RAF Coningsby
Encyclopedia
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire
, England
. It has been commanded by Group Captain
Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.
The station is the home of No. XVII(Test and Evaluation) Squadron
- the Operational Evaluational Unit, No. 29(R) Squadron
- the Operational Conversion Unit and No. 3(F) Squadron
- the first Typhoon Operational Squadron, flying the Eurofighter Typhoon
F2
and T1
. No 11 Squadron joined the station as a Typhoon unit in 2007.
Since June 2007 the Typhoons of No. 3(F) Squadron have formed part of air defence of the UK along with RAF Leeming
near Northallerton in North Yorkshire
and RAF Leuchars
near St Andrews
, Fife, Scotland
, both of which were equipped with Tornado F3
fighters but Leeming lost its last Tornados in 2008 with the disbandment of 25 Squadron and its concentration on being the RAF's communications hub.
The station is also home to No. 121 Expeditionary Air Wing
.
arrived in February 1941 and No. 97 Squadron
arrived in March 1941. Hard runways was laid in early 1943 in preparations for heavy bombers being stationed, part of 5 Group
. No. 617 Squadron
were at the base from August 1943-January 1944. Their officers' mess was the Petwood Hotel at Woodhall Spa
. 61 Squadron were stationed with Lancasters from February–April 1944. On 12 November, Lancaster aircraft from the base equipped with the Tallboy bomb sank the Tirpitz
in Operation Catechism
. 175 aircraft were lost during the war.
, it had the Mosquito-equipped 109 Sqn
and 139 Sqn
, then became part of 3 Group
, with Boeing Washington aircraft from 1950. On 17 August 1953 52 year old Air Vice-Marshal William Brook, the AOC
of 3 Group
, took off from the base in a Gloster Meteor
, and crashed into a Dutch barn
at Bradley, Staffordshire
.
The base received its first jet aircraft — the Canberra
— in 1953. In 1956, the base expanded with the runway being extended. Avro Vulcan
s arrived in 1962, which were transferred to RAF Cottesmore
in November 1964. From 1964-1966, the station had been designated to receive the proposed RAF fighter, the advanced BAC TSR-2
project, which was cancelled for economic reasons in April 1965.
— was shelved when its costs overshot the UK's budget. Spey-engined Phantoms
(the plane the government eventually bought, having been ordered in 1965) were chosen in 1966 for the base's future, with all RAF Phantom training taking place on the base, and the base became part in Fighter Command
until December 1967, when it joined Air Support Command
as the Phantoms were initially in a ground attack role. The first Phantom FGR2 (Fighter/Ground attack/Reconnaissance) arrived at Coningsby on 23 August 1968, with the first aircrew OCU
course (228 OCU
) beginning in October 1968. Air-defence Phantoms (FG1) also entered service in 1969 at RAF Leuchars
. On 18 May 1970, a Phantom flew from the base non-stop to RAF Tengah, covering 8680 mi (13,969.1 km) in 14 hours and 14 minutes at an average speed of 602 mph (269.1 m/s). In September 1972, Strike Command was formed and the base joined 38 Group
.
The Phantom's role changed to air defence in October 1974 when the base joined 11 Group
in RAF Strike Command
, when the SEPECAT Jaguar
(based in Norfolk) took over the ground attack role. 111 Sqn
were first to take the new air defence Phantoms. On 3 March 1975 a Phantom crashed into a nearby house, with both pilot and navigator ejecting. The Queen visited the base on 30 June 1976.
In November 1984, the Tornado F3 squadrons began to form. Tornado training took place until April 1987, when the Phantoms left (to RAF Leuchars
) and Coningsby had the first (29 Sqn
) Tornado air defence squadron. To accommodate these new aircraft, extensive hardened aircraft shelter
s (HAS) and support facilities were built. 5 Squadron
arrived in January 1988. The Tornado ADV carried the GEC-Marconi
AI.24 Foxhunter radar.
was based there until March 2003 but relocated to RAF Leuchars
and in 2008 to RAF Waddington
to allow airfield improvements required for the arrival of the Typhoon. 5 Squadron
also flew F3s from Coningsby until its disbandment in 2003 (this unit is now at Waddington). Typhoon arrived in May 2005 with No. 17 Squadron
, after the RAF first publicly displayed the aircraft at Coningsby in December 2004. In July 2007, the Typhoon became operational from the base (and the UK). The Typhoon also became operational from RAF Leuchars in September 2010. BAE Systems Military Air Solutions
, who produce the aircraft, are also stationed on the base with the contract to maintain the aircraft. On 1 July 2008, the Typhoon was declared by the RAF as being combat ready. The plane, unlike the Tornado, needs no reheat
to take off.
