It was always my intention when I named my blog ‘railsroadsrunways’ nine years ago to give as even a spread of coverage as was possible to the three forms of transport.
Unfortunately, of late, for various reasons, the ‘runways’ element has been neglected.
The increases in security at military bases, the loss of shows at RAF Waddington and Scampton. The general run down of the numbers of military aircraft although, as a result of the Ukraine war, we might see an upsurge in spending.
Then there has been the Covid pandemic which removed the civil airliner coverage almost overnight.
Things however are improving and it is with much pleasure that I start a series of blogs with an aviation theme.
The ‘Royal International Air Tattoo’ started life 50 years ago as simply the ‘International Air Tattoo’ and during that time, most of the events have taken place at ‘RAF Fairford’ in Gloucestershire.
The use of ‘RAF’ in the name of the base is a bit of a misnomer because it is the ‘United States Air Force’ who are the resident operator.
Usually with bombers from either the B1, B2 or B52 fleets together with their air refuelling tanker support.
This first blog looks at strategic military transports that are derived from civil airliners.
31676 ‘United States Air Force’ ‘ ‘UNITED STATES OF AMERICA’.
Boeing E-4B
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
What better way to start than with ‘Air Force One’, the President of the United States aircraft.
Derived from the Boeing 747-200.
There have been 4 built.
The serial 31676 is an abbreviation of 73-1676 with the 73 being the year its purchase was authorised.
16+02 ‘German Air Force’, BUNDESREPUBLIC DEUTSCHLAND.
Airbus 340-313X
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk
It first flew in August 2000 registered D-AIFB for ‘Lufthansa’.
It joined the ‘Luftwaffe’ In September 2011 and it carries a small ‘Luftwaffe’ marking on the tail.
15003 ‘Royal Canadian Air Force’ CC-106 Polaris.
Airbus A310-304 /1
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
It first flew registered C-FWDX in 1988 for ‘Wardair Canada’ which became part of ‘Canadian Air Lines’ in 1990.
It joined the Air Force in 1992.
With Canada being a bilingual country, for many years Canadian military aircraft have been lettered ‘CANADIAN ARMED FORCES’ on one side and
‘FORCES ARMES CANADIENNES’ on the other.
15003 ‘Royal Canadian Air Force’ CC-106 Polaris.
Airbus A310-304 /2
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
00335 ‘United States Air Force Europe’ (USAFE).
Boeing KC-135T Stratotanker
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
The full serial is 60-00335 with the 60 being the year (1960) its purchase was authorised.
Operated by the USAF’s 100th. Air Refuelling Wing (ARW).
The only ‘ARW’ based in Europe at RAF Mildenhall, Suffolk.
The development that lead to the KC-135 also lead to the Boeing 707.
96063 ‘United States Air Force’.
Boeing KC-46A Pegasus
on Dennis Basford’s railsroadsrunways.blogspot.co.uk’
The full serial is 19-46063 with the 19 being the year its purchase was authorised (2019).
The KC-46A is Boeing model 767-2C, a derivative of the Boeing 767.
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