Operational Log for September 09.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

Lets hope for more action in September.

Edit Sat 5.9.09 Plenty of action in first week.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

Not a great deal to report on IPA 1 ZJ 699 rotated from R 26 prior to my arrival at approx 11.30am
RTB at 12.30pm did 3 nice passes and landed. Nimrod ZJ 518 out on afternoon sortie as Avro 3.

Charles and his lovely mum Debbie put in an appearance as did Mickey, Billy Fury, Steve, and last but not least Eric.

Seeing Billy Fury, reminds me at The Joe Longthorne show, at The Grand yesterday, we had Gerry
Dorsey,sat in the audience. Just a little quiz, what was Gerry Dorsey, Stage name. Answers on a $10.00p note addressed to me C/O Warton Mound.

Gerry Dorsey is now known as Engleburt Humperdink.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

Actually its a Wx report, at the moment Wx seems set fair until late afternoon when heavy rain is forecast. Log update later.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

It stayed dry until 15.00 hrs and it was a Grob Day quite a few of the little blighters flying up and
down, I dont like Grobs hence no serials.

13.55 RT20 New Primer Hawk Zk 029 one circuit and landed and that was the only movement of note although as I left at 15.30pm one of the Nimrods had a light illuminated on its tail.

From about 11am through to 15.00 a JCB was digging what appeared to be a large hole in the vicinity of the Tower I estimate that the the jib was about at least 20 foot long in two sections
and with the bucket i reckon the hole must have been at least 10 feet deep.

Prior to the JCB arriving to dig I heard somebody state that they were going to Murphys Tunnel
Does anybody know what Murphys Tunnel alludes too.?

My first thought was that Time Team was on site and they were going to dig up all that American
Military equipment which lies buried underneath the runway.

Admin Location : East Midlands Spotter Watch Member : Yes

Perhaps "Murphy" are the Construction contractors who are actually digging a tunnel?

Location : coningsby Spotter Watch Member : No

Frank can we have the soil to rebuild our mound at Coningsby.

Cheers Kevin.

Admin Location : Abu Dhabi

Murphys Tunnel apparently is a service tunnel that runs under the runway carrying a gas pipe/electrics etc. Its half filled with water and the pipes are corroding, so they are surveying to see if they can repair it or bore a new one - allegedly!

So there you go!

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

[quote="Dunk"]Murphys Tunnel apparently is a service tunnel that runs under the runway carrying a gas pipe/electrics etc. Its half filled with water and the pipes are corroding, so they are surveying to see if they can repair it or bore a new one - allegedly!

So there you go![/quote The Contractors were digging again today.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

milky01 wrote:: Frank can we have the soil to rebuild our mound at Coningsby.

Cheers Kevin.

Kevin, I can go one better than that get all the Coningby members of Fighter Control, ask them

to bring bucket and spades, to St Annes /Blackpool and you can have as much sand as you can

carry,too construct a Castle to Rival Tattersall Castle. Clap

Frank.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

Its stopped raining at Poulton at 9.30am the clouds appear to be quite high although the wind is
near gale force about force 4to5 gusting 7. further, updates later.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

The wind never abated all day. We all had a long wait for the action as logged below.

The CAA FlightChecker Aircraft G-FPLE was in the Warton Circuit for most of the afternoon.

16.03 Tarnish 17 Taxied down R 26 turned at Photo/corner in Primer Typhoon ZK 302 he tested

both engines individually that was noisy enough on military power rolled about 50 yards plugged

in the reheat and rotated at Charlie and climbed vertically and disappeared into the clouds.

Because of the cross wind blowing down 26 from the northwest noise was astonishingly loud (Just what

we like.) T17 went out to so some testing to await the arrival of Tarnish 7 who was going to act

as a target.

16.37 Tarnish 7 in 29 Squadron Typhoon coded BV taxied to piano keys tested both engines on

mil power and commenced his take off run unfortunately he had a left hand bucket reheat abort

and his sortie was cancelled.

Avro 6 in one of our Nimrods callsign Avro 6 was out on a long sortie having taken off prior to my

arrival at 11.00am.

PS This is a message for Bryan I have put your ladders under the shed. This is a request to

everybody who attends Warton, if you have to leave to get food or go to the shops, please

dont leave your ladders in the upright position, as any BAE Employee seeing them will make a

report to Security, the inference being that the person who has left the ladders, may well have

used them to gain access to the airfield. So please just leave them on the ground in a horizontal

position.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

Due to yesterday inclement Wx a number of missions were cancelled, so the law of averages

would suggest that today could be a Typhoon, Hawk, Tornado day on the other hand Dont shoot

the messenger if there are no movements. Its still windy but the forecast is for sunny periods and

not so much of the wet stuff. further updates later, bye bye.

Location : Blackpool Spotter Watch Member : Yes

Bugger and bugger, Was with the girlfriend yesterday shopping, Seems as if its a to bad of a day then. Cant go anywhere today as the car is at the garage for servicing and they dont have a courtesy car, So it better not be busy today or else Embarassed

.

