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The RAF have also been using Pendine Sands, in West Wales recently to do Beach Landings.
I’ve got a nice video of my two boys making sandcastles on Saunton Sands devon with a Hercules landing on the beach in the background – probably 2005 or 2006. Will get it on youtube one day. We were there this year and a couple of Hercules did flypasts but no landing. Chinooks also flying around and had Apaches flypast last year, seemed to be based at Chivenor
Great videos, though I missed one about the Herc carrier ops tests –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar-poc38C84
Just to complete the line-up. :)
Cheers
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ar-poc38C84
Like the idea of roads as landing strips. Just add a concrete area of the road and you have an emergency military runway within hours – pretty smart.
C17 dirt landing and takeoff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diX3x6ffvSA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXnc_w2XwfY&feature=related
jaguar landing and taking off
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAVDOBWtBuU&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_strip
Suprised how may countrys have motorway that can become landing strips
Republic of Singapore Air Force
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnkNaF45BK0
C17 dirt landing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diX3x6ffvSA
C17 dirt take off
funny americans didn’t think the were going to get pelted with rocks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXnc_w2XwfY
@Adam Sugden – excellent videos Adam, thanks. Especially liked the RSAF F16s pulling wheelies.
The swiss make sure all their highways are able to take aircraft, if they ever get invaded they would constantly move their airfields to prevent them being destroyed.
How to save when buying a carrier wing (don’t buy the carrier):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNtFc0Z44m8
This is why the government should buy f35c to supplement the f35b and not f35a if the are going to buy two variants + it makes sence for joint operations with other countries.
Netherlands also equips its runways at its airbases with traps. which is a useful idea
@ tjposhea,
I imagine any half competent enemy of the Swiss will have access to Google Earth at the least, and will therefore prophylatically bomb*** straight bits of Swiss motorway, as the Swiss have been so foolish as to issue PR photos with identifiable scenery in the background. In addition to the known airbases.
Such bombing would also screw up the road network even if it is not being used as temporary runways.
*** Not necessarily from the air, in fact probably not. Instead by infiltrators. Maybe leave half the possible sites untouched to encourage the Swiss to believe they have a better option than repairing runways. Narrow them down to a couple of sites, before a big attack that removes entirely their ability to get airborne. Then you can send in the land forces, who won’t be paying any of the outrageous tolls on the motorways either. Drive over the dinky little barrier instead.
Look, RT, the cavalry finally had their say, after 120 years:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/switzerland/1317723/End-of-road-for-Swiss-army-bike.html, as they were always opposed to competition,
but
there are still a few speed bumps in the way, once you break that barrier down:
Leopard 87 – Leopard 2 A4 main battle tank (224 in service)
M113 armored personnel carrier (580 in service)
APC 2000 – variant of CV9030 infantry fighting vehicle (186 in service)
APC 93 – variant of Piranha II 8×8 wheeled APC (515 in service)
Reconnaissance variants of Eagle I-II patrol vehicle (326 in service)
M109 self-propelled howitzer (224 in service)
Piranha TOW – anti-tank variant of the Piranha I 6×6 (120 in service)
Re Saunton Sand’s
Do the RAF still do beach landing there? And is there any advance notice of them doing so?
Dave
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_hangar
IIRC the Gripen was designed to operate from ad hoc and semi-prepared strips – can be armed, fueled and maintained by a ground crew of 5, one professional and 4 conscripts.
Add in the news its the most cost effective modern jet fighter and I’m wondering if it could be a Harrier replacement… And I’m a STOVL fan!
Correction: ” During the Cold War, the Swedish Armed Forces were preparing to defend against a possible invasion from the Soviet Union. Sweden elected to disperse military aircraft over the country to maintain an air defence capacity during an invasion.[58] The JAS 39 was thus, with excellent performance, able to take-off from snow-covered runways of only 800-metre (2,600 ft).[43] Another requirement is a short-turnaround time of just 10 minutes by a technician and five conscripts;[59] meaning re-arming, refuelling, necessary inspection and servicing must be carried out in under 10 minutes between flights.[43]The principle of many parts of the airframe do not require maintenance or are low cost to maintain, as well as the physical structuring of the aircraft, means that Gripen will have a notably longer life than the preceding Viggen, expected to be around 50 years.[56]”
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saab_JAS_39_Gripen