Exploring old RAF base airfield with disused jets and helicopters
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- čas přidán 15. 09. 2018
- Exploring old RAF base airfield with disused jets and helicopters
In this video you get to join us as we explore this old RAF airfield . This was just one of the locations we explored on our exploring/camping trip .
The airfield is not abandoned but has a few disused jets and helicopters around the site along with some empty abandoned buildings but we did not have time to explore the buildings .
#exploring #abandoned #rafbase - Zábava
I like the fact that you guys show respect to the sites and respect the property. Well done gents!
That's what we are about Chris 👍 we respect the places we visit as if they are our own . We dont believe in vandalism or breaking windows or kicking doors down to gain access . If theres no way in then we walk away 👍
@@FloodTheTheme Yes lads. Respect is what it's all about. I like those ethics of yours.
Edward Brady Ethics ? No, this base is in Suffolk just up the road 👍🏻
This is a waist of good aircraft the government has waisted billions of taxpayer money scrapping and disarming the country it's a criminal waist.The phantoms were still in good Order when they were retired from service .to be replaced with the Tornado F3 version now their gone to the scrap heap too .fukn government.
"property" ?
Whose ?
Be wary of the arrestor hook on the Phantom. If the latching mechanism fail and the hook drops.. & you’re beneath it, it will maim or kill you.
As I kid my dad was in the U.S. Air Force and we were stationed there in England at RAF Bentwaters but we lived on RAF Woodbridge. We were there from 1988-1992. I was just a kid then but I still think about that place and I miss it a lot.
Brought back fond memories when I saw the F4's. Was in the USAF between 1968-1972 and worked on the radar system on the F4E. Would enjoy being able to explore an old base with some discarded jets sitting around like that. Hats off to you gents for the respect you show during your visits.
Thanks Gerry 👍 the place was pretty amazing to see . We got invited into a hanger were they restore them but they asked us not to film or photograph while we was in the hanger . We didn't get any footage of inside the hanger as we respect what they asked but it was amazing to see them working on some old jets .
Man, who doesn't love old jets. Brilliant video!
Urbexy thanks 👍👍
This place looked well cool.
Keep up the good explores EWC 👍
I used to love flying in the Lynx. The Phantom is one of my favourite aircraft.
I take it from the crest you was a medic ....i was a RAF Fire Fighter , long time ago now although it doesn't seem it :-)
@@zeberdee1972 Yes combat medic and a nurse. It was a long time ago for me too
The value of this kit in years go by.....mind blowing.
Awesome.
well done lads
The F4Cs were transferred to Spain when the 81st TFW transitioned to the A10. To the best of my knowledge there were no RAF F4s at Bentwaters. I left there in 1984 and the base closed in the early 90s. The A10s went to Ramstein AB in Germany.
Good on you guys.
"always put things back how we found them"
massive respect for that!
great footage
Thank you 👍
Those Phantoms rot for a past time due to the high magnesium content. Don't go under them.
I one worked on the red white and blue one as an apprentice when she was still flying. In fact she retired that same month along with the Bucaneers.
Brilliant
I - MUST - GO - THERE!!!!
So sad to see these once amazing flying machines left to rot and decay, but great video and clarity along with the subject matter, a few Phantom's in varying conditions and a couple of gutted out Lynx, the sports car of the air..
Thanks David 👍 hopefully they will get some of them back up and running
hundreds more in the bone yards in the states
Airframes have a limited number of hours and once exceeded they cannot fly. They are stripped of anything useful and then normally scrapped.
Airframes have a limited number of hours and once exceeded they cannot fly. They are stripped of anything useful and then normally scrapped.
Excellent video👍
Thank you 👍
74 squadron f4j at Bentwaters. Used to fly over our house when I was a kid. These ones now owned by Everett Aero
My grandad served with 74sqn and 111sqn and worked on the F4. Chances are he worked on that specific F4 too. He uses to fit the ejection seats etc...
F-4J and K's of 74 SQN , last flown operation at RAF Wattisham . Most of those Fighters where bought of the USA and some of those Jets actually were used in Vietnam before being sold to the RAF . The Helicopters are Army Air Corp Lynx .
F-4K was a UK only model, never operated by the United States.
The F-4J's bought in were ex USMC. They were the lowest timed airframes that the US had. So if they had seen any action in Vietnam, I cant imagine it would have been extensive.
