Jags on the M1

[Geezers of Nazareth]

For one reason or another I just happened to be looking at Taiwan on Google Earth a few days ago. There were quite a few 'airfields' marked which were actually straight stretches of motorway.

[Gainesy]

M23, never heard of any Jags on it, probably too short for them anyway.
Slightly off topic, Jags were trialed operating from a grass strip alongside the runway at Boscombe.

[alwayslookingup]

Ref photo in Post 31. Thanks Derek. How noisy was that? What a brooding and atmospheric shot of the Tornado on take off, very dark and menacing. Brings back lots of memories of the early eighties, when the cold war was still going on, pre glasnost and perestroika (spelling?) and the new world order. Was it really only 24 years ago. I'm guessing for many readers it'll have gone past in the proverbial flash. At least we knew who the enemy were then. Kind of makes one feel nostalgic for those days?

[Derek Booth]

Alwayslookingup

Appreciate your sentiments and kind comments.

Thinking back, I guess it must have been quite 'loud' but then again, I have taken so many such images over the past 38 yrs (now a Professional Photographic Officer in MOD), that you tend not to remember individual efforts. Also, at the time, one is concentrating so heavily on the actual photography that you become oblivious to all else, including noise, vibes etc.

Speaking of the Cold War, ironically, whilst on the same PR tour in Germany, I had to photograph the NATO stand during the Dusseldorf Boat Show, where we had a number of Star Ranking members in attendance. Not only that - We had a Russian Army General there too

[Derek Booth]

Alwayslookingup

Funny how things can jog the memory - The one 'noisy' shoot I distinctly remember (though sadly I have no copy from it), was a six ship, tactical take off at Scampton. Of course, I'm talking Vulcans here. Now that was something to behold.

Derek

[F.O.D]

jags on M1

Thanks for the photo Derek,

IIRC, I was the nose gunner on the XV sqn Tornado carrying out approaches on the autobahn in 1984. The final approach was a little sporty as there was a bridge across the autobahn prior to the touchdown point. I was given some PR photos at the time but they are in storage. thanks for reminding me of the good times we had in RAFG.

regards

F.O.D

[Bushers]

The first rough field take-off demo by a Jag was from BAE Samlesbury, in the days when BAE still knew what aeroplanes and airfields were. Pilot was Chris Yeo. How the nose gear stood up to the pounding was a minor miracle. If memory serves Chris also did the demo on/off the M55.

[Derek Booth]

F.O.D

Spot on re the bridge, a few hundred metres to the left, out of pic on the one I posted and I certainly remember a few 'hairy' moments.

Possible that the PR pix you have are from my exploits there.

Thanks for providing the 'entertainment' for the shoot - much appreciated.

Regards
Derek

[Ken Scott]

Watched a Jag take off from the grass at Farnborugh in the 80s, quite impressive. I also have a vague recollection from when I was an OpsO at Colt of a plan to use the adjacent public road in wartime emergencies for take offs, but I could be having a 'senior moment'!

[radicalrabit]

concrete stretches of the motorway

You are quite right there are several long and short concrete stretches of motorway/runway for alternative jet deployment and recovery , I used to have a map when i was with 54 sqn at Colt, it only turned up during a taceval one cold November night just before we got pushed off to Scandinavia, I dont recall any one ever getting that ambitious and landing on one

[soprano54]

'Colt Mad Mile'

I also heard that about the road between Lamas and the North Walsham road!

[nacluv]

Pic of Jag on M55, post #21

Forgive me if I'm talking bol-x, but isn't that live ordnance on board?

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!]

I seem to remember it landed clean, did a back taxi had some stores loaded and then took off. I think the point was to show that the road could be used for quickly re-arming the aircraft as well as a temporary airfield.

[XV277]

Not a practical landing site (as someone built a block of flats at the end, but the M8 west of Glasgow follows the line of the old runway at Renfrew

[tarbaby]

I thought that having students flying around Jordan on 1948 topos was a bit hairy. So when I was in the UK I snaffled some H7 (I think) topos from Lyneham . They showed all the airfields in Jordan including the widened roads. This lasted for a week before the secret police appeared saying that the charts were going to be confiscated as the position of all the airfields was secret. Even better was trying to tell them that the charts could be purchased over the counter.

[kubbua]

Jags and Motorways

Not far fetched at all. In 1975 as a kid on my way to work on a farm in Gt Eccleston near Preston lancs a development Jaguar from Warton landed on the un-opened new M55 motorway from between Preston and Blackpool. Then ground crew from Warton fitted bombs and role equipment and it took off. I thought it was the making of a James Bond film or something, but it was a test to show the Jags versatility.