GP, do you know how many Alpha Jets RAF acquired? Are they a better training jet than the BAe Hawk?
I don't know how many they acquired but may be able to find out. I also don't know how they compare to the Hawk, but I expect they are similar
in performance or the RAF wouldn't have bought them.
GP, do you know how many Alpha Jets RAF acquired? Are they a better training jet than the BAe Hawk?
I asked one of my colleagues here in work who is a plane spotter about these. The RAF got either 6 or 8 Alpha jets in the early to middle 1990's from the German Air Force. Rumour at the time was they were to replace the Hawk, but the RAF will replace the Hawk TMk1 and TMk1A with a new version of the Hawk called Hawk 128. The Alpha jets are all based at Boscombe Down and are operated by the Test Pilot School which is where the RAF trains gifted military pilots to be test pilots. Students get to fly a wide variety of types of aircraft during their course including visits to other air forces and sometimes they evaluate civil types aswell. Once they graduate they do the test flying on new types before releasing them to Operational Conversion Units.
I asked one of my colleagues here in work who is a plane spotter about these. The RAF got either 6 or 8 Alpha jets in the early to middle 1990's from the German Air Force. Rumour at the time was they were to replace the Hawk, but the RAF will replace the Hawk TMk1 and TMk1A with a new version of the Hawk called Hawk 128. The Alpha jets are all based at Boscombe Down and are operated by the Test Pilot School which is where the RAF trains gifted military pilots to be test pilots. Students get to fly a wide variety of types of aircraft during their course including visits to other air forces and sometimes they evaluate civil types aswell. Once they graduate they do the test flying on new types before releasing them to Operational Conversion Units.
Thanks for the info, GP! Never knew the RAF flew the Alpha Jet until yesterday, albeit just a handful of them. Cheers!
__________________ Lufthansa - Star Alliance member since 1997
It's amazing how other countries fly foreign jets. Like the USAF operate(d) a squadron of MiG's from Russia and China. I've even seen one of the HIND helos based out at Nellis.
Here's a shot I took in 2006 of a MiG-29 at a USAF base.
It's amazing how other countries fly foreign jets. Like the USAF operate(d) a squadron of MiG's from Russia and China. I've even seen one of the HIND helos based out at Nellis.
Here's a shot I took in 2006 of a MiG-29 at a USAF base.
Sagar
Nice picture...
we had several US operated Hinds and Hips oppose us in many training exercises... very cool crews. We were picked up by one Hind and the pilot yanked us around a bit....one of the most fun flights I have ever had.
Did you know about that ?
Re: Did you know about that ?
