Hi all,
Had the chance to pay two quick visits to Fairford yesterday in the hope of seeing the three B-2A that arrived here in the early hours of Tuesday morning. As I don’t know how long they may be deployed here, I was sweating on seeing them as I’m off to the Czech Republic & Austria tomorrow onwards. So yesterday was the only day I could get out there and hope to see the two that I needed, and even then it had to be quick visits.
I struck lucky as it was a flying day for them and they had all been reported as being seen outside that morning. On getting there around 5pm, 89-0129 (needed) was parked out engine running and lots of fellow enthusiasts were standing along the Whelford to Kempsford road (27 end) waiting for the remaining two to come back from a mission that launched around 13:30. Now this is where social media (Facebook groups) can come in handy. A quick check of some sites confirmed that these missing two were being mid-air refuelled and so I guessed that they were still some time off returning yet.
So off to tea at my Mums and whilst there I received a notification from the “RAF Fairford Spotters” group https://www.facebook.com/groups/332375753559900/ On checking, it was a video of the missing two landing! Bye Mum 🙂
So on arriving back at Fairford around 20:30, all three including 82-1071 (needed) were to be seen parked outside. One on the Southside and two on the Northside where the B-2 hangars are.
82-1068, Northrop B-2A Spirit, 13th BS/509th BW, United States Air Force (1003/AV-3)
82-1071, Northrop B-2A Spirit, 13th BS/509th BW, United States Air Force (1006/AV-6)
89-0129, Northrop B-2A Spirit, 13th BS/509th BW, United States Air Force (1014/AV-14)
So a happy ending and I think even the wife was impressed to see three in one go. As I didn’t see any of them flying, no photographs were taken by me. On seeing Glenn Stanley’s excellent pictures, I asked for permission to use these and they can be seen here with due credit;
Go get them folks…….
Photo credits: Glenn Stanley (http://www.yourdigitalmemories.co.uk/)
Best regards,
Grant Robinson
https://www.oxfordaviationgroup.co.uk/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/oxfordaviationgroup