Lucky to see a departing F14 stand on its tail at the far end of Gutersloh's runway in the early 1980's and start a vertical climb. At that point a Lightning spooled up and came thundering down the runway, lifted off, raised its undercarriage and then rotated nose up. Eventually it went from horizontal to vertical flight and less than one minute later, had overtaken the F14 in a vertical climb! The F14 roll out and flew away but the Lightning continued its climb into the blue sky and faded from view. It landed fifteen minutes later with just ten minutes of fuel on board. The best bit were the frustrated American ground crew who were told, 'That's classified' when they asked about top speed and altitude reached.
I was on Lightnings at Dhahran on exercise with the F15s. When they took off in pairs you could see the lack of manoeuvrability of the Lightnings. The F15 went to altitude and just rolled out at the top, the Lightning was struggling trying to turn. Each has its own place.
The only reason they can't fly is that the Lightning Preservation Group don't have airworthiness certificates for them. They made the decision that the planes were too valuable to rism flying them after a Lightning trainer was lost in a crash in South Africa. Not maintaining the airworthiness certificates saves money for preservation work.
@@Dafmeister1978 No, the CAA always refused to let a Lightning being operate by a private operator, and it was long before the South Africa crash. In fact the one who crashed in South Africa was exported from the UK after the CAA refused to issue a permit to fly.'
I’ve heard from various reliable sources that they can’t fly due to having only one hydraulic pump which resulted in a few death Invluding the death of the pilot in South Africa
Thank you for posting this video. My father was on the Battle Flight at RAF Gütersloh in the late 60s. He flew the F2a with 19(F) Sqn. Of course, he called the aeroplane the 'Frightening' and said, as everyone did, that the wings were only there to keep the nav lights apart. He learnt on Tiger Moth biplanes, served in the RAF and ended up skipper on the (then) brand new glass-cockpit Boeing 747-400s. A career half as long as powered flight itself.
I remember going to work with my Dad who worked at RAF Binbrook. Seeing them take off was magical. Not sure if it is age, or just me. But the days of the Lightning, the F4 Phantom were amazing to see them flying and doing bombing runs over the Lincolnshire coastline.
restojon1 Actually what that is was they built the hanger recently when that was filmed and they had to cut the trees down to construct the hanger there and the trees you see didn't get much sun that's why they are bold in that area.
I've done my fair share of QRA scrambles & the fact they used a trolley acc. rather than a Houchin was a give away that this was a reconstruction, apart from the fact you NEVER leave the chocks in until last, as that's asking to get run over by an overly eager "steely eyed killer" as most fighter jockeys saw themselves ! As for how fast were the scrambles? At Leuchars straight after exiting the QRA shed there's a Z bend that accesses the runway & a certain Fl./Lt. Brindle ( 23 Sqdn./ Red Eagles ) got a bit enthusiastic & selected reheat on the straight of the Z bend ( only reheat turn on the ground I've ever seen! ). Even though take off angle is shallow @ about 30 deg ( even on a live scramble they're very conscious of just how fuel critical they are ) it's still quite impressive. So as he cleared the shed I wandered forward to get a better view. But when I heard the double thump of reheat being selected I immediately started running as hard as I could to my left to clear the jet blast - with good reason. There was a small hut @ the side of the QRA shed where we could live over night or weekends whilst on standby. How bad was the jet blast - blew out every single window in the sleeping quarters - if anybody had been in there @ the time they'd have been cut to pieces ! - Working on an operational airfield can be a bloody dangerous place to be @ times !
It is clear in the video that this was a re-enacted Scramble for entertainment at Bruntingthorpe, and the trolly acc was what they had to hand. Whilst the pilot is an ex Wing Commander pilot who flew Lightning’s, the rest were volunteers who may not have actually attended a real Battle flight scramble.
@@pilotdaffy - Having done 2 tours on Lightnings ( 23 & 56 Sqdns ) as an A.E. Tech. (A) I appreciate the fact people still remember what we did :) Just because I point out it's a reconstruction does NOT mean I'm putting it down as clearly such operations are run on a shoe string - sigh! However a normal see off meant Start # 1 Indicate to pilot by arm movement that his flaps & airbrakes were working. Start # 2 - Chocks out & switch off & disconnect the Houchin electrical power unit. When it comes to QRA I certainly was not leaving chocks to last when the pilot is most likely starting to taxi. We also didn't waste time to check flaps & airbrakes as the time limit was 2 mins from start up to 32,000 ft. - & that was checked on ground radar & if not achieved serious questions were asked ! As for the start up on the reconstruction the time interval between starting #s 1 & 2 was rather lengthy! For a live QRA most pilots simply started #s 1 & 2 together !
@D M - p Looks like we missed by a few years. I was posted onto the "Red Eagles" straight after my training as a J/T "Rigger'. I arrived mid Sept 1967 & was posted out in Nov 1969 to 56 Sqdn Akrotiri in Cyprus who had F3s The wing commanders lust for glory led to him trying to get all the flying hours in for the year. Nobody had managed it in the UK cos of bad weather So the deal he cut was whenever they got the hours in everybody would be stood down ( except for covering QRA) By the time I got out there was a hangar full of sick kites & long lists of spares set @ LOG ( Lightning on ground ) the highest priority level for ordering spares. So rather than following his word the C.O. put us on 12 on/12 off SEVEN days a week when we could do nothing without spares. In order to keep up appearances we were even banned from the crew room. So we spent MANY months wandering round the hangar chatting! - UTTER CRAZINESS ! - Apart from promotion our idiot C.O. got an O.B.E. Rather than Order of the British Empire we maintained it stood for Other Bastards Efforts! So going from a good Sqdn like 23 to the shambles that was 56 was a BIG come down - deep sigh ! If you want to get in touch you can catch me @ jdwlyon@yahoo.co.uk Just title it 23 Sqdn or Red Eagles so I easily recognise it. - Take care :)
Oh! I thought I was going to see a real, bona fide, QRA scramble. The last time I had the pleasure of one was in 1983, when I was based at Binbrook. The smell of the Avpin & then the Avtur exhaust is a memory firmly placed in my mind. The Lightning was the best aircraft I ever worked on.
