I know many of you lads slag the Jag, I however think it’s a sexy beast.

Westie
 

You are too kind and, of course, I wholeheartedly agree with you.

BV

The photo was taken after the Bruggen wing landed from the Strike launch at the end of Taceval (possibly Maxeval, can't remember). 40-odd ac, all flying round the North German Plain at 250-500ft, usually in pretty crap weather, hitting simulated targets before bombing on Nordhorn Range with 30 second separation, then returning to Bruggen to land. And from start-up to taxi in, the only words on the radio were "check gear down, clear to land".

Most of the ac had flown but a couple of spares were needed and towed on at the back to make the photo.

Sadly, I was on leave so didn't make the pic, though talking to the guys afterwards, I'm glad I wasn't as it was a pfaff.

You may see that someone raised their flaps instead of leaving them at Take-Off. Luckily they were near the back.

I have a colour copy of this picture framed and mounted on one of my walls.

Tornado - the most capable ground attack aircraft, ever.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2317c8c2f1.jpg
The Staish at Laarbruch (the legendary Gordon McRobbie) saw that Bruggen pic - ergo the next summer, we were all out on the piano keys - trying to go one better with a load of station personnel and equipment

Perfect response.

Yes, the photograph in the opening post has been reversed. The original was entitled 'The Bruggen 40', showing forty of Bruggen's 52 aircraft. If I remember correctly each squadron was established for 16 crews, 12 strike aircraft plus one trainer (which was strike capable).

See the front cover: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Winged-Warriors-Hardback/p/3594"Once 9 Squadron arrived from RAF Honington, the Bruggen Wing was complete. Our new Station Commander thought it would be a good idea to have the Wing lined up on the main runway for a series of photographs. The Wing flying standards instructor, who went by the title of STANEVAL (F), standards and evaluation flying, was landed with the job. This was my former Canberra instructor from 1973, Mike Dineen, who was now also a squadron leader. The day in question was cold and damp and Mike received little sympathy or understanding as he tried to assemble the massed aircrew all feeling decidedly stroppy. It must have been like herding cats!

The photographer was a well known Fleet Street photographer, the late Terry Fincher, and at one stage when he was high up at the top of a huge gantry called a ‘cherry picker’ he announced that at long last everyone was in the right place. He then looked more closely at the aircrew to find that all the officers behind the Station executives were nicely lined up as ordered, except they were all wearing their flying helmets back to front. However, the final photographs taken by Terry were magnificent. The sight of ‘the Bruggen 40’ and their crews could only be described as awesome. That one photograph dramatically captured something of the meaning of the Cold War."

And a number of those pictured were casualties of a Cold War that was not yet over. Others fell in training and the conflicts that followed. They are all worthy of a salute, especially this month, as are those who kept that magnificent aircraft in the air.

The Bruggen picture was published in the Sunday Express on 29 March 1987. On 30 March we began the Wing TACEVAL exercise which would declare the entire Bruggen Tornado Wing in its strike/attack role. The exercise began with the Option Alpha launch with 14 Sqn in the lead, OC 14 Sqn, Joe Whitfield, at the front. Brakes off at 0900. At 0907, Bruggen lost its first Tornado. No. 2 ended up in a field near the village of Hunxe! The TACEVAL team took one step back until it was clear that the crew were OK (ish). The Station Commander, John Houghton, took the very brave decision to continue the TACEVAL which, of course, the Wing passed with flying colours.

I'm erm in this one... Bob, but i digress....

20 Sqn and our Jags, except the third or fourth on the left i think, that was borrowed from another Sqn and bodge tape codes added as ours was away on a major :p

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....7724a59c98.png

Can you recall what was the cause of the aircraft loss?

Vividly! The joint connecting the right taileron operating lever to its actuator ram failed resulting in the taileron travelling to full deflection. The aircraft rolled rapidly and uncontrollably and pitched down. The failure occurred at about 700 feet descending and about 480 knots in 67 wingsweep.

Thank you. Sounds really scary.

Hangars are full of them its a training school remember.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...662b2af5_c.jpgXV Tornado Cosford by Tony Taylor, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...67a1ea6d_c.jpgGr4 Tornado Cosford by Tony Taylor, on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...c1deb333_c.jpgoutside stored Tornado Cosford by Tony Taylor, on Flickr

You do a disservice to those that served before and after, war or no war.. maybe a lot on here haven't had the pleasure of a scud, but there were places like the FI and NI well before that were just as equally threatening, different times and different threats, but threats all the same.. And by their presence those before stopped stuff like this happening.

