Red Flag or Others

[HeryBird]

Hi

looking for film/pictures or anecdotes on past Red Flag/Maple Leaf excersises. Were we (RAF) the best when it came to low level.

I have heard the story of a Vulcan being chased by the enemy at very low level and when the Vulcan was zapped out popped 2 Buccs from under its wings. Is it Fact or Fiction?

Thanks

C

[av624]

I heard a similar story, but it had harriers under it...

[bobward]

How low can you go?

I remember seeing a piece of film on BBC (Nationwide?) back in the 1980's. It came from a SAM site, trying to track a pair of Buccaneers. The gunners comments were quite enlightning, as they couldn't lock up the Bucc's.

There's also a picture around of a Bucc with a bent nose radome. the story being that it had been climbing to avoid a power line and hit it. The line was alleged to be 30 feet high.....


Maybe someone else out there knows a bit more about these two stories?

There's also tales of RAF jets leaving trails in the desert as well.....

[SRENNAPS]

On one of the many Red Flags I attended, a group of us actually went up to one of the Sam Sites. An extremely interesting day out with lots of action!

The chaps up there that put on the show were 100% complimentary on the skills of the British pilots at low level but would not confirm or deny some of the stories of “jets under jets” or cactus in the Ram Air Intakes underneath the Tonka.

[Bookend]

I think Tony Draper knows when and where that BBC low level stuff was.

[sisemen]

During the end of day debriefs I remember watching a vivid piece of gun camera film from a 208 Bucc during the work-up period at Cold Lake prior to Maple Flag. The SEngO showed us the scratches on the bomb bay later to back up the film that we had seen.

[fred737]

I did hear of a recent occasion when a USAF exchange officer went across with his RAF squadron and loved it because he was authorised to go lower than his USAF mates.

[Rigga]

I don't remember any Bomb Door scratches at Cold Lake - but I do remember the grass stains! - just in front of the Bomb Door Crash Switches.

[chiglet]

I watched two [Royal Navy] Buccs fly under the Type 80 at RAF Buchan in 1963.....

[Alber Ratman]

RAF Low Level GW1

Tornados in GW1

Jaguars were also filmed flying below the level of the main deck of the USS Missouri..

[FJJP]

Once saw the scratches on a Bucc leading edge where they had taken out the VHF whip aerial on a SAM cabin.

Then there was the Agressor on the tail, being tracked on Red Steer and visually by the AEO through the periscope - crank on 60 degrees bank, close throttles and bung out high drag airbrake. Agressor suddenly getting a faceful of delta metal rapidly coming to a standstill. Got slightly unnerved and breaks off the attack...

[BEagle]

Did that to an F-106 during Giant Voice 79! Approaching a turn point at the end of the 'fighter box', we got right over to the edge of the permitted route corridor, then went to idle and 60 or so deg AoB turned hard in to the 106. Or as hard as one could in the Tin Triangle.

He wobbled a bit, then rapidly legged it.

An ex-Bucc pilot instructing on the Hawk at heaven-in-Devon () showed us some of his Telford film of his 'Flag trips and yes, they were very, very low indeed.

[foldingwings]

BUCCS on RED FLAG

looking for film/pictures or anecdotes on past Red Flag/Maple Leaf (you mean Flag ) excersises. Were we (RAF) the best when it came to low level.

Done 3 (Bucc & Tornado) Got movie! Written articles (published in USA)! Why do you want it!?

I heard a similar story, but it had harriers under it...

Myth, I think and anyway, I don't recall Harriers ever being there with the V-Force!

Foldie