(since March 1976 when it arrived from RAF Coltishall
) and their Visitor Centre. The BBMF operate one of two remaining airworthy Avro Lancaster
bombers in the world besides five Spitfire
s of various types, two Hurricane
s, a Dakota
, two Chipmunk
s and at least one De Havilland Tiger Moth, these latter two types being used for pilot training.
The BBMF is accessed via a separate side entrance, with a car park, to the west of the airfield. The memorabilia display is free but there is a small charge for the hour-long guided tour around the hangar.
), the Tornado F.3 OEU (previously at RAF Waddington
) and the Air-Guided Weapons OEU (previously at RAF Valley
). Today, the unit operates under the shadow squadron numberplate of No.41(Test and Evaluation) Sqn since 1 April 2006 and, as part of the Air Warfare Centre
, is tasked with operational testing and evaluation of existing and forthcoming aircraft and weapons.
No. 121 Expeditionary Air Wing was formed at Coningsby on 1 April 2006 and encompasses most of the non-formed unit personnel. The EAW does not include any of the flying squadrons. The Station Commander is triple-hatted as the Commanding Officer of the Wing and as Typhoon Force Commander.
The RAF Coningsby structure as of October 2010
The following Station Commanders are listed in the rank held at the time of appointment:
List incomplete
On 9 August 1974, the station commander 42 year old Group Captain David Blucke, and his navigator Flight Lieutenant
Terence Kirkland (aged 28 and from Londonderry
), were killed whilst piloting the Phantom XV493 of 41 Sqn
. At low-level it hit a Piper Pawnee
crop-spraying plane (from Southend-on-Sea
) over Fordham, Norfolk
, near Downham Market
.
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It has been commanded by Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.
Operational units
No. XVII Squadron RAF
No. 17 Squadron is an active squadron of the Royal Air Force and the Operational Evaluation Unit for the Typhoon T.1 and F.2.-History:...
- the Operational Evaluational Unit, No. 29(R) Squadron
No. 29 Squadron RAF
No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit for the RAF's newest fighter.-Service in World War I:This unit was...
- the Operational Conversion Unit and No. 3(F) Squadron
No. 3 Squadron RAF
No 3 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Typhoon F2, FGR4 and T3 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.No 3 Squadron, which celebrated its 95th anniversary over the weekend of 11-13 May 2007, is unique in the RAF for having two official crests....
- the first Typhoon Operational Squadron, flying the Eurofighter Typhoon
Eurofighter Typhoon
The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
F2
RAF Typhoon F2
The Eurofighter Typhoon is in service with five nations: United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria. The aircraft has also been ordered by Saudi Arabia, with the first aircraft already delivered...
and T1
RAF Typhoon F2
The Eurofighter Typhoon is in service with five nations: United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain and Austria. The aircraft has also been ordered by Saudi Arabia, with the first aircraft already delivered...
. No 11 Squadron joined the station as a Typhoon unit in 2007.
Since June 2007 the Typhoons of No. 3(F) Squadron have formed part of air defence of the UK along with RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, UK.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Leeming. The Station Commander is Group Captain Anthony Innes....
near Northallerton in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
and RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
near St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
, Fife, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, both of which were equipped with Tornado F3
Panavia Tornado
The Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
fighters but Leeming lost its last Tornados in 2008 with the disbandment of 25 Squadron and its concentration on being the RAF's communications hub.
The station is also home to No. 121 Expeditionary Air Wing
Expeditionary Air Wing
On 1 April 2006 Expeditionary Air Wings were formed at nine of the RAF's Main Operating Bases. Each EAW has its own identity and is led by the Station Commander, supported by his Station management team...
.