Last real QRA I saw was during my 3 yrs with 19 and 92 squadron Lightnings between 72 and 75. Don't know whether or not Bruntingthorpe does the Lightning fast taxi runs or QRA enactment these days. Bruntingthorpe is just a big industrial area now sadly. QRA (battle flight) was something to see. Those jockies (pilots) from my days will all be drawing retirement now.
Good to see those sliding folding hangar doors still working, they were a pain to refit and get operational. Privilege to work on the QRA hangar , mine and my late dad's favourite aircraft.
Used to go to Leuchars as an ATC cadet for various events. Saw a Tigers scramble in 1964, never forgot it, nor the cheery companionship of the men in the Airmen's Mess.
At about 1966/67 I was a motor mechanic in Dusseldorf - one of our customers was a Lightning pilot at Gutersloh, I returned his Hillman Imp of all things🤫 to the base one day and was told he was on patrol with his wingman along the East German border by Hannover and was directed to wait beside a hanger with the ground crew - within minutes they came over the runway as low as you like waggling wings and then a vertical climb - showboating ? Yes Thrilling ? You bet your bottom dollar ! Very much our last Hurrah !! 😉
I remember passing by RAF Leuchars back in the day when Lightnings were scrambled to intercept Soviet aircraft prowling around UK airspace - they did not hang about - a rocket with a pilot up front.
I remember the lightning coming to RAF Leconfield whilst Binbrook had repairs made to the runway Leconfield was also home to 60MU they did maintenance on the lightning remember seeing engine tests using a j shaped silencer which deflected noise up instead of back,
Hi Graham, I'd just finnished three years with the Lightning Squadrons in Germany (Gutersloh 72-75). Witnessed quite a few Battle flight Scrambles as they oftened responded to the Russian Bears coming into NATO airspace. Fantastic working and watching these great aircraft doing thier stuff for real, will never forget the sound they made coming back over our flat. Bit like a seagull as they deployed the airbrake. Not been to Bruntingthorpe for several years, not sure how much they taxi now, but there were open days most Spring and August bank holidays with fast taxi dates in between.
I was detached to Leconfield for part of that summer, 1975 I think, as a Met forecaster. predicting the fog was the greatest responsibility because they would return with 10 minutes' fuel left, and if they couldn't land they would have just 10 minutes to divert to a predetermined reliable airfield.
I was there then. We slept at an old base at Driffield and came by bus every day to Leconfield. I would have done the tests at those silencers. We were given a nice holiday in Malta when they finished the repairs at Binbrook.
@@Bournethorpe I must have worked with you then! as I was there to - I was a young assistant to you forecasters. I remember it as the fantastic summer of '76 tho.
Just so that there's no confusion, this ISN'T a QRA scramble filmed at Binbrook (you couldn't see the QRA sheds from the perimeter fence to get as good a shot as this anyway). This is, I believe, filmed at Bruntingthorpe, many years after the Lightning was withdrawn. I was in the RAF as an aircraft engineer working on Lightnings in ASF and LESF from 1983 - 1988 in case anyone thinks I'm waffling!
Mark Trevett I believe you Mark, your not waffling. I should have mentioned where I took this video, It was Bruntingthorpe as you rightly pointed out, and filmed in 2012. The QRA shed was removed from Wattisham a few years back and reassembled at Bruntingthorpe. Your another lucky guy that can also boast seeing the Lightning carry out a Battle Flight Scramble, many times. That's what takes me back to Bruntingthorpe, nostalgia, and the roar.
pilotdaffy I think it's YOU who are lucky? I've known about the cold war jets that blast up and down Bruntingthorpe for years but my days off from work just never seem to coincide with these runs they do - the last time I heard a Lightning roar (plus the acrid smelling Avpin starter!) was 1988 :(
Its the coldwar fast taxi day by the looks of things. Flew in to one in 2018 I think t was. An RC Lightening had a flame out and went down on that day sadly. No harm done though. Not sure if they still do these days after the lockdown. Great day out though.
Having done QRA from that very shed in the 70s this is very slow. We were a lot quicker than they are, nobody walked in a live scramble every ran. I have seen some scramble starts where the No 2 engine was being started whilst the No 1 was still spooling up. Finally , the red intake cover was always on until a scramble or normal flight line start.
Yeah you were also doing it day in day out as a full time job, as well as doing it for real. Not quite the same urgency with a demonstration now is there?
Grounded now. Thunder City stopped flying Lightnings in 2010. They have been trying to sell them at auctions for the last two years so you know where to go to buy one if you've room in your garage lol
Such an iconic aircraft. The Lightning would eat todays modern interceptors for breakfast which it’s speed and manoeuvrability. Such a shame that she will never take to the sky’s again along with the Vulcan.
When RAF Scampton stopped flight oops two Lightning did a high speed fly past and did a handbrake turn right in front of our landrover... Impressive seeing two Lighnings skid turn about 50 ft off the ground
I served for 40 years from age 15 t0 55. (26 Entry Boy Entrant RAF St Athan). MECS RAF Akrotiri 1958 - 1961 (QRTFSMT 1963-69) Then lots of other shit! Seconded to Saudi Arabia 1981-82 (tabuk) Servicing Lightnings.
Seen so many in my RAF days, but as you said, it would be nice to see that one leave the ground. Sight I took for granted, but now give my right arm for lol
@@pilotdaffy Exactly. I was a cadet back in the mid 80s when we had our annual camp at RAF Binbrook when the Lightnings were still in service. What an experience!!! Up close and personal to possibly the most iconic fighter Jets. Loved to see them race down the runway and go vertical. Aviation heaven.