@@stuco81 Probably but I was told that some of the air frames had battle damage that had been repaired long ago . The war ended in 1972/3 I think so it is possible .
They are mk9 Lynx I may have even played a part in there service life, not that I remeber any tail number from when I work with 7bn REME.
Nice one chaps.
Thank you 👍
We had 5 squadrons of F-4s between Bentwaters and Woodbridge up to 1978. I know I was stationed there from 77-80. We changed to the A-10 in 78.
Went to a lot of airshows at Bentwaters over the years. Saw the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds there, when they both flew the Phantom.
We were at the last open day before they closed, A sad day for the locals.
Then in more recent years, Caroline Grace flew her Spitfire from Bentwaters. Unbelievably, there were people there who complained about the noise. She doesn't keep it there any more.
@George Robartes I wonder if you saw the Royal Navy Phantom display, just after the transatlantic air race ? I was always a Lightning fan, but the Phantom display was really something else. It was all at low level due to the weather, and all at high speed.
nice explore lads, we also urbexers explored an RAF mock airfield with planes yesterday and was epic
The White over blue Phantom II seen at 7:27 is a pre-production F4-K, powered with Spey turbofan engines in place of the U.S. J-79 turbojets. If you look up F4-K on wiki, you can see a picture of what looks like that same plane flying back in 1983. I'm guessing the restoration project is focused on that aircraft, and the rest are spares.
Ex RAE Boscome Down aircraft, hence the colour scheme.
No it is not, by the outfit at Bentwaters.
I have the tail number of one of the lynx in my logbook. Such a great aircraft
Great video. Good to see some old phantoms, just a shame they are out in the elements & in a sorry state.
Ps- unless the hook groundlock is fitted never walk under it! If the uplock let go there will be no damping as the hyd accumulators will be long empty (ex Phantom tech).
Thanks Nigel 👍 no I wont be standing under one again . Way to many people have said they can just drop but of course i never new that at the time . So i wont be doing that again 👍
I can see these from my office, I’m at the base in question. Lovely aircraft. Great video guys!
Just to mention these aircraft are not easy to access and without prior permission, security are over you like a rash.
Much respect team 🙏
Karl Smith Got in there fine and security didn’t see us until we were leaving aha.
Security must have been asleep when we went coz we didn't see any there . There wasn't even security on the main gate , it was just open .
I work on the base, security have to let anyone in due to the private businesses, those planes are privately owned and if the owner was there he’d go ballistic
@@barnoidbatno3607 well there wasn't any one on the gates obviously . In the video u can see I'm clearly driving around the site in my car and you can clearly see it in the background at the start of the video so unless I teleported in or had myself and my car dropped by parachute out of a moving cargo plane then I obviously just drove in through the main entrance so obviously no security on the main gate 🤦🤷
Never touch the catapult! They have their own power supplies and run (most)! If you accidentally press something wrong...
I’ve heard people describe the F-4 as ugly and it is a beast of an airplane, but it has always laid very well on my eyes.
I was waiting on you getting a frying pan out, [more used to you camping ] 😊 Good upload.
Great vid... Nice to see the F4 Phantoms. Great aircraft. Wonder what Aero is selling these for $ Thanks for sharing. From Bradenton Florida Thumbs Up guys !
I've flown over bentwaters and it looks quite complete from the air.
great video mate
Thank you 👍👍 was a great little place to visit .
phantoms legend
I lived at RAF Leuchars in the late 60s 74 Sqn (the flying tigers) had English Electric Lightnings as did 23 Sqn, there was also a Sqn of Javlins.but cant remember Sqn number. After the Lightnings left they were replaced with Phantoms.
The f4’s I once sat in the back at 74 squadron in 1989 they were at RAF wattisham in those days. Not long after, the wings were being ripped off them
Criminal waist of good aircraft.should have gone into storage not chopped up like that.
might be wrong, but looked like RAF WATTISHAM, Seeing the 74sqn tiger F4j and the 56sqn FGR2 brought back a lot of memories from time served there back in the 80s
Yes it was 56 sqdn R.A.F wattisham tiger sqdn
74 was tiger Sqn :D 56 was the firebirds.
Yes you are right sorry as soon as l left the reply l knew l was wrong a friend served at wattisham in the 80s
@@truettwoodall6287 it was a 74 sqdn FGR2,56 sqdn were the firebirds with red tails
I thought the same but why the army helicopters in an RAF base?
