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Apache Helicopter Gunship!


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Flying perilously low and banking left and right over the A45 / A428 by Northampton yesterday afternoon. A real sight to behold and a heck of a noise when it flew overhead.

We get quite a few, they are awesome sight at low level. Used to get a10s in formation which is something to see, but not seen them for years now.

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I stayed with a good friend out in Marietta, Atlanta....and her Condo was about half mile from the edge of the Atlanta airbase.

The planes there are in the sky all day long training an absolute joy if you are into watching planes at high speed.

Also many many Apache's doing their thing in training. Also saw a Bell AH-1 Cobra as well which is bloody quick for a helicopter.

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  • 2 weeks later...
We get quite a few, they are awesome sight at low level. Used to get a10s in formation which is something to see, but not seen them for years now.

Off topic, I know, but:

The A10s (Warthogs) were based at RAF Alconbury (former US base). Alconbury closed in April '95. They used to practice straffing tank columns using lines of cars on the A1!

Warthog pilots are reknowned for being slightly unhinged (who else would want to fly low level attacks on ground targets which shoot back, whilst sitting in the military equivalent of a titanium bath!) Best sight I saw was a pair flying alongside the A1 with one inverted..at very low level. Pretty skilled stuff.

Show offs, those Yanks!

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A10's were also based at RAF Ben*t*w*a*ters and RAF Woodbridge former USAF bases in Suffolk.

With the arrival of the A-10 Thunderbolt II in USAFE in 1979, the 81st TFW was expanded to six squadrons. Three of these were stationed at Woodbridge.

It was decided to expand the 81st with six A-10 squadrons distributed over both Woodbridge and Ben****ers as follows:

78th Tactical Fighter

(Received A-10s 3 June 1979)

91st Tactical Fighter

(Received A-10s 24 August 1979)

509th Tactical Fighter (Activated 1 Oct 1979) (Grey tail stripe)

(Received A-10s 1 October 1979)

All the A-10 squadrons were tail-coded "WR".

The 91st was transferred to Woodbridge from Ben****ers on 1 February 1980. The 509th was reactivated as an A-10 squadron, previously being an F-102 unit at Clark AB, Philippines.

At Woodbridge, USAFE activated the 509th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The 509th was previously an F-102 squadron at and the 91st was moved to Woodbridge from Ben****ers. On 1 June 1988, the 509th was transferred to RAF Alconbury when the 10th transitioned from a Tactical Reconnaissance to a Tactical Fighter Squadron.

+++

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A10's were also based at RAF Ben*t*w*a*ters and RAF Woodbridge former USAF bases in Suffolk.

With the arrival of the A-10 Thunderbolt II in USAFE in 1979, the 81st TFW was expanded to six squadrons. Three of these were stationed at Woodbridge.

It was decided to expand the 81st with six A-10 squadrons distributed over both Woodbridge and Ben****ers as follows:

78th Tactical Fighter

(Received A-10s 3 June 1979)

91st Tactical Fighter

(Received A-10s 24 August 1979)

509th Tactical Fighter (Activated 1 Oct 1979) (Grey tail stripe)

(Received A-10s 1 October 1979)

All the A-10 squadrons were tail-coded "WR".

The 91st was transferred to Woodbridge from Ben****ers on 1 February 1980. The 509th was reactivated as an A-10 squadron, previously being an F-102 unit at Clark AB, Philippines.

At Woodbridge, USAFE activated the 509th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The 509th was previously an F-102 squadron at and the 91st was moved to Woodbridge from Ben****ers. On 1 June 1988, the 509th was transferred to RAF Alconbury when the 10th transitioned from a Tactical Reconnaissance to a Tactical Fighter Squadron.

+++

I like the automatic profanity detector. Thinks you are saying tw@t. lol

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I stayed with a good friend out in Marietta, Atlanta....and her Condo was about half mile from the edge of the Atlanta airbase.

The planes there are in the sky all day long training an absolute joy if you are into watching planes at high speed.

