RAF Coningsby welcomes Aircraft and Personnel from the Royal Saudi Air Force for Exercise Green Flag , This Exercise is due to start flying missions at the beginning of September and run for two weeks but Saudi aircraft are due to be deployed at Coningsby for 4 weeks, It is six years since the last RSAF deployment to the UK , On that occasion it was Tornado aircraft to Lossiemouth in 2007.
Four RSAF C-130H arrived on the 23rd August at Coningsby with the first loads of cargo for the deployment with aircraft routing from TAIF to Heraklion – Crete for a fuel stop then on to Coningsby , Two hour aircraft turn rounds with fresh crews flying back to Crete for a fuel stop then on back to Saudi, A further four flights arrived on the 24th with another three aircraft on the morning of the 26th. All the cargo being unloaded is being stored outside 29Sqn hanger.
The exercise will see for the first time visits of both Tornado & Typhoon of the RSAF to RAF Coningsby. 3(F)Sqn will be the host for the Saudi Typhoons for the exercise and Tornado’s from 9Sqn deploying to Coningsby from Marham will host the Saudi Tornado’s.
23rd Aug
2401/24Sqn/Airbus A330-243-MRTT c/s RSF 3871″ – To Brize Norton – Night stopped- Departed.
The Airbus had re- fuelled the 4 Tornado IDS on there first leg from Saudi to Italy.
483/4Sqn/C-130H Hercules c/s “RSF 3903” – To Coningsby -Departed.
Photo :- 483/C-130H arriving at Coningsby 23rd August
475/4Sqn/C-130H Hercules c/s “RSF 3904” – To Coningsby – -Departed.
Photo :- 475/ 4Sqn C-130H arriving at Coningsby 23rd August.
1623/16Sqn/C-130H Hercules c/s “RSF 3905” – To Coningsby – -Departed.
2401/24Sqn/Airbus A330-243-MRTT c/s RSF 3882″ – Brize Norton – Departed back to Saudi Arabia.
2402/24Sqn/Airbus A330-243-MRTT c/s RSF 3883″ – Brize Norton – Departed back to Saudi Arabia.
HZ-136/Royal Saudi Air Force/ Cessna 550 Citation IIB c/s “HZ136” – To Coningsby – night stopped.
The Citation arrived from Italy in the afternoon.
29th Thur
HZ-136/ Royal Saudi Air Force /Cessna 550 Citation IIB – At Coningsby- night stopped.
7512/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Green 01” – To Coningsby
8312/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Green 02” – To Coningsby
Early evening arrivals from Italy in the late sun.
30th Fri
HZ-136/Cessna 550 Citation II c/s “HZ136”- Departed.
8312/75Sqn/Tornado IDS – Noted still on the ASP this morning.
310/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR4- Engine runs on the ASP.
312/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR4- Engine runs on the ASP.
313/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR4- Engine runs on the ASP.
322/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR4- Engine runs on the ASP.
ZA371/005/2(AC)Sqn marks (9Sqn)/Tornado GR4 c/s “Marham 74” – Parked on the ASP
ZD842/105/15(R)Sqn marks (9Sqn)/Tornado GR4 c/s “Marham 27” – Parked on the ASP
ZG705/118/Unmarked (9Sqn)/Tornado GR4 c/s “Marham 10” – Parked on the ASP
ZA604/068/Unmarked (9Sqn)/Tornado GR4 c/s “Marham 68” – Parked on the ASP
1623/16Sqn/C-130H Hercules c/s “RSF3929” – Parked on the ASP
31st Sat
No movements today. The 4 9Sqn Tornados are parked on the ASP with Covers over the front.
1st Sun
No movements today. The 4 9Sqn Tornados are parked on the ASP with Covers over the front.
2nd Mon List thanks to Garf Smith.
Today was the first of 2 days of flying one Saudi one RAF to familiarise the crews of each others Air Force.
