"End of the F3 Celebration Party":

[ScimitarFormation]

Attention all past and present Tornado F3 aircrew and groundcrew. To celebrate the Tornado F3's time in service, a party will be held at RAF Leuchars on the evening of 26th March 2011. Anyone who has served on the fleet during its service is invited. Unfortunately, due to the number of people this involves and venue limitations, there will be a ticket allocation. To register interest please email: 111 sqn hangar [email protected] ([email protected]) with contact details and a brief statement of your F3 service background.

Email - 111 sqn hangar party @ gmail . com (Without the spaces)

[Geehovah]

A short clip that I put together recently. Brings back a few happy memories.

If you download this perhaps you'd drop a few ££ into "Help for Heroes".



http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/DeeGee/Aircraft/UK%20Tornado%20F3%20Videos/th_BestofF3.jpg (http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v221/DeeGee/Aircraft/UK%20Tornado%20F3%20Videos/?action=view&current=BestofF3.mp4)

[ScimitarFormation]

To confirm this email still works and we are still accepting names to be considered for the hangar party.

[navibrator]

I have written twice and received no acknowledgement. Any reason?

[High_Expect]

Pilots only? ;-)

[Take That]

Likewise, 2 emails sent, no response to date. Bit like dealing with JPAC!:ugh:

[30mRad]

Bit like dealing with JPAC

Or dealing with a navigator perhaps?! :E

[Rigga]

How do you tell people that they fail to get passed the vetting "consideration" for a Hangar party?

No, I don't want to go anyway, thank you.

[glad rag]

Ditto, what's done is done.
I will defend the vastly underrated F3 weapon system until the end, but have no need to re-live the good times again, these events should be for the boys and girls to put things to bed in the best manner, IT'S THEIR TURN.

Nice video, never served on 56 (R) when in the service, but did a fantastic 6 months at Leuchars, as a conny,before the (financial) plug was pulled, great times and great guys to work with.

GR (GF)

[Lima Juliet]

Haven't got tickets yet???

http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/loser.jpg

All right, neither have I yet, but I think I'm funny as I've had a few beers!

[taxydual]

Don't tell me. The telephone box at The Gatehouse has been booked already!

[glad rag]

The telephone box at The Gatehouse

HUH..............?

[BlindWingy]

Good, enjoy that moment alone.....

[glad rag]

I will be celebrating the removal of the F3 from service with a moment of quiet contemplation.Ahah! Now we know!!

The telephone box at The Gatehouse has been booked already!:E

[ScimitarFormation]

To answer some of the questions above,

We are recieving a large amount of interest for the party, emails are being recieved, however we are unable to respond to each one personally. I am sure you won't be suprised to hear we are slightly short of manpower as we close the squadron.

Please be assured that we have noted your email and will be in contact shortly once ticketing begins.

NB: For anyone having difficulties reading the above email, I have typed it again with spaces, hopefully this will solve the problem.

Thankyou for your patience.

[BEagle]

Presumably all the negativity about the F3 comes from ill-informed spotters and MSFS drivers.

We might have bantered about the 'fag chariot' (as one does), but the combination of JTIDS/L16 and the later incarnations of Foxhunter/SkyFlash made it a very effective interceptor. Ask a few F-15 drivers...

OK, so it didn't appeal to the puerile "Yee-hah, Jester's dead" spotters who thought that dog-fighting was the be-all and end-all - but if you have to become embroiled in such things, you surely weren't using the weapon system properly?

Hope the 'End Of' party goes well!

[Wyler]

Saw it come into service (with concrete nose) and now seeing it depart. Fantastic long range interceptor and work horse.

[F3sRBest]

Registered interest :)

A much maligned ac which could have been awesome but for some of the 'naysayers' who thought their patch was being pooped on! :)

[27mm]

Echo your sentiments, Wyler - with it from F2 onwards. With JTIDS, Slammers and ASRAAMs, a class act - and a 600kt cruise in dry power at LL to boot; just a shame that the RAF, god bless 'em, have never seen fit to use AWSMDS....

[soddim]

The F3 is without doubt the best example of an ugly duckling turned into a swan. That it is now one of the best long range interceptor weapons systems in the world is a tribute to the perseverance and knowledge of those who continued to seek to upgrade it.

Those who saw it into service and pressed and fought for improvements are now justifiably proud of what they achieved.

To the blue-suiters in MOD who gave us the turd to polish - you made it difficult for us but we beat you in the end!

To those who still fail to see how good it is - hope you never get to a position where you have the opportunity to do any more damage to the RAF.

[Dan Winterroll]

Ah! There is a reason why AWMDS never came in. When the correct version of SPILS was issued to allow AWMDS they discovered that the system had "lost" all the parts that they had removed and put into storage when the ac were delivered. AOC 11/18 Gp found it too embarrassing to admit that the system had lost millions of pounds worth of kit and directed that the matter be quietly dropped rather than the wrongdoers be named and shamed! :-)

[Bookend]

Was it true that Alarm was used on the F3 for Sead? Was this for real? Was it used in anger?

[F3sRBest]

Bookend,

Yes, yes and No respectively :)

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

With the aircraft's demise goes the much-vaunted swing-role capability of the EF3.

