Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting.

Location : boswell lincs Spotter Watch Member : yes

Not actually spotting but at work, all at binbrook

B52 doing a roller at binbrook
sea vixen
Hastings bringing our det back from wattisham
britannia
Belfast taking det leconfield
nordatlas
C160
F25
argosy
andover
shackleton's
hunters
various funny looking US C 130s
and every thing we had and NATO possessed, and i didn't appreciate it then

Admin Location : Bristol, UK

Mine would have to be a B1-b arriving at Fairford in 2007 with a engine missing and of course the two B2's last year.

Hopefully plenty more!.
Mike

Subject: Re: Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. 2009-01-09, 06:21

What happened to the B-1's engine,not heard this before ?

Mike

Admin Location : Bristol, UK

40612 wrote:: What happened to the B-1's engine,not heard this before ?

Mike

It's forth engine caught fire whilst on a routine mission, it diverted to Kanahar Airbase where the engine was removed. It was then sent to Fairford on three engines on the 06th October 2008, where a new engine was installed. It then flew back to Dyess AFB on the 27th March 08. Thats all I know about it.

Sadly I stood on the wrong side of the aircraft when it arrived (not knowing which engine was missing), so didn't get a shot of its engine missing. However I think Tony Osborne has a photo on Airliners somewhere, i'll try and dig it out.

Mike

Edit: Linky - http://www.airliners.net/photo/USA---Air/Rockwell-B-1B-Lancer/1280030/M/

Subject: Re: Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. 2009-01-09, 07:04

I've never heard of ANY aircraft being sent on a flight with an engine missing,must have been very strange for the crew to fly it like that-not the kind of thing they train for in a simulator !
Wouldn't work for a F-16. lol!

Cheers Mike,Mike

Location : Evesham, Worcs

I was also there that cold and overcast Saturday Mike and even though the conditions were not ideal the subject matter more than made up for it. As far as I can remember the a/c came in from Al Udeid after the mid air fire and subsequent removal of the damaged engine. I believe that flying a B1 with only three engines has only happened once before when during a similar fire the engne detached itself from the a/c in flight. After an emergency landing at an unfamilar base a crew were put together from test pilots school to ferry the a/c back to the maintenance facility for repair. Note the bracing strut affixed in the empty bay..
Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. - Page 2 B-oneless

Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. - Page 2 B-oneless

Craig..

Subject: Re: Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. 2009-01-09, 07:31

That's incredible.
Great photo too,thanks Craig and Mike B

Cheers.
I'm also a Mike B !

Admin Location : Bristol, UK

It seems I was the only bugger stood the otherside of the airfield! (Shame it wasn't the number 1 engine! I would have been in luck!).

It was indeed very overcast, but as you say. More than worth it. My Photo: http://www.photos.aero/photo.php?p=41318

Mike

Subject: Re: Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. 2009-01-09, 08:35

Looks OK from that side !
Better luck next time,thanks for all that-we all learn something new every day.

Mike B

Subject: Re: Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. 2009-01-09, 08:37

Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. - Page 2 Pheonix002

I haven't seen a rare aircraft whilst spotting because i'm not a spotter....

Does watching a Royal Artillery Pheonix RPV count?

Location : Squire of the Gate

60163tornado wrote:

Jenky wrote:

60163tornado wrote:: I will start with Warton

Iranian Air Force IL76 bringing IAF SeaHarrier

Wasn't it a Indian AF IL76 :?:

My video show it to be a green and white Iraniun IL76 I didnt collect reg nos
but I still have the video/DVD.

Ahh,
Thinking about 2 different IL76 vsits.
Remember reports of the Indian AF one a 'few' years ago (but missed it :( ).

Back on thread.........
In terms of rare stuff it depends on where you live/what you like.

