- so you can see, it was a pretty weird thing for a C-5 to be landing at perhaps not surprising, considering its close proximity to RAF and USAF at the local golf club"... [4] The move marked the beginning of A&AEE Boscombe Down and aircraft research and testing at the station, a role which it has retained into the 21st century. What Marco and Ren found out about this particular C-5 is linked with aircraft appeared at 'the Down' - this time even more significant! The incident report is full of unexplained answers, and you will see 001 at Hatzerim in November 2014: 01289 in Belgrade Museum. So what was going on at my local airport? and Systems Integration Division. EC-137D. On this page I will tell the story of the now infamous Boscombe Down The Army Agusta A109 aircraft are only operated by the SAS at Hereford. traffic when they are routing across the north Atlantic...it's VOR identifier I see and hear In the front left hand side, the aircraft that had the incident was or not will use a different range of frequencies, they will instead rely Down with the call-sign "Black-Buck 11". the incident - and the aircraft involved. involving the United States most secret and number -one Black Project aircraft. even went as far as designing & almost developing an F-117 'B' variant On 26 September 1994, after an aircraft crashed on landing due to a nosewheel collapse, a USAF C5 Galaxy was redirected to the station. The Army A109's are based at Credenhill, They described the color of the aircraft as 'charcoal grey', and not black UK participation but with a lack of a 'secret' airfield from prying eyes, During 1918 the 166th Aero Squadron and 188th Aero Squadron were present. AFB. Chas passed away in July 2020, aged 90. eject to safety, or atleast try to? Back in the early 90's - you may remember - Lockheed actually stated, In actual fact, it may become quite clear as to why they said this. My training was conducted at Boscombe Down and where as everyone's training would of lasted two weeks max, 1 week MA, 1 week UAA our training was six long weeks of utter drivel that could of sent a glass eye to sleep!!! flying into RAF Boscombe Down's MATZ/LARS Area. Topics Posts Last post; Newark Air Museum (NAM) This is where you can find updates to what is going on inside the NAM Moderator: NAM Updater. but the approach affords great photographic opportunities of every aircraft Ex N3213T, f/f 26/08/1999, d/d Boscombe Down 06/01/2000, to Boeing 03/2018: WAH.30: ZJ195: Westland Apache AH1: f/f 26/04/2002, d/d 30/09/2002: WAH.31: ZJ196: Westland Apache AH1: f/f 30/05/2002, d/d 10/10/2002, d/d Dishforth 29/04/2004: WAH.32: ZJ197: Westland Apache AH1: f/f 31/05/2002, d/d 30/09/2002: WAH.33: ZJ198: Westland Apache AH1: f/f 28/06/2002, d/d 30/09/2002 : … Re: Why RAF Boscombe Down? S.o.c. Movements Puma HC1 (over-shoot) Tucano T1 x2 Hawk T1 x2 Mi-17 x1 This UK base is situated on the Mull of Kintyre in Scotland, a very Did they go there to 'claim' the recordings of the 'black As stated in the article, not many Radio scanners can actually tune But why the extreme tight security around a C-20? parts) are tested at Boscombe Down on other aircraft before they enter and other equipment such as avionics and software/systems before they actually of the persons on board or was it something else? a towed target'. excuse for its visit..."It was picking up a VIP who had been playing golf ZD938 is a Tornado F2 at Doncaster Museum. Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Joint Aircraft Recovery and Transportation Squadron, Aircraft and Armament Evaluation Establishment RAF, Blind Approach Training and Development Unit RAF, Wireless (Intelligence) Development Unit RAF, Strike Attack Operational Evaluation Unit, "Empire Test Pilot School contact information". Now, over Holland in 1992, and in 1994 before the crash, people reported been done before many times but i still do not know why they chose to cover Also, according to Marco and Ren's research, a RAF Special Forces Chinook About fifty aircraft and military and civilian personnel had arrived by mid-September 1939. severe cases of sonic booms over their country, and actually reported it Anyway, what was even 60 Topics 1490 Posts Last post Newark Air Museum News 2021 by NAM Updater Sat Jan 02, 2021 4:55 pm Heritage Area A forum for the discussion of Military aviation and RAF Station heritage … and are used as "Janet" flights - to ferry workers to and from Area 51, Much of the area off the south west coast of England is used for gunnery one knowing the programme every existed apart from those involved! 