# A NORMAL DAY IN THE OFFICE.....



## Downwind.Maddl-Land (Sep 30, 2007)

Following on from the Low Level Video thread - just in case anyone was in any doubt as to which Service has the expertise in _real _low level ops (as opposed to staged fly-throughs in a well known environment) - please permit me to introduce to you: THE ROYAL AIR FORCE  

By kind permission of Tom "TJ" Hill: Copyright protected


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## Downwind.Maddl-Land (Sep 30, 2007)

Low and close enough?


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## Downwind.Maddl-Land (Sep 30, 2007)

And then along came the "new boys........"

Still 'working-up' so not as low: Yeah right!

Again reproduced by kind permission of TJ. Copyright.


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## Micdrow (Sep 30, 2007)

Cool shots Downwind.Maddl-Land, thanks for sharing.


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## Gnomey (Sep 30, 2007)

Nice pics.


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## mkloby (Sep 30, 2007)

She's sure a strange looking bird... I'd like to see one in person.


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## evangilder (Sep 30, 2007)

Cool stuff. 8)


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## pbfoot (Sep 30, 2007)

The photos are pretty good 
The RAF are OK but there are just as good . I think I can validate this opinion by having worked for 3 years in ATC at NATO lo level flying training area in Goose Bay . Your lo level area or routes in Europe are pretty small . Ours was almost the size of the UK itself which is why it was used by the RAF, GAF,RNLAF, IAF and others .


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## F4F Wildcat (Sep 30, 2007)

What's the other jet? I know Harrier's well enough.
It looks like Saab made it.


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## Glider (Sep 30, 2007)

Rafale


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## F4F Wildcat (Sep 30, 2007)

Dassault Rafale? it's french? And here I thought it was Swedish... *Hits forehead*
sweet machine.


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## Aggie08 (Sep 30, 2007)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it's a Typhoon. The Rafale has canards sitting more aft of the cockpit and has split, curvy intakes while the Eurofighter has its canards in a more forward position with side-by-side rectangular intakes.


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## Downwind.Maddl-Land (Sep 30, 2007)

Ye Gods and little fishes as though any Englishman would post a pic of a French aeroplane - I ask you! Aggie08 gets 10/10. Typhoon F2 and T1 in that order.


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## F4F Wildcat (Sep 30, 2007)

Good call, Aggie. That's one SWEET Machine! 
I thought the front intake was square! 
Good Name for it, too.


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## Aggie08 (Sep 30, 2007)

I definitely approve of the name. Wikipedia says "Rafale" means "squall" in English, so not only do they look similar, they have similar names as well.


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## Glider (Sep 30, 2007)

F4F Wildcat said:


> Dassault Rafale? it's french? And here I thought it was Swedish... *Hits forehead*
> sweet machine.



Its a Typhoon, I was seeing if someone would bite.


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## SoD Stitch (Sep 30, 2007)

Sweet pictures all around! Yeah, definitely Typhoons. I didn't know the RAF was already operating T1's, thought they were still receiving the F2's. I've got a model of an F2 I'm about halfway through with, I'll post pictures when I get the chance. Where is the AO? Scotland? Wales? Looks like the Highlands.


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## F4F Wildcat (Sep 30, 2007)

That's interesting. Didn't know that. You're a marvel, Aggie08!
Well, I bit, Glider. I was curious.


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## Aggie08 (Oct 1, 2007)

Heh, I do what I can. I almost bit on it too, all the Rafale pics i've seen have been from the very front.


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## Downwind.Maddl-Land (Oct 1, 2007)

Some more from TJ (Copyright): All taken in Wales at Bwlch (yes, Bwlch!) and Cad Pass.


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## Gnomey (Oct 1, 2007)

8)


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## Downwind.Maddl-Land (Oct 1, 2007)

And finally, bringing up the rear (where else would you find a Warthog?) and in the Middle Airspace:

(If you look _REALLY_ carefully, you'll see the RAF C-130 underneath it!!!!)

The only aeroplane to get bird-strikes from BEHIND....


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## F4F Wildcat (Oct 1, 2007)

Thanks, Downwind. I'm gonna get tired of asking what these planes are.
Just the small black one. This awesome fighter looks French to me due to the colors. 
It seems somewhat familiar. Hard to figure out what plane it is 'cause it's upside down. 
And I'm not biting this time, Glider, no matter what. Ah, an A-10! Cool! Nice Pic!


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## Downwind.Maddl-Land (Oct 1, 2007)

Its a Hawk T1 (or 1A), Wildcat - mount of the Dead Sparrows, (only their ones are Red).

In Order: Tornado F3, Tornado F3 (lost, in true fighter styleé - going the 'wrong' way!), 'ork T1, Jaguar T2, C-130J and A-10.


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## mkloby (Oct 1, 2007)

It's a Hawk, or a T-45 Goshawk in US service. We use it as a jet trainer.


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## F4F Wildcat (Oct 1, 2007)

Sweet Jet. I looked it up.


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## mkloby (Oct 2, 2007)

Looks like you could kick that landing gear and snap it.


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## Aggie08 (Oct 2, 2007)

It really does. I wonder if placing the nose gear more forward would have created a more stable platform.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 2, 2007)

A normal day for me was between 25 and 50 feet off the ground.

Is that low eneogh?


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## mkloby (Oct 2, 2007)

Aggie08 said:


> It really does. I wonder if placing the nose gear more forward would have created a more stable platform.



Well it looks as though it does have a pretty far aft center of gravity, so I would suspect that it was decently balance - especially since with the tricycle gear you touch the mains first then smoothly lower the nose. It just looks so damn fragile!


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## F4F Wildcat (Oct 2, 2007)

Tell me about it. 
What posessed them to put the landing gear in such odd places??!
Anyone in this era could have found much better ways to place the landing gear. They just messed up. I would have put the 2 main wheels in the back facing the opposite way the front wheel was. That MIGHT have helped, but it'd look stranger than the way it originally was. LOL!


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## pbfoot (Oct 2, 2007)

Has anyone ever noticed that its always the same locales for these lo level RAF pics , the reason there are few N. American pics of the same quality is because it would take a major expedition to find the locales where similar flying takes place the Cold Lake range is 11000 sq km with no civvie traffic , Goose bay is 294000 Sq km I'm not sure about the Red Flag area but I would guess its large also . The pilots are not restricted as to routes or worried about noise abatement . In Goose the major concern with lo level flying is the migratory route of the Caribou


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Oct 2, 2007)

pbfoot said:


> Has anyone ever noticed that its always the same locales for these lo level RAF pics , the reason there are few N. American pics of the same quality is because it would take a major expedition to find the locales where similar flying takes place the Cold Lake range is 11000 sq km with no civvie traffic , Goose bay is 294000 Sq km I'm not sure about the Red Flag area but I would guess its large also . The pilots are not restricted as to routes or worried about noise abatement . In Goose the major concern with lo level flying is the migratory route of the Caribou



Exactly that is also why some NATO countries also have training squadrons in the United States such as the German Luftwaffe which has Tornados based in New Mexico. They have the freedom to train in the US. There is just no room in some countries such Germany to do so without disturbing the population. 

Hell the training areas we used to do our NOE and Mission training in here in Germany are so small we can fly across them in 30 minutes. We were in a helicopter now think of a high speed jet...


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