https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/the-end-of-an-era-raf-tornado-returns-from-operations-for-the-last-time/
"The Tornado GR4 will bow out at the very top of its game. It's the best it has ever been. It has been deployed operationally since 1990 and has been in combat action 24/7, 365 days a year every day since."
https://combataircraft.keypublishing.com/2018/01/25/last-year-of-the-tornado-gr4/
Fortunately the Panavia Tornado will still grace the skies for some time to come (although it will be a challenge):
"German defense leaders decided in 2016 to extend the life of the Tornado through 2035, with an assessment planned this summer of implementation plans to that end."
"German defense officials wrote that they also are unsure what financial contributions can be expected of the Italians before Rome retires its Tornado contingent in 2027."
https://www.defensenews.com/global/2018/04/13/germany-fears-steeper-tornado-costs-after-the-uk-ditches-its-planes/
"The Royal Saudi Air Force currently operates about 100 British-made Tornado aircraft, including both the strike-optimized Tornado IDS and Tornado F3 ADV long-range interceptors."
https://defence-blog.com/news/tornado-multirole-combat-aircraft-crashes-saudi-arabia.html
Sad on the one hand to see them getting mothballed, luckily they might be used for harvesting spare parts to be used by Germany, repairs and maintanance will be more expensive then, still.
Send them to the Gulf for ODS - Operation Desert Spares.
* 02:02 - Demonstration of incredible short-field landing performance, another unique feature of the Tornado
*
Hi Tom N, can you demonstrate (reenact) that with Digital Integration's Tornado?
01:56 - Beautiful nine-ship F3 flyby...goosebumps
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWPYgiZZ788
Hmm...somehow most of my previous post was edited out...let's try again!
________________
From its inception and now to its conclusion, the Tornado program continues to be a collaborative effort between nations. A fine legacy.
Not only was the Tornado designed and built as a tri-national effort, that spirit carried over to aircrew training at the Tri-National Tornado Training Establishment at RAF Cottesmore.
Some unique TTTE photos:
https://www.facebook.com/ttte.tornado/?ref=page_internal
Short 1994 video from TTTE, notable for the following:
* Camera position is right at the approach end of the runway
* 00:30 - Unusual 3-ship flyby with lead Tornado at 67 sweep and the other two at 25. You can really see the difference in AOA
* 01:22 - Nice vertical pull-up of all three aircraft
* 02:02 - Demonstration of incredible short-field landing performance, another unique feature of the Tornado
* 02:22 - F4 Phantom demonstration, including short field landing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo1t2wMswfo
Quote from: Speedwagon on February 08, 2019, 07:23:09 AM
Hmm...somehow most of my previous post was edited out...let's try again!
That can only happen if you do it.
Quote from: Asid on February 08, 2019, 08:51:07 AM
Quote from: Speedwagon on February 08, 2019, 07:23:09 AM
Hmm...somehow most of my previous post was edited out...let's try again!
That can only happen if you do it.
If you look at one of Speedwagon's posts #5, says it was last edited by Frankie.
Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk
Quote from: Cougar11 on February 08, 2019, 03:13:07 PM
If you look at one of Speedwagon's posts #5, says it was last edited by Frankie.
You are correct. I was looking at the post he commented in.
Frankie is the admin in this section so he has control :thumbsup
Musta have been a slip o' the mouse.
Quote from: Frankie on February 08, 2019, 03:34:44 PM
Musta have been a slip o' the mouse.
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ppMb8Fvin64/T9s0bCY7QtI/AAAAAAAADa8/iJ7-jXVmhkw/s400/Funny-Mice-01.jpg)
Asid, Cougar 11 & Frankie, thanks gents...mystery solved! :thumbsup
Must be mixed emotions for these aircrew. Glad they are home safe with their families.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-47137790
#tornadofarewell -- many stunning photos recently added:
https://twitter.com/search?f=tweets&vertical=default&q=tornadofarewell&src=typd
Info on final flypasts of Tornado in the UK on 19-21 February:
https://www.itv.com/news/anglia/2019-02-11/tornado-final-flypasts-announced-as-warplane-is-retired/
Nice 4-page brochure with maps:
https://twitter.com/RAFMarhamMedia/status/1095016432595845120
F3 Tornado Experience -- this would be an interesting day!
https://www.intotheblue.co.uk/experiences/tornado-flight-simulator/
Maps of Tornado fly-pasts on 19-20 February, including waypoints and times:
http://www.egxwinfogroup.co.uk/?p=2703
Hell's Kitchen meets RAF. Tornado F3s were retired in March 2011 (https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/video-pictures-uk-retires-last-tornado-f3-fighters-354597/), having completed a service life then, spanning 25 years. This fast-paced and well-filmed documentary shows Gordon Ramsay cooking a fish protein and veggie dish for the pilots and navigators of RAF Leuchars, Scotland.
"They guys work at top speed, but when it comes to the kitchen, they haven't got a clue how to be quick", said Gordon at velocity of 5.5 words per second.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MdTtOGYKco
Gordon was "gobsmacked" that for a couple of guys who flew expensive fast jets, their meals were reduced to RAF regulation cheese and ham slice toasties, toasted in sandwich makers. Makes me wonder, didn't anyone hear of food caterers? So he cooked them a wholesome and balanced meal of pan-roasted fillet of cod with chorizo, topped off with tomato salad and fragrant rice. In 12 minutes flat. In so doing, he proved to the Quick Reaction Alert guys that you can eat well even during a 25 minute interval in-between sorties.
Gordon: "This is a sort of a different take on a toastie, guys. What do you all think?".
Squadron Leader Chris Stevens: "Keep one of that inside a toastie" (cheeky reply)
...
Gordon: "I would like to say thank you, it's extraordinary. Stay off the toasties, yeah, and I'll stay out of your cockpit".
Throughout the Cold War and beyond, the station was home to fighter aircraft which policed northern UK airspace. The station ceased to be an RAF station at 12:00 hrs on 31 March 2015 when it became Leuchars Station and control of the site was transferred to the British Army.
I wonder what happened to the sandwich makers.
First day of the Tornado fly-pasts and videos are starting to be posted...
https://twitter.com/search?q=tornadofarewell&src=typd
Nice shot taken during yesterday's flypasts. Three Tornados in the air and one Tornado on the tracks!
https://flic.kr/p/2drNcsx
Close-up of train logo:
https://twitter.com/60163_Tornado/status/1097993699403784193
For history buffs like me you may enjoy "Tornado GR1: An Operational History" by Michael Napier (first published in 2017). Nicely written with loads of supporting photos. Free preview to peruse:
https://books.google.com/books?id=yv0sDwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA16&dq=tri%20national%20tornado%20training%20establishment&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q&f=true
"Whether to deter the enemy or support the troops, 100 feet at 550 kts always had an effect!" [quote from the Twitter post]
https://twitter.com/ExBossIIACSqn/status/1100893121112666112