USAF Deployment to the UK 2020
My previous blog post about the Aviano F-16s visiting RAF Lakenheath is not the full story! A major military exercise during this month sees not only the F-16s visiting the UK but also a detachment of 10 USMC F-35Bs deployed to RAF Marham and a detachment of 6 USAF B-52H bombers deployed to RAF Fairford. A U-2S spy plane has also been stationed at Fairford on long-term deployment for sometime too, possibly since January 2020.
I had only visited RAF Marham twice before - the first time in my early twenties I was lucky enough to go on-base and sit in the Navigator’s seat of an in-service Tornado GR3, parked up in a HAS. The second time, just last year, a brief visit to catch a glimpse of the RAF’s recently arrived F-35Bs, to no avail. The 10 USMC’s F-35s arrived just last week from the States and were due to be joining the RAF’s jets on board our new carrier following some time stationed on the base. Daily exercises were reported and tracked on radar so a visit to photograph these new jets was a must. Runway 24 was in use and a position chosen away from the extended runway centreline determined to provide the most photogenic spot. A number of USMC and RAF jets were flown on the day and captured on camera, both in conventional and VTOL modes.
The B-52s have been deployed fairly regularly to Fairford on exercise over the past few years, for a few weeks each summer, but I have never had the opportunity to go and visit to photograph them. I’ve been wanting to do this for quite sometime, especially as they are not stationed in or a common sight in the UK. 2020 was to be the year! An early start found me on the airfield perimeter by 0730 awaiting some movement - the NOTAM had been released stating the live airfield between 0700 and 2200 so it was looking promising, and what a lovely day for it too. Hot and sunny! Plenty of other observers and photographers were around, inspiring some confidence in my decision to make a long drive down and such an early start. Runway 27 was in use, albeit with still conditions. Eventually USAF U-2S 68-337, callsign ‘Black 01’ was rolled out and taxied for the runway, complete with a supporting Dodge Charger chase car to collect the outrigger wheels following lift off into a spritely steep climb. B-52 engine noise could be heard emanating from the far side of the airfield following the subsiding jet noise of the departing U2. Shortly after, 3 bombers - callsigns Kago 011 and 013 were seen to be taxiing out to the active runway, with 60-005 leading 61-034 and 60-007. The bombers departed in quick succession, with the preceding aircraft barely leaving the runway before the subsequent aircraft applied full thrust, blowing an impressive and iconic dark, sooty exhaust cloud out behind it. As they climbed away leaving, each leaving their exhaust trails painting the sky with dark traces of their flight paths, I took a moment to reflect on such an impressive sight, and one could only imagine what a Cold War nuclear strike may have looked like with hundreds of these aircraft launching in quick succession just as these three had done. I then explored the other side of the airfield where the remaining three bombers were positioned and photographed them at fairly close quarters through the perimeter chainlink fences. Knowling the bombers would be gone for hours, I then took the opportunity to visit RAF Brize Norton for the first time and photographed a couple of RAF KC2 Voyagers arriving before returning to Fairford to await the arrival of the Buffs. Positioned back at where I had started, the B52s popped up on radar south of Berlin at 1550. I tracked their routing back, and as per the previous few missions the routing retuned to the UK via the North Sea, East Anglia and overhead Northampton before descending through the Daventry corridor into Fairford. Whilst the aircraft were overhead Ely, a Tower radio broadcast stated that Runway 09 was active. I suddenly found my self in the wrong position to photograph the aircraft in the air on the approach. I figured I had time to reposition so without delay, a spritely car journey over to the opposite unfamiliar side of the airfield took me to a padlocked field gate. The aircraft were now at 3000ft downwind. However, shooting the aircraft on approach meant shooting straight into the afternoon sun - and I didn’t want silhouettes. So I walked as far south of the approach as I could, accepting the restrictions of the road side hedges and trees obscuring my view. But this meant I could capture the aircraft with more sidelight that backlight - much better! Such a big aircraft at fairly close quarters meant that I deploy my 70-200 f/2.8 lens, a far sharper lens than my 150-600. And what another fantastic sight I was lucky enough to see - 3 B-52H’s going downwind left on a visual circuit into land, with the first (Kago 013, 60-007) executing a missed approach into 3 circuits whilst the other 2 jets landed. Once all 3 bombers were on the ground, Black 01 - the U2 - called on the radio and joined the pattern to land.
All-in-all, a couple of amazing days, some incredible sights of aircraft on exercise which I have only seen on static at airshows up until now. Very happy with the photographs too, especially the close ups of the B-52s taken with the super sharp 70-200.
