn were 'AJ'. I ask because the Tornado carrying 617's crest in Karl's photo bears the letters 'KC'. Were those letters also used by 617 at some time during the past? I remember from my Scampton and Marham days that 'AJ' was the norm.

Anorak mode 'off'

Nice photo's Karl :ok:

[Lima Juliet]

Last picture with the GR4...where's the AAR probe??? :confused:

[5 Forward 6 Back]

Leon, they don't all have them.

[Rossian]

Nice photos Karl. As I watched all those types wazzing around my garden in the super weather for those two weeks, I'm intrigued as to what is "surreal" about Lossie?? Awaits incoming, but it's only Karl's reply I'm interested in.

The Ancient Mariner

[AQAfive]

Griz

Thank you, although I'm really none the wiser.

For all of you that think such courses are a waste of money, I'll give you a quote made in the 70's by a German Atlantique maritime ac captain after some chaotic flying scenarios on a Joint Maritime Course, now called, I believe, 'Neptune Warrior'.

Read with a Monty Pythonesque German accent;

"Now I know why you British win zee wars,.......you practise the chaos in peacetime. Good Night"

And I believe that is the bottom line, for we are used to chaos and learn to adapt on the hoof. Thats the value of such courses no matter how bad they seem.

[KarlADrage]

Thanks for the replies.

As I say, for those interested in finding out more about what CQWI is and how it's evolved recently, there's a report on the website listed in my profile.

AQAfive - no Nimrods took part this year - an R.1 model was involved with CQWI 2007 though.

Naturally there were some based aircraft knocking around:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_3490.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_1508.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_4049.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_3507.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/KarlADrage/karladrage/cqwi2009/IMG_1515.jpg

Aerouk - the full course lasts approximately six months and culminates in a two week Operational Phase. It's this that the images relate to.

4mastacker - and I quote: "As part of 617’s 65th Anniversary, which coincides with Leonard Cheshires 60th Anniversary, one aircraft, in Squadron Markings, has had the tail letters KC-N painted on it. This was the tail letter of Wing Commander Leonard Cheshire’s Lancaster Bomber whilst he was Officer Commanding 617 Squadron."

RAF - News by Date (http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive.cfm?storyid=E661BCD2-1143-EC82-2E31744636C6E82C)

Rossian - you perhaps can't see it so clearly in these pictures 'cept maybe for the rotation shot of '079', but they were taken shortly after a heavy rain shower had pushed through. As the sun started to reemerge the runway started to steam like I've never seen, and as the jets rotated significant cloud formations appeared on the tops of the wings of many. Unfortunately the heat-haze did for many of the more dynamic ones...

Once again, thanks for your comments.

[monkeytamer]

Karl,
Excellent photos. It's nice to see some of the Mighty Rod.

MT :ok:

[TEEEJ]

Superb work, Karl. Landing shots are great!

TJ

[kfwalm]

Nice pics no C130 pics!!Or just all jets

[tradewind]

No, you had to be quick to see them - they went home after 13mins......

[Benjybh]

Nice stuff Karl. :ok:

Ben (Random)

[MACH2NUMBER]

Great photos. However, as a retired FJ pilot and QWI, I am sad to see the 'them and us' thrust of some comments here. I have great respect for all the RAF aircrew I worked with, of all specialisations. But I did try and get to know the other crews and to understand their problems. Courses like CQWI are a good opportunity to promote understanding and cooperation. Unfortunately, "you can lead a horse to water, but.........."