Short range
 

As everyone always said about the Mirage!:}

Nature of the beast I'm afraid. Them pesky European rocket ships were all short legged!

In my experience, some RAAF Mirage pilots were self-opinionated windbags who flew an aircraft with about enough range to defend the outer marker. Our bombers, transports, helicopters and FACs (OK, FACs were fighter jocks and I take my hat off to them) were in Vietnam. At least our Navy Skyhawk 'knucks' had a carrier landing to cope with at the end of their sorties (also always 'training').

Yet the RAAF of the seventies and eighties had this bizarre culture of 'if you ain't a fighter pilot, you ain't sh-t'.

P.S. Is RAAF News still called 'F-18s and Doggies Monthly'?

P.P.S. Is it true that the only aircraft shot down by the British RAF since the end of World War Two have been their own?

The Israel Air Force thought the Mirage 111 was pretty good....

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Fly a fighter jet - Mirage III [Switzerland]


Fly the Mirage III. Unique experience in Europe. Flying the Mirage III in the Swiss Alps is as extraordinary as you can get in warbirds experiences. Fast and low in the valleys and along the mountains, glaciers and up into the clouds. The Mirage III is capable of reaching Mach 2.

Welcome at the airbase
Security briefing
Meet the team - your pilot, ground crew and the rest of the staff
Get dressed: g suit, helmet, learn to work the visor
Briefing and flight plan: The pilot explains the systems and how the Mirage works, the G force accelerations, weather conditions
Instrument briefing in the cockpit
You will be strapped in about 25 minutes before take off. Support crew show you how the ejection seat works and rehearses procedures with you.
Pre-start check. Engine start. Taxi. Then the take off!!!

Conditions and restrictions to this jet fighter experience :
Although no flying experience is required, some restrictions apply:
You must not have heart and/or neurological problems
You must be over 18 years of age
You must not be over 6.5ft tall
Participants are advised to be well rested for the day of the flight and to avoid alcohol the previous day.

Weather :
This fighter jet experience takes place in most weather conditions. Rescheduling due to weather conditions is rare. It is recommended that you book your flight on a Saturday so that your flight can be reschedule on Sunday if need be.

Dates :
There are just a few days during the year so book at least 5 months in advance.

Location :
Switzerland

Price: 15000 euros for 30/40mn

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Captain Dart
 

"P.P.S. Is it true that the only aircraft shot down by the British RAF since the end of World War Two have been their own?"

Not true.

Falklands War "Britain’s 21 air-to-air kills by Harriers carrying AIM-9L Sidewinders".

11 IAI Dagger A 9 by Sea Harrier
10 A-4B Skyhawk 3 by Sea Harrier
7 A-4C Skyhawk 2 by Sea Harrier
3 FMA IA 58 Pucará 1 by Sea Harrier

3 A-4Q Skyhawk Navy 3 by Sea Harrier.
2 Mirage IIIEA 1 by Sea Harrier
2 B.Mk62 Canberra 1 by Sea Harrier
1 C-130E Hercules 1 by Sea Harrier

Conditions apply - (to Mirage joyflight)

You must not have (a) heart and/or neurological problems.

Participants are advised ... to avoid alcohol the previous day.

I guess that cuts out most - the heartless, the nutters and the drunks.

dwarfhunter, the Sea Harrier was operated by the Royal Navy, not the RAF.

Hey Captain Dart, I think you are right. In an earlier post on this thread Capn Bloggs reported a Lightning once shot down an unmanned RAF Harrier (I had never heard that one!), and of course we all know about the famous RAF Phantom on RAF Jaguar over Germany back in the 70s!

To credit the RAF with some success because they do have excellent training, it is often brought up that Lt Cdr Dave Morgan of Sea Harrier fame was Flt Lt Dave Morgan when he was a Falklands War hero.:ok: Several additional Falklands aerial victories in Sea Harriers were achieved by other RAF pilots who were seconded to the FAA at the time.

BTW, is this Wang Mirage a 2 seater? I thought you guys were saying it's a Mirage 3O. It won't ever take a passenger anywhere, let alone over the Swiss Alps!:uhoh:

Any RAF kills in the various sand pit skirmishes over the last 20 years?

The point about the Mirage in Switzerland is that it can be done. Good on those involved if they can get the Oz machine going..:D

The saddest part of this story is that the wonderful Museum left to Wangaratta by Joe Drage, of which this aircraft was a Star was dispersed by the local Council and is no more

Does that include the won that was "scared" out of the sky? My recollection is that it got zapped by a Harrier and took such violent evasive action that it crashed!

Dr :8

Pretty hard to shoot down aircraft with AIM-9Ls that are operating beyond their normal range...:cool:

Wallsofchina

Hear hear :D

Rgds

WallsofChina and Fris B. agree with your sentiments one hundred percent. Short sighted bureaucrats:yuk::ugh:

Could have been another Temora.

Regarding the Wangaratta air museum, the building was taken over by a large 'warbird' restoring operation. The museum volunteers were kicked out, but the good news is that they are now busy setting up a smaller version at Benalla; Benalla Aviation Museum. It is also a memorial to 11 EFTS wartime training unit (some 80 Tiger Moths operated there).

The boys are restoring a Tiger to static, and arrangements are in hand for better accommmodation and more exhibits. There is also a Winjeel and a de Havilland Moth Minor operating from BLA, with links to the Museum. It will never be on the scale of Drage Airworld or Temora, but there is now more to Benalla than gliders, 'Weary' Dunlop and the rose gardens!

Not a lot to see at present but the BAM has a working day on Wednesday and is open on Sundays, and visitors are always welcome.

Captain Dart
 

Sorry Captain, you may be correct. Can't recall them shooting anything down over Iraq.

Is that the same Mirage that took the top off a caravan whilst being transported by road?

According to the current Flightpath mag she's gonna fly again. Good on the bloke behind it!! :ok:

Last time I saw it, inside Drage Airworld it had a wing tip bent up after a collision when it was delivered.

The RAF shot down or maneuver killed an Indonesian C130 loaded with paratroopers during Confrontation. The aircraft was a Javelin out of Tengah, Singapore.

Plenty of RAF pilots shot down Migs in Korea on exchange with the USAF.