With the Danish Air Force due to be at RAF Coningsby for almost a week to conduct 1v1, 2v1 and 2v2 dissimilar air combat training (DACT) with the Typhoons of 29(R) Squadron, and that coinciding with a front of good weather, Gordon Jones decided to pay the Lincolnshire base a visit.
Coningsby is always an active base with lots of sorties being flown by the Typhoons and 41(R) Squadron is becoming more active now it is the Test & Evaluation Squadron for both the Tornado and Typhoon. The 1st May was no exception with the morning being especially busy.
It was good to see the 3(F) Squadron special tail being flown, a scheme that looks great in sunlight. It was also good to see Typhoons still wearing mission marks earned from Op ELLAMY.
The Danish were operating four F-16s with airframes being rotated on a daily basis (some airframes returned, as was the case with E-005 whilst I was there, although I assume with a different pilot). The F-16s flew a morning sortie with 29(R) Squadron Typhoons flying as Warlord 41 and 42. The number of Typhoons involved depended on whether they were flying 1v1, 2v1 or 2v2 sorties. After the sortie was complete they recovered back to Denmark as Danish Air Force 3276 to 3279. The next set of F-16s arrived late in the afternoon as Danish Air Force 3271 to 3274 and would night stop for their DACT sortie the next day.
Also visiting, although only briefly, was a pair of Tornado GR4s from Marham using the IX(B) Squadron call sign of Fang 01 and Fang 02. The pair performed an overshoot before transiting the Lichfield Radar Corridor for a low level sortie in LFA7. Great to see them using the large drop tanks.
Thanks to RAF Coningsby for another enjoyable day out.
