Exercise Anatolian Eagle
The 2023 multi national iteration of Exercise Anatolian Eagle (AE2023/2) took place at Konya Air Base in central Turkey in early May, with exercise missions being flown between Tuesday 2nd and Thursday 11th May. Chris Wood reports from central Turkey for GAR.
Exercise Cobra Warrior 23-1
For three weeks in March, the skies over Lincolnshire, northern England and the North Sea reverberated to the sound of numerous jet fighters. Whilst this isn’t that unusual as half of the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Eurofighter Typhoons are based at RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, between the 6th and 24th March there were additional aircraft adding to the noise. These aircraft were taking part in exercise Cobra Warrior 23-1, the largest exercise conducted by the RAF, which is designed to train crews in high intensity large force tactical air warfare. The exercise also formed the Mission Employment Phase of the RAF Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI) course.
Military Aviation – Falcon Strike 2022, Udon Thani, Thailand
During August 2022 China’s Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) conducted a joint exercise in the northern part of Thailand called Falcon Strike 2022. Paul Filmer supplies images for this piece.
US Army Chinooks at Lydd, April 2023
On Wednesday 5th April the skies around Lydd (London Ashford) Airport in Kent reverberated to the sound of some unusual visitors when a flight of six US Army Boeing CH-47F Chinooks passed through. Chris Wood was in the area and popped along for GAR.
Northolt Night Photoshoot 16th March 2023
The latest in the long running series of night photoshoots at RAF Northolt took place on the 16th March 2023. Chris Wood was there for GAR.
Aviation Event: Northolt Night Photoshoot – October 2022
This autumn’s night photoshoot season has been a busy one. After a three and a half year hiatus as a result of runway resurfacing and the Covid 19 pandemic, October saw the welcome return of the Northolt night photoshoot, . Chris Wood was there and reports for GAR.
General Aviation – Formating Fourniers
For the last two years a small group of (mostly) middle aged men have been meeting surreptitiously at a location in the Cotswolds, and occasionally at other locations across England. Chris Wood tells us more……
Military Aviation – NATO Tiger Meet 2022
The 2022 iteration of NATO’s Tiger Meet took place at Araxos Air Base in western Greece between 9th and 20th May. Chris Wood reports.
Military Aviation: The last F-15 Eagles in Europe have flown the nest
Since May 1977 the F-15 Eagle has been a familiar sight in European skies. Alas it is a sight that is now no more, with RAF Lakenheath’s 493rd Fighter Squadron (FS) ‘The Grim Reapers’ having being replaced by the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II with the newly reactivated 495th FS. Gareth Stringer takes a look at the history of the F-15 Eagle in Europe, with images from the GAR team.
Military Aviation: Exercise Iniochos 2022 – Andravida Air Base, Greece
Organised and conducted by the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) Air Tactics Centre (Kentro Aeroporikis Taktikis – KEAT), Exercise Iniochos 2022 took place at Andravida Air Base, Greece from the 21st March to the 10th April 2022, Tom Gibbons reports for GAR with additional photography from Kevin Wills and Chris Wood.