Many of the Phantom's offered after their retirement from RAF and Royal Navy to Greek air force in 1992 ,but the offer rejected due to diffirent avionics,radar and engines
Bentwaters, Nick Brown Transport is based there.
That's a 74 Tiger Sqdn Phantom, Lightnings were originally based at RAF Leuchars then RAF Tengah and then...I know, because I was there...
It's sad to see none of these aircraft are in a museum or have been restored as they were state of the art in the days they served with either the RAF or British Royal Army.
It's not the British Royal Army. It's the British Army!
they should be in museums s like the one at RAF Cosford ..
👍👍👍👍
Amazing how the Phantom has such short wings and can generate the amount of lift.
Maybe you should take a look at the Lockheed f104 starfighter; if i remember correctly, it had a wingspan of only 21ft!
It has been said that with enough engines you can make a brick fly.
MrStr8den yeah the old Widowmaker lol
andy morris did Germany have many losses as well or did they find a way to fly them safer?
That Phantom cockpit section is now at SWAM St Athan in Cardiff
Hope to see a restored f4 flying in the future right beside a English electric lightning would be nice.
That will unfortunately never happen. The CAA and it’s ugly attitude say that the bae lightenings maintenance demands are in excess of what any civilian operator could provide, thus banning the jet from flying. This is not the case in South Africa. I hope someone could prove them wrong.
Took a bit of a risk under the arrestor hook. they tend to drop on the F4 and they weigh a fair old bit around the 400 pound mark.
Still around to fight another day but yeah I won't be standing under one again 👍
HAS intact and you just walked on to the Unit??
They've left the ejection seats in the abandoned air frames! Crazy.
Looks like they were used as instructional airframes after being taken out of service.
The MOD are usually very sensitive about anyone wandering around their property even if it is abandoned.
One would hope that ejector seat has had the propellant removed but you never know....
Mk 7H1 in the Phantom.. worth a few bob to a collector
I was stationed at RAF Alconbury next to Huntington 1980 thru 1984. We had F-4s,F-5s and the TR-1 which was like the U-2. What a great time.
I wonder how much one of those abandoned Phantoms would cost!
Not sure but would love one in my garden hahaha
Johann Tonna cost a fair bit but its a shame this god damn country is doing to preserve these! Pisses me off. I know of 2 preserved british phantoms and one of them isn’t even in british markings. Its the US Marines Phantom at Duxford. It used to be a RN phantom.
@@fazsum41 £14,500 for the F4 FGR.2. Both Phantoms are for sale with Everett Aero as are the helicopters etc.
@@fazsum41 Wrong the Repainted Phantom at Duxford is an F-4J(UK). operated by the USN and RAF (second hand). F-4J never operated by the Royal Navy.
How long was this video taken and wheres it at cheers
Me and a couple friends went to Bentwater and I made a video on it. It is very poorly edited and it's filmed in portrait. But cool video!
So sad to see the boscomb down kite in such a state, i was part of the major service team at RAF St Athan 4 eng squ 76 hanger in the 80s when this was freshly painted there are pics on the net about showing the hanger staff all lined up and smiling in a sqn picture, When the uk Air Force abandons a aircraft it abandons them! none of this white spraylat finish in a nice warm desert !! normally with "dead" Phantoms the wing fairings " the upward sloping parts are cut off so you struck lucky finding a near complete one, but the other guys comment about the arrester hook was quite correct if you did remove the lock pin at the back and someone pulled the cockpit lever it will free fall it weighs nearly a ton and it's solid titanium !!! guys take note it may have no engines or guns or missiles but it can still VERY MUCH BITE!!! also the bang seats were still present so they should be considered as armed!! PLEASE BE VERY CAREFULL ESPECIALLY ON FIGHTER A/C THESE THEY CAN STILL KILL YOU !!! you have been warned...public health warning ends....keep safe stay at home help the nhs!
These aircraft are all for sale with Everett Aero. They aren't abandoned!!
Sale?
That jet engine must have value! Almost anything off a fighter is ebay -able!!
Great video and thanks for taking us all on that amazing tour. While an F-4 in the back yard/garden would be awesome, I’d really just love a cockpit in my garage. Whether it would just be to flip switches and sing “Danger Zone” to myself, or to restore and rig up for DCS, how awesome would it be?