Luke

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

Wrong again squally showers on and off all day.

Tarnish 14. in Hawk T1 XX278 out on TRg sortie.

Action started after 2.0pm

14.30pm Typhoon IPA 6 ZJ 938 as Fighter 1. sounded like T 17.
Rotated from R 26 in a squally shower.

14.42pm Typhoon IPA 1 ZJ 699 as Target 2. both 1 & 6 dry rotations.

14.45pm Gauntlet 15 called up on Lon Mil 277.625 asking for Warton
on receipt changed to Target 1.

14.50pm Tarnish 5 called up to say his aircraft had gone U/S and his
sortie was scrubbed as the only Typhoon that was out was a primer Typhoon
and it was towed away shortly afterwards. im assuming this was the one.

15.37pm Nimrod MRA4 ZJ 516 out on a 2 hour sortie as fire cover was ceasing at 18.00pm.

15.53pm IPA 1 straight into land.

16.03pm Fighter 1 IPA 6 after 2 stonking Airfield attacks in which you could see the vortices
on the wing tips as T 17 pulled up into the overhead from low level just liike smoke cannisters
in the wing tips did a fast run and break into the circuit landed with negative stream and didnt
lower onto the nose wheel until he was travelling at about 30mph. (Mark gets more like Hartley
evry flight)

There will be a Nimrod out on a sortie sometime on saturday. In the mid afternoon a 29 SQ Typhoon was being towed from south to north after engine running Im assuming it was BV
that had the reheat abort yesterday. Looks like Monday may be busy.

In last weeks Sunday Telegraph there was two interesting articles on BAE Systems one about
The JSF and the other about possible orders for over 300 more Typhoons = a suggestion that
The First Production MRA4 Nimrod will fly in about 2 weeks, I believe that the serial number will
be ZJ 514 can anybody comfirm this please.

Location : blackpool england Spotter Watch Member : no

ZJ514 has been seen doing ground testing recently at Woodford mate,so i would say it due to fly soon. Cool

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

Dont usually do a Saturday log. but mid afternoon saw a MRA4 Nimrod on finals to R 26 from my

vantage point on Preston Dock. I would hazard a guess that it was either ZJ 516 or ZJ 518. Unsure/Confused

Admin Location : Abu Dhabi

60163tornado wrote:: Dont usually do a Saturday log. but mid afternoon saw a MRA4 Nimrod on finals to R 26 from my

vantage point on Preston Dock. I would hazard a guess that it was either ZJ 516 or ZJ 518.

It was PA-1 Frank.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

In the 2nd One Day Cricket International today instead of Rain stopped Play, It was the Battle of

Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster circling The Lords Cricket Ground It was marvellous to see the crowd

climb to their feet and applaud the Lancaster as it circled Lords at about 3.45pm.

Edit We lost again, but at least we won the Ashes this time round.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

For a change the weather seems to be set fair for the next week in the Warton area today its
warm and sunny. I was going to D510 for the Ex on Tues but it looks like its going to be wet.

I went to the recent Blackpool Airshow, it wasnt as good as Warton today.

11.10am. Tarnish 14 in T1 Hawk XX321?

noon approx Avro 6 in Nimrod MRA4 ZJ 518 still out at time of going to press.

12.30pm Typhoon 1&2 in Air Combat over Welsh MTA on 296.7. clear as a bell at EGNO.

12.37pm Rainbow 1 Romeo to Carlisle. A Shawbury based Griffin flew north to south.

12.50pm Stampede 3 in New Build Hawk ZK 026 for spinning trials and delivery to Valley transit 1 hour.

13.30pm Jet Provost XW 325 land to south side rotated at 14.15pm.

14.16pm as Targets FRA Falcons G.FRAU-G.FRAJ-G.FRAF.

14.27pm as Fighters 1 & 2 IPA 1 ZJ 699 & IPA 6 ZJ 938.

14.42pm Tarnish 18 PC 9 ZK.119.

14.50pm Tarnish 12 in Hawk T1 XX 321 (Dusty bin)

14.56pm Tarnish 9 in new build primer Hawk ZK.029.

15.10pm Police 21 out on a shout.

15.31pm IPA 1 Lands.

15.34pm Falcon G.FRAF lands 15.37 G.FRAJ lands 15.48pm G.FRAU lands.

15.32pm Falcons warned re 2 Steersman Aircraft Outward from Blackpool callsign
Wingwalkers could be seen clearly from my position.

15.51pm Falcon G.FRAF as Zodiac 3 RTB Teeside.

I got so carried away with the log that I forgot the other Nimrod

13.36pm Nimrod MRA4 ZJ 516 Avro 4 landed at 15.25pm.

Although Zodiac 3 got away at 15.51. Zodiac 1 & 2 FRAJ & FRAU had to await

whilst Tarnish 9 & 12 did rollers and Fighter 2 T5 in IPA 6 did a roller.

