Linton-on-Ouse (EGXU) - 2010 MIL

[Piet Luijken]

LOG: 13-09-2010

While staying in the neighbourhood of Newcastle, I planned to spend a day at RAF Linton-on-Ouse to catch the Tucano T1 in action. Again, like on previous visits, weather was not very good with lots of low clouds and an increasing amount of rain. However, parking at spot 3, spotting at this base can be done in the comfort of your own car, especially if you use the window as a support for your lens. As usual, a nice line-up of Tucano's was present and some more were in the approach to the field. Between the proptrainers, easily identifiable by the three landing lights, I spotted an aircraft with a single landing light. It turned out to be Merlin who landed at the helispot close to my position and taxied from their to the apron. A Tucano looks very small next to this massive helicopter. Only minutes later another Merlin landed at the same spot, this time with a strange nose, so this was a former Danish EH101. The Merlins took off again from this spot to the southwest following the runway direction. To get some nice head-on shots I stayed at the low fence next to the runway end. Quite some sight! Apparantly both helicopters were in a local exercise called Mashgull Tiger. At this stage, around 1300LT, the rain had increased in intensity again so I decided to have a look at RAF Leeming.

Locals:
ZF515 515 Tucano T1 72(R)sq 1FTS
ZF240 240 Tucano T1 1FTS LOP62
ZF170 MP-A Tucano T1 76(R)sq 1FTS name: The Black Prince
ZF512 512 Tucano T1 72(R)sq 1FTS
ZF169 169 Tucano T1 72(R)sq 1FTS
ZF264 MP-Q Tucano T1 76(R)sq 1FTS name: Queenie
ZF172 MP-D Tucano T1 76(R)sq 1FTS name: Dorothy
ZF407 407 Tucano T1 1FTS
ZF269 MP-O Tucano T1 76(R)sq 1FTS
ZF204 204 Tucano T1 207(R)sq 1FTS
ZF348 348 Tucano T1 1FTS
ZF339 339 Tucano T1 72(R)sq 1FTS
ZF205 205 Tucano T1 72(R)sq 1FTS
ZF377 377 Tucano T1 1FTS LOP29
ZF295 295 Tucano T1 72(R)sq 1FTS
ZF287 287 Tucano T1 72(R)sq 1FTS
ZF448 448 Tucano T1 1FTS
ZF135 135 Tucano T1 1FTS
ZF347 347 Tucano T1 1FTS LOP94
ZF239 MP-T Tucano T1 76(R)sq 1FTS LOP24
ZF343 343 Tucano T1 72(R)sq 1FTS name: Sunshine
ZF210 210 Tucano T1 1FTS LOP68
ZF341 341 Tucano T1 207(R)sq 1FTS
ZF489 489 Tucano T1 1FTS
ZF140 140 Tucano T1 207(R)sq 1FTS LOP76
ZF485 485 Tucano T1 1FTS LOP67
ZF406 406 Tucano T1 1FTS name: 70 Battle Of Britain
ZF171 LZ-R Tucano T1 1FTS special c/s
ZF379 379 Tucano T1 1FTS LOP44
ZF291 291 Tucano T1 1FTS LOP82

Visitor:
G-BYXE Tutor T1 1EFTS C01
ZK001 AF Merlin HC3A 28/78sq Bobcat1
ZJ122 F Merlin HC3 28/78sq Bobcat2