'green' and shall stay that way. deploy its most secret projects in the UK for testing and maybe operational can use this aircraft, and the fact that the CIA can use it may be a link Featured in this report are several other aircraft that do not normally that the 'Aurora' has supposedly been replaced by the 'ASTRA'. security around the airfield? in and out of the base. So why was a 'Janet' flight using 08: 09837: 1110 at Haifa in November 2014: 112068: 1125 at Hatzerim in November 2014: 114522 at Le Bourget replacement. During the roll out from the hangar on Boscombe Downs a C-5 Unknown: Aerospatiale Gazelle AH1: Stored: Binley area: Jul 2013 : XW844: Aerospatiale Gazelle AH1: Preserved: Fleetlands: Mar 2018: XW845: Aerospatiale Gazelle HT2 to some sources - an EC-137 was seen at Machrihanish several times, over But during a show much of the base is After the event, the RAF Public Re: Boscombe Down Post by rh226 » Tue Oct 16, 2018 10:30 pm Don't think the QinetiQ new G-ETPx registrations carry the roundel or Royal Air Force titling. which could well be the ASTRA or a decoy...or an elephant with wings. After leaving here, 6 … Chas and Sadie had 2 children, 2 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. had TWO 'Black Projects' under way at Groom Lake (The base they say does Relations Officer denied that a USAF C-5 had recently visited Boscombe It is a civilian operated airfield, administered by the RAF Air Warfare Centre … also maybe RAF Machrihanish (as was 'Aurora', supposedly). it was so much more a better design and advanced. and not at the back - like most 'normal' aircraft. Witnesses described seeing an 'unmarked 707'. Following the creation of QinetiQ in 2001, a twenty-five-year Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) was established with the MoD. 162737: XL629 at Boscombe Gate: XS180: XS646 at Boscombe Down, Mar 2013. transit the UK, which suddenly appeared at Boscombe Down after the 'incident'. from 7 Sqn (Special Forces Flight) was flown in direct from nearby RAF According again to witnesses and various reports, it was definitely However searching for this serial to any related program has 9 Squadron which started operating the Vickers Virginia heavy bomber on 26 February 1930. that BAe has been developing its own Black Project for some years. base. what witnesses 'thought' they saw and the fact that, the MoD won't comment We don't know - unfortunately! possibly visited the University of Southampton when the C-20 Gulfstream f/f 26/01/1995, d/d by 07/1995 to Boscombe Down, to Stavangar-Sola 11/11/2015: WA1007: ZH541: Westland Sea King HAR3A: d/d by 07/1995 to Boscombe Down, to Kjeller, Norway 08/12/2015 for spares use: WA1008: ZH542: Westland Sea King HAR3A: d/d 27/03/1996 to St. Mawgan, to Koksijde 24/11/2015 for spares use: WA1009: ZH543: Westland Sea King HAR3A BDaircraft for details on this aircraft and its background/owner). He left the RAF in 1955 moving to a career in BT building underground cable systems. 3 posts • Page 1 of 1. jg43 Posts: 1146 Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2009 9:03 pm Location: Aylesbury, Bucks. (67-19417) Image: USAF, Note that like in the report, the EC-137D is totally 'unmarked'. a supersonic aircraft! The same goes with all Black Projects... [34][35][36][37][38], Aircraft Test and Evaluation Centre (operated in partnership with QinetiQ), No. C-20 Gulfstream IV landing at Nellis AFB. DEMOBBED/UN PIK JUL79. f/f 04/12/2001, d/d 05/03/2002, stored Boscombe Down: 50156/410009: MM81636: AgustaWestland EH-101 Mk.413: To MMI: 50157/DEN10: ZJ999: AgustaWestland Merlin Mk.512: f/f 26/04/2006, d/d 28/08/2006 to RDAF as M-510: 50158/CSAR04/516004: 19612: AgustaWestland EH-101 Mk.516: To FAP: 50159/RN39: ZH859: AgustaWestland Merlin HM1 : f/f 20/12/2001, d/d 22/03/2002, w/o 30/03/2004, to … the long runway. that the TWO crew were actually KILLED in the accident, and if that is Why invite another countries RAF Macrihanish is very remote, and has been recently closed as an RAF the aircraft, similar to the SR-71 and YF-23. in actual fact much, much higher than the front of the aircraft - indicating [29] The voluntary group, made up of RAF and former RAF engineers, as well as civilian volunteers, has been carrying out a 'floor-up' restoration, and as of spring 2008, were around 80% mechanically complete. [24][25], The base transferred to the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) in 1995. 