A day on the fence at Phoon Town
Welcome to this latest edition of Aerodrome and our regular look at the fascinating world of aeroplanes and the historic aviation scene around the UK.
Spring and early summer is always a funny time for the aviation enthusiast here in the UK. It’s a time when we’re far enough from dark nights that they are just a distant memory and close enough to the forthcoming Airshow season that we can start getting a little bit excited. Despite this, we can’t take anything for granted just yet as far as the weather is concerned and here in the North, we have a saying which never fails to come true, year after year – ‘Ne’er cast a clout till May be out!’. Basically, this means don’t get too excited, because even though the days are longer, we’re still in winter!
With that being the case and having just enjoyed a well-earned week away from work, this latest edition of Aerodrome serves as something of a photographic record of my attempt to enjoy a little early season military aviation action, with RAF Coningsby being my destination of choice. Positioned on the perimeter fence at the end of runway 25, my fingers were crossed for an action-packed day, but what the aviation gods were going to actually serve up was anybody’s guess. I was mainly concerned with not getting soaked and having to have my cameras serviced before the coming Airshow season. In a photo rich review, I can promise you lots of Typhoons and a little splash of colour, something squadron Typhoons have been sadly lacking over recent years.
Onward to RAF Coningsby then.
RAF Coningsby always delivers
If you’re looking for a day of military aviation action, RAF Coningsby is a safe bet, particularly if you are a fan of the Eurofighter Typhoon.
With almost a third of the year already in the bag, it was time for me to enjoy the restorative powers of a well-earned week off and perhaps a day spent in the company of aeroplanes, but with an indifferent weather forecast to face and a day when you were leaving everything up to luck as to what (if anything) you were going to see, where should I head for? In situations like these, for a large section of the UK population, there can only be one destination, RAF Coningsby. Home to five squadrons operating the Eurofighter Typhoon, in addition to the much-loved classic aircraft of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Coningsby is one of the country’s busiest military airfields and as a consequence, also a regular haunt for photographers and enthusiasts looking for a little military aviation flying action.
Although there can be significant levels of uncertainty when deciding to head off to a military airfield in the hope of catching some flying activity, in truth, there’s actually something quite exciting about leaving everything up to chance and just taking a punt on what you might, or might not see on the day. Clearly, as anyone living in the UK will attest, we have all inherited a fatalistic fascination with anything to do with the weather and for good reason. Before planning any day out, a certain amount of weather forecast studying will be required and even when we think we know what we’re likely to be facing on the day, still pack some wet weather gear just in case – we don’t want to get caught out again, do we!
The main reason for my visit to Coningsby this time was to hopefully catch a practice display by this year’s RAF Typhoon Display Team pilot in the aircraft we have all come to know and love, ‘Blackjack’. With work and family commitments all restricting such visit opportunities, I have attempted to photograph this spectacle several times over the past few years and up to this point, have failed miserably on each occasion. For reasons such as weather, aircraft serviceability and any of the other many variables which can prevent an aircraft from flying, even though I have seen the aircraft out on the active line, it has always stayed firmly on the ground during such visits and as yet, I have never seen ‘Blackjack’ flying in her home skies above Coningsby.
Aviation heritage in the skies of Lincolnshire, RAF No.11 Squadron has the distinction of being the oldest dedicated fighter unit in the world.
As I had been keeping an eye on enthusiast sites in the weeks prior to making my trip, I was fully aware that this year’s display pilot, Flight Lieutenant David ‘Turbo’ Turnbull, had been serving up some stellar display workup performances in recent weeks, with some stunning pictures of his efforts being posted online and I was desperate for a piece of that action. Unfortunately for me, having selected the best weather day of the week for my visit had also placed me slap bang in the middle of the week’s planned display notam schedule, with slot timings for displays on both Tuesday and Thursday, but nothing official for Wednesday.
Despite the fact that things weren’t looking good on the ‘Blackjack’ front again this time either, I knew that there was nothing I could do about the situation and at least I would be getting the best of the weather, which hopefully meant plenty of Typhoon action to enjoy, and if you’d bought your ticket so to speak, there was always a chance. With blind optimism coursing through my veins, I made a very early start and headed for RAF Coningsby, taking up a position on the perimeter fence at the 25 end of the runway and settled back waiting for the action to begin. Would I be lucky enough to finally see ‘Blackjack’ in Coningsby skies, or would I be thwarted yet again? Only time would tell, but I had played my hand and it was now just a waiting game.
