Exercises

  FOB's or Forward Operating Bases have been set up into which various elements are flown in, this is to replicate a move away from a permanent base in a fast moving war situation. These events can vary in size and aircraft types depending on the scenario.

FAC Forward Air Controller training is the most common training now undertaken in the area. These are mobile ground staff who training to utilize fast jets calling in air strikes or air drops on a specific target.

Spadeadam

In the northern corner of LFA17 is Spadeadam LFA13. This is the RAF’s largest base in Britain which is on the old Blue Steel test establishment site, now the only facility in Europe where aircrews can practise manoeuvres and tactics against a variety of threats and targets

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This page will be for news of forthcoming events and NOTAMS (notice to airmen) that could affect the area.

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Past Exercises & Shows that were held within LFA17

One of the numerous sorties that took place as part of the exercise Rising Panther.  

Arriving at Carlisle for the exercise TacBlaze the Royal Netherlands Air Force RNLAF brought their largest deployment for this exercise to date.

Once again the Royal Netherlands Air Force deployed to Carlisle this time the exercise was under the banner of TAC UK.

The Festival of the Sea at Whitehaven was the backdrop to this air display

Tagging onto the last week of the RNLAF at Carlisle was a large airborne exercise using Carlisle as a FOB

April 2013 and the return of the RNLAF to Carlisle for their HWIC

The RNLAF return to Carlisle for their second TAC Blaze of 2012

The RNLAF Helicopter Commands TAC Blaze of 2012 begins

Windermere 2011 promised to be the biggest air show ever as a new organization took over the running of the event

Carlisle played host again to the RNLAF for this years TAC Blaze exercise

   Once again over the weekend of 28th and 29th of July, Windermere's Rotary Club staged their Gala day on the Glebe at Bowness

    From 20^th February till the 28^th, Carlisle played host to 3 Regiments 663 Sqn of the AAC as they took part in exercise Lightning Force.

  The Second World War Airfield of Walney was brought out of military retirement once more for another training exercise

   Exercise Herrick Eagle   was a designed to test out the rapid reaction of the 16th Air Assault Brigade. Most of this two week exercise had been carried out on Salisbury Plain

   On the14^th & 15^th September.  Exercise Wycombe Warrior was to provide a realistic coalition training exercise

   Deploying to Carlisle from Dishforth, Apache helicopters of the 9th Regt AAC a number of  Lynx plus all their ground crew

    Over the weekend of 29^th & 30^th July Lake Windermere in the heart of the Lake District became the venue for what must be one of the most stunning places in the country to hold and Air Show

Visits & Exercises

The following pages are of visits made and of trips taken

Scotnigt (Lossiemouth)   Since 1998 the Swiss Air Force have practiced their F18 night flying in Norway. Nevertheless this November they intend to do this training at Lossiemouth in Scotland.

Brimstone Trials (Warton)    Another milestone has been reached at BAE Systems Warton with the ongoing development of the Typhoon project known as Centurion.

Joint Warrior16-2 (Lossiemouth)    The second of the biannual exercises incorporating land sea and air forces known as Joint Warrior set to run from the 8th to the 20th Oct got underway. This UK lead exercise supported by forces from around the world

Joint Warrior16-2 /Noble Arrow (Leeming)    RAF Leeming became a hive of activity from the beginning of October with the arrival of two Swedish Armed Forces UH60 Blackhawks for there deployment for Helicopter Electronic Weapons Training the helicopters were based at Leeming and at least one would fly each day to Spadeadam spending all day on the range before RTB to Leeming of an evening.

Jaded Thunder (Leeming)    Jaded Thunder which is normally undertaken in the US took place for the first time in the UK, from the 11th to the 22 July.

Griffin Strike (Leeming)    Four French Air Force Rafale's from their bases at Mont de Marsan and St Dizier arrived at RAF Leeming

Joint Warrior 16-1 (Lossiemouth)    For the first Joint Warrior of 2016 Lossiemouth and some of its based Typhoons, played host to both MPA and fighter aircraft from six NATO counties.

