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Harrier Last Flight (Merged)
This from the Spectators Balcony (Spotters) Forum - Thanks FL575.
Harrier final flying? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I cannot see this information anywhere else on PPRuNe, but if it is I apologise for repeating it, but someone might be interested. Final Harrier Flying Start date/time: 15/12/2010 12:55 UTC End date/time: 16/12/2010 14:40 UTC Activity period: 1255-1440 Lower height limit: 000 Upper height limit: 030 FORMATION TRANSIT BY 16 MIL FAST JET ACFT ACFT. THE FORMATION WILL FORM UP IN VCY OF 5239N 00033E (MARHAM AD) FROM 1305 HR AND THEN ROUTE: 5239N 00033E (MARHAM AD) 1318 HR 5221N 00006W (WYTON AD) 1322 HR 5237N 00029W (WITTERING AD) 1326 HR 5239N 00029W (STAMFORD) 1327 HR 5302N 00029W (CRANWELL AD) 1401 HR 5310N 00031W (WADDINGTON AD) 1402 HR 5318N 00033W (SCAMPTON AD) 1404 HR 5306N 00010W (CONINGSBY AD) 1411 HR 5244N 00039W (COTTESMORE AD) 1415 HR 5240N 00044W (OAKHAM) 1416 HR 5244N 00039W (COTTESMORE AD) 1420 HR THE FORMATION WILL REMAIN IN VCY OF 5244N 00039W (COTTESMORE AD) UNTIL 1430 HR PRIOR TO LANDING. 16TH IS RESERVE DAY. TIMINGS, HGT AND ROUTE ARE APRX AND MAY CHANGE DUE TO WX OR OTHER REQUIREMENTS. 10-12-0055/AS 1 |
I thought it was announced in the SDSR that the Harrier was due to retire in APRIL 2011 - which makes an event on 15-16 Dec 2010 unlikely to be the FINAL HARRIER FLIGHT. Assuming of course that my memory of the SDSR details is correct.
I suppose one of the Sqns could be folding early? |
Whilst the Harrier will officially retire on 1 Apr 11, next Wed is the last planned flying day. There's too much pomp & ceremony and the mass of postings in the new year to make flying viable.
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Is anybody up for doing a pass under Tower Bridge?
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Or a LONG diversion up to the Scottish Borders (Leader valley/Lauderdale) please? First ATC camp at Wittering in 1986 left me with a lot of affection for the Harrier and the regular traffic through the valley will be sadly missed :sad:
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The Harrier GR9 with the retro camouflage scheme should be out next week at RAF Cottesmore.
Paint shop images on the following. Harrier Disbandment 3rd Painted Jet - Britmodeller.com Disbandment tail schemes. Harrier Disbandment Colour Schemes - Britmodeller.com There should be a 16 ship practice on Monday 13th December? Off base parking will be available from the 13th until the decision is made as to what day the flypast will take place. Directions to Rutland Caravan and Camping. 'From the A1 - turn off the A1 (north or south bound) and head towards Greetham on the B668. Then turn right at the crossroads before the village, and take the second left to the site. From Oakham - take the B668, through Greetham village, turn left at crossroad, then second left to site.' See Map for Rutland Caravan and Camping location. Streetmap.co.uk- search results for 492410,314985 Parking will be available for £1 per car at the Rutland Caravan and Camping Site. The farmer at the 22 end has made his yard available for some parking for £2. (accessible via New Road). See following for RAF Cottesmore viewing locations. The Viking Way footpath runs next to the 22 end of the runway and the farmer is very spectator friendly. Google search for RAF Cottesmore viewing guide RAF COTTESMORE VIEWING - Google Search RAF Cottesmore viewing guide http://www.pb-photos.com/Images/Avia...Cottesmore.pdf TJ |
Wot, no Dunsfold..
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Shame they can't divert to South Devon to say goodbye to Chris Moran and Richard Box.
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Shame they can't divert to South Devon 1 hour 30 mins at low level is enough to make you weep :{ The B Word |
Don't anybody bite. It's bound to be another trolling wannabe.
