RAF Brize Norton is the largest station in the Royal Air Force with approximately 5800 Service Personnel, 1200 contractors and 300 Civilian staff members. The Station is home to the RAF's Strategic and Tactical Air Transport (AT) and Air-to-Air Refueling (AAR) forces, as well as host to many lodger and reserve units. With its mixed fleet of aircraft, RAF Brize Norton provides rapid global mobility in support of UK overseas operations and exercises, as well as AAR support for fast jet aircraft both on operations and in support of UK Homeland Defence.
Oh yeaaaaah! This magnificent plane used to take me to Africa for my school holidays. Oh what a fabulous sound from the most beautiful subsonic plane ever. ❤
I will always have a soft spot for the L1011. I went on a flight in late 1991 on an RAF L1011 from Brizenorton to Bermuda. I was nearly 12 at the time and it was a once in a lifetime experience.
You parked on double-yellow lines. Can anyone in the Royal Air Force park on double-yellow lines? You ride around a Royal Air Force station in a tuk-tuk, can any Royal Air Force airman or airwoman or other gender or non gender or selective gender or gender fluid or gender undiscovered ride around a Royal Air Force station (and park on double-yellow lines) in a tuk-tuk?
Unfortunately, the fleet was getting very expensive to operate as much of the avionics and mechanical system components were no longer supported. At one point secondhand engines were bought from around 5he world. There was an attempt to update the avionics so we conformed to Airways Spec V separation and even convert the flight deck to glass instrumentation. ZD949 was converted, but it was way behind schedule and the then Labour Government entered into the UKs most expensive PFI to provide AAR and other services with the current A330 fleet operated by Air Tanker. I recently found the converted notes that my colleagues and I spent many hours writing for the new courses, but alas it was not to be.
This is badass!! Music goes really well with it and adds to it, made my heart speed up watching! And I loved it when she "kissed" the beach for a second! I would've loved to be on that beach then, amazing!
My question is why are there only single runways on RAF bases, when almost all US and major French bases use two or more. I would have thought that RAF Brize Norton would have two also being the main UK RAF base.
Fair comment Bushman. Since RAF Brize Norton PR don't appear to respond to any comments, I'll have a go. Most major air hubs are one or two runways, and this is a major air hub. Locally, to me, we have two major USAFE (Europe) air bases at Mildenhall and Lakenheath, both of which operate from single runways. I think single runways are the modern norm for western militaries, even on the multitude of military air bases where it would, with funding, be possible to maintain and operate two or three runways as they were originally designed in the Second World War. The UK has a legacy of pre-Second World War airfields with single runways but that's another matter. In the modern age, I'm not sure multiple runways makes a difference given modern runway denial weaponry. As for Brize, I'd be more concerned that the UK has sat all it's aircraft lift and refueling assets on a single base. Now, that's absolutely stupid. One well placed runway denial weapon and you've lost the lot. In fact, as another aside, the entire UK air defence assets are on two air bases (I'm ignoring Marham, which isn't air defence). That's also absolutely stupid. But, given a couple of high-yield nukes could devastate the UK military, actually devastate the whole of the UK, what does it really all matter. I cross my fingers, I pray, for deliverance from the world's reliance on military forces. Why can't we all just accept our differences and get along.
Nice video and straight to the point on the base capability. I lived in Carterton as a kid while my dad was a warrant officer air traffic controller for about 3 years until 1980 when we moved to Canada and flew on a VC 10 to Ottawa. We lived on Bovingdon road and I remember going to movies, bowling and swimming on base. Also curious when we walked to the theater I recall a sign saying " Beware Gurkhas Crossing" is it still there or long gone. Lot of good times growing up as a kid in the forces living abroad and all over England before dad finished his 24 years of service and we moved to civilian life in Canada. I still have my Cotswold Radar tea mug never used with my name on it as a keepsake.
Funny how the DH9 De Havilland suffered many casualties during the latter years of the Great war, yet during its service in the mail service was considered a reliable machine. So my current thinking is that as a combat aircraft maybe it become obsolete, but had no trouble making postal runs, without the hassle of having hostile EA and Ground attack, along with the long list of danger to be expected with such crafts of early aviation. I can't help but ponder if the multitude of factors that contribute to aircraft being a worthy and the vast variables to consider, especially during war time when necessity that comes with warfare means the inevitable rise to invention to counter enemy hostilities and continuous upgrades happen with friend and foe. What makes a good plane then? Whos to say the plane with the bombs helps our war effort more then the postal service. Bombs kill enemy, postal planes boost moral, which in turn increase war effort. who knows, surely a graph/ pie chart or two :)!!
Good morning, and thank you for your kind comment. Information about the steps to take, for those who aspire to become an RAF Falcon, can be found on the RAF Falcons website, via the following link: bit.ly/2MOVV1L