The large-fin variants, especially those equipped with Avon 300-series engines could safely reach Mach 2, and given the right atmospheric conditions, might even achieve a few more tenths of a Mach” “ During British Airways trials in April 1985, Concorde was offered as a target to NATO fighters including F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, F-14 Tomcats, Mirages, and F-104 Starfighters - but only Lightning XR749, flown by Mike Hale and described by him as "a very hot ship, even for a Lightning", managed to overtake Concorde on a stern conversion intercept.” which would encourage me to make a very small bet that one or two Lightnings MIGHT just get the title of fastest even if the class as itself was only Mach 2.0 rated…. and that was more from a safety and stability point of view than a lack of speed/power. The Lightning has the Phantom and Tornado absolutely crucified when it comes to climb rate: Its initial rate of climb was 50,000 ft per minute. The Phantom F-4M managed 32,000 ft per minute & the Tornado F.3 43,000 ft per minute I know what I'd rather fly...
What a awesome peice of British flying history!. I think even today, in the hands of a capable pilot, it could out preform, out fly some of our best jets.
@1:30 ground grew are still disconnecting something while the Lightning has already started to taxi...big fail! I think chocks away and showing the pilot that they are moved is the final ground prep before release. nice footage
I thought they still had some flying in S Africa but those were grounded years ago and sold off. I don't see any further information on them though, anyone know if they're still about to be flown anywhere?
Absolutely, originally developed as the English Electric P1, and the ONLY NATO fighter that could actually intercept Concorde from behind in level flight. Now there’s another story....We’d almost certainly be breaking some EU treaty if we tried to build anything as awesome as the Lightning alone these days. Makes my heart ache to think what has become of England. I often think that the UK benefited very little from the end of the Cold War compared to the rest of Europe.
@@farleyjack2510 The French aero industry rather suggests that it's British political incompetence rather than anything to do with the EU. We're average because our politicians are average.
Now that’s what you want to see when you open the garage door.............😍 😲 WTF.....No vertical climb!!!! No...’To Infinity and Beyond’!!!! Talk amongst yourselves, I’m off for a rather unmanly weep in the corner 😢
Thunder city closed after the owner died. The aircraft were bought up by Hanger 51s Jay Smith. As yet he hasn't flown any of the collection, and as time passes it's unlikely the Lightnings will ever get airworthy again. So there, to my best knowledge, are no flying Lightnings anywhere now.
@@pilotdaffy There was a interesting programe on which i recorded with Professor Brian Cox about the atmosphere and he went up in a Lightening ,South Africa, i must have watched that 100 times ,,,being ex 111 SQD ground crew in the early 70`s just loved the Lightening ...
Regulations prevent a Lightning flying even if one was flight-worthy. Bruntingthorpes Lightnings are kept as fast taxi a/c and that's as much as they will ever be allowed to do.
Colm VD you can maintain 250 spitfires for what a lightning would cost, there is one reason no lightnings fly in the UK, it’s reputation for being a twat to fly. When they were retired they scrapped them very quickly so none could be kept in flight condition. We don’t have the wide open spaces to allow these to be in civvy hands. After What happened in South Africa and Shoreham that decision was the correct one. The States have the space to fly one which is why they are restoring one over there.
It may be an unforgivable sin to not allow that Lightning to takeoff, but at least you British appreciate the commitment of your armed service members from WWII through the Cold War by doing those reenactments. I am also referring to the flybys and now only the taxiing of that incredible Vulcan bomber. I have watched various RUclips videos that prove to me that the British government and people want to honor those sacrifices. It may not be enough, but it sure puts the American government and people to shame. Most, but not all, Americans have either a short-term memory problem, want to forget about our "lost" wars, or have a politically correct attitude problem about those reenactments. Now we do have individuals and not-for-profit foundations that own and fly aircraft, such as an F-4D, F-86, and other warbirds. The only recognition that the government gives them is the opportunity to fly "heritage" or "legacy" flights with contemporary Air Force or Navy fighter aircraft at airshows. I would like to visit Great Britain and experience the sound of those jets "spooling up" their engines and the raw power as those aircraft simulate a takeoff.
+ianrkav 100 knots. I think this speed limit was introduced after the accidental take-off taxi run with the Victor, before that I believe they did get a bit more speed up.
+ianrkav 150 knots should see nose up to create angle of attack, then in the region of 160 - 180 knots should unstick the main wheels, although with a fuel fuel load it would be higher. The calculations would need to take in atmosphere pressure and wind speed as well to get the ideal take-off speed. So there would be a variance in what could be called the usual fully laden F6 take-off speed. We could call it about 200 knots.It would then very quickly exceed 450 knots in short time such is the rapid acceleration of this bird.
Hi Nick, as far as I know Thunder city in Africa havnt flown any for years after one crashed. They were selling some I believe, but hope to have one flying again. I havnt checked latley but if you google Thundercity you can see any updates.
@mistofoles If you watch the "John Nichol Files" he said that the UK Aviation Authority don't allow them to fly believing the maintenance demands were too high for civilian operators.
The lightning wasn't a normal supersonic interceptor but a "PROTOTYPE HYPERSONIC MISSILE".....ON VIAGRA!!!! AND A BLOODY INCREDIBLE ONE AS WELL I'D LIKE TO ADD👍👍👍
Having just seen your reply to my comment,what is your real name? I might then remember you. Incidentally, I did run when on QRA as it wasn't too hard to whichever aircraft I was assigned to.
Those old time pilots were taught the three 'R's in their day at school, which enabled them to become what they dreamed to be. Now they need to forget them - 'reason, responsibility, and regulations'. Pull the stick back and throw that thing in the air.
Great British aviation all gone to the graveyard, so sad we cannot keep our aircraft jet heritage alive, say what you like about the u.s ..they revere theirs.
No, its Bruntingthorpe. I had said the last real QRA battle flight scramble had been at Binbrook. Bruntingthorpe still hold opening days, although this year is going to be off I assume. I must get along again myself as Ive not been for a few years. I miss my Gutersloh days in the early 70s when it was Lightnings all day, every day lol
Omg ...this is sacrilege ! A BAC Lightning with two reheats glowing and then deploying the frigid chute,...Ugh ! What a waste. If only I had millions of Pounds mate.