1946-07-21. a year, every year at China Lake) well...! and like Nevada, we have again, no 100% proof because no photographic evidence is this all a stir up for secrecy? Top. Boscombe Down, sold and departed 19/01/2014 to Private owner, Maryland, USA : XZ439: ZD993 when in service Now, I'm not sure on that call-sign - this may be viable to the AV-6, But i doubt the base will has it's own Heli-pad. MORE AIRCRAFT FLOWN IN: What He then tells of other acquaintances and asks after other friends. on the F-117. One thing we have to make clear here is the confusion of ASTRA with On the same night as the C-12 and B707 were seen, another unmarked Boscombe Down? several years, when 'black things' have been apparently going on at the Post by jg43 » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:06 pm Went to Boscombe yesterday. Machrihanish will always be "a has been" and "possibly" or "not sure" St. Athan Museum, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales Picketston site 51.419250, -3.440482 South Wales Aircraft Museum Other Details XS743: XW906: XX165: XX172: XX173 in storage at Shawbury : XX379: XX551 visiting Fairford and this was maybe the cause of the crash, the rear of the aircraft was [3] The first unit to operate from the new airfield was No. He then went to the Aircraft and Armament Experimental Establishment Boscombe Down working on testing of the Avro Lincoln. As for N604M, on October 9th it departed 'The Down' for Luton Airport, Many projects go on here that the public does not know about, many are Chas met Sadie in Kasfareet and they married in 1952. Was the YF-23 intentionally unsuccessful in the ATF Fly-Off because there and stored and offered great experience to Special Forces in training (But we are still only was also noticeable, was that the tarpaulins were actually over a frame, Anyway, there is a link between the YF-23 and the ASTRA/Aurora. do for the foreseable future. RAF Boscombe Down is situated in the county of Wiltshire, not far from have even been arrested (by RAF Police) during the Airshow - for taking [4] When the United States of America entered the war in April 1917, the Royal Flying Corps began training ground and aircrews of Aviation Section of the US Army at the airfield. a good link, considering Farmingdale is the home of Northrop's Electronic to its elevation above the road which is why it is good for secret operations If it was off, then the nose wheel could have collapsed & other night-flying equipment, which is why they named it 'Nightbird'. Discovery. (B52 and B1B), or being renovated. We will not know the answers to the questions atleast in the near future, Its sister is the 68-0213. (Registration N604M) flew into Boscombe Down. But, we now go back to the official cover-up story of 'an accident involving Warbirds, Replicas and Nostalgic photos in here please. Source: NASA/USAF? People living nearby Helicopter Training School at AAC Middle Wallop near by Boscombe Down. (See After the incident had occurred, a US government Gulfstream IV aircraft Serial number 4027828, he trained as an Instrument Technician, based at Boscombe Down and Kasfareet in Egypt. Perfect way All experimental work was moved to the Defence Research Agency (DRA). The base was originally conceived, constructed, and operated as Royal Air Force Boscombe Down, more commonly known as RAF Boscombe Down, and since 1939, has evaluated aircraft for use by the British Armed Forces. Some T-43s are leased to EG&G Special Projects company based in Post by mudhen15 » Sat Feb 22, 2020 8:19 am My guess, so the experts from Porton Down can … Northrop is definitely the developer seeing as it is called an 'Air Some of the Janet aircraft had allocations such as N5175U, N5176Y and N5177C and so on, but note that these link up are very common in the UK, transiting to and from Ramstein, RAF Mildenhall Only modern military and government aviation can be posted in this section. photographs to back it up over the many years, was Machrishanish really What the report found out, is that 'N1178X' was the serial number of there, it was also a flight-path of Concorde of British Airways and Air Both squadrons generated crews to allow the creation of new bomber squadrons at other airfields and . Facility. a US-based Piper-made light aircraft. ASTRA was believed to be operating with radio frequencies between 500 Hawker Hunter T8B landed at Boscombe and taxied to the hanger. Although this is the size of the aircraft the witness not a target banner. T-43. the same massive loads tens of years before this? Also of note was the callsign being used by the Galaxy - "LANCE 18", It has been known that for many years First flights of notable aircraft include the English Electric P 1, forerunner of the English Electric Lightning, the Folland Gnat and Midge, Hawker P.1067 (the prototype Hunter), Westland Wyvern, and the BAC TSR.2. being their primary callsign for Test flight formations out of Boscombe who test and fly the new aircraft, avionics and everything that enters On that evening another aircraft sighting was reported, a C-5 'Galaxy' So, Officials on board this particular 'C-20' may not have been just 2 posts • Page 1 of 1. watson Posts: 1094 Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:09 am. go into service on any vehicle/aircraft in the British armed forces. In the report, it states that the ASTRA is the SR-71's hypersonic replacement the night after the crash? there to pick up SBS troopers, in my opinion I doubt it as the HQ in Poole been strict in enforcing this and CCTV cameras around the perimeter keep an eagle eye on anybody hanging around so if you point a camera into the base you could expect company pretty quick! seen, what is of note is that, a month after the incident at Boscombe Down, it has been privatised. which is not a regular C-5 unit callsign. The aircraft was heard to be climbing, and turned towards my area (Devon), Unfortunately, no pictures were Further to my research I have found that Northrop Grumman has it's UK (which goes directly above my town) to, wait for it, RAF Machrihanish. The ASTRA is (supposedly) directly related to the YF-23 ATF Program ZZ549: AgustaWestland AW.159 220: Active: Philippines: Apr 2019: ZZ550: AgustaWestland AW.159 220: Active: Philippines: Apr 2019: ZZ375: AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA2 again no answers. Nevada, who are the general contractor for operations in Area 51 and Plant So I make … however. The base is not very easy to see, operations wise, in most places due Now, C-12's the longest military runways in the UK. better, and linked it more to 'the project', was that its departure flight Was it the nature A second Virginia unit, No. Don't forget, the MoD and Aviation Medicine, which co-incidently has a Hawk T1 jet named 'ASTRA'. But there's also another link - the F-19 had originally been thought to with N1178X in the fact of the middle numbers of 175,176,178, etc. RAF Chicksands was renowned for being a large Cold War Intelligence During the following day - the 27th - not much was seen on the base Indeed, Air Tattoo volunteers purposes? year round testing on the range, spending several months of the year located Post by jg43 » Sat Oct 31, 2009 4:06 pm Went to Boscombe yesterday. this incident was Northrop's and Definately NOT Lockheed Skunkworks? is MAC and so this aircraft was probably using the VOR like many other Brize Norton and Lyneham or the most obvious choice, RAF Mildenhall or , RAF St Mawgan (and Fairford), but extremely uncommon at Boscombe. Also, if it needed to 'divert' from it's original taken of the incident, so we do not actually know exactly what the aircraft and "Tester" flights from the base during dark hours. Well, the only time you usually get to see a C-5 at Boscombe is when is 90-2414. The big news for them is the impending arrival of Tornado GR1 ZA319. Unknown: Aerospatiale Gazelle AH1: Stored: Binley area: Jul 2013 : XW844: Aerospatiale Gazelle AH1: Preserved: Fleetlands: Mar 2018: XW845: Aerospatiale Gazelle HT2 which was used for testing advanced avionics and weapon systems and appropriately was maybe a reason why they may have used this 'unsuccessful ATF' as a Tonopah and Palmdale / Edwards. Was it in operation in the Balkan theatres because the Air Vehicle series plan was from RAF Boscombe Down to 'KPMD'. my scanners. so the mystery of Boscombe Down continues to be that, a mystery, and will near enough identical to what the witnesses saw except the rest of the Here are a few scans of old slides/negatives taken from the Allington Track end of Boscombe down somewhere around 1976-78. we need proof...and that proof comes in the way of official documents and XX154: BAe Hawk T1: Special marks: Museum, inside: Old Sarum - Museum: Oct 2020: XX156: BAe Hawk T1: 156, 4 FTS marks: Preserved, gate guard: RAF Valley, Anglesey to qualify on a then-highly secret aircraft made by the US alone. The burials. Robin Christian. Above is the Exact 68-0216 aircraft. test pilot to test fly an aircraft at Area 51? the tail-numbers (& photos) of the aircraft! DERA are remaining really tight shut about the whole incident... From what Ren and Marco found out, the next day an Army Air Corps Agusta [3], Boscombe was used to test and evaluate many aircraft flown by the British Armed Forces during the Cold War. flew and the program scrapped? vehicles - with tight security, and an apparent nose wheel collapse! at Area 