Lincolnshire Airfields No.11 – Morning visit to RAF Cranwell

A visit around RAF Cranwell has been on my wish list for a long while, It came to fruition on Monday 3rd of March with help from two of my customers at Just Desserts.

I arrived at Cranwell at 10-15am and was met by an Officer from the CFS. Our first port of call was to see the Chinook HC2 ZA717 that is used as a load trainer, This Chinook was W/O 25/7/89  at RAF Mount Pleasant Falkland Isles having hit the ground and rolled over due to mechanical failure while hovering, This still has it’s 78Sqn marks behind the front of the Cockpit.

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In the same Hangar as the Chinook among the other based Private aircraft was a RAF GSA Lycoming powered DHC-1 Chipmunk G-AOUO, This aircraft flew with the RAF as WB730 until it was disposed of in 1956.

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The next Hangar was the ex Domine Hangar that has a Store of Grob Viking T1’s a well as a Grob G109B, Inside were also a number of Grob Tutors and is home to the CFS Tucano T1.

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Next was a visit to the Flight line with 3 King Air’s and the Tucano T1.

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_MG_4840 A visit to 45(R)Sqn Hangar to Photograph the 2 King Air’s ZK450/J and ZK453/M being repainted for their return to the USA and a B200GT also in the Hanger.

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Our next Airframe was Jaguar GR1 XX747 with the AMIF on the other side of the Airfield, This Jaguar is in the Pink Desert Gulf War I marks with Mission marks below the Cockpit. It is being stripped down ready to leave Cranwell and is for sale. IMG_4873

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A visit to Photograph the Spitfire FSM that is pole mounted on Cranwell North . This is a Mark Vb Replica marked as P8448 of 152 Sqn coded D-OR.

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I would like to thank Darren for his time taking me round the Airfield. I then went on to Photograph both the Gate Guards XS727/D/ 55(R)Sqn Domine T1 & XW353/3/RAFC Jet Provest T5 .

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A great morning and nice to be able to take pictures the other side of the fence.