Tornado F3/111sqn - The End

tigerfast

tigerfast

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Ross
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Well for those who know and those that dont this week saw the disbandment of the RAFs 111 Sqn/Tremblers from RAF Service at RAF Leuchars in Fife,Scotland.
This also coincided with the retirement from service of the Tornado F3 which has provided Northen QRA for the last 20+ years right up until 2 weeks ago.
Here is a small selection of images I gathered in the last 3-4 weeks of operations.

File0185.jpg


File0189.jpg


File0138.jpg


File0146.jpg


IMG_1921.jpg


IMG_1366.jpg


Cheers

Ross
 
Ziploc said:
Lovely set. Hopefully we see a few at airshows
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Dude,

The jet has been retired. Sad day that passed pretty much unoticed in the national press after the pomp and ceremony of the Jaguar and Harrier retirements.

Cheesy
 
Lovely set of shots. Is the 'watermark' type effect on shot number 4 a heat haze/jetwash?

/I know very little about aircraft!
 
Cracking set
 
Harwood said:
Lovely set of shots. Is the 'watermark' type effect on shot number 4 a heat haze/jetwash?

/I know very little about aircraft!
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Yes its the jet wash/efflux effect from the aircraft engines aswell as them cutting through the air at the time,gives a real nice effect.

Thanks everyone and Cheesy,your right mate a very quiet end to a 25 year jet and another long serving squadron!
 
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Great set - love the third one and I'll miss having them whizzing over our house (Abernethy). It was probably a week or so ago we had 3 or 4 over together - possibly connected to your post.

That said - I've seen Typhoons on a few occasions of late - albeit very high.

Did I not read that some of the Leuchars Tornados have been operating in the recent goings on ?
 
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Thank you - lovely set of images, well done!!
 
I wonder what happens to these perfectly airworthy aircraft when they no longer require them? Do they sell them or scrap them?
 
Brilliant set. I was there too and thought the finale with the four Tornados taxiing up the runway together was very poignant.

Pretty shoddy coverage by the media of this event, hardly a mention :(
 
A great set.. and so pleased to have seen then. but the reason for the taking is soo wrong as someone has said hopefully at airshows
 
I know that the Crabs have a problem with blue on blue, but ZE791 taking out 11 entire Sqns??? :LOL:

Cracking set of pics on a rather sad day!
 
Those are amazing photos Ross, thanks for sharing.

Di
 
:( used to live close to forfar in angus and would have these guys directly over the house, very low and very loud, it is very sad they are gone, but bring on the typhoon, times change and new aircraft are need.

big thanks to to all the hard work for the sqd and the f3 over the years keeping us safe on unknown (but no doubt many) occasions
 
Great shots...... This has got me thinking I need to go to an Airshow! :D
 
dinners said:
Great set - love the third one and I'll miss having them whizzing over our house (Abernethy). It was probably a week or so ago we had 3 or 4 over together - possibly connected to your post.

That said - I've seen Typhoons on a few occasions of late - albeit very high.

Did I not read that some of the Leuchars Tornados have been operating in the recent goings on ?
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I think its the Tornado GR4's which are involved in Libya they are ground attack aircraft rather than solely Air Defence like the F3 was.
 
the tornado has been retired?

Apart from all the ones out over the med as I type?

Cracking pics - and here's hoping our american cousins can see such pics and understand the meaning of close flying.....
 
I feel heartfelt sorry for the lack of press coverage. There will be hopefully a decent writeup in the aviation press, but the national press let you all down.

Shot #3 is the best for me
 
Nice set, the last few went through Tebay today - pity I wasn't there!!!
 
Thanks for sharing...and to think it seems like only yesterday they replaced the Lightning!!!!
 
Great set - really going to miss F3's now (I changed an air filter on HP once!). Does anyone know where they are being retired to?
 
D3S said:
Thanks for sharing...and to think it seems like only yesterday they replaced the Lightning!!!!
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I used to love the lightning, used to go to binbrook when I was a kid and had the rare opportunity in seeing 2 of them scrambled to intercept the ruskies. Nothing better than seeing them screaming down the runway together and taking off vertically, amazing.

Nice set of pics!
 
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