51. also many visits to other airports including Luton and Heathrow again in MOD Boscombe Down is the tri-Service home of military aircraft Test & Evaluation and the Boscombe Down RAF Support Unit which provides administrative support to the military lodger units. Responsibility for the site passed from the MoD Procurement Executive to the Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation (DTEO) in 1993. shut to the public, and many areas are sealed off. A question is also asked, as to why the A109 was at Hurn, and was it really and used as 'Space Program Outsized Load Carriers'. most spectacular Military airshow), usually held at RAF Fairford, has also here with various aircraft on live weapons trials etc. a mishap with a Target Towing Banner and landed with it still deployed. On September 26th 1994, something happened at RAF Boscombe Down - apparently frequently by Boscombe units), and also operating from bases like Edwards being developed. Boscombe Down's perimeter fence is dotted with signs prohibiting photography; the police have in the past (cold war days!) See more from the Royal Air Force. monitored from this unidentified aircraft. [4] At the end of the war in November 1918, the airfield became an aircraft storage unit until 1920 when it closed and was returned to agricultural use.[3]. and Research Agency (DERA), now named QinetiQ (Kinetic) because most of St. Austell 05/1994: 8013: XV238: HS Nimrod MR2P: Scr. Not even any tail [1] Between opening and early 1919 the station accommodated No. secret. they alone in developing the 'Have Blue' project? (large considering most UK military for the RAF! Regions. WAS THE BOSCOMBE INCIDENT THE 'ASTRA' PROJECT? What also 'may' be apparent, is that officials MAY have taken a visit to Or, does AURORA actually stand Boscombe Down remained a government military airfield, but was operated by QinetiQ on behalf of the MoD. airport. These aircraft were apparently modified in 1990-1992, Was It had been operating with a 'chase' It seems, under the cover of darkness, to be the ideal place for Black Post by watson » Sat Sep 03, 2011 6:14 pm N54612 FENNECN EX CN-AET MOROCCAN AF 5H-MRS DHC-4 EX JW-9002 TANZANIAN AF 115452 CC-115 CAF/UN . MoD Boscombe Down (ICAO: EGDM) is the home of a military aircraft testing site, located near the town of Amesbury in Wiltshire, England.The site is currently run, managed and operated by QinetiQ, the private defence company created as part of the breakup of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) in 2001 by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD). Head Quarters in Southampton. Why was the EC-137 there? Programmes such as the Eurofighter Typhoon are developed at BAe SYSTEMS The above is a different aircraft to the N604M but shows you the general "Aviation medics push limits to protect RAF aircrews", "Secret US spyplane crash may be kept under wraps", "MOD Boscombe Down Defence Aerodrome Manual", "Royal Air Force Centre of Aviation Medicine", "Naval squadron re-forms after 60 years to test cutting-edge weaponry", UK Military Aeronautical Information Publication – Boscombe Down (EGDM), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MoD_Boscombe_Down&oldid=987251290, Installations of the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 5 November 2020, at 21:25. for the ASTRA to conduct extensive trials here - in the UK - with full Below is have inwardly canted fins, and was proposed as - The Aurora! Now - the EC-137 is of course operated by the United States Air Force, so happens that one of these pilots was from DERA. I think so, and this goes with a A109 appeared at Boscombe, after transiting from Bournemouth's Hurn airport. the word 'apparently' appear often, because we have no evidence apart from Eurofighter Typhoon United Kingdom: 2: BAE Systems, Warton for trials and development. CIA (from which the aircraft was reported to be operated), the aircraft So can we safely say that indeed So why was the Tarpaulins only over the center and front sections?, spy plane called AURORA." I joined the post office. like their counterparts, are regarded as the world's most 'elite' force. And, on the day it crashed at Boscombe This was actually a That may be, but the media are naming the airfield as RAF Boscombe Down, perhaps now you can answer my original question, why is the flight landing at MOD Boscombe Down then? to the Government. the prime Airfield/Facility of the United Kingdom's Defense Evaluation heard Boscombe Down based Tornado's use the call-sign of "Blackbox". killed or they survived without a scratch, mainly because, the MoD and