Tornado GR4 last flight

[Vendee]

I assume that the out of service date for the GR4 is still March/April time? Does anyone know if there is a set timetable and will there be some sort of flypast of past and present Tornado bases or any other event planned to mark the end of this excellent aircraft's distinguished service?

[nipva]

Not many 'past' GR operating bases left. Bruggen, Laarbruch, Honington, & Cottesmore have all ceased flying. Even the peripheral GR hosts such as Bedford and St Athan have also wound down with only UWAS still flying from St Athan. So sadly, that leaves just Lossiemouth and Marham with perhaps a nod to Boscombe Down. .

[TEEEJ]

RAF Marham have organised a photo shoot on January 25th. I would imagine that all the places have been allocated.

[NutLoose]

Bollox, another shoot missed it would be nice to see some go to museums instead of the U.K. PLC's normal sell for scrap or to high a price for most museums.
It's all well and good trying to get back the maximum profit for the UK but sometimes that is to the detriment of future of the UK's aviation history, the F3 was an example, very few survived.

[HaveQuick2]

Just 16 F3s remain according to this list (out of a couple of hundred?)

ZE168 (N) Private Thorpe Wood, Selby
ZE204 FC, 25 Sqn marks Fire School Manston Fire School
ZE256 TP, also wears 'ZE343' Private Thorpe Wood, Selby
ZE340 GO, 9298M, 43 Sqn marks DSAE Cosford DSAE
ZE760 AP, 229 OCU marks Preserved, gate guard Coningsby
ZE836 36-12, MM7210 Museum Vigna di Valle, Italy
ZE887 GF, 43 Sqn marks Museum, inside Hendon, Barnet
ZE934 TA, 56 Sqn marks Museum, inside East Fortune, East Lothian
ZE936 (N) Museum Neatishead
ZE965 (N), 111 Sqn marks Private UK
ZE966 VT Preserved Hawarden - Chester Airport, Flintshire
ZE967 UT, 56/111 Sqn marks Preserved Leuchars, Fife
ZG751 Centre fuselage JARTS Boscombe Down
ZG795 (F) Stored Boscombe Down
ZH552 Preserved, gate guard Leeming
ZH553 RT, 56 Sqn marks Museum, outside Newquay Aerohub

List from Demobbed - Out of Service British Military Aircraft

[Lima Juliet]

Originally Posted by HaveQuick2

Just 16 F3s remain according to this list (out of a couple of hundred?)

ZE168 (N) Private Thorpe Wood, Selby
ZE204 FC, 25 Sqn marks Fire School Manston Fire School
ZE256 TP, also wears 'ZE343' Private Thorpe Wood, Selby
ZE340 GO, 9298M, 43 Sqn marks DSAE Cosford DSAE
ZE760 AP, 229 OCU marks Preserved, gate guard Coningsby
ZE836 36-12, MM7210 Museum Vigna di Valle, Italy
ZE887 GF, 43 Sqn marks Museum, inside Hendon, Barnet
ZE934 TA, 56 Sqn marks Museum, inside East Fortune, East Lothian
ZE936 (N) Museum Neatishead
ZE965 (N), 111 Sqn marks Private UK
ZE966 VT Preserved Hawarden - Chester Airport, Flintshire
ZE967 UT, 56/111 Sqn marks Preserved Leuchars, Fife
ZG751 Centre fuselage JARTS Boscombe Down
ZG795 (F) Stored Boscombe Down
ZH552 Preserved, gate guard Leeming
ZH553 RT, 56 Sqn marks Museum, outside Newquay Aerohub

List from Demobbed - Out of Service British Military Aircraft

Missing from the list: ZA267 Tornado ADV in 25(F) Sqn markings at RAF Syerston. ZD889 Tornado F2 at Bury or emergency training. ZD900 is a Tornado F2 ground instructional airframe at RAF Lossiemouth. ZD936 Tornado F2 at the Boscombe Down Collection at Old Sarum. ZD938 is a Tornado F2 at Doncaster Museum.

So I make that 21 of the 165 Tornado ADVs that were made are still complete (there are more examples of cockpits and even an excellent complete simulator at Thorpe Camp) - so in excess of 12% preserved, which isn’t too bad really?