Being more into the Mil Transport types.......
Iranian AF 707 at Zurich (in fact the WEF at Davos has provided many good unusual bits for me).
Indian AF 737-200 at Paris Orly , numerous Israeli 707's through Manchester.
USAF Starlifters arriving at Heathrow (conveniently parking up against Iraqi Airways IL76's :scratch: :D ).
Ghanan AF Gulf 3 in Cambridge.
North Korean AF IL62 at Moscow (SVO).
Pakistan AF 737 on delivery through Heathrow.
Russian AF AN22 landing at Engels (whilst pretending to video the preserved TU95).
Russian AF 1L86VKP at Chkalovsky (Star City).
Yugolsav AF AN12's in Heathrow pre "problems" in the area.
Ramstein during the gulf war with many C141's on the deck.
Frankfurt (Rhein Main) during the "War on Terror" with "many" C17's on the deck.

Personal highlight, ramp access to photograph AF1 (&2, & the C37's, c40's etc etc) at a foreign airfield when Bill Clinton was President (something that would have seen the UK "we know whats best for you" PC authoritys have a hissy fit).

On the 'fighter' front I dont think i'll ever forgot Lossiemouth towards the end of the Buccs (especially the familys day when they had marked a few up in the various SQN colours they had flown in).
I remember a fantastic (if not wet day- got soaked) graphing the Bricks when some Italian AF F104's arrived for a Exercise, throw in the Hunters and Jags and "happy days".
In Warton its difficult to pick a highlight due to the deliverys seen (A RSAF Typhoon these days is a damn fine sight), the Civil AN22 vsiting and a Emirate Civil IL76 took some landing, on the Mil front (and a fitting finish to my input here) the Flypast of the Group of Saudi Lightnings leaving Warton (I was at school when they flew over- a welcome distraction).

Subject: Re: Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. 2009-01-09, 19:30

Really can't boast anything half as impressive as some of you guys. My 'rarest' would probably have to be either the DRA BAC 1-11 that dropped into Waddo sometime in 2003 for some rollers, or the pair of Luftwaffe F-4F's that made a fuel stop at Lakenheath a few years back, can't quite remember when though.

Location : Elgin Spotter Watch Member :

For me it would have to be...

YF-22A on static
Delta Dagger F106? on static (B1 Chase)
Standing in front of an SR71 in a flying suit
Canadian Snowbirds transitting over the american desert when we were driving.
F14 at Fleetweek...Blue Angels cancelled :(

Romanian MiG21s + AN26 at Lossie.
HMS Ark Royal at the Moray Firth during JW071
Saudi Deployment to Lossie (Only the second deployment of Saudi Tornados outside of Saudi Arabia)
Indian Su30MKIs and IL78s at Waddington
Pakistan P3C at RIAT 08
5 Greek F16C/D Block 52 through Lossie Oct 2008

I probably seen more when i was really young.

Macc

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

I will skip the airshows at North Weald and go onto Greenham Common and later

Fairford.

As I recall the shows were always in July my first recollection of Greenham Common

was 1973 was seeing a C97 Tanker and a US Army C 54A Tarhe (skycrane) now used

for fire fighting. The Canadians sent 4 CF 104s were they the Tiger Romeroes or the

Snowbirds? The froggies sent a Neptune and a Crusader. our Fleet Air Arm had Gannets

and Sea Vixens in the Static. 1974 the highlight was a low level pass along Greenhams

10,000 foot runway by an Ex Indian AF B 24 Liberator after the Reds had closed the

show.

Location : N E Jockistan Spotter Watch Member : No

60163tornado wrote:: I will skip the airshows at North Weald and go onto Greenham Common and later

Fairford.

As I recall the shows were always in July my first recollection of Greenham Common

was 1973 was seeing a C97 Tanker and a US Army C 54A Tarhe (skycrane) now used

for fire fighting. The Canadians sent 4 CF 104s were they the Tiger Romeroes or the

Snowbirds? The froggies sent a Neptune and a Crusader. our Fleet Air Arm had Gannets

and Sea Vixens in the Static. 1974 the highlight was a low level pass along Greenhams

10,000 foot runway by an Ex Indian AF B 24 Liberator after the Reds had closed the

show.

Wasn't it '74 for the Liberator as I was there.