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They already 'did' Dunsfold recently. See one of several reports on the event here Dunsfold Celebrates The Harrier - Global Aviation Resource
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I'll bite
From the SDSR document: The current, limited carrier-strike capability will be retired. We must face up to the difficult choices put off by the last Government. Over the next five years combat air support to operations in Afghanistan must be the over-riding priority: the Harrier fleet would not be able to provide this and sustain a carrier-strike role at the same time. Even after 2015, short-range Harriers – whether operating from HMS Illustrious or HMS Queen Elizabeth – would provide only a very limited coercive capability. We judge it unlikely that this would be sufficiently useful in the latter half of the decade to be a cost-effective use of defence resources. |
Can anyone tell me when the much talked about budget cuts will start to take effect?
The impression I get from the thread is that there is no shortage of money, a practice followed by launching a 16 ship, on a tour of East Englandshire, then back to where they came from, wtf? Are the RAF really painting the aircraft in order to scrap them? So money may not be all that tight just yet. What happepned to only spending money where there is an operational benefit? We can't have LRMPA but we can do a (freshly painted) farewell tour of Middle Earth? Can't wait to read about this in the daily outrage. |
airpolice,
The majority of government department spending cuts start from Apr 2011, on the basis the government spending review was held in Oct 2010. These cuts include such things as no pay rise for public sector workers, decreased departmental budgets, etc... Since the Harrier fleet was supposed to disband in Apr 2011, (notice the date?) but is actually stopping flying in Dec 10, I expect (even allowing for 1 x 16 ship and a paint job or two), they are saving more money than was planned (3 months of flying saved vs 16 sorties and some paint?). On another thread Dominie flying was said to be stopping in Jan 2011. Ark Royal is on the way to be scrapped (mothballed), etc.... I think the taxpayers can be satisified that they are getting savings from MOD well before the general Apr 2011 date thank you..... |
Biggus, are you suggesting that we don't need to save anything until April? Is there still a huge pot of money until then?
This looks like the kind of spending that got us all into this mess in the first place. Provided it is not over budget, it is ok to spend. Would the money saved by stopping earlier not simply improve things? Is a bad man from HM Teasury going to burn all the twenty pound notes if the RAF don't spend it before April? I think not. Think how this looks to the people paying for it. |
Think how this looks to the people paying for it. |
"....Biggus, are you suggesting that we don't need to save anything until April?...."
Er no - I think you'll find, if you actually read my post, that I was pointing out that we are saving money before Apr, as I quoted in several examples!!! As to how it looks, to who, maybe the locals in the Wittering and Cottesmore area regret the passing of the Harrier era, and will appreciate seeing it in the air once last time? If you are going to get so upset by a 16 ship flypast on the demise of an aircraft type and closure of an airbase that contributes to the local economy then I suggest you start re-ignite the "..scrap the Red Arrows, BBMF, stop all airshows, close the UASs, pull out of Afghanistan, merge the RAF, scrap all cadet forces, reduce the number of senior officers type threads.....". Who knows, I would even agree with you in some of those cases... :ok: |
Hmm. I saw the first flight of the GR5 prototype at Dusfold. For everything there is a season.
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Although I firmly believe we should be spending more on our forces, not less, I agree with Airpolice and his sentiments pertaining to budget management..
Just because you are saving money before April through fuel, maintenance etc, it doesn't mean you have to spend some of that saving on a new paint job. Although budgets don't usually 'carry over', spending some money on frivolous things (paint job) when you have just managed to save it elsewhere is rather a rather myopic way of looking at budgeting. Nowhere in his post did Airpolice say he was against the flypast, merely that it may be a bit OTT to repaint aircraft for this one flight before 'scrapping' them. By the way having said that as a civvy tax payer, (ex FAA) in this particular instance I'd be in favour of the paintjob, even if it is a Crab paint scheme :ok: |
Why do Governments always want to scrap Aircraft and Ships they take out of service?
To my mind, it would make much more sense to keep these assets; that the Country has bought and paid for! A long term storage plan would seem to make more sense. We Never know if we might need some or all of them again at fairly short notice. What does the government have as a Plan B if we suddenly need the capability? Borrow some aircraft from the Americans or French! :rolleyes: :ugh: :rolleyes: |
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