Storm Shadow trials at Warton    Italian aerospace and defence company Finmeccanica-Alenia Aermacchi along with its Instrumented Production Aircraft 2 (IPA2) MMX-614, arrived   at Warton in Lancashire

BAE Systems Warton     A major milestone for BAESystems at the start of as part of a £1.6 billion project to supply the Royal Saudi Air Force with its next generation of training aircraft

Joint Warrior 15-2 (Leeming)     In conjunction with JW15-2 Seven Tornados IDS of Tactical Air Wing 51 FROM THE German Air Force arrived at RAF Leeming for a two week deployment.

Joint Warrior 15-2 (Lossiemouth)     Joint Warrior is one of the largest tri-service and multinational exercises of its kind in Europe, providing high quality coordinated training at the tactical level for all three UK Armed Services and numerous units from allied nations

Indra Dhanush IV (Coningsby)   Coningsby hosted the Indian Air Force when they returned to the UK with their Sukhoi SU-30MKI-3 Flankers for the latest Anglo Indian exercise Indra Dhanush IV.

Joint Warrior 14-2   The biannually held Joint Warrior exercise is the largest exercise held within the UK and Europe. This exercise is unique in that it uses live assets from all of the armed forces (land sea & air) from numerous NATO nations.

Joint Warrior 14-1  In terms of personnel the largest Joint Maritime Course JMC to date took place over the 31st March – 11th April 2014the first of two NATO JMC exercises

Farewell VC10  With just two days before the VC10’s final departure from Brize Norton and RAF service.

Green Flag 2013  A two week exercise at RAF Coningsby during the first two weeks of September 2013, saw the RAF hosting guests from the Royal Saudi Air Force to take part in Exercise Saudi-British Green Flag

70th Anniversary Flypast  2013 saw the 70th anniversary of the founding of 617 Squadron and the Dams Raid

Joint Warrior 13-1 Joint Warrior 1213-1 was to be one of the largest JMC execise to date with over 13,000 personel from 9 NATO countries

Langkawi International Maritime Aerospace Exhibition 2013   Page1                                                      Page2   The exhibition saw major aircraft manufactures competing to sell MRCA aircraft to the Malaysian Air Force

Lossiemouth QWIC 12-1 Held at Lossiemouth in October this years Qualified Weapons Instructors Course QWIC 2012

Joint Warrior 12-1 After the closure of Kinloss it was Leuchars that helped support Lossiemouth in the latest JMC exercise Joint Warrior 12-1

Langkawi International Maritime Aerospace Exhibition 2011 The exhibition saw major aircraft manufactures competing to sell MRCA aircraft to the Malaysian Air Force

41Sqn 95th Anniversary  A presentation took place at RAF Coningsby on the 23rd September to celebrate the 95 years of distinguished service of1Sqn.

Although not sure of its future at the time of this exercise, JW11-1 would be the penultimate exercise that Kinloss would host before it ceased to exist as a RAF station.

A service and fly-past has been held to mark the 65th anniversary of the World War II Dambusters mission.

     Joint Warrior which was formally know as Joint Maritime Course (JMC), is a biannual Air and Maritime exercise held in Scotland, 

      Moments later, Tristar ZD953 call sign Fagin 11 started its three RB211 engines completed their checks and we were taxing

                     Leaving its usual operating base of Florennes Air Force Base in Belgium relocated at RAF Kinloss for the very first time

                   Home to the Four operational  Harrier Squadrons RAF Cottesmore is now the center of  the Joint Force Harrier

  The aim of Exercise SKYLANCE was to provide joint collective training in a multi-threat environment for UK units and invited NATO and Allied units and their staffs

  Exercise Saudi Green Flag 07 was the second half of a squadron exchange, in which 617 Sqn at RAF Lossiemouth hosted eight Tornado aircraft from the Royal Saudi Air Force

  The Marham Wing is one of the largest and busiest in the RAF, operating 4 Squadrons of Tornado GR4 aircraft in the attack and reconnaissance roles

  After departing its home base of Brize Norton, the Tri-Star ZD951 of 216 Sqn headed to the air to air refueling area 6

  Before the team left the UK the new flying members where chosen from this year’s applicants and flying training began in earnest

   The squadrons anniversary weekend began on Friday afternoon when a nine ship diamond formation departed Leuchars and flew around the region to mark their years as an RAF squadron

Playing host to the Hornets at Lossiemouth was 14Sqn. The flying routine for the Hornets became two sorties per day with four aircraft the fifth aircraft staying at Lossiemouth as the spare