Coningsby

[Minty4371]

Is it worth going to Coningsby? What aircraft are to be seen? What is the best day to go? Do you have to pre-book for seeing the BBMF up close?

[Mayfly]

Not as much as you would have done a couple of months ago now the harriers have gone

Best thing is to keep an eye out on Fighter Control site they will give a heads up of anything preplanned, the F15s often go into Coningsby. The King Air use it quite a bit.

No need to pre book for BBMF as far as I'm aware and if you're a member it's free until the end of Feb. The Daks not there tho' shes at Humberside.

[Hihonyr8811]

There are 4 Typhoon Squadrons based there, plus 41sqn which still has it's Tornados and is due to take delivery of two more to replace the harriers it lost .

6sqn (also Typhoons) pop down from Scoland.

As Pam said the F-15s & Cranwell (Kingairs mostly but Tutors too and the occasional Dominie) send it's aircraft there for T&Gs, circuits e.t.c.


Best days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Monday nothing really happends till mid morning and Friday most of them bugger off home after lunch

Every day is differnt and unless something is known to be due in (Like the French or Germans last year for example) it can be hit or miss.

Today there has been a lot of movements, scanner as been non stop all morning Triplex, Gunfighter, Cranwell 95
Wish I was there

There's a bus stop right out side the BBMF hangar and all you do is go in, pay for a tour (was £6 I think last time I went) you get a coloured sticker and they call your colour when a tour guide is avalible
Highly recomend a tour, been 4 times now I think with a different guide each time, and they all have a different aspect to talk about which gives it a pesonal touch
The museum attached is free to look around.

If you go in the spring, Adrian is back with his burger van and if anything is due in he knows about it, and he does really nice cheeseburgers

[Minty4371]

I have looked at times to get there, and back, and it gives me about 7 hours there. Dependant on cost, I may come over to Coningsby to see what is there . I have seen a spotters guide for the airfield, but is there any good places to get photos from, and are there areas that you are not allowed to go to to get photos (ie near the flashing lights on Dogdyke Road). I only have a smallish camera (nearly the same as Helen's). Any help / advice would be appreciated .

[Hihonyr8811]

Both the 25 and 07 end have a 6 foot wood fence so unless you bring a stepladder it's easier to go either to the official viewing area (keep going along Dogdyke road from the BBMF towards the runway lights, can't miss it) as there is also the burger van , or to the mound which is past the viewing area, follow the fence till you reach a small track on the left hand side (if you have the airfield on your left). Go up the track and you'll see a mound of soil, high enough to see over the chain link fence.

If 07 is in use you'll get somethng like this from the mound.







Last photo give a good indication of where the 25 end is (Lanc and Dak).

If you head back into Coningsby village (still on Dogdyke road), when you get to a little round about, go right and follow the signs to the main base entrance, keep going past the entrance till the road runs out, that crash gate gives some good photo ops as it's about where they touch down when 25 is in use. You can see the cars parked there in the last photo (to the left of the tail).