@@samrodian919 That is such a poor excuse ! 'Civilians' are trained to fly F-35s and SU-35s, why not a Lightning, Ugh ! Conservative CAA, what else is new !
Lets hope they do so.....oops..... why waste time and lives on the u.k. no one wants a society like that, now off you go to the food banks, oh, and work hard you will get on, er, on what? 11 pounds an hr and a place to live at 300000 pounds average, keep going there ,fast ahead to oblivion bye bye.....
The chute was deployed after the engines were set as would be in a landing. I spent three years working with lightnings in Germany and often had the duty to collect the chutes as they were dropped, that cable gets very hot and will burn skin. Shame those lightnings were not permitted to fly, but they still have to slow down after a reheat run.
Some of the ATC instructions sound like MARK N LARD COURTESY OF BBC R1.. DURING THEIR EXTREMELY FUNNY LIVE BROADCASTING , YOU NEED A PHD IN HEARING TO UNDERSTAND ATC!!!!
Paused it 2.35, bit mean on the trees, and if you don't go vertically straight up, witch it can do, then the next few seconds of my life will be a waste of my time, LOL
Had to add the last part from a later fast taxi because I was'nt fast enough to keep up with the lighting as it made its way to the runway. But then, I have had the delightful chance during the 70's of seeing many Lightning battle flight (QRA scramble) take off's, and you'd have had to be there to see it for real.
I missed out the word 'was' in between 'place' and' in' . Elsewhere in these comments I had mentioned this was at Bruntingthorpe, July 2012. Hope you enjoyed the re-enactment though.
Lucky to see a departing F14 stand on its tail at the far end of Gutersloh's runway in the early 1980's and start a vertical climb. At that point a Lightning spooled up and came thundering down the runway, lifted off, raised its undercarriage and then rotated nose up. Eventually it went from horizontal to vertical flight and less than one minute later, had overtaken the F14 in a vertical climb! The F14 roll out and flew away but the Lightning continued its climb into the blue sky and faded from view. It landed fifteen minutes later with just ten minutes of fuel on board.
The best bit were the frustrated American ground crew who were told, 'That's classified' when they asked about top speed and altitude reached.
Great story. I can just picture that. I was in the RAF at Gutersloh 72-75
I was on Lightnings at Dhahran on exercise with the F15s. When they took off in pairs you could see the lack of manoeuvrability of the Lightnings. The F15 went to altitude and just rolled out at the top, the Lightning was struggling trying to turn. Each has its own place.
@@mral13131313 and twenty odd years between the two aircraft too 😊
Would just love to have witnessed that one !
Yeah ok, thanks for that hilarious embellishment.
The fact that these planes aren't allowed to fly is an unforgivable sin. It's like watching a peregrine falcon hobble around a bit
They probably don't want civvies flying aircraft that can out perform the RAF's current jets?
The only reason they can't fly is that the Lightning Preservation Group don't have airworthiness certificates for them. They made the decision that the planes were too valuable to rism flying them after a Lightning trainer was lost in a crash in South Africa. Not maintaining the airworthiness certificates saves money for preservation work.
I agree mate.
I think your point was taken a bit too literally.
@@Dafmeister1978 No, the CAA always refused to let a Lightning being operate by a private operator, and it was long before the South Africa crash. In fact the one who crashed in South Africa was exported from the UK after the CAA refused to issue a permit to fly.'
I’ve heard from various reliable sources that they can’t fly due to having only one hydraulic pump which resulted in a few death Invluding the death of the pilot in South Africa
Thank you for posting this video. My father was on the Battle Flight at RAF Gütersloh in the late 60s. He flew the F2a with 19(F) Sqn. Of course, he called the aeroplane the 'Frightening' and said, as everyone did, that the wings were only there to keep the nav lights apart.
He learnt on Tiger Moth biplanes, served in the RAF and ended up skipper on the (then) brand new glass-cockpit Boeing 747-400s. A career half as long as powered flight itself.
I was also at Gutersloh in the late 60's helping run the GCA system.
I remember going to work with my Dad who worked at RAF Binbrook. Seeing them take off was magical. Not sure if it is age, or just me. But the days of the Lightning, the F4 Phantom were amazing to see them flying and doing bombing runs over the Lincolnshire coastline.
@simonbroddle754 I served three years with the Lightnings in Germany in the early 70s. Always fascinated me, and I'm glad I worked alongside them.
Those trees behind the QRA shed look like they have a hard life
restojon1 Actually what that is was they built the hanger recently when that was filmed and they had to cut the trees down to construct the hanger there and the trees you see didn't get much sun that's why they are bold in that area.
Lol!
I've done my fair share of QRA scrambles & the fact they used a trolley acc. rather than a Houchin was a give away that this was a reconstruction, apart from the fact you NEVER leave the chocks in until last, as that's asking to get run over by an overly eager "steely eyed killer" as most fighter jockeys saw themselves ! As for how fast were the scrambles? At Leuchars straight after exiting the QRA shed there's a Z bend that accesses the runway & a certain Fl./Lt. Brindle ( 23 Sqdn./ Red Eagles ) got a bit enthusiastic & selected reheat on the straight of the Z bend ( only reheat turn on the ground I've ever seen! ). Even though take off angle is shallow @ about 30 deg ( even on a live scramble they're very conscious of just how fuel critical they are ) it's still quite impressive. So as he cleared the shed I wandered forward to get a better view. But when I heard the double thump of reheat being selected I immediately started running as hard as I could to my left to clear the jet blast - with good reason. There was a small hut @ the side of the QRA shed where we could live over night or weekends whilst on standby. How bad was the jet blast - blew out every single window in the sleeping quarters - if anybody had been in there @ the time they'd have been cut to pieces ! - Working on an operational airfield can be a bloody dangerous place to be @ times !
It is clear in the video that this was a re-enacted Scramble for entertainment at Bruntingthorpe, and the trolly acc was what they had to hand. Whilst the pilot is an ex Wing Commander pilot who flew Lightning’s, the rest were volunteers who may not have actually attended a real Battle flight scramble.
