Hi Vis Coloured Fins in RAFG

[Finningley Boy]

Just wanted to confirm something, would I be right in recalling that toward the end of the cold war, RAFG aircraft started sporting bright coloured fins? I seem to recall this was an anti-collision aid due to the crowded airspace over the continent?

FB

[HaveQuick2]

Just wanted to confirm something, would I be right in recalling that toward the end of the cold war, RAFG aircraft started sporting bright coloured fins? I seem to recall this was an anti-collision aid due to the crowded airspace over the continent?

FB
Yes. Following a series of collisions and near misses over Europe and the UK a conspicuity trial was carried out, and just a few Bruggen and Laarbruch Tornados were painted with different coloured fins.

[Non Linear Gear]

Yes, Bruggen had a couple of Tornados painted with white and signal red fins. Soon dark grey with the heat from the the pre cooler exhaust on the fin. I don't think they were very effective. Wasn't that after the mid air that an A 10 was involved in and landed on a house killing German civilians? Late 1988?

[Valiantone]

I seem to remember the Harriers at Gutersloh and maybe the Phantoms at Wildenrath did it also. And the latter led to 19 and 92 keeping them or one each... Then Gutersloh had the special tail 4 Sqn anniversary jet(s) pre GR.5/7...

But it was 32 years ago now.... Dad certainly shot RAFG Tornados with red/white fins

[Archimedes]

Some photos of some of the aircraft involved can be found here (https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=168889); ISTR that there were a couple of 92 Sqn Phantoms which had red fins as well.

[NutLoose]

Makes sense, didn't they have problems when they painted a Hawk in the WW2 Brown Green as a commemoration scheme in actually seeing them at low level.

Totally off topic did you notice the secret service defending the Capitol building doors had a red white diagonal stripe flash on the side of their pistol barrels so in the heat of the moment they would be able to recognize friendlies.

[Two's in]

...Wasn't that after the mid air that an A 10 was involved in and landed on a house killing German civilians? Late 1988?

NLG, The A-10 crash at Remscheid wasn't a mid-air. A pair from Bentwaters got disoriented in clag at low-level, the Flight lead regained VMC, but the accident pilot came out of the bottom into an apartment block, killing 4 Germans along with himself.

It was notable for a piece of epic BFG HQ policy making when they decided that British Forces Germany would not hold any formal Christmas functions as a measure of respect for the victims. Remember, this was 8th December and in August of the same year that the Frecce Tricolori had just killed 70 people and injured 346 at the Ramstein Airshow. It wasn't the cancelling of Christmas parties that was the issue, it was the fact that only the Brits decided to impose this particular random act of governance among the NATO forces, so it was a fairly lacklustre Christmas in BFG that year, but clearly not for the Americans or the Italians...

[G-ARZG]

Makes sense, didn't they have problems when they painted a Hawk in the WW2 Brown Green as a commemoration scheme in actually seeing them at low level.

Totally off topic did you notice the secret service defending the Capitol building doors had a red white diagonal stripe flash on the side of their pistol barrels so in the heat of the moment they would be able to recognize friendlies.

Well, they can't use that again now, can they?
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[NutLoose]

Well, they can't use that again now, can they?
​​​​

They could change the tape pattern, here is about it if your interested.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38590/why-plainclothes-police-had-striped-reflective-tape-on-their-glocks-during-the-capitol-siege

[G-ARZG]

They could change the tape pattern, here is about it if your interested.

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38590/why-plainclothes-police-had-striped-reflective-tape-on-their-glocks-during-the-capitol-siege

​​​​​​Similar to 'colours of the day, then

[Martin the Martian]

I may be wrong but I thought the last straw was a 1989 collision between a German Alpha Jet and a RAFG Tornado that prompted the trial?

[60024]

The problem with the white fins was that on a typical hazy, sunny day you it looked like your wingman in battle fmn didn't have a fin.......