Not sure if I ever showed this off!

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Donivanp

Major
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8,297
Feb 23, 2014
Katy Texas
I did this F-111F a couple years back and donated to my local AF recruiter. Academy F-111F with modes from Hobby Boss for the Pave Tack and the GBU's Afterburner decals.

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Nice one - Lakenheath based ?
Yes. Lakenheath was the main base for the F-111F. The F-111 was almost exclusively one base per model. The FB-111 were stationed at Pease and Plattsburgh. The F-111A's were at Nellis and Mountain Home. The D's were at Cannon and the E's were at Upper Hayford. Little exception to this such as the EF's which were spread out.
 
Yes. Lakenheath was the main base for the F-111F. The F-111 was almost exclusively one base per model. The FB-111 were stationed at Pease and Plattsburgh. The F-111A's were at Nellis and Mountain Home. The D's were at Cannon and the E's were at Upper Hayford. Little exception to this such as the EF's which were spread out.
Hi, I used to live right next to Upper Heyford in the late 70s early 80s and loved it. There was the resident 20th TFW F-111Es (UH tailcode) plus a steady stream of interesting visitors including the odd LN visitor. We even had detatchments of B-52s there for a while. The little village I lived in was right under the flightpath and when the whole squadron was up and came home at teatime, there was a steady stream of 111s joining the circuit then stacking to land. If the wind swapped round then they would take off 'our' end and the racket was magical with the whole squadron on full afterburner. I used to have Mondays off work and would often sit at the end of the runway and just watch the comings and goings and collect the different tailcodes so I knew where they came from. Apart from interesting visitor aircraft, the RAF occasionally made 'surprise' attacks and would whizz overhead and 'bomb' the runway. Also there were regular scheduled supply flights with C141 Starlifters and C5 Galaxy and the ubiquitous C130 Hercules of course. During the Libya crisis we would watch the reporter on the news filming the departing aircraft and seconds later, see that very aircraft flash past our front window on its way to North Africa! We had a squadron of EF-111 Ravens here too, beautiful aircraft. I knew quite a few of the pilots too as many lived locally. All in all a fantastic time and I mourn the loss of military spending that means you hardly see any military aircraft nowadays. The Americans spent a huge amount of money improving Upper Heyford and it was a thriving place, like a little bit of America with their cars a PX and Security Police patrols. If someone had said then that one day they would up sticks and abandon the place I would have said flatly "no way!" but it happened. (sad face)
 
I too lived close to Upper Heyford and well remember the night they flew out on the Libya raid. It so happened that I had set up the video recorder on timer to tape a Kenny Everett programme. Next morning I found that the VHS recording had failed. What surprised me was that when I mentioned it to my neighbour he had had exactly the same experience. I wondered then whether it was the Ravens passing overhead with their jammers on which had caused the malfunction.
 
My favourite Kenny Everett quote / joke:
Kenny: "Great!"
Kenny's Producer: "Yes, doesn't it."
My Dad and I both took a moment, then had quite a laugh. Used it many times, in the following years. Miss seeing all the great older British humour on the TV in America. Of course Monty Python, The Goodies, Dave Allen, and Kenny Everett...
 

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