@@pilotdaffy - Having done 2 tours on Lightnings ( 23 & 56 Sqdns ) as an A.E. Tech. (A) I appreciate the fact people still remember what we did :) Just because I point out it's a reconstruction does NOT mean I'm putting it down as clearly such operations are run on a shoe string - sigh!
However a normal see off meant Start # 1 Indicate to pilot by arm movement that his flaps & airbrakes were working. Start # 2 - Chocks out & switch off & disconnect the Houchin electrical power unit.
When it comes to QRA I certainly was not leaving chocks to last when the pilot is most likely starting to taxi. We also didn't waste time to check flaps & airbrakes as the time limit was 2 mins from start up to 32,000 ft. - & that was checked on ground radar & if not achieved serious questions were asked ! As for the start up on the reconstruction the time interval between starting #s 1 & 2 was rather lengthy! For a live QRA most pilots simply started #s 1 & 2 together !
@D M - p
Looks like we missed by a few years. I was posted onto the "Red Eagles" straight after my training as a J/T "Rigger'. I arrived mid Sept 1967 & was posted out in Nov 1969 to 56 Sqdn Akrotiri in Cyprus who had F3s The wing commanders lust for glory led to him trying to get all the flying hours in for the year. Nobody had managed it in the UK cos of bad weather So the deal he cut was whenever they got the hours in everybody would be stood down ( except for covering QRA) By the time I got out there was a hangar full of sick kites & long lists of spares set @ LOG ( Lightning on ground ) the highest priority level for ordering spares. So rather than following his word the C.O. put us on 12 on/12 off SEVEN days a week when we could do nothing without spares. In order to keep up appearances we were even banned from the crew room. So we spent MANY months wandering round the hangar chatting! - UTTER CRAZINESS ! - Apart from promotion our idiot C.O. got an O.B.E. Rather than Order of the British Empire we maintained it stood for Other Bastards Efforts!
So going from a good Sqdn like 23 to the shambles that was 56 was a BIG come down - deep sigh !
If you want to get in touch you can catch me @
jdwlyon@yahoo.co.uk
Just title it 23 Sqdn or Red Eagles so I easily recognise it. - Take care :)
My dad was ground crew on 43 Sqdn (Fighting Cocks) at Leuchars, Phantoms and Lightnings. Bloody noisy things.
Oh! I thought I was going to see a real, bona fide, QRA scramble. The last time I had the pleasure of one was in 1983, when I was based at Binbrook. The smell of the Avpin & then the Avtur exhaust is a memory firmly placed in my mind. The Lightning was the best aircraft I ever worked on.
Last real QRA I saw was during my 3 yrs with 19 and 92 squadron Lightnings between 72 and 75.
Don't know whether or not Bruntingthorpe does the Lightning fast taxi runs or QRA enactment these days. Bruntingthorpe is just a big industrial area now sadly.
QRA (battle flight) was something to see. Those jockies (pilots) from my days will all be drawing retirement now.
Don’t go back Binbrook is an absolute tip now I paid a short visit to the former base this year it’s such a shame
Good to see those sliding folding hangar doors still working, they were a pain to refit and get operational. Privilege to work on the QRA hangar , mine and my late dad's favourite aircraft.
This should be flying!
Used to go to Leuchars as an ATC cadet for various events. Saw a Tigers scramble in 1964, never forgot it, nor the cheery companionship of the men in the Airmen's Mess.
At about 1966/67 I was a motor mechanic in Dusseldorf - one of our customers was a Lightning pilot at Gutersloh, I returned his Hillman Imp of all things🤫 to the base one day and was told he was on patrol with his wingman along the East German border by Hannover and was directed to wait beside a hanger with the ground crew - within minutes they came over the runway as low as you like waggling wings and then a vertical climb - showboating ? Yes Thrilling ? You bet your bottom dollar ! Very much our last Hurrah !! 😉
So many memories. So Sad that these and the Vulcans are no more.
worked them both good days
The best plane ever made
I remember passing by RAF Leuchars back in the day when Lightnings were scrambled to intercept Soviet aircraft prowling around UK airspace - they did not hang about - a rocket with a pilot up front.
1:30 Struggling to unplug the EPU when the lightning starts rolling!
The EPU cable had a lanyard attached in Saudi....they just fired up and went.
Whilst on 29 Sqdn, I was lucky enough to fly in the T5. Although this was nearly 45 years ago, I can still remember every fantastic moment.
At RAF Wattisham ??
Nothing beats or comes close to a lightning on full afterburner taking off…
I remember the lightning coming to RAF Leconfield whilst Binbrook had repairs made to the runway Leconfield was also home to 60MU they did maintenance on the lightning remember seeing engine tests using a j shaped silencer which deflected noise up instead of back,
Hi Graham, I'd just finnished three years with the Lightning Squadrons in Germany (Gutersloh 72-75). Witnessed quite a few Battle flight Scrambles as they oftened responded to the Russian Bears coming into NATO airspace. Fantastic working and watching these great aircraft doing thier stuff for real, will never forget the sound they made coming back over our flat. Bit like a seagull as they deployed the airbrake.
Not been to Bruntingthorpe for several years, not sure how much they taxi now, but there were open days most Spring and August bank holidays with fast taxi dates in between.
I was detached to Leconfield for part of that summer, 1975 I think, as a Met forecaster. predicting the fog was the greatest responsibility because they would return with 10 minutes' fuel left, and if they couldn't land they would have just 10 minutes to divert to a predetermined reliable airfield.
I was there then. We slept at an old base at Driffield and came by bus every day to Leconfield. I would have done the tests at those silencers. We were given a nice holiday in Malta when they finished the repairs at Binbrook.
@@mike_skinner by the time I joined the Mob the lightning had been replaced with the Phantom different animal 👍🇬🇧
@@Bournethorpe I must have worked with you then! as I was there to - I was a young assistant to you forecasters. I remember it as the fantastic summer of '76 tho.