Training is the key to operational success
A Typhoon built for two, this aircraft is engaged in a joint training initiative between the Royal Air Force and the Qatar Emiri Air Force.
For those of us who have many years invested in the aviation enthusiast world, today’s Royal Air Force is a very different one to the service we remember from our youth, when a great many operational stations were scattered across the country and a wide variety of aircraft types meant that there was never any shortage of options when it came to planning a spotter/photography day. Currently, even though the aircraft in service are clearly far more capable than they have ever been and the force has adapted to play its part in an ever changing home and international landscape, enthusiast choice has suffered as a consequence and our options for enjoying a military aviation excursion are much more limited.
For that reason and taking the geographic location of current RAF stations into consideration, the famous military airfield at Coningsby has become a go-to destination for many an enthusiast hoping to see some aviation action, particularly if they’re hoping to see some fast, pointy things, which create lots of noise. Reasonably accessible to vast swathes of the population, Coningsby offers the enthusiasts something unique, not only the front-line airfield which boasts the RAF’s current air defence fighter, one of two Quick Reaction Alert bases in the country, but also the possibility of seeing some of the oldest aircraft still in RAF service, in the form of the classic aeroplanes of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
On any given day, a visit to Coningsby could see a No.3 Squadron Typhoon scrambled on a QRA shout, followed by a Spitfire taking off to undertake a display commitment, a fighter which had been doing the same job as the Typhoon, eight long decades earlier.
RAF Coningsby is home to two front line combat ready Squadrons, with both Nos 3 and XI Squadrons flying the extremely capable Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 in an air defence role, also sharing southern QRA responsibilities for the nation between them. These aircraft occupy the hardened aircraft shelter complex at the southern side of the airfield and when you see aircraft taxiing out from this side of the runway, you know these boys mean business.
Taking up station on the other side of the airfield, the Typhoons of three other units also call Coningsby home, each one responsible for the vital training and conversion of new Typhoon pilots, or engaged in the test and evaluation of new weapons and tactics potentially destined to be used on Typhoon. RAF No.29(R) Squadron is charged with training pilots to fly the multi-role capable Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4, but of greater significance to the enthusiast, are also responsible for providing the aircraft, pilot and support for the RAF Typhoon Display Team, probably the highest profile public facing unit in the entire force.
The RAF’s current display aircraft shares the ramp at Coningsby with No.41(R) Test and Evaluation Squadron, a unit which operates the Typhoon in a truly fascinating role. Part of the RAF’s Air & Space Warfare Centre (which is based at Waddington), this unit works closely with front line squadrons, defence manufacturers and research institutions to develop and evaluate the next generation of aircraft technology, weapons and avionics, flying their aircraft regularly in support of this role.
Safety in numbers – returning to Coningsby gives pilots the opportunity to practice their formation flying. Can we have nine red painted Typhoons for Airshow duties please?
Even though they might enter the pattern in formation, landing is a solo affair, but mind the trees!
Since the summer of 2018, this busy airfield has also been home to No.12(B) Squadron and a unique aviation collaboration between the United Kingdom and the Qatar Emiri Air Force. Providing air and ground training for Qatari personnel in the operation of the Typhoon FGR4 multi role aircraft, this initiative is in support of Qatar’s decision to purchase 24 of these awesomely capable jets, helping to establish them as an effective fighting force, in advance of their deployment back to home airspace.
With many of the unit’s aircraft featuring a uniquely modified version of the Squadron’s famous crest, featuring a fox’s head and the flags of both Britain and Qatar, these training aircraft are just one of the many reasons why a visit to RAF Coningsby is at least an annual pilgrimage for many enthusiasts, offering plenty of opportunities for lose looking to document their visit through the medium of photography.
With so much potential flying activity taking place at Coningsby, you really should be able to count on seeing Typhoons on any given weekday, but as we have all learned the painful lesson of counting aviation chickens before they’ve actually hatched, it’s always best to wait until you have Typhoons in your viewfinder before you start getting too excited.
After what seemed to be quite a wait, but was still only about 09.30, the sound of engines starting up began to fill the Coningsby air and it started to look as if RAF Typhoon pilots were also intent on taking advantage of the best forecast of the week, and slowly but surely, Typhoons started to trundle down to the 25 end of the runway for take-off. Once I had a couple of aircraft safely on my memory card, I began to relax a little, but it soon became clear that there was going to be no time for that – the Typhoons just kept coming, from the right hand (as I was looking) training side of the airfield and with the combat units of Nos 3 and XI squadrons coming from the left. In singles and multiples, the Typhoons just kept coming and one thing any enthusiast will tell you is that for every Typhoon launch, there has to be a recovery, so this was already shaping up to be a very good day.