World War 2
The base was opened in 1940 as a bomber base. No. 106 SquadronNo. 106 Squadron RAF
No. 106 Squadron RAF was a Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force squadron active from 1917 until 1919. It was also operative during World War II and in the post war period until 1963.- Establishment and early service :...
arrived in February 1941 and No. 97 Squadron
No. 97 Squadron RAF
No. 97 Squadron, was a Royal Air Force squadron formed on December 1, 1917 at Waddington, Lincolnshire, first as a training unit, until moving to Netheravon in March 1918, and re-equipping with the Handley Page O/400 heavy bomber. The squadron served in France for the remainder of the war...
arrived in March 1941. Hard runways was laid in early 1943 in preparations for heavy bombers being stationed, part of 5 Group
No. 5 Group RAF
No. 5 Group was a Royal Air Force bomber group of the Second World War, led during the latter part by AVM Sir Ralph Cochrane.-History:The Group was formed on 1 September 1937 with headquarters at RAF Mildenhall....
. No. 617 Squadron
No. 617 Squadron RAF
No. 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role...
were at the base from August 1943-January 1944. Their officers' mess was the Petwood Hotel at Woodhall Spa
Woodhall Spa
Woodhall Spa is a civil parish and village in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England within a wooded area on the Southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, about south-west of Horncastle and about east-south-east of Lincoln...
. 61 Squadron were stationed with Lancasters from February–April 1944. On 12 November, Lancaster aircraft from the base equipped with the Tallboy bomb sank the Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
in Operation Catechism
Operation Catechism
Operation Catechism was the last of nine attempts to sink or sabotage the Kriegsmarine battleship Tirpitz during World War II. On November 12, 1944, the RAF Bomber Command dispatched 30 Avro Lancaster heavy bombers from No. 9 Squadron RAF and No. 617 Squadron RAF Operation Catechism was the last of...
. 175 aircraft were lost during the war.
Post war
Following World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, it had the Mosquito-equipped 109 Sqn
No. 109 Squadron RAF
No. 109 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It operated Wellington VIs.-History:The squadron first formed on 1 November 1917 as 109 Squadron Royal Flying Corps at South Carlton in 1917 operating the de Havilland DH.9 until it was disbanded on 19 August...
and 139 Sqn
No. 139 Squadron RAF
No. 139 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron that was fighter unit in World War I and a bomber unit from World War II until the 1960s.-Formation and World War I:...
, then became part of 3 Group
No. 3 Group RAF
Number 3 Group of the Royal Air Force was an RAF group first active in 1918, again in 1923-26, part of RAF Bomber Command from 1936 to 1967, and part of RAF Strike Command from 2000 until it disbanded on 1 April 2006.-The 1930s and World War II:...
, with Boeing Washington aircraft from 1950. On 17 August 1953 52 year old Air Vice-Marshal William Brook, the AOC
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
of 3 Group
No. 3 Group RAF
Number 3 Group of the Royal Air Force was an RAF group first active in 1918, again in 1923-26, part of RAF Bomber Command from 1936 to 1967, and part of RAF Strike Command from 2000 until it disbanded on 1 April 2006.-The 1930s and World War II:...
, took off from the base in a Gloster Meteor
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
, and crashed into a Dutch barn
Dutch barn
Dutch barn is the name given to markedly different types of barns in the United States and Canada, and in the United Kingdom. In the United States, Dutch barns represent the oldest and rarest types of barns. There are relatively few—probably less than 600—of these barns still intact...
at Bradley, Staffordshire
Bradley, Staffordshire
Bradley is a civil parish in Staffordshire, England. It is off the A518 road headed out to the villages of Haughton and Gnosall towards Telford....
.
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
— in 1953. In 1956, the base expanded with the runway being extended. Avro Vulcan
Avro Vulcan
The Avro Vulcan, sometimes referred to as the Hawker Siddeley Vulcan, was a jet-powered delta wing strategic bomber, operated by the Royal Air Force from 1956 until 1984. Aircraft manufacturer A V Roe & Co designed the Vulcan in response to Specification B.35/46. Of the three V bombers produced,...
s arrived in 1962, which were transferred to RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore
RAF Cottesmore was a Royal Air Force station in Rutland, England, situated between Cottesmore and Market Overton. The station housed all the operational Harrier GR9 squadrons in the Royal Air Force, and No 122 Expeditionary Air Wing...
in November 1964. From 1964-1966, the station had been designated to receive the proposed RAF fighter, the advanced BAC TSR-2
BAC TSR-2
The British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2 was a cancelled Cold War strike and reconnaissance aircraft developed by the British Aircraft Corporation for the Royal Air Force in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
project, which was cancelled for economic reasons in April 1965.