AWESOME machine even to this day!
Well there used to be airworthy Lightnings at Thunder City in South Africa and then came the crash of ZU-BEX which signaled the end of Thunder City.
RAF Binbrook and Leconfield were our loca lightning bases in the 1960's.
They used to fly across RAF Finningley on occasion.
My late dad was in 92Sq RAF Gutersloh '69/'70...was on ground crew as he was an armourer.
I was there 72/75
I had the luck to get an Air Cadet visit. Great to see them active and as they were designed to be used.
Just so that there's no confusion, this ISN'T a QRA scramble filmed at Binbrook (you couldn't see the QRA sheds from the perimeter fence to get as good a shot as this anyway). This is, I believe, filmed at Bruntingthorpe, many years after the Lightning was withdrawn. I was in the RAF as an aircraft engineer working on Lightnings in ASF and LESF from 1983 - 1988 in case anyone thinks I'm waffling!
Mark Trevett I believe you Mark, your not waffling. I should have mentioned where I took this video, It was Bruntingthorpe as you rightly pointed out, and filmed in 2012. The QRA shed was removed from Wattisham a few years back and reassembled at Bruntingthorpe. Your another lucky guy that can also boast seeing the Lightning carry out a Battle Flight Scramble, many times. That's what takes me back to Bruntingthorpe, nostalgia, and the roar.
pilotdaffy
I think it's YOU who are lucky? I've known about the cold war jets that blast up and down Bruntingthorpe for years but my days off from work just never seem to coincide with these runs they do - the last time I heard a Lightning roar (plus the acrid smelling Avpin starter!) was 1988 :(
Its the coldwar fast taxi day by the looks of things. Flew in to one in 2018 I think t was. An RC Lightening had a flame out and went down on that day sadly. No harm done though. Not sure if they still do these days after the lockdown. Great day out though.
Having done QRA from that very shed in the 70s this is very slow. We were a lot quicker than they are, nobody walked in a live scramble every ran. I have seen some scramble starts where the No 2 engine was being started whilst the No 1 was still spooling up. Finally , the red intake cover was always on until a scramble or normal flight line start.
Alan I remember you very well and you never ran anywhere,other than maybe to the mess.
the pilots probably a lot older in the this footage than would have been flying the aircraft in service lol
Yeah you were also doing it day in day out as a full time job, as well as doing it for real. Not quite the same urgency with a demonstration now is there?
I agree ...ex 111 sqd ....
I was at Binbrook in 1976 when the lightning was (and still is) the best
So was I. We had to go to Driffield and Malta as they closed the runway.
Grounded now. Thunder City stopped flying Lightnings in 2010. They have been trying to sell them at auctions for the last two years so you know where to go to buy one if you've room in your garage lol
I would have loved to have visited here, when the runway runs were done. Gutted that it’s static now.
The temptation to pull back the stick !
Such an iconic aircraft. The Lightning would eat todays modern interceptors for breakfast which it’s speed and manoeuvrability. Such a shame that she will never take to the sky’s again along with the Vulcan.
No range though.
When RAF Scampton stopped flight oops two
Lightning did a high speed fly past and did a handbrake turn right in front of our landrover... Impressive seeing two Lighnings skid turn about 50 ft off the ground
When the Lightning started firing up in the hangar I immediately thought Thunderbirds Are Go.......................lol
I served for 40 years from age 15 t0 55. (26 Entry Boy Entrant RAF St Athan). MECS RAF Akrotiri 1958 - 1961 (QRTFSMT 1963-69) Then lots of other shit! Seconded to Saudi Arabia 1981-82 (tabuk) Servicing Lightnings.
Just watched this video , fantastic, we used to be quite good at this sort of thing a few years ago , what the F went wrong .?
Beautifully milled wings
I remember seeing one at Leeuwarden AFB somewhere in the eighties or nineties. What a beast!
Would love to see that Lightning jump into the sky
Seen so many in my RAF days, but as you said, it would be nice to see that one leave the ground. Sight I took for granted, but now give my right arm for lol
@@pilotdaffy Exactly. I was a cadet back in the mid 80s when we had our annual camp at RAF Binbrook when the Lightnings were still in service. What an experience!!!
Up close and personal to possibly the most iconic fighter Jets.
Loved to see them race down the runway and go vertical. Aviation heaven.
That's like stopping the train as its about to leave the station!
It's still an impressive machine would give a modern fighter a run for its money
For sure. Think it's rate of climb is broadly similar to a modern fighter aircraft.
The large-fin variants, especially those equipped with Avon 300-series engines could safely reach Mach 2, and given the right atmospheric conditions, might even achieve a few more tenths of a Mach” “ During British Airways trials in April 1985, Concorde was offered as a target to NATO fighters including F-15 Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons, F-14 Tomcats, Mirages, and F-104 Starfighters - but only Lightning XR749, flown by Mike Hale and described by him as "a very hot ship, even for a Lightning", managed to overtake Concorde on a stern conversion intercept.” which would encourage me to make a very small bet that one or two Lightnings MIGHT just get the title of fastest even if the class as itself was only Mach 2.0 rated…. and that was more from a safety and stability point of view than a lack of speed/power.
The Lightning has the Phantom and Tornado absolutely crucified when it comes to climb rate: Its initial rate of climb was 50,000 ft per minute. The Phantom F-4M managed 32,000 ft per minute & the Tornado F.3 43,000 ft per minute
I know what I'd rather fly...
@@CENTURION-xs6ky - I believe they could even go through the sound barrier whilst doing a "rotation" take off :)
Beautiful aircraft!!!
What a frustration, this parachute at the end!
Agree, would be better to watch it turn up and reach for the sky.
How does the pilot resist the urge to just pull back and go vertical !!!
Easy........ he values his pilots licence too much lol
@@samrodian919 We need a pilot who wants to retire early
He wants to fly longer than ten minutes.
@@mike_skinner The updated Lightnings could go for a couple of hours between snacks, unless you were greedy and went to stage four AB.