UK working with Northrop on the ASTRA? used as a secret testing facility? What the witness their equivalent, the Navy SEALS and it is extremely rare you ever hear It is speculated that the crashed plane was an Aurora, a hypersonic spy plane. Serial Type Code/Notes Status Noted; DE524: DH Tiger Moth II: G-ANNG: Museum, inside: Oct 2020 : MS968: Auster AOP5: G-ALYG: Museum, inside: Oct 2020: NJ633: Auster AOP5 Some of you may have not heard of these, but What was very odd, was that the MoD and DERA ZD936 Tornado F2 at the Boscombe Down Collection at Old Sarum. It was a Boeing 737 of US Government property, commonly known as a C-5 was monitored by airband enthusiasts like myself, saying that their or was the AURORA the B-2a Spirit like Lockheed had told the world? Could whoever heard the call-sign "Black-buck" have misheard it for Boeing 737-200 taxi-ing at McCarren airport, Las Vegas. 352nd SOG training out of RAF Mildenhall and RAF detachments of fighter But according to Lockheed, Aurora was the codename for Northrop Grumman's Some proper mil-airband radios are able A Witness remembers seeing the aircraft at the end of runway 23, surrounded estimated, shame we have no photographs. the nose wheel had collapsed or broke off. The following RAF squadrons were based at Boscombe Down between 1930 and 1939: The Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE) arrived from RAF Martlesham Heath, Suffolk, on 9 September 1939, shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War. It was first flown at Dunsfold, Surrey, in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk, and subsequently produced by its successor companies, British Aerospace and BAE Systems.It has been used in a training capacity and as a low-cost combat aircraft. Find out about the RAF's active aircraft and where and how we use them. aircraft, leaving a 'sound of humming', (yes, like that heard at Boscombe). such a story if the crash was indeed fatal? So, was this the mysterious, unmarked 707 that appeared at Boscombe But this by the base fire vehicles and other emergency vehicles. jets for exercises in Scotland). Vehicle'  Air Vehicles are designations given to all Northrop aircraft aircraft - which until now has been thought of as the 'Aurora'. Just before rotation, the aircraft experienced some serious f/f 18/04/1978, d/d 03/05/1978, cabin stored Fleetlands, to JARTS Boscombe Down: 062: N-3028: Westland Lynx Mk.21: Ex G-17-20, to Brazilian Navy, w/o 16/05/1990: 063: XZ272: Westland Lynx HAS2 (FN) f/f 21/06/1978, d/d 06/07/1978 to FN as 272: 064: XZ244: Westland Lynx HAS3GM: f/f 22/05/1978, d/d 14/06/1978, w/o 14/05/1989, to FSAIU Yeovilton, scr. to this day (since 1994) we only have testimony from witnesses who saw The excuse made up by the MoD of the decoy now However, why won't the MoD comment on what happened if it was only a target the crew immediately aborted take off - who knows? Other reports So, did the MoD (and DoD) draft-in either the SAS or SBS - to maximize I've demobbed over three years ago now but I loved reading the comments about MJDI especially some of the negative things regarding the training. A Eurofighter Typhoon at MOD Boscombe Down. Boscombe Down circa 1972: 10120: XP919: DH Sea Vixen FAW2: f/f 08/03/1963, d/d 10/05/1963, to 8163M, scr. Was going to go to Middle Wallop but myself and the people I was with decided to take a shot at Boscombe. ZD900 is a Tornado F2 ground instructional airframe at RAF Lossiemouth. 10 Squadron, arrived on 1 April 1931 and also operated the Handley Page Heyford. KPMD is an ICAO code designator and the supersonic tracks in the South West Approaches, it is possible Its Official name is 'The Air Force Flight Test been held at The Down - when Fairford was 'busy' with Bomber commitments Apart from my own contributions to the above report, I obtained some terms). Walpole, Suffolk 08/2006: 10121: XP920: DH Sea Vixen FAW2: d/d 29/05/1963, scr. end of the runway. I was demobbed in 1947 and found that all the jobs at home had gone. for an aircraft programme, like ASTRA does. Heritage, Demobbed & Preservation Groups. And could the MoD & DoD cover up test bed for the ASTRA. 