Bob, Cat is there any reason to taxi a Jag with the speed brakes open, or is just for show? (and they do look good)

Sandiego
 

We used to open them during the landing flare and then leave them open.

The micro-turbo for engine start was in the left air brake bay so having them open made the next engine start possible.

Doing that made it easier than someone having to use the electro-hydraulic pump to open them.

Now, it’s been over 13 years since I last flew a Jaguar but my explanation sounds plausible. Let’s see if Cattechie agrees with me!

BV

You need them open Bob to stick some more juice in it as the refuelling point is in the Stb Airbrake bay. Plus to do the turn round, after flight etc


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....e650f1277.jpeg

Nutty
 

I told you it’d been a while. Completely forgot about that.

BV

:) I know the feeling

Check the MT oil level and the case drain filters. ;) I will be taking off a No 2 mainwheel tomorrow as alas it has met OM15. Blistered the best tyre at the back. :(

Point of Order.
There were always at least 70 Met Office staff in RAFG/1 BR Corps on at least 6 bases, and more than 7 before my day. Not military [although we had dormant commissions for WW III] but a sight nearer the front line than a fair number of service personnel. Please look at the Forum rules: regarding "not military".
Incidentally I was on night duty at Gutersloh [2,4,19 and 92] when Czecho was invaded ...... the Cold War felt warm that night.

An excellent example of the TEAM effort needed to get the sharp end to do the necessary when required. Respect to them all!

And a great Thread with impressive imagery of those days.

PS: Can’t identify a Met Man (sorry, Langley Bastion) and the ATC/BCU Landrovers are clearly well camouflaged!

The Met Man will be attempting to look very civilian, even in NBC gear [incidentally, although Gutersloh did not have a 4-squadron wing as such, we could probably put more up, as the Lightnings were very big squadrons ...... 15 each including a trainer as I recall.]

About 4 years after the OP’s picture was taken, I was at Bruggen as an Air Cadet on a weeks camp. I asked, instead of a days visit to a water theme park type place, could I spend the day with a squadron. My camp commandant asked the question to the right people and I was able to spend the whole day with 9 Squadron (if memory serves me right, the one with the star on the tail?).

Was able to meet so many ground and aircrew, all of whom I was in awe with all through the day, cementing in my mind that I wanted to join the RAF.

Even got to marshall a Tornado in, and the pilot followed EXACTLY my signals, resulting in a very wavy line taken. We all joked about it after though.

My respect to all who have, are and will serve.

It was probably 31 Squadron the "Bruggen Stars" cough cough. as they liked to call themselves :)

In the 80s I worked for a major supplier of test equipment, biggest customers were the defence contractors and air forces for production testing and in-service support test rigs. Tornado was the last platform that needed a reasonable amount of precision analogue measurements, it was on the cusp of the digital processing revolution with most testing moving towards being built-in (BITE) and Line Replaceable Units. We had supplied stacks of precision test equipment for planes and missiles such as Lightning, Buccaneer, Phantom, Jaguar and Harrier plus Sky Flash, Sea Wolf, Sea Dart, Rapier, Sea Eagle etc. mainly on accurately testing analogue computers and guidance control systems.

Happy days - I guess everything with Typhoon, F35, A330 is all LRU replaceable now and simply return to manufacturer for service / repair with nothing done at hangar or depot level?

Yes, that seems right. My memory failed me!

I was wearing NBC3 when I took that picture . Wearing the S10 on the 10pm duty supper "it is dark, we can fire a Scud" inter meal, interupt working life! Put a mask on because one didn't know what was in the bang coming your way. I was out in Telic during 2008. January to May. We had a Major from the Army that was famous for breaking his back in an IDF attack. He shouts his name. I remember the wife of the RAF ATC officer that tried to adminster the morphine to him with the medic that screwed up. Her husband got the dose. I was guard commander with the IDF recovery, a suspect IED form an unlabeled bag left in a place and found by a search party and a female Flt Lt in distress. Please tell me you have ever had to face that situation. I know the answer and that is never. You never have. I heard a man die on a radio net two weeks later when I was trying to see if my men were safe. You have never been in that situation. Maybe that is why I see your words and pay little respect to them.. I sworn on the coin. Wore the uniform.Lived the consequence.