Typhoon T3 – Aviation beauty or flying beast
A Typhoon for one or two, which one do you prefer?
Having already been in service for over 18 years now, the Typhoon has undoubtedly matured into one of the most capable multi-role combat aircraft in the world and has become familiar to millions of people across the country. In its single seat fighter/strike role, the Typhoon is sleek, powerful and a real treat for the eyes, however at Coningsby, there is another variant of Typhoon flying regularly which is much less common and one which could be described as something of an acquired taste visually.
In order to support the transition of pilots aiming to fly this awesome fighter jet operationally, a two-seat training variant of the Typhoon was produced, one which was intended to supplement work done flying the simulator, by offering actual Typhoon time in the air. Whilst still retaining much of the impressive performance of the more numerous single seaters, the RAF’s Typhoon T.3’s are operated purely in a training role, but could be used in a swing role capacity should that decision ever be made.
The Typhoon T3 is a very different looking aircraft and whilst it shares much commonality with the single seat variant, the differences do make it look very different indeed. With a longer and taller cockpit canopy enclosing the second pilot station, the spine of the aircraft is also much taller than that of the single seater Typhoon, which really do both give it something of a strange appearance. From certain angles and in certain lighting conditions, the T3 can look really interesting, even bordering on the attractive, but from others, you are never surprised if you hear one of your fellow enthusiasts decrying it as something of an ugly duckling.
Just to help you decide, here’s a selection of Typhoon T3 images taken during my latest visit to Coningsby. We start with this No.29 Squadron machine about to take off into the angry skies of the mid-afternoon.
Beauty or a beast, I rather think the T3 is a bit of a looker.
They do say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and as far as I’m concerned, I have to say that I rather like the T3, although I can’t decide it that’s because it just that little bit different, or if I actually think it’s an attractive aeroplane. What are your thoughts on the subject?
As far as looking good in certain lighting conditions, the weather really closed in during mid-afternoon and whilst the rain was pelting down all around us, the little pocket I was standing in miraculously managed to escape everything but a few spots of rain – I couldn’t believe my luck. They say that the sun always shines on the righteous, but in my case, this was most definitely a first.
From the selection of images included here, you can definitely tell which ones were taken during the fine morning conditions and those taken during the angry skies of the afternoon, however, it has to be said that angry skies with the odd shaft of sunlight certainly did make for some appealing photographs. You might even think that this lighting makes the T3 look attractive, which of course it actually is.
‘Blackjack’ – Did I, or didn’t I?
No point keeping the suspense going any longer than necessary, ‘Blackjack’ flew!
Can you believe it – I actually got lucky for once. Even though Typhoon FGR4 ZJ914 was not scheduled to be perform a practice display on the day of my visit, she was used on a normal training flight and boy did it make my day. After several attempts to catch this aircraft in the skies above Coningsby, I finally did it and it was pure luck. I was aware that she had been up twice the previous day in worse conditions than were expected today, once to allow the 2024 display pilot to further polish his routine and once on a training flight which saw enthusiasts catching her low level in the Lake District.
After enjoying the initial burst of activity which saw at least nine Typhoons getting airborne, I could hear the sound of another aircraft starting its engines from the No.29 Squadron side of the airfield, so took my position again ready to take my next bank of pictures. As I stared to get my first glimpse of the approaching aircraft, something looked very different about this one – it was black! Surely it couldn’t be … was my luck about to change?
Sure enough, ‘Blackjack’ made its way down to the 25 end of the runway and prepared for take-off, although I have to admit that I wasn’t counting my chickens until I had seen her get safely into the air, because I had had so many false dawns when it came to this particular Coningsby Typhoon catch. She did go up, which meant I was also going to get her coming back at my end of the airfield and as it turned out, it proved to be even better than that. With a beautiful skyscape as her backdrop, ‘Blackjack’ performed a missed approach on her first landing attempt, so I got two landing approach chances for the price of one – result!
Such a beautiful aeroplane, is it any wonder why enthusiasts have taken ‘Blackjack’ and the RAF Typhoon Display Team to their hearts.