Phantoms
The TSR2's intended replacement — the (American) F-111General Dynamics F-111
The General Dynamics F-111 "Aardvark" was a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also filled the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics, it first entered service in 1967 with the...
— was shelved when its costs overshot the UK's budget. Spey-engined Phantoms
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
(the plane the government eventually bought, having been ordered in 1965) were chosen in 1966 for the base's future, with all RAF Phantom training taking place on the base, and the base became part in Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command
RAF Fighter Command was one of three functional commands of the Royal Air Force. It was formed in 1936 to allow more specialised control of fighter aircraft. It served throughout the Second World War, gaining recognition in the Battle of Britain. The Command continued until 17 November 1943, when...
until December 1967, when it joined Air Support Command
RAF Air Support Command
Air Support Command of the Royal Air Force was formed on 1 August 1967 by the redesignation of Transport Command. Its change of name reflected the change of emphasis of the Command from merely transporting materials and men around the world to providing general support to RAF operations around the...
as the Phantoms were initially in a ground attack role. The first Phantom FGR2 (Fighter/Ground attack/Reconnaissance) arrived at Coningsby on 23 August 1968, with the first aircrew OCU
Operational Conversion Unit
An Operational Conversion Unit is a unit within an air force whose role is to support preparation for the operational missions of a specific aircraft type by providing trained personnel. OCUs teach pilots how to fly an aircraft and which tactics best exploit the performance of their aircraft and...
course (228 OCU
No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit RAF
No. 228 Operational Conversion Unit was a Royal Air Force Operational Conversion Unit. It was formed in No. 12 Group at RAF Leeming from Nos. 13 and 54 OTUs in 1947. The tasking of the OCU was the training of night fighter crews and its aircraft were the De Havilland Mosquito, Gloster Meteor and...
) beginning in October 1968. Air-defence Phantoms (FG1) also entered service in 1969 at RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
. On 18 May 1970, a Phantom flew from the base non-stop to RAF Tengah, covering 8680 mi (13,969.1 km) in 14 hours and 14 minutes at an average speed of 602 mph (269.1 m/s). In September 1972, Strike Command was formed and the base joined 38 Group
No. 38 Group RAF
No 38 Group RAF was formed on 6 November 1943 from nine squadrons as part of Fighter Command. It was finally disbanded on 1 April 2000.-History:...
.
The Phantom's role changed to air defence in October 1974 when the base joined 11 Group
No. 11 Group RAF
No. 11 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century, finally disbanding in 1996. Its most famous service was during 1940 when it defended London and the south-east against the attacks of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.-First World War:No. 11 Group was...
in RAF Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
, when the SEPECAT Jaguar
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...
(based in Norfolk) took over the ground attack role. 111 Sqn
No. 111 Squadron RAF
No. 111 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland until March 2011, when the squadron was disbanded, ending the Tornado F3's RAF service.-In World War I:...
were first to take the new air defence Phantoms. On 3 March 1975 a Phantom crashed into a nearby house, with both pilot and navigator ejecting. The Queen visited the base on 30 June 1976.
Tornados
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
) and Coningsby had the first (29 Sqn
No. 29 Squadron RAF
No. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit for the RAF's newest fighter.-Service in World War I:This unit was...
) Tornado air defence squadron. To accommodate these new aircraft, extensive hardened aircraft shelter
Hardened Aircraft Shelter
Hardened Aircraft Shelters , or Protective Aircraft Shelter , are a reinforced structure to house and protect military aircraft from enemy attack...
s (HAS) and support facilities were built. 5 Squadron
No. 5 Squadron RAF
No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is the operator of the new Sentinel R1 Airborne STand-Off Radar aircraft and is based at RAF Waddington.-History:As No...
arrived in January 1988. The Tornado ADV carried the GEC-Marconi
Marconi Electronic Systems
Marconi Electronic Systems , or GEC-Marconi as it was until 1998, was the defence arm of The General Electric Company . It was demerged from GEC and acquired by British Aerospace on November 30, 1999 to form BAE Systems...