Also many many Apache's doing their thing in training. Also saw a Bell AH-1 Cobra as well which is bloody quick for a helicopter.

I spent 4 weeks in Marietta last year too - the airbase is also the production site for Lockheed Martin where they make the F22 Raptor fighter. Was really good seeing them being initially tested.

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A10's were also based at RAF Ben*t*w*a*ters and RAF Woodbridge former USAF bases in Suffolk.

With the arrival of the A-10 Thunderbolt II in USAFE in 1979, the 81st TFW was expanded to six squadrons. Three of these were stationed at Woodbridge.

It was decided to expand the 81st with six A-10 squadrons distributed over both Woodbridge and Ben****ers as follows:

78th Tactical Fighter

(Received A-10s 3 June 1979)

91st Tactical Fighter

(Received A-10s 24 August 1979)

509th Tactical Fighter (Activated 1 Oct 1979) (Grey tail stripe)

(Received A-10s 1 October 1979)

All the A-10 squadrons were tail-coded "WR".

The 91st was transferred to Woodbridge from Ben****ers on 1 February 1980. The 509th was reactivated as an A-10 squadron, previously being an F-102 unit at Clark AB, Philippines.

At Woodbridge, USAFE activated the 509th Tactical Fighter Squadron. The 509th was previously an F-102 squadron at and the 91st was moved to Woodbridge from Ben****ers. On 1 June 1988, the 509th was transferred to RAF Alconbury when the 10th transitioned from a Tactical Reconnaissance to a Tactical Fighter Squadron.

+++

Ahhh I remember them going over our house alot.. A-10's sounded awesome..

Now we get the Police Chopper Essex or Suffolk depending on if Suffolk's is out of action, the Sea Kings and the Apache's all from Wattisham. RAF Woodbridge is back in operation now also. But I think more of a back seat in terms of Squadrons.

Wattisham has few Apaches and they sound awesome when really close..

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We get quite a few, they are awesome sight at low level. Used to get a10s in formation which is something to see, but not seen them for years now.

re Apache sighting -- Croughton is near there, believe a communications station these days.

IIRC the A10s were all based at either Alconbury ( Huntington area ?) /and/or Woodbridge( Suffolk). When the bases closed they took their toys home. We used to see the A10s a lot in Norfolk, flying out to sea or along the coast, usually in twos or threes, very quiet engines.

Saw an AWACS ( basically a converted 707 - but some conversion ! ) over the main road south of Thetford last summer, looked as though it was on finals to Mildenhall........ awesome sight, sunroof was really useful for a few seconds.....

over the years I spent a bit of time in a back lane near Coltishall (Norfolk)........ watching Lightnings, Jaguars, couple of Canberras and anything else they had there. No longer a RAF station.

Seen one Apache, menacing is a good way to describe how they look.

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But I bet they don't sound as good as an RAF F-4 on full burner...+++

forgot those....... went past Lakenheath in mid 1970s and parked at the end of the runnway when they were landing, and even that noise ( closed -ish throttle ) was ear splitting.

Bet if you did that now the Military Police would be there pdq to find out what you were up to.

Imola S4 was based there, I expect he got sent home as it's several years since he was on here.

Didn't know there were Apaches at Wattisham, must pay more attention.

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I work near to where a lot of the planes destined for Mildenhall use a marker (British Sugar on the A14 in Bury St.Edmunds) so see quite a few planes circling from the office windows on a nice day.

Seen some stealth bombers, b-52's (they look huge) and the odd awacs.

Used to have loads of A-10's going over my old middle school playground when I was a youngster. Everyday they would fly over and not forgetting the Phantoms which would make very regular flybys...

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Ahhh I remember them going over our house alot.. A-10's sounded awesome..

I live on Anglesey, near to RAF Valley.....over the years I`v seen and heard them all....bar the stealth aircraft.....but I have to agree with you about the A10.....by no means the loudest aircraft....but the sound of those turbo-fan engines whinning away as the A10`s circled overhead was rather un-nerving.......you almost expected them to suddenly enter a dive and unlesh that mighty cannon.

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