AM
ZK328/BS / 29(R)Sqn marks/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Rampage 51”- Flew with Saudi :-
322/3Sqn/Typhoon T53 c/s ” Rampage 52″
ZD842/105/9Sqn/ Tornado GR4 c/s “Gringo 11”- Flew with Saudi :-
8306/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Gringo 12”
ZA604/068/9Sqn/Tornado GR4 c/s ” Getsum 21″ – Flew with Saudi :-
7512/75Sqn/Tornado IDS/”Getsum 22″
ZJ912/DR/11(F)Sqn marks /Typhoon FGR c/s “”Chaos 61” – Flew with Saudi :-
312/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR 54 c/s “Chaos 62”
ZG705/118/9Sqn/Tornado GR4 c/s “Cobra 31”- Flew with Saudi :-
8312/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Cobra 32”
ZK305/DE/11Sqn marks / Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Nightmare 71” – Flew with Saudi :-
310/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Nightmare 72”
ZK309/QO-P/3(F)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Razor 81” – Flew with Saudi :-
313/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Razor 82”
PM
ZK328/BS/29(R)Sqn marks/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Rampage 55” – Flew with Saudi :-
322/3Sqn/Typhoon T53 c/s ” Rampage 56″
ZK305/DE/11Sqn marks / Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Chaos 65” – Flew with Saudi :-
313/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Chaos 66”
ZD842/105/9Sqn/ Tornado GR4 c/s “Gringo 15”- Flew with Saudi :-
7507/75Sqn/Tornado IDS/”Gringo 16″
ZK309/QO-P/3(F)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Nightmare 75” – Flew with Saudi :-
310/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Nightmare 76”
ZA604/068/9Sqn/Tornado GR4 c/s ” Getsum 25″
ZJ912/DR/11(F)Sqn marks /Typhoon FGR c/s “Zenith 85” – Flew with Saudi :-
312/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR 54 c/s “Zenith 86”
ZG705/118/9Sqn/Tornado GR4 c/s “Cobra 35”- Flew with Saudi :-
8312/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Cobra 36”
ZG705/118/9Sqn/Tornado GR4 – Towed over to the South side for engine runs.
3rd Tue
Day 2 was a similar missions to yesterday starting around 10am and 2 pm.
AM
ZG705/118/9Sqn/Tornado GR4 c/s “Getsum 21” – Flew with Saudi :-
8306/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Getsum 22”
ZK380/BG /29(R)Sqn marks/Typhoon T3 c/s “Chaos 61”- Flew with Saudi :-
312/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR 54 c/s ” Chaos 62″
ZJ815/BN/29(R)Sqn marks/Typhoon T3 c/s “Rampage 51”- Flew with Saudi :-
322/3Sqn/Typhoon T53 c/s “Rampage 52”
ZD842/105/9Sqn/ Tornado GR4 c/s “Cobra 31”- Flew with Saudi :-
8312/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Cobra 32”
ZA604/068/9Sqn/Tornado GR4 c/s “Gringo 11”- Flew with Saudi :-
7512/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Gringo 12”
ZK309/QO-P/3(F)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Nightmare 71” – Flew with Saudi :-
310/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Nightmare 72”
ZK328/BS/29(R)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Razor 81”- Flew with Saudi :-
313/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s ” Razor 82″
PM
ZG705/118/9Sqn/Tornado GR4 c/s “Gringo 15”- Flew with Saudi :-
8306/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Gringo 16”
ZK380/BG /29(R)Sqn marks/Typhoon T3 c/s “Rampage 21” – Flew with Saudi :-
322/3Sqn/Typhoon T53 c/s “Rampage 22”
ZK309/QO-P/3(F)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s ” Chaos 31″- Flew with Saudi :-
312/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR 54 c/s ” Chaos 32″
ZA604/068/9Sqn/Tornado GR4 c/s “Getsum 25”- Flew with Saudi :-
7512/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Getsum 26”
ZK328/BS/29(R)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s ” Nightmare 41″- Flew with Saudi :-
310/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Nightmare 42”
ZK379/BB/29(R)Sqn marks / Typhoon T3 c/s ” Getsum 61″
ZK323/DN/11Sqn marks/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Razor 51”
4th Wed
The main Exercise started today with the first missions leaving Coningsby about 10am, The afternoon missions leaving just before 2pm. Flown in the afternoon was a 4 ship consisting of two Typhoons & two Tornados one from each Air Force. Vast numbers of people have converged around the base to view and photograph the Exercise .