And Chill......... for what it’s worth we are all in this together, every one of us were a cog in the big wheel and as a civilian met working in the RAF LB took exactly the same risks as we all did as to where and what we could end up doing, in fact more so, you didn’t have a choice in the matter, he did.

You seem to forget that, life throws sh*t at you in many ways, and With some people trying to lighten the mood in a thread which is celebrating and degrading an aircraft type I cannot understand your attitude.
If it’s letting out pent up feelings, good, let em out mate and I will read them and understand and applaud you in doing so, but don’t have a go at people that are or have served alongside each other and are simply undertaking some friendly banter. That is wrong, different times different threats...


...

Nutty. guess what, some of us have seen some ****e. I have. Guess what, I am a civvy now. I am pissed off seeing my world ripped to ****. Batison lives in his world. It is not ruined by the **** of now. Yet he rants with the evil retorts of someone that has never faced evil. because he actually has not. Never has. You faced a redundancy in your life? I fuc***g bet you never have. Number 3 in 3 years.

Been made redundant... yes, once, luckily different times and was lucky, redundant Friday when the company folded and had new job sorted Monday and managed to arrange the same for a mate, everyone’s positions are not safe in these times sadly... PM me your details, licences types etc and if I hear anything I’ll let you know, best I can sadly do :(

Just don’t take it out on people in here, it doesn’t do you justice and they do not deserve it.. you have seen far worse than I did, just as others on here will have seen far worse in their careers than you did.. remember that bud and stay strong.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....8224dce9a0.jpg
Langley? Done this rubbish? Not you never have . FACT! Nutlosse,done it for real?

Langley would have yes, it was a requirement of his job they were required to do exactly as we did. And he has done absolutely nothing to deserve your wrath.

Have I done it for real, define real, no different wearing that sh*te for 12 hours mask and all on an exercise which I have than in real situations, same goes for sitting in a trench in the pissing rain in the middle of nowhere wearing it. In fact they weren’t dropping anything on you, just as they didn’t on us.

I would say, why go on the offensive when I am offering to help you if I can, I’ve been in the Civi world a while and you get to know people etc.

You really do not know. I have been on Ops with people I have worked with that have died. I have heard them die on the radio net. I have had to comfort their friends the next morning as they are in shock. Not a mid air or a CFIT of our pilot berethen (that I know many names of and friends of). I did the cold war and seen aircrew die. They are heros. They died in aircraft not fit for their skills. Every BOI said no ADR fittied. we all have done 12 hours on a NBC black as a practice. You sat under a 23 IDF rocket in coming with CRAM taking motors out to make that rocket flying over your head fall short? Not you f*cking have not. You do not know and never will . Get you coat..

Now breathe!. Calm down now Cat T; you really are my hero - you've told us all! (including those who tend to keep quiet about it).
:rolleyes:

I get the feeling someone might be waking up with a sore head today...

Hopefully.

Do please calm down CT: please let me educate you a little.
We had Met Men in the Gulf War, as part of the MMU. One was never well again after the jabs. Also Falklands, Balkans, the sand box ....... A colleague died in Cyprus when a crashing aircraft hit the office.
The only reason I joined MoD Met was because the RAF would not have me: medical. I was proud to spend 41 years almost continuously with the services, and ended up paying group captain Mess Bills.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, on a 1BR Corps deployment [we were twinned with Int,, 2 box bodies, 2 Met, 2 Int Corps, each slightly able to do limited duties of the other: [we practised often enough].
I achieved fame for sleeping 8 hours in full NBC which included two tear gas insertions in the box. I had, fair to say, been awake 36 hours and worked 24. Very very near the Warsaw Pact. **** either happens, or not. I got lucky.

And well done you, and thank you.

I promise you not another word on this thread.

Excellent, "that" pic allows me draw your attention (yet again!) to the exceptionally handsome, young GDT Cpl standing front rank, far right with a Shiny II pitot probe in his left earhole.

That photo drags up embarrassing memories of being instructed to "form up" the parade. As you can see by the size of the neat block of people to my right I was completely unsuccessful. The individual who had this mad idea was already unpopular across the station and this act cemented the attitude of all concerned.

RAFG, so much better than anywhere else ;)

I found another for all you Tornado chaps and chapese's, it's from the Fire service https://www.rafanddfsa.co.uk


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....294d191c0d.jpg

Tell us some of your VC10 ‘war stories’ Nutloose, that’ll convince cat techie you have shared his pain.

If anyone has done something, you will have done it with knobs on!