Which leaves the RAF with only one swing-role aircraft, the Sea King HAR3, which can do SAR and ISTAR! If you doubt me, you should see how it's used in the Falklands. Which is why heli-dogging is such an important activity back home...:oh:

[Widger]

Did a good job in Deny Flight as one of the few assets that could do the night shift (or would do the night shift). So many defaced posters at Decci with arrows pointing to Iraq..so many downtrodden looks at the post DACT debrief after going up against the puffer jet with AMRAAM, ...so much promise....................

[Ewan Whosearmy]

How many kills did the F3 get during its career?

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

How many kills did the F3 get during its career?


One less than the Phantom:E

(in Brit service, at least!)

[F3sRBest]

With the aircraft's demise goes the much-vaunted swing-role capability of the EF3

Unfortunately the EF3 died long before the F3 - but I echo the sentiment :)

[Mr Grim]

Which leaves the RAF with only one swing-role aircraft, the Sea King HAR3, which can do SAR and ISTAR!


I think you'll find that we have an aircraft that does over 1000 hrs a month on ops doing ISTAR, SAR, Strike and other stuff. Although in a way you are correct, it isn't swing role, it is true multi role.

[F3sRBest]

it isn't swing role, it is true multi role.

I think you missed the point about what swing role means :)

[Mr Grim]

Sorry, I should have been clearer.

By swing role I mean does one thing then "swings" into another so, for example, A-A on the way in, then drop bombs, then take piccies on the way out.

By true multi role I meant does several things (SAR, FMV, strike, etc) at the same time, so no swinging involved!

[F3sRBest]

Would love to see SAR and Strike at the same time :)

[Mr Grim]

Come to Creech, we'll show you, it isn't hard! :O

[TorqueOfTheDevil]

no swinging involved!

Your loss...:eek:

[Geehovah]

Is anything planned during the day of the party? I know there's golf planned on Sunday.

[Fire 'n' Forget]

I think they are having a GR4 flypast :ouch:

[Green Flash]

Given that the Luftwaffe Tooms are about to go the same way maybe you should invite the Barons Boys at JG71 over for a joint do!

[maxburner]

I saw it in service from 86 until I left in 97, and then as a reserve on 5 until 2004. By the time I'd shuffled out of there the jet had a good radar, great data link, fantastic missiles and some extremely capable crews. It was never going to overcome the shortcomings of the original (short range, straight line) bomber from which it grew, but the boys and girls, airborne and on the ground, got more out of it than anyone thought possible.

I did the first ever TLP deployment out of Jever, fired the first AMRAAM off it, called the first ever spoke contact from the RHWR, did a lot of the development flying at BAE for ASRAAM etc etc. The jet took me safely all over the world. I can't say I loved it (like the Phantom) but I had a great time and I for one will be slightly sad to see the passing.

PS. The auto wing sweep was trialled (by the RAF) and found to be not very good. Also I was one of the MOD people, I worked very hard, as did my colleagues, to give the guys a better jet with better kit: don't tar everyone with the same brush.

[F3sRBest]

Sorry, I should have been clearer.

By swing role I mean does one thing then "swings" into another so, for example, A-A on the way in, then drop bombs, then take piccies on the way out.

By true multi role I meant does several things (SAR, FMV, strike, etc) at the same time, so no swinging involved!

Clear but wrong :) Multi means can do several roles, not necessarily in the same sortie. Swing means what you say.

[soddim]

Whilst I agree with maxburner on the qualities of the jet, I flew it for a few years using auto wing sweep and, yes, there were some corners of the envelope where a pilot could beat it using manual but not if he was busy using the aircraft as intended.

In my humble, the RAF cocked up by not having it as contracted and that almost certainly cost at least one life in an avoidable accident using the wrong wingsweep.

[maxburner]

Soddim, You may well be right. I seem to remember that the flap jacks were not up to the job and became unserviceable at a rate the logistics system couldn't support. So it wasn't purely an operational decision. But it was a long time ago and my recollection may be faulty.

[Dominator2]

You really are getting old, won't remember you name soon. It was Freddy the Fighter Pilot who broke the actuators by over-riding the AWS. Agree with most of you sentiment about the F3. It could have been a good Multi Role ac if Baggers and the other Mud Mover luddites had not been involved. It is amazing what a little lateral thinking, a data bus and some software can do.

[Geehovah]

Why the issue arose might be moot but if anyone wants to know the real reason why it was ££££ and bad contracts.

I was in Air Def at the time so I guess I know.

[Dominator2]

Geehovah, I'm not sure that you want to be implicated in sure a poor decision. The RSA flew with AWSAMD without incident.

[bakseetblatherer]

...anyway about that party, wish I was going. Enjoy you lucky buggers; 18288.66 km is a bit far to go for a booze up. No matter how noble the cause :)

[Geehovah]

As you say Dominator2, the Saudis used it for years. We also got to use it on delivery flights which were conducted under AWFL not R to S. Glad to say that one wasn't mine but I also had some "shockers"! If you're following the other procurement thread you'll not be surprised at the logic used.

Apolgies for the thread drift and back to my question. Anyone know whats planned for Saturday daytime?

[patrickthepilot]

Thought the following link might be of use for someone (ex-F3) who is leaving the service. Unfortunately I flew the wrong flavour of Tonka.

http://christygroup.co.uk/FlashSite/Christy Main.html#Vacancies