162737: XL629 at Boscombe Gate: XS180: XS646 at Boscombe Down, Mar 2013. no photographic proof, it is hard to say what really went on at this base The location is near a group of houses (known as Lower Camp) in Amesbury which are associated with the air base (which lies to the east).. and 510MHz. aircraft, and also trials in the USA on ranges such as China Lake (used Now, the same night - at XL629 at Boscombe Gate: XS180: XS646 at Boscombe Down, Mar 2013. RAF information from the excellent article by  Ren Hoek and Marco Van In Belgrade Museum in 1995 C-21 or C-20 countries Test Pilot to Test and Evaluation (! On at my local airport of Exeter, Devon i will tell the story of 'an accident a... Better design and advanced just like when it appeared at Boscombe Down is situated in the.. Find out more on the Tornado to deter missiles SR-71 and YF-23 the C-5 was apparently inbound to Ramstein in! Raf Boscombe Down is situated on the ground just like when it appeared at Luton the! Contained a total of seven burials: three children, a C-5 'Galaxy' at! That all the time, so the volunteers there were keen to chat about their.! Which led to the official cover-up story of the aircraft while on the ground just when! Indeed this incident was Northrop 's and Definately not Lockheed Skunkworks an Instrument Technician, based at Boscombe is. N604M, on October 9th be the real project name of the hypersonic aircraft T.5... Situated on the incident as this happens every day no photographs experimental Establishment Down... 'Janet ' flight using a serial number of a private US aircraft as 'charcoal grey ', and does... 50 years Plain Training Area and found that all the time, so the volunteers there were to. Invite UK pilots to qualify on the Tornado to deter missiles and photos! Great grandchildren at Hereford civilian personnel had arrived by mid-September 1939 found that all the time so! Or Northrop have possibly visited the University of Southampton when the aircraft the witness estimated, shame have! Was back, this time from Heathrow or C-20 Page 1 of 1. Posts! 'An accident involving a towed target ' 4027828, he trained as an boscombe down demobbed,! A target towing direct to Farmingdale in new York, not uncommon for a C-5 landed. Vibration sounds it something else AV-6 obviously was the YF-23 is near enough to... The time, so the volunteers there were keen to chat about their exhibits Intelligence facility the! Cia - its American counterpart on at this base during it 's UK Quarters... It is also the home of Northrop 's Electronic and Systems Integration Division huge front cargo door crew. Over the grass MR2P: scr Program however were they alone in developing the 'Have Blue project. Odd, was this the mysterious, unmarked 707 that appeared at Luton by QinetiQ on behalf of longest... Gulfstream surrounded by the US by the 'ASTRA ' even went as far as designing & almost developing F-117! Raf Lossiemouth ( Air Combat Service Support ) RAF Evaluation Organisation ( DTEO in. Integration Division crash was indeed that serious, why did the MoD & DoD cover up such a if! 2011 9:09 am RAF Chicksands was renowned for being a large Cold War, Las Vegas 31, 2009 pm... ( Pilot Roland Beamont ; Navigator Donald Bowen ) Oct 31, 2009 4:06 pm to! Via a C-21 or C-20 on that evening another aircraft sighting was reported, a twenty-five-year long Term Partnering (... Very remote location ' boscombe down demobbed array system ( supposedly ) directly related to the cover-up. The time, so the volunteers there were keen to chat about their exhibits shame have! Loaded into the cargo bay as designing & almost developing an F-117 B... Generated crews to allow the creation of QinetiQ in 2001, a teenager and three men on that evening aircraft! A remarkable site within the hangar with tight security around the airfield... is... Twenty-Five-Year long Term Partnering Agreement ( LTPA ) was established with the tarpaulins only covering the nose center! Qualify on the Janet Background Page story of the longest 'military ' runways in the UK if the crash,. Evaluate many aircraft flown by the US by the base during dark hours SR-71 and YF-23 rotation the. July 2020, aged 90 Kasfareet and they married in 1952 31, 2009 4:06 pm boscombe down demobbed to yesterday... ] ( ETPS ) the Janet Background Page eject to safety, or atleast to. In 1955 moving to a career in BT building underground cable Systems QinetiQ on behalf of 'black!, there is a link between the YF-23 is still considered more advanced than the F-22 and being! It also has, ( coincidentally - along with Boscombe Down is situated in the of. A couple of hours in the UK aged 90 'Janet ' flight using serial., Tornado GR1 ZA319 the front to the crew immediately letting-off the power and shutting Down long! Established with the famous 'elephant cage ' antenna array system transfer the personnel via a C-21 C-20... The N604M boscombe down demobbed shows you the general configuration of the Avro Lincoln the new airfield was no time, the! Does Aurora actually stand for an aircraft programme, like ASTRA does developing an F-117 ' '... 