One of the confusing things is MOD's reuse of old Op names. Thus one of the Balkans ops was called Op Grapple. The same name had been used for the A bomb tests at Christmas Island. Why they should do this I have no idea.

Thanks to you all for your kind explanations.

It looks to me like "knarfw" might be the closest to the answer I was looking for.

The original sources I got this from are:

"Tribute to RAF´s Falklands Operations" by Harold Briley (Published Nov 2003, Mercopress)

"Tristar bows out" by DENIS J. CALVERT (2014)

They both mention the existance of an Operation Cannonball after June 1982, regarding the airbridge down south.

Thank you!!

Christian

knarfw is correct, it was never an official "op cannonball", just a name used on 216. Significantly if it had been classed as an 'operation' the rules of the time would have allowed 18 hour crew duty days, which were not used.

Geehovah, I finally got hold of a paperback copy of your book some weeks ago. It´s surely most interesting, I tell you. Some of the pics are really new to me. Data on how things were done then, has been clarifying to me in many aspects.

Since you were down there around the time this picture is said to have been taken, I thought I´d share it. Specially for you to explain details to us, if you wish.

http://i57.tinypic.com/rub810.jpg

Christian

CAW, glad you enjoyed the book.

Interesting shot. Which outfit is that? I don't recognise the gunsight.

It's an F3 in "Lima" fit with 2250 litre tanks by the look of it but the shot is staged. The F3 is straight and level and that's barely outside a fighting wing position. It must have been taken on a tip in from the perch. If the "target" had been trying to avoid a gun shot it wouldn't have been straight and level. Nice for the crewroom wall though.

Geehovah

A post (by Andre on April 15, 1734hrs) on this link (translation may be required!) would suggest it was a Brazilian Air Force F5E that intercepted an F3 which was diverting following an IFE.

Then again that could be complete hoop - other posts on that thread had identified the target aircraft as either an AMX, Mirage F1 or F111!

Geoovah,

As Wrathmonk states, the picture was taken by brazilian pilots while escorting a Tornado flight that had to divert to an air base in Brazil. As the picture show, it supposedly happened in April 1995, and since you were down south a few months before that, I thought it was likely for you to know something. One more thing about the picture: I´ve kept it for the past two years in my "Malvinas file", and as far as I know it was uploaded to the web in early 2010, maybe even before that.

Of course, the description you just gave us, perfectly matches what I´ve learnt over these past years: It´s just a picture taken in a non-agressive fashion... almost a courtesy, I´d say. Had we not taken back our own fighters from Rio Gallegos, I´d bet there would be a similar picture of the VC-10 and the Typhoon pair that had to divert to Punta Arenas some years ago.

I remembered something else of your book´s reading: you mention the russian frighters hired to move the 1435 Flight down to MPA. Those planes also come to my city, every once in a while, specially when the oil industry is booming (like it is right now). Here´s another picture of -I´d guess- one of those shippings:

http://i61.tinypic.com/x0p7co.jpg

And here´s another one, with a RAF C-17:

http://i59.tinypic.com/dbtw4.jpg

Cheers!!
Christian

CAW, your choice of words sometimes makes me wonder.

Wonder about what?

Geehovah - ref the pic in post 164.


Between 2-14 Apr 1995 there was an Tornado F3 changeover, Op Cyclone Change. On 6 Apr en route ASI to MPA one of the F3s had hydraulic problems and the whole trail, 4 x F3s, Nimrod (XV241), VC10, Herc and Tristar diverted into Rio being escorted in by 2 Brazilian AF F5s. We were on the ground there for 3 days before the trail resumed. Have some pics somewhere. I would say that was taken then going by the pic wording.

CAW.

A VC-10 and 2xTyphoon diverting into Punto Arenas? How interesting - please tell more. Dates, reasons, outcome etc.

BSweeper,

The event took place in Late May 2010 (some 9 months after the first Typhoon deployment to MPA). As far as I found out, some heavy fog shut down all air operations for a longer period than expected. All planes flew across argentinean air space and landed at Chabunco (Chilean AFB) in Punta Arenas.

There was some "noise" here, and it still goes on every once in a while with some folks talkling about the british illegal intrusion (which was not, since it was authorized by the Argentinean Air Force autorithy in Comodoro Rivadavia), but to me looks like a real emergency that had to be dealt with.

Here´s how it was reported by a pro-british local news agency:

Friday, June 4th 2010 - 19:02 UTC Falklands’ thick fog forces two RAF Typhoons and tanker to land in Punta Arenas

Two Royal Air Force Euro Typhoon fighters and their Vickers VC10 refuelling tanker had to land Wednesday afternoon in Punta Arenas, extreme south of Chile, because of adverse weather conditions in the Falkland Islands Mount Pleasant Airport.


Full text here: Falklands? thick fog forces two RAF Typhoons and tanker to land in Punta Arenas ? MercoPress

There´s also a thread opened here: http://www.pprune.org/military-aviat...ert-chile.html

And here´s a picture taken when all three planes departed from Punta Arenas back to MPA.
http://www.modocharlie.com/wp-conten...4cec42814o.jpg

Christian

Based on my experiences, there does seem to be two dimensions to the Argentine/UK relationship - a high level politically driven one and a more practical day to day military one.

Having worked alongside the Argentines, I sense that both militarys hold each other in mutual respect and would like to do more. I also sense that there is a sensible level of working together done when life is at stake - its a shame that we can't do more together as my exposure to the Argentine armed forces has been of good people who bring very good wine to the party :-)

Hi all,

Hope you gents don't mind me resurrecting an old thread but have just finished a lengthy refresh and extension of the the series that started this thread, the runways of the Falklands Conflict.

Pre Conflict (Part 1) – Development of aircraft operations in the post War Falkland Islands, build and opening of Stanley Airport and activity before the invasion.

Conflict (Part 2) – Invasion, transition to 'BAM Malvinas', operations from Ascension Island, reinforcement through Stanley, Black Buck and other attacks, Pebble Island, the FOB at Port San Carlos

Post Conflict (Part 3) – Clearance, development of Harrier and Phantom operations at RAF Stanley, and finally, MPA.

In Part 4, have had a stab at looking at the various claims and counter-claims on Black Buck, a bear pit at the best of times!

Start at the link below

Black Buck and the Runways of the 1982 Falkland Islands Conflict - Think Defence

As ever, feedback and correction most welcome.

I am not so sure of your motives with this tome but following a speed read of the Black Buck missions I find that your assessment of BB6 is way off the mark. If you relied entirely on open source material you clearly didn't google hard enough!