Boeing 747 lands at RAF Fairford amid B-1B bomber speculation
Two large passenger planes have landed at RAF Fairford[1] today (May 16), likely carrying the crew members and support staff for a squadron of B-1B Bombers. Both flights set off from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas this morning, the home of the B-1B Bomber.
Deployments of bomber groups are never announced by the US Air Force (USAF), but a series of unexpected flights from a major bomber base like Dyess is usually treated as a sign that one is about to take place by aviation enthusiasts. Just last week, a huge C-5 Super Galaxy[2] landed at the Gloucestershire[3] air base, likely carrying parts and equipment ahead of a deployment.
An Airbus A330 set off from Dyess first, winging over the pond to make it to the UK in time for lunch. While a Kalitta Air Boeing 747 flight, also from the Texas home of the B-1B Bomber,[4] set off at around midnight local time before heading out for the long-haul flight over the Atlantic, landing at RAF Fairford at around 4pm likely loaded with USAF crew members.
Though there is no set date for a B-1B arrival, aviation enthusiasts believe the first lot of B-1Bs should arrive by Thursday or Friday this week. It is thought that the 9th Bomb Squadron is the most likely group of B-1Bs to make the journey to Fairford.
The B-1 has been deployed to the US-UK base at Fairford multiple times in recent years and is famous among plane enthusiasts for the unique roar of its engines. This will be the first time the plane has been at the base since USAF began to move its headquarters there this year.
In recent months, the B-1B has participated in training exercises across Norway[6] and the Pacific to improve interoperability with allies and bolster the US' presence in both South East Asia and along the Russian border. In June, there is a massive training exercise scheduled in Germany called Air Defender 2023, which is billed to be the largest air exercise ever with more than 220 aircraft from Germany and the US, possibly including the B-1B.
References
- ^ RAF Fairford (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ huge C-5 Super Galaxy (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Gloucestershire (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ B-1B Bomber, (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ RIAT 2023: More RAF jets announced as Czech display in jeopardy (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ across Norway (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)