CAA are a disgrace for nor allowing these to be flown, our countries do and it's one of best fighter jets we ever created.
Wonderful to watch even if she didn't take off. IMO the definition of a British Cold war fighter.
What a awesome peice of British flying history!. I think even today, in the hands of a capable pilot, it could out preform, out fly some of our best jets.
It's said it could outperform the Typhoon, it is a shame it isn't around to take the challenge.
@1:30 ground grew are still disconnecting something while the Lightning has already started to taxi...big fail!
I think chocks away and showing the pilot that they are moved is the final ground prep before release.
nice footage
I thought they still had some flying in S Africa but those were grounded years ago and sold off. I don't see any further information on them though, anyone know if they're still about to be flown anywhere?
That was Thunder City, but after the fatal crash years ago they grounded them then sold them off. May still have one or two but unlikely to fly again.
End of an era.....now the runway is blocked with cars at Bruntingthorpe.
Nostalgia for the days when we could defend ourselves!
Absolutely, originally developed as the English Electric P1, and the ONLY NATO fighter that could actually intercept Concorde from behind in level flight. Now there’s another story....We’d almost certainly be breaking some EU treaty if we tried to build anything as awesome as the Lightning alone these days. Makes my heart ache to think what has become of England. I often think that the UK benefited very little from the end of the Cold War compared to the rest of Europe.
@@farleyjack2510 too bloody true mate, but now we are out, bollocks to europe!!
@@farleyjack2510 The French aero industry rather suggests that it's British political incompetence rather than anything to do with the EU.
We're average because our politicians are average.
It must be so hard to resist giving it full re-heat, then pulling the stick back...😁
To be fair, there is precedence for an "accidental flight" 🤣
Poor trees ..... put a blast deflector behind that shed !!!
Now that’s what you want to see when you open the garage door.............😍
😲 WTF.....No vertical climb!!!!
No...’To Infinity and Beyond’!!!!
Talk amongst yourselves, I’m off for a rather unmanly weep in the corner 😢
Awesome
Great jobs Gents
And after that scrambling
It was time for some breakfast
Naturally scrambled eggs on toast...
How tempted must the pilot be to think sod it and pull up
Shame it isn't video of a real QRA, BUT This is Bruntingthorpe, still awesome aircraft though.
There could well be a Lightning flying again soon, USA I think. Check out RUclips Lightning422.
It should be flying!! Shame Thunder City in SA closed. You can still see fast taxi runs at Bruntingthorpe in Leicestershire.
That was at Bruntingthorpe but I think they have stopped there now, can't see anything on their Website.
i thought there was one still flying in south Africa , doing flights at great altitude.
Thunder city closed after the owner died. The aircraft were bought up by Hanger 51s Jay Smith. As yet he hasn't flown any of the collection, and as time passes it's unlikely the Lightnings will ever get airworthy again.
So there, to my best knowledge, are no flying Lightnings anywhere now.
@@pilotdaffy There was a interesting programe on which i recorded with Professor Brian Cox about the atmosphere and he went up in a Lightening ,South Africa, i must have watched that 100 times ,,,being ex 111 SQD ground crew in the early 70`s just loved the Lightening ...
Many Spitfires are maintained in flight-worthy status, strangely not the EE-Lightning........ A purely British design, a Mirage with two turbojets....
Regulations prevent a Lightning flying even if one was flight-worthy. Bruntingthorpes Lightnings are kept as fast taxi a/c and that's as much as they will ever be allowed to do.
Colm VD you can maintain 250 spitfires for what a lightning would cost, there is one reason no lightnings fly in the UK, it’s reputation for being a twat to fly. When they were retired they scrapped them very quickly so none could be kept in flight condition. We don’t have the wide open spaces to allow these to be in civvy hands. After What happened in South Africa and Shoreham that decision was the correct one. The States have the space to fly one which is why they are restoring one over there.
It may be an unforgivable sin to not allow that Lightning to takeoff, but at least you British appreciate the commitment of your armed service members from WWII through the Cold War by doing those reenactments. I am also referring to the flybys and now only the taxiing of that incredible Vulcan bomber. I have watched various RUclips videos that prove to me that the British government and people want to honor those sacrifices.
It may not be enough, but it sure puts the American government and people to shame. Most, but not all, Americans have either a short-term memory problem, want to forget about our "lost" wars, or have a politically correct attitude problem about those reenactments. Now we do have individuals and not-for-profit foundations that own and fly aircraft, such as an F-4D, F-86, and other warbirds. The only recognition that the government gives them is the opportunity to fly "heritage" or "legacy" flights with contemporary Air Force or Navy fighter aircraft at airshows. I would like to visit Great Britain and experience the sound of those jets "spooling up" their engines and the raw power as those aircraft simulate a takeoff.
There is a flying lightening in South Africa.
How fast does he get up to down that runway before he shuts off?
+ianrkav 100 knots. I think this speed limit was introduced after the accidental take-off taxi run with the Victor, before that I believe they did get a bit more speed up.
pilotdaffy What would be the usual take off speed for a fully laden F6?
+ianrkav 150 knots should see nose up to create angle of attack, then in the region of 160 - 180 knots should unstick the main wheels, although with a fuel fuel load it would be higher. The calculations would need to take in atmosphere pressure and wind speed as well to get the ideal take-off speed. So there would be a variance in what could be called the usual fully laden F6 take-off speed. We could call it about 200 knots.It would then very quickly exceed 450 knots in short time such is the rapid acceleration of this bird.
thought some still fly in South Africa privately
Hi Nick, as far as I know Thunder city in Africa havnt flown any for years after one crashed. They were selling some I believe, but hope to have one flying again. I havnt checked latley but if you google Thundercity you can see any updates.
@@pilotdaffy cheers so sad
There is one lightening flying in South Africa although under private ownership
Same battery trolleys as were used on Spits and Hurricanes.
There are one or two couple years ago in South Africa, privately owned and maintained, by some rich guy.
That is Thundercity. They no longer fly the Lightnings since one crashed and killed the pilot.
