RAF Fairford - 28th September 2005

After seeing the US Marine Corps Hornets land at Boscombe after their second launch of the day, we decided to head to Fairford where we'd heard a number of presidential and government biz-types had been expected.

It was about 1600 by the time we arrived and the weather was far from great. On the ramp was a Belgian Falcon, a Polish Yak-40, and a Spanish Falcon - I'd have loved to have shot the latter two, but sod's law dictated that the only one that moved would be the Belgian.

With Brize closed for runway work, Fairford was being used as a bolt-hole location by their resident VC10s, Tristars and C-17s, so we knew we'd got a better than average chance of seeing some of those move.

Additionally there were two B-1Bs, two B-52Hs and a pair of KC-135Rs present for Exercise Bright Star - US Central Command's largest and most significant regular exercise. As it turned out, this was a down day for them as they prepared to return home the next day. Just as well we were booked up at a hotel in Fairford overnight then!

Not a bad tally considering the time we'd arrived. Hopefully the next day would offer even more opportunities.