AM
ZD842/105/9Sqn/ Tornado GR4 c/s “Gringo 11”- Flew with Saudi :- Both went to Holbeach Range.
7507/75Sqn/Tornado IDS/”Gringo 12″
ZG705/118/9Sqn/Tornado GR4 c/s “Getsum 21”- Flew with Saudi :-
7512/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Getsum 22”
ZK328/BS/29(R)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s ” Chaos 21″- Flew with Saudi :-
322/3Sqn/Typhoon T53 c/s “Chaos 22”
313/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s ” Rampage 11″
312/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s ” Rampage 12″
ZK309/QO-P/3(F)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s ” Rampage 13″- Flew with Saudi :-
ZA371/005/2(AC)Sqn marks (9Sqn)/Tornado GR4 c/s “Cobra 31”
8312/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Cobra 32”
ZK380/BG /29(R)Sqn marks/Typhoon T3 c/s “Nightmare/Zenith combine”
XX321/CI/100Sqn/Hawk T1A c/s “Pirate 04” – To the ASP – For Photo shoot pm.
PM
ZA371/005/2(AC)Sqn marks (9Sqn)/Tornado GR4 c/s “Getsum 25” – Flew with Saudi :-
8306/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Getsum 26”
ZD842/105/9Sqn/ Tornado GR4 c/s “Gringo 15″- ” -Flew with Saudi :- Both PD at Marham
8312/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Gringo 16”
ZA472/031/31Sqn marks/Tornado GR4 c/s “Spartan 1” – To the ASP
ZD810/102/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s “Spartan 1” – To the ASP
ZD810/102/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s “Cobra 25” with Saudi :-
7512/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Cobra 26”
12th Thur Log thanks to Garf
AM
ZD810/102/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s “Cobra 21” with Saudi :-
8306/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Cobra 22″
ZA472/031/31Sqn marks/Tornado GR4 c/s “Cobra 23” with Saudi :-
8312/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Cobra 24”
ZK323/DN/11Sqn/ Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Chaos 21”
ZK380/BG /29(R)Sqn marks/Typhoon T3 c/s “Chaos 22″ with Saudi :-
312/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Chaos 23”
310/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Chaos 24”
ZA473/032/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s ”Gringo 11″ with Saudi :-
7507/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Gringo 12″
7512/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Gringo 14″
ZK309/QO-P/3(F)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Rampage 31”
ZK328/BS/29(R)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Rampage 32”
313/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Rampage 33″
322/3Sqn/Typhoon T53 c/s “Rampage 34″
ZK379/BB/29(R)Sqn/Typhoon T3 c/s “Getsum 41”
PM
ZG705/118/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s ”Gringo 15” with Saudi :-
7507/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Gringo 16″
ZA604/068/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s ” Cobra 25″ with Saudi :-
7512/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Cobra 26″
322/3Sqn/Typhoon T53 c/s “Rampage 51″
310/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Rampage 52”
ZK309/QO-P/3(F)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Rampage 53”
ZK380/BG /29(R)Sqn marks/Typhoon T3 c/s “Rampage 54″
ZK323/DN/11Sqn/ Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Nightmare 71”
ZK328/BS/29(R)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Nightmare 72”
ZD842/105/9Sqn/ Tornado GR4 – Noted on the ASP
13th Fri
AM
486/4Sqn/C-130H c/s “RSF 4121” – Into East Midlands Airport.
