LOG: AAC LEUCHARS 26/3/24

[michael]

A visit home to the West of Scotland to empty my mothers house (literally my place of birth) in Paisley with great views of Paisley Airport (had to call it Glasgow !!).

I took a jaunt to the East Coast on the off chance to see the temporary Qatari Emiri AF based Hawks and timed it perfectly in 40 mins,then back to Paisley

ZB135      Hawk T2A     QEAF   dep into the circuits

ZB131      Hawk T2A     QEAF   dep SARAB

ZB132      Hawk T2A     QEAF

ZB134      Hawk T2A     QEAF

ZB136      Hawk T2A     QEAF dep CAPTR

ZB139      Hawk T2A     QEAF

G-BYUG    G115

G-BYWG   G115

Gate Guard

ZE967 /UT Torn F3      RAF

One other Hawk is present on this detachment ZB133,until this week.

I was texting friends from Scotland,then informed them the last time I had been to Leuchars was in the F-4 Era and infact my last visit was for again nice visitors in Feb 1983 below.

16/2/83

732     C-130H       Republic of Singapore Air Force

853     F-5F           Republic of Singapore Air Force

854     F-5F           Republic of Singapore Air Force

854     F-5F           Republic of Singapore Air Force

It was also a TACEVAL that day so 5 RDAF Drakens ,8 Buccaneers and 6 Jaguars and 6 F-111E carried out attacks

This was an unusual delivery of the famous NORAIR1 formation F-5's in the early 80's of which I saw no less than 63.

They usually transited BIKF-EGPK (Prestwick) but on the 15th on my Afternoon shift at ScOACC the flight of 5 with their normal Support Learjet or Gulfstream

broke ranks (showed on the flight plan) and the Singapore aircraft went left to Leuchars,while J-3067 F-5F Swiss AF continued to Prestwick,this in itself was unusual as ALL previous Swiss machines had been airfreight onboard C-5 direct Switzerland.

 The other funny thing was as it was before any forums,internet etc , we had got into the habit when we got the NORAIR1 flight plan,to phone the guys and girls on our direct line to Reykjavik and ask what Air force flag/roundel they had.

THIS was only fair as the often asked us if someone could pick up eg Two Ford Escort shock absorbers that were ordered,and take them to the Icelandair Desk at GLASGOW ,wher they would be accepted ANYTIME !!!! for the daily B727 BIKF-EGPF-EKCH-EGPF-BIKF.

I can also say it was never a hardship as Icelandairs Station manager's daughter,who worked for Servisair the handling agent was beautiful.......AMAZON eat your heart out.

        

 

[chrisj]

Great to hear of Leuchars again . I thought it had been abandoned as I have not heard of it for years . I was posted there from Germany in 1975 and left in '77 . Based then was 23 Sqn Lightnings and 43 Sqn Phantoms along with RN Phantoms both off the Arc and training flight . Lightnings replaced by 111 Sqn more F4s ! My place of work gave limited airfield views so quite a few went begging but no one bothered me taking photos ! Best part of annual B of B show was the steam engine by far !

[michael]

Chris,

That is funny as I had two full visits on base with my school aviation club in 1977 and 1978.Also attended the BoB in Sept 1975 and saw my first F-111!!!

[graham]

Morning Chris and Michael

I visited Leuchars once, way back in 1967 aged 11. I went with my Dad who wasn't a spotter, but he worked for a company called Kelvins in Basingstoke as a machmeter calibrator for Javelins, Sea Vixens and Hunters and as such, had an interest in all things aviation. He was of Scottish origin and back in the 60s and 70s, he had an uncle who lived at Cupar, just down the road from the base. We drove up there, I think we overnighted at my Mum's auntie who lived just outside of York then made an early start the following morning up to Leuchars.

I have to say that I really don't remember much about the airshow but I did write all the serials down and the log came to light about 7-8 years ago when my Mum found all my old logs in a cardboard box that had lain in the bottom of a wardrobe covered in spare blankets for decades. The hardback logbook (one of many) had survived relatively well and all the serials were readable so here is that log from 57 years ago.


19 Sep 1967 Leuchars

12698 C-119G Flying Boxcar 10687 Royal Norwegian Air Force
54-0661 Fairchild C-123K Provider 20110 United States Air Force
63-7764 Lockheed C-130E Hercules 3813 United States Air Force
64-1021 RF-4C Phantom II 801 United States Air Force
64-1027 RF-4C Phantom II 837 United States Air Force
64-1028 RF-4C Phantom II 842 United States Air Force
64-1031 RF-4C Phantom II 859 United States Air Force
64-1032 RF-4C Phantom II 864 United States Air Force
WE139 Canberra PR.3 71110 Royal Air Force
WE195 Canberra T.4 71261 Royal Air Force
WG555 Avro Shackleton MR.2 Royal Air Force
WJ620 Canberra B.2 Royal Air Force
WV257 Hawker Hunter F.58A 41H-670759? Royal Navy
XE682 Hawker Hunter GA.11 HABL003026 Royal Navy
XF301 Hawker Hunter GA.11 HABL003062 Royal Navy
XG185 Hawker Hunter F.6 41H-680010? Royal Air Force
XH558 Avro Vulcan K.2 Set 12 Royal Air Force
XH591 Handley Page Victor K.1A HP80/32 Royal Air Force
XJ724 Westland Whirlwind HAR.10 WA95 Royal Air Force
XL479 Fairey Gannet AEW.3 F.9448 Royal Navy
XM491 Bristol Britannia 253 13436 Royal Air Force
XM603 Avro Vulcan B.2 Royal Air Force
XM715 Handley Page Victor K.2 HP80/83 Royal Air Force
XN605 Jet Provost T.3A PAC/W/13890? Royal Air Force
XP954 Sea Vixen FAW.2 10128 Royal Navy
XR723 Lightning F.6 95206 Royal Air Force
XR724 Lightning F.6 95207 Royal Air Force
XR725 Lightning F.6 95208 Royal Air Force
XR752 Lightning F.6 95217 Royal Air Force
XR753 Lightning F.6 95218 Royal Air Force
XR757 Lightning F.6 95222 Royal Air Force
XS736 HS. 125 Dominie T.1 25072 Royal Air Force
XS904 Lightning F.6 95250 Royal Air Force
XS919 Lightning F.6 95252 Royal Air Force
XS928 Lightning F.6 95261 Royal Air Force
XS929 Lightning F.6 95262 Royal Air Force
XS930 Lightning F.6 95263 Royal Air Force
XS931 Lightning F.6 95264 Royal Air Force
XS933 Lightning F.6 95266 Royal Air Force
XS934 Lightning F.6 95267 Royal Air Force
XS936 Lightning F.6 95269 Royal Air Force
XS937 Lightning F.6 95270 Royal Air Force
XS938 Lightning F.6 95271 Royal Air Force
XV166 Blackburn Buccaneer S.2B B3-07-66 Royal Air Force
XV335 Blackburn Buccaneer S.2 B3-13-66 Royal Air Force

[michael]

Graham,

Nice log,I wish my old logs had been UNCOVERED while I was clearing our old family home 3 weeks ago

[graham]

Michael, I thought they'd been lost forever, the family moved around a bit before I eventually left home to get married when I was 23. It was an incredible find albeit they had been in the bottom of that wardrobe for around 40 years, nobody ever realised that they were there just waiting to be found.