Recently, we had a beautiful bright Wednesday with blue sky forecast all day. I took the opportunity to take myself off to Lakenheath for a day's shutter therapy photographing aircraft for the first time in ages.
There were three particular reasons for going. RAF Lakenheath has recently seen the arrival of the first F-35A aircraft to be based there: the 495th Fighter Squadron, known as the Valkyries, are now in operation. Second, now that F-35 aircraft are being brought in, some of the oldest fighters of the 48th FW are being retired back to the US. Some of the F-15C aircraft are now well over 35 years old and are reaching the end of their safe operating hours. They will be replaced with more F-35A aircraft, so this was a last chance to see them. Some of them have already lost their characteristic LN tail markings that mark them as being based at Lakenheath. Finally, there were some visitors from 4th FW of the Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, including from the 333rd Fighter Squadron “Lancers” and the 336th Fighter Squadron “Rocketeers” who had brought their F-15E Strike Eagles over. This was probably my last chance to see such a superfluity of F-15C and -E types all in one place.
6 Eagles/Strike Eagles of the 48th Fighter Wing line up waiting to take off. Panorama of overlapping images stitched in Lightroom Classic. Click to embiggen. Left to right: F-15E Strike Eagle, 96-0202; F-15C Eagle, 86-0175; F-15C Eagle, 84-0027; F-15C Eagle, 86-0174; F-15E Strike Eagle, 91-0331; F-15C Eagle, 84-0015
I was there from about late morning through to the early evening, and the aircraft and their crews were working very hard. There was almost non-stop activity of one sort or another with multiple launches and recoveries. The light was perfect for photography and we even had the most amazing sunset.
As an aside, Lakenheath was as busy as I have ever seen it with visiting members of the public taking in the spectacle. I arrived an hour and a half later than I had planned because of various delays on the motorways (including a good hour stuck in roadworks on the M11), but even so, I was surprised how full the visitors' car parking area was. Given the attractions, maybe I shouldn't be. However, I found myself a parking space elsewhere which gave me better access to good light in any case. I went back to the visitors' car park at the end of the day to catch some Eagles in the sunset. All told, an amazing day out!
FWIW: The pictures that follow were all taken with the Nikon 500mm PF lens.
F-35A Lightning II 19-5476/LN waits for an F-15E to depart at Lakenheath
F-35A Lightning II 19-5476/LN coming in to land at Lakenheath
F-35A Lightning II 19-5473/LN afterburner take off at Lakenheath
F-15C Eagle, 86-0164, of the 48th FW taxying at Lakenheath: the LN markings still present
F-15C Eagle 84-0015, lacking the LN marking
Two F-35A aircraft break formation entering the Lakenheath circuit
F-35A Lightning II 19-5473/LN coming in to land at Lakenheath
Lightning II, 19-5476/LN, trails vapour from it tail on short finals at Lakenheath
F-15C 86-0175 lands at Lakenheath
F-15C 84-0027 lands at Lakenheath
F-15E 87-0176/SJ of 4th FW lands at Lakenheath
F-15E of 4th FW on short finals at sunset
Light from the setting sun illuminates the underside on an F-15E
An F-15E streams vapour from the wingtips on a missed approach
An F-15E pulls up into the sunset