With the RAF Typhoon already a popular and established display act on the UK Airshow scene, the RAF decided to make the appeal of a Typhoon display all the more tantalising in 2021, by sanctioning the application of a ‘special presentation scheme’ on their display jet for the 2021 Airshow season, a scheme which immediately ensured that Typhoon ZJ914 went on to become the highest profile aircraft in current Royal Air Force service.
The scheme is a real head-turner, taking its design inspiration from the Union Flag and the Royal Air Force roundel, applied over a smart black aggressor scheme and it didn’t take long before it worked its way into the hearts of enthusiasts and aviation photographers the length and breadth of the country. Colloquially referred to as ‘Blackjack’, the RAF’s display Typhoon is much loved and has now been in use for three display seasons and as mentioned earlier, has also been used during Flight Lieutenant David ‘Turbo’ Turnbull’s display work-up for the coming Airshow season.
How quickly things can sometimes change in the world of aviation, because no sooner had I sat back down at my work computer the following Monday morning, that interesting news started to circulate from Coningsby – ‘Blackjack’ had a new playmate.
D-Day for ‘Moggie’
Meet the new Typhoon kid on the block, ‘Moggy’. Will with new scheme oust “Blackjack’ from her position as an Airshow favourite? This image has been kindly supplied by Chris Sandham-Bailey.
On Monday 22nd April, the eyes of the aviation enthusiast world were firmly fixed on the closed doors of one of the hardened aircraft shelters at RAF Coningsby, as the Royal Air Force Typhoon Display Team prepared to unveil a new scheme on one of their Typhoon jets, one which was intended to mark this year’s 80th Anniversary of the historic D-Day landings. As the doors opened in suitably dramatic fashion, they slowly revealed Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 ZJ913 resplendent in her new livery, one which took inspiration from an RAF No.257 Squadron Hawker Typhoon, one which was flown by Squadron Leader Denzil Jenkins in support of the D-Day landings back in 1944. Flying many missions in the weeks leading up to D-Day, Jenkins also led a raid against enemy radar sites across the northern French coast immediately prior to invasion, effectively blinding the Germans and keeping the approaching Allied armada secret for a few vital minutes longer.
The new scheme has already attracted a nickname for this uniquely presented Typhoon, which is now known as ‘Moggy’ to those who will be operating her throughout the coming Airshow season, where she will be flown by this year’s display pilot Flight Lieutenant David ‘Turbo’ Turnbull. ‘Turbo’ will be thrilling crowds at events both here in the UK and overseas, as he brings the incredible power and agility of the RAF Eurofighter Typhoon to an Airshow near you, so get your cameras ready for the RAF’s dynamic duo of ‘Turbo and Moggy’.
Pictures of Moggie and Blackjack parked together at Coningsby have already started to circulate across various social media channels and many people will be hoping that both might be seen at several of the larger Airshows scheduled to take place this year. Can you imagine how great it would be to see both aircraft flown in formation together – now that would be worth getting up at 3.30 in the morning to see.
Although I missed out on the opportunity of seeing ‘Blackjack’ and Turbo performing a practice display during my visit, I was incredibly lucky to see her take to the skies over Coningsby at long last and to be present for such a busy day of flying. I was also lucky to avoid the worst of the weather on the day and how this even produced some stunning lighting for my Typhoon pictures. Unfortunately, all this just left me wanting more, so I’m just going to have to try and engineer another visit to this Lincolnshire home of the Eurofighter Typhoon as soon as possible – watch this space.
Please enjoy this final selection of images taken during my recent trip to RAF Coningsby, starting with proof that the weather did indeed take a turn for the worse in the afternoon.
I’m afraid that’s all we have for you this time, but we will be back again in four weeks’ time with more news and pictures from the world of aviation. Thank you for your continued support and as always, if you would like to comment on anything blog related or suggest a subject you would like to see covered in a future edition of Aerodrome, please do drop us a line at aerodrome@airfix.com, where we would be delighted to hear from you.
Should you wish to continue the aviation discussions between editions, you will always find something of interest over on the Airfix Aerodrome Forum and if social media is more your thing, please use the respective official social media icon links at the foot of the main Airfix and Corgi website homepages to access our official sites.
The next edition of Aerodrome is scheduled to be published on Friday 24th May, where we will hope to be bringing you another feature linked to the fascinating world of historic aviation.
See you all back here then.
Michael
Related Products
Further Reading