ZK379/BB/29(R)Sqn marks/Typhoon T3 c/s “Zenith 61”
ZK380/BG/29(R)Sqn marks/Typhoon T3 c/s “Typhoon 73”
ZK309/QO-P/3(F)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Rampage 11” with Saudi :-
312/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Rampage 12”
ZD810/102/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s “Gringo 11” with Saudi :-
7507/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Gringo 12″
ZA473/032/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s ”Cobra 21″ with Saudi :-
8306/75Sqn/Tornado IDS c/s “Cobra 22″
ZD842/105/Unmarked/ Tornado GR4 c/s “Monster 21” – Returned to Marham
ZA604/068/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s “Monster 22” – Returned to Marham
ZK328/BS/29(R)Sqn/Typhoon FGR4 c/s “Chaos 21” with Saudi :-
313/3Sqn/Typhoon FGR54 c/s “Chaos 22″/29(R)Sqn marks
This marked the end of the Fast Jet element of Exercise Green Flag . Two Typhoon ZJ917/QO-G & RSAF310 and two Tornado ZA472/031 & RSAF 8312 were positioned on the ASP as a back drop to the official Photo’s of the people involved at Coningsby in the shape of a Typhoon. In the afternoon a small display took place .
PM
ZK307/BU/29(R)Sqn marks/Typhoon FGR4 flew some flypasts with Spitfire PR.XIX PS915 in formation, Next the Typhoon did his display then departed to Liverpool, Followed by a display from Spitfire PS915 and a small display by the Lancaster before his departure to Jersey.
G-TRNG /Agusta/Westland/A-109E Power c/s “Ascot 1624” – Departed after the display.
1624/16Sqn/C-130H c/s “RSF 4122” – Into Coningsby – Parked on the ASP.- N/S
ZA472/031/31Sqn marks/Tornado GR4 c/s “Deathray 3″ – Returned to Marham via Wales.
ZG705/118/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s “Deathray 1″ – Returned to Marham via Wales.
ZD810/102/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s “Deathray 2″ – Returned to Marham via Wales.
ZA473/032/Unmarked/Tornado GR4 c/s “Marham 82″ – Returned to Marham
Well it has been a very busy 2 weeks at Coningsby, I will remember it as the last time we will see large numbers of Tornado operating out of Coningsby. The next phase is to get the Saudi aircraft back home safely.
14th Sat
No arrivals today.
1624/16Sqn/C-130H Hercules – Still parked on the ASP – N/S
I was time this morning for the Saudi Fast jets to start heading home, I think everyone that visited the base will leave with happy memories of a great 2 weeks of flying.
486/4Sqn/C-130H Hercules c/s “RSF 4121” – From East Mildlands – Departed to East Midlands.
17th Tue
482/4Sqn/C-130 Hercules c/s “RSF 3978″ – Parked on the ASP- Departed Coningsby.
1630/16Sqn/C-130H-30 Hercules c/s “RSF 3975″ – Parked on the ASP -Departed Coningsby
18th Wed
482/4sqn/C-130H Hercules c/s “RSF 3984 -Parked on the ASP – Departed Coningsby.
19th Thur
1624/16Sqn/C-130H Hercules c/s “RSF 3979” – Parked on the ASP- Departed Coningsby.
1623/16Sqn/C-130H Hercules c/s RSF 3983″ – Parked on the ASP – Departed Coningsby.
20th Fri
1622/16Sqn/C-130H-30 Hercules c/s “RSF 3982” -Parked on the ASP. Departed.
482/4Sqn/C-130H Hercules c/s “RSF 3980” – Parked on the ASP – Departed
The compound outside 29Sqn Hangar is now empty, These could be the last movements for Exercise Green Flag 2013. In total 9 different C-130H Hercules supported this Exercise flying into Coningsby ,The Royal Saudi Air Force made 27 Herc flights before and after the event.