[HaveQuick2]

Originally Posted by Lima Juliet

Missing from the list: ZA267 Tornado ADV in 25(F) Sqn markings at RAF Syerston. ZD889 Tornado F2 at Bury or emergency training. ZD900 is a Tornado F2 ground instructional airframe at RAF Lossiemouth. ZD936 Tornado F2 at the Boscombe Down Collection at Old Sarum. ZD938 is a Tornado F2 at Doncaster Museum.

So I make that 21 of the 165 Tornado ADVs that were made are still complete (there are more examples of cockpits and even an excellent complete simulator at Thorpe Camp) - so in excess of 12% preserved, which isn’t too bad really?

As I stated, that was a list of F3s (NOT F2s or ADVs)

[NutLoose]

Errmmm, preserved isn't how I would describe all of those on the list


Panavia Tornado F3 - ZE204 by Liam Daniels, on Flickr

[NutLoose]

[Buster15]

Originally Posted by HaveQuick2

As I stated, that was a list of F3s (NOT F2s or ADVs)

Understand the difference between F2 & F3 but both are ADVISED (Air Defence Variant).

[57mm]

ADVs were employed by RSAF and were essentially F3s with post Granby mods and AWSMDS selectable on demand.

[Buster15]

Originally Posted by Vendee

I assume that the out of service date for the GR4 is still March/April time? Does anyone know if there is a set timetable and will there be some sort of flypast of past and present Tornado bases or any other event planned to mark the end of this excellent aircraft's distinguished service?

It is difficult to overestimate the massive contribution that the Tornado has made to the UK as well as European air forces operations. Unfortunately for the UK it will soon fade into history.

I would therefore hope that the RAF will give this iconic jet a suitably respectful retirement and ensure that as many people as possible get the opportunity to say good by.

[downsizer]

I reckon those hoping for a big flypast will probably be a little let down.

[LOMCEVAK]

The final flight of the F3 was a 3-ship from Boscombe to Leeming via Coningsby and Leuchars. The final flight of a GR1 (ZA326) was a display role demo at Boscombe. The final flight of a F2 (ZD902,actually a highly modified F2A) was identified retrospectively when the Type Certificate was suddenly pulled one day! One pilot was involved in all 3 ....

[weemonkey]

Originally Posted by NutLoose

Errmmm, preserved isn't how I would describe all of those on the list


Panavia Tornado F3 - ZE204 by Liam Daniels, on Flickr

nice skidmark though...and they all walked away....

[weemonkey]

Originally Posted by NutLoose

Wow! how to have x tons land on your head without even thinking about it.

[typerated]

Originally Posted by nipva

Not many 'past' GR operating bases left. Bruggen, Laarbruch, Honington, & Cottesmore have all ceased flying. Even the peripheral GR hosts such as Bedford and St Athan have also wound down with only UWAS still flying from St Athan. So sadly, that leaves just Lossiemouth and Marham with perhaps a nod to Boscombe Down. .

How about Mach Loop, Thirlmere, OLF Selkirk- Moffat pass, Spadeadam, Tain, Cowden, Donna, Wainfleet and Holbeach

[Green Flash]

Originally Posted by typerated

How about Mach Loop, Thirlmere, OLF Selkirk- Moffat pass, Spadeadam, Tain, Cowden, Donna, Wainfleet and Holbeach

....and finish it all off by slapping a few live 1000lb's into Garvie?

[chevvron]

In Oct 1986, I visited Bruggen on a sort of ATC camp without cadets, just a few adult staff the excuse being a looksee to see what the cadets would be doing the following summer. The last RAFG Jaguar Squadron stood down and was replaced by a Tornado Squadron that very week.
Seems such a short time ago now but please excuse my ignorance; what are the GR4s being replaced with?

[Buster15]

Originally Posted by chevvron

In Oct 1986, I visited Bruggen on a sort of ATC camp without cadets, just a few adult staff the excuse being a looksee to see what the cadets would be doing the following summer. The last RAFG Jaguar Squadron stood down and was replaced by a Tornado Squadron that very week.
Seems such a short time ago now but please excuse my ignorance; what are the GR4s being replaced with?

Typhoon FGR4 is being updated to take on the Tornado role.

I spent some time at RAF Bruggen and Laarbruch. It was an extremely busy flying operation with (I think) four squadrons at each base and close to 100 jets.
Typhoon has extremely big boots to fill once Tornado is retired.