Tornado GR4 last flight
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...inclined to agree; not come across or heard of anyone notching up that many hours in a single FJ type (I know a couple who hit 5k) - although standby for some hairy old Hawk QFI to emerge!
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I spent many an hour scanning the North German Plain for 4-ships of Fins barreling through a few feet above us. A couple of years later, I was sitting around the sandpit whilst some very brave people were committing JP233 runs.
Hats-off to all Tornado Muds. Fine crews operating a great aircraft that served us well.
Hats-off to all Tornado Muds. Fine crews operating a great aircraft that served us well.
Tornado GR.4 ZG752 will go to RAF Honington, to be displayed as a gate guard, Britain at War magazine can reveal.
Speaking at a media event at RAF Marham today, the RAF also announced its intention to preserve up to 12 GR.4s from the current fleet.
Speaking at a media event at RAF Marham today, the RAF also announced its intention to preserve up to 12 GR.4s from the current fleet.
The crews for the last mission:
"The aircrew on the LHS does not wish to be named", Wing Commander James Heeps, OC IX Squadron, Wing Commander Matt Bressani, OC 31 Squadron and Sqn Ldr James Boning (Bonning?).
"The aircrew on the LHS does not wish to be named", Wing Commander James Heeps, OC IX Squadron, Wing Commander Matt Bressani, OC 31 Squadron and Sqn Ldr James Boning (Bonning?).
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I agree about the Daily Mail - it's a dreadful rag. As I said before, I merely reported what it reported, and expressed my belief that they 'got it wrong.'
I don't believe that the tangoed oaf's decision to withdraw US forces had anything to do with the British decision to withdraw Tornado, nor the decision not to boost or reinforce the number of Typhoons on Shader - but both of those claims have been made, and I passed them on, with a suitable caveat.
I don't have an axe to grind with your current president. I don't like him, I don't respect him, and I don't rate him, but I don't have any axe to grind. I watch with a mixture of horror and amusement as he demonstrates his unfitness to lead, and watch, 'popcorn in hand', waiting to see whether he escapes being impeached.
On this, as so often, Trump is an irrelevance.
I don't believe that the tangoed oaf's decision to withdraw US forces had anything to do with the British decision to withdraw Tornado, nor the decision not to boost or reinforce the number of Typhoons on Shader - but both of those claims have been made, and I passed them on, with a suitable caveat.
I don't have an axe to grind with your current president. I don't like him, I don't respect him, and I don't rate him, but I don't have any axe to grind. I watch with a mixture of horror and amusement as he demonstrates his unfitness to lead, and watch, 'popcorn in hand', waiting to see whether he escapes being impeached.
On this, as so often, Trump is an irrelevance.
Look a little closer and you will see 3 sets of your so-called ‘jock straps’. My understanding is that the kit in the combat survival life jacket is quite heavy and the straps stop it whacking you in the face on ejection?
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I think the straps are a feature of the latest mark of life preserver. The updated jacket was introduced to hold the head higher out of the water to reduce the likelihood of drowning if unconscious, and the straps must be to stop the jacket riding up (or the body dropping down, whichever way you want to look at it). I heard that the larger size of the stole gave some aircrew difficulties with head movement so they were allowed to stay with the previous mark of jacket. If you notice, OC IX Sqn doesn't have the straps and his stole cover is of different material. As so often, fix one problem, introduce another...
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Speaking at a media event at RAF Marham today, the RAF also announced its intention to preserve up to 12 GR.4s from the current fleet.
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I think the straps are a feature of the latest mark of life preserver. The updated jacket was introduced to hold the head higher out of the water to reduce the likelihood of drowning if unconscious, and the straps must be to stop the jacket riding up (or the body dropping down, whichever way you want to look at it). I heard that the larger size of the stole gave some aircrew difficulties with head movement so they were allowed to stay with the previous mark of jacket. If you notice, OC IX Sqn doesn't have the straps and his stole cover is of different material. As so often, fix one problem, introduce another...