AI.24 Foxhunter radar.
Eurofighter Typhoon
Coningsby was the first airfield to receive the Phantoms, the Tornado ADV and was the first to receive its replacement, the Eurofighter Typhoon. 56 SquadronNo. 56 Squadron RAF
Number 56 Squadron is one of the oldest and most successful squadrons of the Royal Air Force, with battle honours from many of the significant air campaigns of both World War I and World War II...
was based there until March 2003 but relocated to RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
and in 2008 to RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England.-Formation:Waddington opened as a Royal Flying Corps flying training station in 1916 until 1920, when the station went into care and maintenance....
to allow airfield improvements required for the arrival of the Typhoon. 5 Squadron
No. 5 Squadron RAF
No. 5 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is the operator of the new Sentinel R1 Airborne STand-Off Radar aircraft and is based at RAF Waddington.-History:As No...
also flew F3s from Coningsby until its disbandment in 2003 (this unit is now at Waddington). Typhoon arrived in May 2005 with No. 17 Squadron
No. XVII Squadron RAF
No. 17 Squadron is an active squadron of the Royal Air Force and the Operational Evaluation Unit for the Typhoon T.1 and F.2.-History:...
, after the RAF first publicly displayed the aircraft at Coningsby in December 2004. In July 2007, the Typhoon became operational from the base (and the UK). The Typhoon also became operational from RAF Leuchars in September 2010. BAE Systems Military Air Solutions
BAE Systems Military Air Solutions
BAE Systems Military Air & Information is a business unit of British defence company BAE Systems responsible for the design, development, manufacture and support of fixed wing military aircraft...
, who produce the aircraft, are also stationed on the base with the contract to maintain the aircraft. On 1 July 2008, the Typhoon was declared by the RAF as being combat ready. The plane, unlike the Tornado, needs no reheat
AfterBurner
The AfterBurner is a lighting solution for the Game Boy Advance system that was created by Triton-Labs.Originally, portablemonopoly.net was a website created to petition Nintendo to put some kind of light in their Game Boy Advance system...
to take off.
Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF)
Coningsby is also the home to the Battle of Britain Memorial FlightBattle of Britain Memorial Flight
The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is a Royal Air Force flight which provides an aerial display group comprising an Avro Lancaster, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane...
(since March 1976 when it arrived from RAF Coltishall
RAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
) and their Visitor Centre. The BBMF operate one of two remaining airworthy Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
bombers in the world besides five Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s of various types, two Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s, a Dakota
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, two Chipmunk
De Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk
The de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk is a tandem, two-seat, single-engined primary trainer aircraft which was the standard primary trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force, Royal Air Force and several other air forces through much of the post-Second World War years...
s and at least one De Havilland Tiger Moth, these latter two types being used for pilot training.
The BBMF is accessed via a separate side entrance, with a car park, to the west of the airfield. The memorabilia display is free but there is a small charge for the hour-long guided tour around the hangar.
Operational Evaluation Units
Also based at Coningsby is the RAF's Fast Jet and Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit (FJWOEU), a merger of the Strike/Attack OEU (previously at Boscombe DownMoD Boscombe Down
MoD Boscombe Down is an aircraft testing site located at Idmiston, south of Amesbury, in Wiltshire, England. It is run and managed by QinetiQ, the company created as part of the breakup of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in 2001 by the UK Ministry of Defence...
), the Tornado F.3 OEU (previously at RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington
RAF Waddington is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England.-Formation:Waddington opened as a Royal Flying Corps flying training station in 1916 until 1920, when the station went into care and maintenance....
) and the Air-Guided Weapons OEU (previously at RAF Valley
RAF Valley
RAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk and provides training for aircrew working with Search and Rescue. Unofficially the motto for RAF Valley is 'One Valley, Training...
). Today, the unit operates under the shadow squadron numberplate of No.41(Test and Evaluation) Sqn since 1 April 2006 and, as part of the Air Warfare Centre
Air Warfare Centre
The Air Warfare Centre, known as the AWC, is a Royal Air Force research and testing organization based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom...
