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If you can't stand the heat...

...don't got to Waddington in July! Reports Guy Harvey. Additional photography by Rick Sleight (where credited).

Each year, high summer in Lincolnshire heralds the annual ACMI multi-national Exercise NOMAD, attracting up to forty fast jets or so from a variety of European nations. This year was no exception, the sweltering weather in early July attracting a veritable hive of Hornets, Mirages, F-16s and Tornados for the three-week exercise.

RAF participation was from 43 Squadron, normally based at Leuchars, who brought a few ex-Operation Telic jets complete with nose art, while foreign air forces included the French Armee de l'Air, Belgian Air Force, Spanish Ejercito del Aire and the Swiss Flugwaffe. Both the latter two sent F/A-18 Hornets, with no less than sixteen present on the airfield. So hot was the non-stop action on some days, it was better than most airshows!

For an in-depth look at the ACMI facility and range, see Gary Parsons's rather spiffing 2001 Nomad report here.

Details of aircraft present - courtesy of Rick Sleight

Tornado alley

Spanish scorchers

Swiss cool

Gatecrasher

RAF Detachment [Parked on Bravo Dispersal]: Tornado F3
ZE161/'UU' - This aircraft carries recent Gulf War markings of 4 Black Aces and the words/ numbers 'Lacey 28' on the starboard nose wheel door, to depict the WWII ace and the number of his kills. It also carries artwork depicting the cartoon character 'Foghorn Leghorn', pushing a sword through Saddam Hussein's head on the port side of the front fuselage, with the wording 'Operation Telic 43' below the artwork.
ZE164/'UQ' [no markings] - This aircraft also carries recent Gulf War markings of 4 Black Aces and the words/numbers 'Johnson 37' on the starboard nose wheel door, to depict the WWII ace Johnny Johnson and the number of his kills.
ZE200/'UM' [5 Sqn tail markings].
ZE206/'UI' [no markings] - This aircraft carries recent Gulf War markings of 'Tracey Shaw Thing' and the Soccer AM logo on the port side of the front fuselage. It also has the name 'The Colonel' painted below the cockpit rail on the port side, above the artwork.
ZE291/'GQ' [full front fuselage and tail fin markings but no checker band on tail fin].
ZE338/'YV' [no markings].
ZE737/'YM' [no markings] - This aircraft carries recent Gulf War markings of 4 Black Aces and the words/ numbers 'Stanford Tuck 28' on the starboard nose wheel door, to depict the WWII ace Stanford Tuck and the number of his kills. It also carries artwork depicting the cartoon character 'Roger The Dodger' on the port side of the front fuselage, with the wording 'The Dodger' below the artwork.
ZE793/'TE' [no front fuselage markings but tail fin markings without checker band on tail fin].
ZE810/'XU' [no front fuselage markings but tail fin markings with only parts of the checker band on the tail fin].
ZG757/no code [no markings] - This aircraft has the faintly painted words 'Hi Sue' just next to serial on the port side of the tail fin.

Falcon furnace

Mirages in the heat

FAB Detachment [Parked on Charlie Dispersal]: F-16A/BM [all no markings]
FA-66 2 Wing
FA-76 10 Wing
FA-84 2 Wing
FA-88 2 Wing
FA-93 10 Wing /31 Sm
FA-97 10 Wing
FA-98 10 Wing
FA-99 10 Wing
FA-117 2 Wing
FB-15 10 Wing

AdlA Detachment [Parked on Charlie Dispersal]:
525/'12-YP' EC 01.012 Mirage 2000B
526/'12-KO' EC 02.012 Mirage 2000B
38/'2-FK' EC 01.002 [EC 02.002 markings] Mirage 2000-5
46/'2-EN' EC 01.002 Mirage 2000-5
62/'2-ED' EC 01.002 Mirage 2000-5
65/'2-EK' EC 01.002 Mirage 2000-5
76/'2-EB' EC 01.002 Mirage 2000-5
87/'12-KN' EC 02.012 Mirage 2000C
100/'12-YG' EC 01.012 Mirage 2000C
106/'12-YU' EC 01.012 Mirage 2000C

EdlA Detachment [Parked on Delta/Echo Dispersal]:
C.15-44/'12-02' Ala 12 EF-18A
C.15-46/'12-04' Ala 12 EF-18A
C.15-54/'12-12' Ala 12 EF-18A
C.15-59/'12-17' Ala 12 EF-18A
C.15-84/'46-12' 462 Esc F/A-18A [ex-USN 162465]
C.15-86/'46-14' 462 Esc F/A-18A [ex-USN 161939 and AMARC Inv. No. AN1A0041]
C.15-87/'46-15' 462 Esc F/A-18A [Also marked 161950, ex-USN 161950 and AMARC Inv. No. AN1A0062]
C.15-93/'46-21' 462 Esc F/A-18A [Also marked 161954, ex-USN 161954 and AMARC Inv. No. AN1A0055]
C.15-96/'46-24' 462 Esc F/A-18A [ex-USN 162444 and AMARC Inv. No. AN1A0048]
CE.15-08/'12-71' Ala 12 EF-18B [Also marked 162902 on port side, which is a live USN F/A-18A serial!]
CE.15-10/'12-73' Ala 12 EF-18B

Swiss AF Detachment [Parked on Delta Dispersal]:
J-5006/'006' no markings F/A-18C
J-5009/'009' no markings F/A-18C
J-5017/'017' Stfl 17 markings F/A-18C
J-5025/'025' no markings F/A-18C
J-5237/'237' no markings F/A-18D

FRA Detachment [Parked on Bravo Dispersal]:
FRA Falcon 20s G-FRAT & G-FRAS

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