What about the Skyhawks, Tracker, Sea King etc. from the Aussie Carrier in Jubilee Year (1977?)

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

On my occasional visits to North Wales, I use to always call in at Llanbedre and see

the Meteors and Canberras, but apart from seeing a Jindivik parked up outside the

Hangar, it took years before I finally witnessed the operation in its entirety.

I had advanced info that a flight would take place on this particular day and that

the first thing I would see would be a Mother Ship This could have been one of three aircraft,

but it turned out to be a Hawk which duly came out of the hangar and took off.

Imagine my delight to see the orange/yellow Australian Jindivig, being towed out on

its frame by a landrover and lined up on the runway. The engine fired and as the

hawk flew low level down the runway, the Jindivig set off after the hawk and freed

itself from the frame and flew off to the ranges. I thought the take off was

interesting but the landing on the skids on its return was spectacular and it looks

pretty good on the video too. PS I hope I havent bored you.

Location : North Yorkshire Spotter Watch Member : No

Hi
Pakistan AF C-130 10689 Brize Norton 23/07/90
B-1 86-099 overshooting Leeming on August Bank Holiday 27/08/01
French Navy Nord 262 68-AC Newcastle 23/02/93
Malawi Air Wing BAe125 MAAW-J1 Manchester 24/10/96
6 Italian F-104s Leeming Saturday 03/07/93

Nothing too bizarre, but it's all relative
Cheers
Dave Ferrari

Location : Here, there & everywhere.

Didn't venture out of West Wales till the late Nineties but probably a lot of the Afghan aircraft would be high up on the list. The rarest I've photographed has to be these two...

Guyana Defence Force Shorts Skyvan

Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. - Page 2 IMG_3522c

Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. - Page 2 IMG_3522c

Guyana Defence Force Harbin Y-12 Panda

Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. - Page 2 IMG_3530c

Location : N E Jockistan Spotter Watch Member : No

That Skyvan reminds me of Farnborough, I think it was 1974 - Ghananian AF Skyvan and Iranian AF P-3 and F-27. Of course there was the transatlantic record breaking SR-71A there as well.

Location : Abingdon

Back in the mid to late 80's I remember seeing an Indonesian AF C130 visiting Lyneham, also around that time I recall seeing Singapore AF , Sudanese AF, Pakistani AF C130's and a Kenyan AF Dash 8 among many others. Abingdon even had a few visitors, Omani C130 in about 1982/3, a Saudi Hawk, Czech AF Mig 21 and accompanying Tu154, Saudi C130, Chillean AF C130 and even an EC130E /KS during an exercise in about 1994 (which I unfortunately missed but saw photo's of). I have seen many other rarities over the years but too many to mention.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

Obviously there are so many rare aircraft that either are based or visit Duxford. Im not sure if it was 2000/2001 but I saw this unique formation of 7 Grumman Aircraft I think there were Bearcats,
Hellcats, Tigercats, wildcats and on the outside of the formation there were a pair of F3Fs Do the F3Fs have a name or is it just the number? Also was a Hawker Nimrod. Over to the experts..

A

Location : Colchester

Mine has to be a NASA WB-57 at Mildenhall

Subject: Re: Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. 2009-01-14, 12:02

60163tornado wrote:: Obviously there are so many rare aircraft that either are based or visit Duxford. Im not sure if it was 2000/2001 but I saw this unique formation of 7 Grumman Aircraft I think there were Bearcats,
Hellcats, Tigercats, wildcats and on the outside of the formation there were a pair of F3Fs Do the F3Fs have a name or is it just the number? Also was a Hawker Nimrod. Over to the experts..

A

Do you mean this F3-F ???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_F3F

Moderator Location : UK Spotter Watch Member : No

United States Navy EC-24 at the 'Hall circa mid 90's. A one off IIRC and based on the DC-8. A picture, not mine, here -

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/images/EC-24_1.jpg

Subject: Re: Rarest Aircraft seen whilst spotting. 2009-01-14, 12:35

I think that beast went into Lossie about the same didn't it ?

Mike :P