Gone loopy in Wales

A full day on the high shelf at Bwlch in the Mach loop on the 13th, no front-liners but a few Valley Hawks to work with, got wet and felt a bit cold but a great day with some good company. All images taken with Canon EOS 1Ds MkII + 600mm f4 IS hand-held.

Turkish delight

Some recent visitors to Lakenheath being Turkish air force F16s who were returning from "Red Flag" exercises in the USA.

Lakenheath, big boys toys!

Some recent Lakenheath action, F15Es at home, and the A10 Thunderbolts (Warthogs) over here whilst the tarmac at Spangdahlem was being relaid.

Over the hills and fast away.......

The two seat Jaguar from Boscome down and a Harrier GR9 from RAF Cottesmore, low over the Welsh countryside.

A BAe Hawk from RAF Valley, seriously close, and fast.

A Panavia Tornado F3 from 111 squadron flying low in the Welsh valleys.

It don't get more awesome than an F15E

An eye-straining wait and then a faint glint in the distant valley, closing fast it towers on scorched air into the blue, trailing white ribbons from its wing-tips as it bullies the sky to give up its moisture. A shock-wave shimmers fog around the F15E as it dives around into the next crease in the landscape.
I try hard to track it but the Auto focus gives up and I drop the camera from my eye, this time maybe I should just experience this without the barrier of the viewfinder, I’ve got the shots anyway.
Thunder roaring and skin tingling I watch as this formation of finely machined components working as one squeeze the air again and shed another skin of white cloud; the pilots fixed stare on the gap in the valley is almost visible through his visor.
I am deafened and yet can hear with every atom of my being, I feel its movement and heat, I smell its fire breath, heaven and earth shake around me, and I can nearly touch this beast.
In seconds it is gone; the hole it made in the sky closes around me, hot, then cold damp confused air jostles for order and all is calm again, over too quick I long for the next one.
I can only contemplate what it must be like to be the receiver of its wrath.