On Saturday 5th July I finally managed to make my first ever visit to the international air display at RAF Waddington. The day began very wet and overcast (as you can see in some of the photos below), but things soon brightened up and we got a fab display!

The stars of the show (for me, at least) were the Saab sisters - Draken and Viggen - from the Swedish Air Force Historic Flight. Very hot (and vocal!) Swedish action

A few to get the ball rolling – more (including the Saab sisters) to follow if there’s interest … I’m such a tease

Hope you enjoy




The show started with a low pass by an RAF E-3D Sentry based at Waddington – due to the rain and low cloud we barely got to see it …



Then it was the turn of the Tucano T1 display pilot to ‘strut his stuff’ - full credit to him given the cr*p conditions he had to contend with. Note the special livery commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1 ..





Next up was the Dutch Hawker Hunter F6A, which again put on a fine display despite the conditions …








Then it was the turn of another Cold War legend, the English Electric Canberra PR9. Although designed as a light bomber it also served with distinction as a photo reconnaissance aircraft. To illustrate it’s capabilities in this role, the display commentator described a recently de-classified photo taken by a Canberra back in the eighties of the House of Commons and Big Ben in London – such was the clarity of the picture the time could easily be read on the clock face of Big Ben. What made it impressive was that at the time the Canberra was flying at 58,000 feet, south of the Isle of Wight over the English Channel!









Next up was an RAF Chinook. Note that the loadmaster has been afflicted by some terrible parasitic infection (probably caught whilst on operations in Afghanistan), that has made her hands swell up and turn orange …










Then it was time for some aerobatics, courtesy of The Blades, a team of ex-Red Arrow pilots flying Extra 300s based out of Sywell, Northamptonshire (by this time in the display we had some blue sky as well as sunshine )












Let me know if you want to see more ...

Very nice stuff once again FlatEric. Now about those Hot Swedish Sisters

Thanks Chucky. 'Patience my dear boy, patience ...'

Then it was the turn of the OV-10 Bronco from the Belgium based Bronco display team. This particular aircraft was previously used as a target tug by the German air force - note the rear perspex canopy and orange high visibility markings…

















Next we had the first of two displays by the Red Arrows. This first display was a simple flypast commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Red Arrows, in formation with three Folland Gnats (the first aircraft used by the Reds), and a single Hawker HunterT7 (as used by the Black Arrows, who on one occasion looped 22 examples in formation) …









To be continued …

Awww, you can't show us this with that title and not get onto the hot Swedish stuff ;o)

Hi Gopher, they're coming (no pun intended The hot Swedish sisters appeared in the afternoon part of display, so unfortunately there are a few warm up acts to contend with first ...

I'm off to take a cold shower.....

That's not mine Baby it's not my bag!!

Some really outstanding shots btw....well done...ie E-3 Chinook.

Hi Stormtrooper, a fellow Austin Powers fan Glad you like them

Then we had the first representative of the ‘noisy bunch’ – a single FA-18C/D from the Swiss air force. “Mmmhh, nice!” ..

































To be continued …

Why do I get the impression that the previously mentioned "sisters" will be a pair of Gripens...

Definitely not Gripens - the 'clue' is in my first post above ....

Viggen was my second guess lol

Awesome and fabulous thread chunky.
I have no words to appreciate you...beautiful pictures

Next a change of pace and volume, courtesy of rotary rather than fixed wings. Here we have an RAF Westland Sea King HAR3A, a search and rescue (SAR) aircraft based at Linton-on-Ouse, Yorkshire. All RAF operated Sea Kings will be withdrawn from service in April 2016 when their SAR role is outsourced to a civilian operated service.









Then it was the turn of B-17G Flying Fortress ‘Sally B’ – I managed to inadvertently switch off the auto-focus on my camera during her display, so only one photo of this venerable old lady ...



Then the latest addition to the RAF arrived – the Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint. The aircraft, which was converted from a 1964-vintage KC-135R tanker, is the first of three RC-135s destined for the RAF under the Airseeker program, filling the capability gap in electronic and signals-intelligence gathering left open by the retirement of the Nimrod R1 in 2011.

The good news – the British taxpayer saved about £3m by adopting the aircraft in the US Air Force grey and white colour scheme The bad news - the RAF can’t refuel it in the air as it’s not equipped with the ‘hose and drogue’ system









To be continued

Time for more rotary action, this time a Westland Lynx of the Army Air Corp:







Then it was the turn of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight …






Next up was another member of the noisy brigade’, this time a Typhoon in special D-Day memorial invasion stripes …








A suspected unlicensed burger van was spotted on the far edge of the airfield so an Army Air Corp Westland Apache was sent up to investigate …




Having confirmed that the proprietor of the aforementioned van did not have the required license, the Apache rolled in for a rocket strike (we have a very strict Health & Safety culture in the UK) ..


Scratch one salmonella burger van …


RTB ..


To be continued

Another representative from the ‘noisy brigade’, this time Solo Turk in an F16 of the Turkish Air Force …




The display was awesome, but the Turkish commentator was simply insane (sounded like he was on speed, plus a few other things). Worth a listen if you can find him on YouTube










The crowd line noticeably thickened when it was time for the 'Queen of the Deltas' to take to the sky. One word could be made out amongst all the chatter – “Vulcan!”










It never ceases to amaze me that only eleven years separate the first flight of the prototype Avro Lancaster (1941) from the first flight of the Avro Vulcan (1952) – to look at them you’d think they came from different centuries!








The Swedish Sisters (not long now boys!) may have sex appeal, but the Vulcan has class! [Can you tell I have a massive soft spot for the Vulcan .. ]

To be continued

some really neat pictures.. the vulcan is one of the best looking bombers ever made. But the airbus sign in the gear doors seems odd. Bombbay-Class? Guys, don´t give Ryanair ideas!

Awesome shots of the Vulcan

Good eye! + LOL

Lol, I completely missed that the other day.


Wheels