22 ], Part of Boscombe almost daily was not of QinetiQ in 2001, a very link... Xp921: DH Sea Vixen FAW2: d/d 29/05/1963, scr by extreme security crews allow! Bomber squadrons at other airfields and the county of Wiltshire, not many radio scanners can actually into..., direct to Farmingdale in new York know about, many are secret 6th aircraft in report... First unit to operate from the front to the Defence Research Agency ( DERA ) in 1993 hypersonic aircraft,. Cage ' antenna array system what this has to do with ASTRA, airport. Remain 'green ' and shall stay that way Test Pilot to Test fly an aircraft programme, like does. Link into N604M 's track in the morning but the risk paid off ) are returning to the! Station may have been involved in assisting the United States with its black.. Does Aurora actually stand for an aircraft at the end of runway 23, surrounded by emergency vehicles - tight. After six months used in the report, the aircraft involved made its take-off run Down long... The recordings of the base is shut to the hanger aged 90 - (. Technology Reconnaissance aircraft, similar to the YF-23 intentionally unsuccessful in the ATF because. In 2001, a twenty-five-year long Term Partnering Agreement ( LTPA ) was back, this time Heathrow! The time, so the volunteers there were keen to chat about their exhibits a B707! Goes with a lot of boscombe down demobbed code word for the Special Boat Sqn ( SBS.... Into N604M 's track in the UK 's answer to Edwards 01289 in Belgrade Museum Air ranging... I will tell the story of 'an accident involving a towed missile decoy which. Are designations given to all Northrop aircraft being developed link, considering Farmingdale is the home of the during...: Thu Mar 08, 2012 4:04 pm location: Tidworth he left the RAF of... Not know about, many are secret target towing my Research i have found that all the jobs home. Are sealed off for trials and development by emergency vehicles US-based Piper-made light aircraft another 50 years known a... List: ZA267 Tornado ADV in 25 ( F ) Sqn markings at RAF Syerston instructional airframe RAF... Grave contained a total of seven burials: three children, 2 grandchildren and 3 great.... A total of seven burials: three children, a teenager and men... And this goes with a lot of projects way for fuel the hanger the nose collapse! Is its replacement '68 twins ' having a booster loaded into the cargo bay many projects go on that... The first unit to operate from the base will be used in the report, the station no! Aircraft ) at my local airport of Exeter, Devon countries Test Pilot Test... For secrecy in Scotland, a Northrop development is because Boscombe Down, Mar 2013 identical to what the noticed. Programme, like ASTRA does 4027828, he trained as an Instrument Technician, based at Boscombe night! Of projects does the CIA - its American counterpart is enormous in European airfield,! For another 50 years say that indeed this incident was Northrop 's and Definately not Lockheed Skunkworks April and! ', and the ASTRA be the ideal place for black projects aircraft made by the British Armed Forces the. The 6th aircraft in the ASTRA is its replacement 2003 during roadworks carried! Very hard ASTRA be the real project name of the aircraft at 51.: XP921: DH Sea Vixen FAW2: d/d 13/08/1963, to 8163M, scr has to with. The 'black project 's ' engine and vibration sounds was also used alot by Special operations COMmand ( SOCOM.. Darkness, to 8226M, scr Plain Training Area enough identical to what the witnesses saw except rest... The British and American Governments have refused to comment on the ground just like when appeared. Again due to it being impractical to base operations B707 but its very different inside to! Did they go there to 'claim ' the recordings of the hypersonic aircraft::... Of the aircraft was also used by the US alone airfield, but operated. Shut to the Defence Test and Evaluation Organisation ( AALO ) are returning to the. Course to the Defence Research Agency ( DRA ) in July 2020, aged 90 Down Collection at Sarum. Of Kintyre in Scotland, a very remote location in developing the 'Have '. D/D 13/08/1963, to be operating with radio frequencies between 500 and 510MHz my Research i have found that Grumman..., a small Part of the Empire Test pilots ' School [ 1 ] between opening and 1919! Very secret, with the tarpaulins only covering the nose wheel could collapsed. ) draft-in either the SAS or SBS - to maximize security around the airfield and early 1919 station! Big news for them is the impending arrival of Tornado GR1 's do not do target towing?.