, is tasked with operational testing and evaluation of existing and forthcoming aircraft and weapons.
No. 121 Expeditionary Air Wing was formed at Coningsby on 1 April 2006 and encompasses most of the non-formed unit personnel. The EAW does not include any of the flying squadrons. The Station Commander is triple-hatted as the Commanding Officer of the Wing and as Typhoon Force Commander.
Current structure
- 121 Expeditionary Air Wing
- Air Combat 1 Group
- No. 3 Squadron RAFNo. 3 Squadron RAFNo 3 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Typhoon F2, FGR4 and T3 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.No 3 Squadron, which celebrated its 95th anniversary over the weekend of 11-13 May 2007, is unique in the RAF for having two official crests....
- operating Typhoon T3, FGR4Eurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986... - No. 11 Squadron RAF - operating Typhoon T1, F2, FGR4Eurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
- No. 29 (Reserve) Squadron RAFNo. 29 Squadron RAFNo. 29 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was first raised in 1915, and is one of the world's oldest fighter squadrons. The second British squadron to receive the Eurofighter Typhoon, it is currently the Operational Conversion Unit for the RAF's newest fighter.-Service in World War I:This unit was...
- Typhoon T3, FGR4Eurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
- No. 3 Squadron RAF
- Air Warfare CentreAir Warfare CentreThe Air Warfare Centre, known as the AWC, is a Royal Air Force research and testing organization based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom...
- No. 17 (Test and Evaluation) Squadron RAF - operating Typhoon FGR4, T3Eurofighter TyphoonThe Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole combat aircraft, designed and built by a consortium of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems; working through a holding company, Eurofighter GmbH, which was formed in 1986...
- No. 41 (Test and Evaluation) Squadron RAFNo. 41 Squadron RAFNo. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No...
- operating Tornado GR4/GR4APanavia TornadoThe Panavia Tornado is a family of twin-engine, variable-sweep wing combat aircraft, which was jointly developed and manufactured by the United Kingdom, West Germany and Italy...
- No. 17 (Test and Evaluation) Squadron RAF - operating Typhoon FGR4, T3
- Battle of Britain Memorial FlightBattle of Britain Memorial FlightThe Battle of Britain Memorial Flight is a Royal Air Force flight which provides an aerial display group comprising an Avro Lancaster, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane...
Station Commanders
- Air Chief MarshalAir Chief MarshalAir chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Augustus WalkerAugustus WalkerAir Chief Marshal Sir George Augustus Walker GCB CBE DSO DFC AFC MA was a Second World War bomber pilot and jet aircraft pioneer, later Inspector-General of the RAF and RAF Air Chief Marshal.-Early life:...
GCBOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
1951-4 - Air CommodoreAir CommodoreAir commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
David Strong CBOrder of the BathThe Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
1957-9 - Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-MarshalAir vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
Michael Le Bas CB CBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
1959-61 - Air Vice-Marshal Frank Dodd CBE DFCDistinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
1961-3 - Air Chief Marshal Sir John RogersJohn Rogers (RAF officer)Air Chief Marshal Sir John Robson Rogers KCB CBE is a former senior Royal Air Force commander.-RAF career:Educated at Brentwood School, Rogers joined the Royal Air Force in 1950...
KCB CBE 1967-9 - Group Captain David Blucke -1974 (killed in mid-air accident over NorfolkNorfolkNorfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, and the son of Air Vice-Marshal Robert BluckeRobert BluckeAir Vice Marshal Robert Stewart Blucke CB CBE DSO AFC & Bar was a Royal Air Force officer who became Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at RAF Transport Command.-RAF career:...
who was known for the 1935 Daventry ExperimentStowe Nine ChurchesStowe Nine Churches is a civil parish incorporating the settlements of Church Stowe and Upper Stowe in the English county of Northamptonshire.-Name:...
) - Air Vice-Marshal Dennis Allison CB 1974-6
- Air Vice-Marshal Derek Bryant CB OBE 1976-8
- Group CaptainGroup CaptainGroup captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
Christopher Sprent 1978-80 - Air Chief Marshal Sir William WrattenBill WrattenAir Chief Marshal Sir William John Wratten GBE, CB, AFC was Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of RAF Strike Command from 1994.-Flying career:...