I stand to be corrected, but what about thunder city ?
Grounded after the Owner was Killed when a T5 crashed.
@@steveleadbeater The owner didnt die in a crash one of the pilots did. The owner Mike Beachy Head died in May 2017 of a heart attack.
Why can't it fly ?
It could I suppose, but its not allowed to leave tera firma in the UK, or many other places around the world.
Not allowed to. May not be air worthy. And it has to be. That costs millions to keep an old jet like this air worthy.
Metal fatigue. You don't want a wing breaking midway through your flight.
@mistofoles If you watch the "John Nichol Files" he said that the UK Aviation Authority don't allow them to fly believing the maintenance demands were too high for civilian operators.
The lightning wasn't a normal supersonic interceptor but a "PROTOTYPE HYPERSONIC MISSILE".....ON VIAGRA!!!! AND A BLOODY INCREDIBLE ONE AS WELL I'D LIKE TO ADD👍👍👍
Nearly took the trolley acc flying!
The Time to altitude queen
Fuel to heat king...
Great Plan,and so very british.
Yeeeeaahhh❤❤❤❤❤
Brian Carrol's Lightning!
I mean,I am not a fan of the lighting but that's cool.
Having just seen your reply to my comment,what is your real name? I might then remember you. Incidentally, I did run when on QRA as it wasn't too hard to whichever aircraft I was assigned to.
I was MTD 69-79. Gutershoh 72-75. Did many Para recovery duties on runway after Lightning landings. Derek Lambourne
WOW!!!Great almost Takeoff......
Fantastic! Could have almost been a real scramble.
Those old time pilots were taught the three 'R's in their day at school, which enabled them to become what they dreamed to be. Now they need to forget them - 'reason, responsibility, and regulations'. Pull the stick back and throw that thing in the air.
Ah - 'regulations' - One of the best sayings I learned in the R.A.F. was "Rules are for the obedience of fools & the guidance of wise men.@ :)
Great British aviation all gone to the graveyard, so sad we cannot keep our aircraft jet heritage alive, say what you like about the u.s ..they revere theirs.
LOL what provides starting power a ww2 era Putt Putt cart
That isn't Binbrook
No, its Bruntingthorpe. I had said the last real QRA battle flight scramble had been at Binbrook.
Bruntingthorpe still hold opening days, although this year is going to be off I assume. I must get along again myself as Ive not been for a few years.
I miss my Gutersloh days in the early 70s when it was Lightnings all day, every day lol
Fucking ridiculous that we cant see them fly!! This is like the ultimate annoyance
Omg ...this is sacrilege ! A BAC Lightning with two reheats glowing and then deploying the frigid chute,...Ugh ! What a waste. If only I had millions of Pounds mate.
Apparently even if you did mate the CAA would not give you a Certificate of airworthiness because they do not want civilians driving Lightning's lol
@@samrodian919 That is such a poor excuse ! 'Civilians' are trained to fly F-35s and SU-35s, why not a Lightning, Ugh ! Conservative CAA, what else is new !
We will be needing these beautys again soon!! For when the uro army is sent to fight and crush us
Lets hope they do so.....oops..... why waste time and lives on the u.k. no one wants a society like that, now off you go to the food banks, oh, and work hard you will get on, er, on what? 11 pounds an hr and a place to live at 300000 pounds average, keep going there ,fast ahead to oblivion bye bye.....
The chute comes on right after Reheat....Sacrilege !!
The chute was deployed after the engines were set as would be in a landing. I spent three years working with lightnings in Germany and often had the duty to collect the chutes as they were dropped, that cable gets very hot and will burn skin. Shame those lightnings were not permitted to fly, but they still have to slow down after a reheat run.
The poor thing just wanted to take off
Yes but the CAA had the pilot by his gonads!
Some of the ATC instructions sound like MARK N LARD COURTESY OF BBC R1.. DURING THEIR EXTREMELY FUNNY LIVE BROADCASTING , YOU NEED A PHD IN HEARING TO UNDERSTAND ATC!!!!
If you have a spare£10,000 you can get a flight in one at thunder city South Africa...( Fit to fly and training beforehand
Last I heard was Thunder City stopped flying their Lightnings after a crash which killed their pilot.
Ok thanks I didn't know that.shame....and shame on our govt not keeping the Vulcan airworthy..it's always just giving ......
We might be needing the redoubtable Lightening soon if Putin doesn't stop being an arse.
Why? Flying near our air space isn't exactly a declaration of war.
Putin will never stop being an arsehole
@@dantaylor7344 no mate it's a declaration of intent
@@samrodian919 Not really no
Paused it 2.35, bit mean on the trees, and if you don't go vertically straight up, witch it can do, then the next few seconds of my life will be a waste of my time, LOL
Not much of a scramble if you edit the video. :(
Had to add the last part from a later fast taxi because I was'nt fast enough to keep up with the lighting as it made its way to the runway. But then, I have had the delightful chance during the 70's of seeing many Lightning battle flight (QRA scramble) take off's, and you'd have had to be there to see it for real.
Yeah I suppose you would.
Bit slow removing the ladder.
Very slow, no AC supply and no pull-off gear but gives the general idea.
Hi Maurice, where were you with lightnings?
@@pilotdaffy 3years on111 at Wattisham and 17 years in Saudi.
poor tree
Nice, Shame its all ending now, What a waste of effort by all concerned.
ruclips.net/video/ftt2q6zNQ1g/видео.html może kiedyś i u was zmienią się debilne przepisy i wasze Lightningi polecą ?!
Far too slow for real QRA scramble... ground crew and pilot are old....but don't get offended lads ! ( Ex 74Sqn Tigers)
Finale anti dramatic
ライトニングよりMiG‐21の方がかっこいい
No it's not lol
what is this then? You give a history lesson and speak nothing of the video. It certainly isn't from 1988????
I missed out the word 'was' in between 'place' and' in' . Elsewhere in these comments I had mentioned this was at Bruntingthorpe, July 2012. Hope you enjoyed the re-enactment though.