16.07pm Zodiac 1 & 2 went off seperately and one used all R26 flew very low
and pulled up into the overhead trying to emulate a Typhoon but not successfully
but 7/10 for effort. RTB Teeside. Edit, I forgot to mention I was joined at the shed at lunchtime
by Martin Walker I was expecting him to visit with his lovely daughter Jenny, what a day she missed, Also present was Bryan, Steve, and the men on the mound, whilst we are on the subject
of mounds another one has appeared on the other side of the runway this must be Murphy junior
its much smaller than the one by the tower.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

Whoops! I have actually updated todays log but of course if you look on the icon it doesnt appear to have been updated since 8.54am this morning.

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

Late report due to internet problems.

Tuesday.

Murphys Tunnel update, today a large Tunnelling Machine appeared next to the ATC Tower,
ATC mentioned that there would be a lot of boring people on site today. The Electricity Power
line helo Pipepline 02 called up, how appropriate.

a quiet morning apart from T 14 in a base hawk.

1421. Avro 4 in MRA4 Nimrod ZJ 516 out on a sortie but due to land at Brize Norton and park on
Bay 20 within 5 minutes of being airborn reported a snag landed back at EGNO at 14.51pm. later
reported that they were trying to fix the snag. As a cold front with heavy ain due at 16.30pm
left for early tea.

14.22ATC reports Target 1 Airborn from B/Down changed from Gauntlet 10. later

14.30pm Target 2 Tarnish 9 in XX278 with wing tip pods out to join Target 1 in the overhead.

14.53pm Fighter 1 IPA 6 & Fighter 2 IPA 1 rotate within 30 seconds all movements from R26.

15.43pm Fighter 2 lands after a couple of rollers.

15.48pm Fighter 1 lands after ditto.

Left for home. As my computer was playing up last night if the same happens tonight this may
well be my last report until the end of September as tomorrow I am going on Pendolinas Friday
Eurostar and Saturday German ICE train. bye bye.

Location : Preston Spotter Watch Member : Yes

News is that the first production Nimrod is flying this week, possibly in next few days!!

Location : n.west Spotter Watch Member : no

Computer OK

12.15pm Nimrod ZJ 516 lands.

My sources nothing flying until 15.00pm.

So I listened to the radio on 129.525 G YUES Pte Gazelle H/C to Kendal Pte Site.

Lossie 42 Tornado on 259.6 ch to 277.625

12.42pm Thunder One & Two on 297.9 setting up a Cap for Ex Traffic 15K to 30K.

Ted came to the shed and we went first to the Coach Museum at the rear of the shed
and then onto The Ribble Rail Workshops at Preston Dock.

Arrived on the mound just as Tarnish 5 was taxi-ing out in the 29 Sq Typhoon ZJ 910 BV.
(have I got the serial right) he came almost up to the caravan this is the Typhoon which
had the left reheat bucket abort last week. Nat was making sure today he tried both
engines on full mil power individually you can tell Coningsby the Typhoon is A OK. he then
taxied down photocorner and started his takeoff roll on mil dry power almost as an afterthougt
he plugged in the burners and after rotating pulled up into a vertical climb and disappeared
rather rapidly to the west.

16.05 T18 lands in PC 9 ZK119 after suffering a bird strike and is followed in by ATC vehicle no
need for Trumpton.

16.10 Avro 4 in Nimrod ZJ516 rotates off 26 to the west.

as Avro 4 was taxi-ing down 26 Tarnish 5 was preparing to do an Airfield attack but due to the
Nimrods rotation was asked to move to the west over Southport. Im going to digress here and
remind the Warton Regulars of Tarnish 17s Typhoon Display For the Saudi Royal Party which was
directly over the 358 flightline at very low level. I was expecting Tarnish 5 to come from the west
as they usually do and dive straight onto the target, not today Nat flies over the southside hush house
flying south to north at about 250 feet dives onto the target and climbs into the overhead prior to
breaking into the circuit for two rollers nice fast transitions into the circuit, emulating the old Tarnish 6
Will Jonas.

It would appear that the Murphys Tunnel Saga is coming to an end the Tunnelling machine now about
100 yards from the tunnel. just after 16.00 a primer Typhoon was towed out they tried the engines and
then shut down. at 17.28pm Pipeline 33 flew across the Matz just over the Tunnel. Talking about Tunnels
I will be going through one on Friday morning. see you in a fortnight.

I understand that in late September a Distinguished Visitor from Australia is visiting these Shores.

Location : Preston Spotter Watch Member : Yes

1st Production Nimrod flew out of Woodford yesterday straight to Norwich to get a paint job!

Location : 50 miles south of EGNO Spotter Watch Member : no

Frank says

Quote :: I understand that in late September a Distinguished Visitor from Australia is visiting these Shores.

Could it be the original TARNISH7 ?

or someone else? any other offers?

Graham