CBE CB 1980-2 - Air MarshalAir MarshalAir marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Christopher CovilleChristopher CovilleAir Marshal Sir Christopher Charles Cotton Coville KCB BA FCIPD FRAeS RAF is a retired senior Royal Air Force commander.-RAF career:...
CB 1986-8 - Air Marshal Clifford SpinkCliff SpinkAir Marshal Clifford Rodney Spink CB CBE FCMI FRAeS RAF R'td was a senior Royal Air Force officer during the early 1990s and is now a Spitfire display pilot on the national air display circuit. The first Spitfire he ever flew belonged to the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, during his tenure as...
CB CBE 1990-3 - Air Vice-Marshal Peter Ruddock CBE 1999-2000
The following Station Commanders are listed in the rank held at the time of appointment:
List incomplete
- Group Captain R JudsonBob JudsonAir Commodore Bob Judson RAF is a senior serving Royal Air Force Officer and was the first Station Commander of RAF Coningsby of the Eurofighter Typhoon-era....
- 2004-2006 - Group Captain S D AthaStuart AthaAir Vice Marshal Stuart David Atha DSO ADC is a serving senior officer of the Royal Air Force and is currently Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group.-Military career:Atha joined the RAF after graduating from Glasgow University in 1984...
DSODistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
- 2006-2008 - Group Captain J J Hitchcock - 2008-2010
- Group Captain Martin Sampson - 2010 -
On 9 August 1974, the station commander 42 year old Group Captain David Blucke, and his navigator Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
Terence Kirkland (aged 28 and from Londonderry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
), were killed whilst piloting the Phantom XV493 of 41 Sqn
No. 41 Squadron RAF
No. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No...
. At low-level it hit a Piper Pawnee
Piper PA-25 Pawnee
The PA-25 Pawnee was an agricultural aircraft produced by Piper Aircraft between 1959 and 1982. It remains a widely used aircraft in agricultural spraying and is also used as a tow plane, or tug, for launching gliders or for towing banners. On April 15, 1998, The New Piper Aircraft, Inc....
crop-spraying plane (from Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
) over Fordham, Norfolk
Fordham, Norfolk
Fordham is a small village and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk between Hilgay and Denver near the town of Downham Market. The parish falls in the district of King's Lynn and West Norfolk...
, near Downham Market
Downham Market
Downham Market is a town and civil parish in Norfolk, England. It lies on the edge of the Fens, on the River Great Ouse, some 20 km south of the town of King's Lynn, 60 km west of the city of Norwich and the same distance north of the city of Cambridge....
.
See also
- List of RAF stations
- List of mid air collisions and mid air incidents in the United Kingdom
- List of active United Kingdom military aircraft
External links
News items
- Flyover rehearsal in April 2011
- 70th anniversary in March 2011
- 1,000 flying hours in a Typhoon in November 2009
- The Times October 2008
- Typhoon fully combat ready in July 2008
- Typhoons began active service in July 2007
- First Typhoon squadron in April 2006
- Report by Brian HanrahanBrian HanrahanBrian Hanrahan was the Diplomatic Editor for BBC News and a well known correspondent. He also presented The World at One on BBC Radio Four and appeared on regular cover shifts on the rolling news channel BBC News 24...
in October 2005. - Typhoons arrive in May 2005
- 5 Squadron mothballed in February 2002
- 56 Squadron moves to Leuchars in January 2002
- Tornado crash narrowly missed Torness nuclear power stationTorness nuclear power stationTorness nuclear power station was the last of the United Kingdom's second generation nuclear power plants to be commissioned. Construction of this facility began in 1980 for the then South of Scotland Electricity Board and it was commissioned in 1988...
in November 1999.
Video clips
- F15s and Typhoons in June 2009
- Typhoons arrive in October 2008
- Dan Snow in 2008
- James May in 2007
- Typhoon - practice scrambleScrambling (military)In military aviation scrambling or a scramble is the act of quickly getting fighter aircraft airborne to intercept hostile aircraft.-Historical use:...
. - New Typhoon 29 Squadron with Brian Hanrahan.
- Quick Reaction Alert in October 2005