Your welcome bond_323 and thank you for the kind comment 👍 it would be pretty cool to just have a cockpit to play around in hahahaha
Hey hello fellows, would you tell me, why this one F-4 where you opened the caopy had german markings as well please? This is a nice video and i enjoy it really!!
Thumps up to you!! Greetings from germany Michael
Hi Michael and thank you for the kind comment 👍we have no idea why it has German markings I'm afraid .
No problem and thank you guys! :)@@FloodTheTheme
@@FloodTheTheme Normally it would be because the RAF had bases in Germany (with flying stations at Bruggen, Gutersloh, Laarburch and Wildenrath) so they would want German-speaking rescuers to be able to read the signs. This particular Phantom is in 74 Squadron markings (the yellow and black triangles and the tiger's head) and 74 were not permanently based in Germany, but it's reasonable to assume they'd have finished all the aircraft the same. This aircraft is possibly an ex US Navy F-4J. They were bought by the RAF for 74 Squadron in the early 80s.
Raf Phantoms were routinely moved around to other squadrons, usually after major servicings, so a common paint scheme was applied, leaving the local base paint to apply the squadron markings on arrival. With 19 & 92 sqn being at Wildenrath in Germany, the previous post is correct- the rescue instructions to release the canopy locks are in German too.
They need to be restored.
Some of them are getting restored 👍
The army lynx helicopter XE375 served as a navy helicopter with 659 squadron and was then based on HMS Illustrious in 2001 before being transferred to the Army and then retiring in 2015.
RAF BENTWATERS,the only Phantoms which flew out of Bentwaters were USAF F-4c where Brig Gen Robin Olds commanded the 81 TFW prior to be posted to Vietnam
In 1985 RAF Alconbury sent there F-4s to Bentwaters and they sent their A-10s to Alconbury.
i didn't realise RF-4C's were ever based at Bentwaters,i thought the 81st F-4D' Phantom were transferred to the 401fw while they transitioned to the A-10,in my many Phantom books there are images of Alconbury Phantoms at Bentwaters on deployment or at there Airshows but no ref to Alconbury Squadrons being based there
Where is this? I am looking for abandoned planes for a small photo shoot
Any chance you could tell me where this is so I could go and visit
I think it is RAF Bentwaters.
What base is it?
I’m an airplane buff. Many times surplus planes are scrapped or abandoned and then 30-40 years later people are upset there’s no flying examples or decent ones for museums. Luckily the RAF have a historical wing with planes flown by active duty pilots. When you look at a plane every nut, bolt and rivet was designed and tested to end up with the machine. Pretty incredible.
Where is this please?
Were is airfield then?
What's the RAF base called ?
4:00: Avery Hardol fuel coupling.
What airbase is this and is it Norfolk
What airfield is that?
I feel for those left to rot airplanes...
Pardon my lack of knowledge, but which country is this
The UK
MOROCCO
Where is this BTW?
👍 where is that?
Where is this??
What's there now
Where is this place?
Did it have a tiger on the tail fin
74 squadron?
I want the phantom
1:50 that was a American f-4 phantom
タミヤの「ブリティッシュファントム」買って作ったよ。
今やこんな有様か・・・
Those jets were F-4 Phantoms. I worked on them.
An old phantom
looks like bentwaters
2x Lynx Mk9a. Pretty certain I flew both.
I'm calling bull shit here.
Ha ha. Yeah. Took me time to track down my log book. I flew 9s 1999 to 2002. I flew 889 in Kosovo on 7 Oct 99, and 375 back in the UK 5 Jul 2000. We went to lyneham and flew procedural instruments. No bullshit.
@Love To Travel if you're researching I'm sure you have seen lots of open source pictures of the Lx 7 in JHFI service. No DIRCM. But equipped with a standard ALQ. Good luck.
@Tiggerbob007 Anyone with the surname Williams is called Billy. I knew a cpl and a capt Williams, but can't recall if they were named Adam. Soz.
@Tiggerbob007 663 were part of my regt at wattisham. Wallop was a training location. I flew with the navy from 02 so wasn't there for long. Cheers.
Bentwaters. It’s open to the public
Are those Lynx helicopters?
Yes 😁
the Helis are the Lynx 'Wildcat' if I am not mistaken...wonder why they have been laid up as scrap?
I think they are using them for parts
They retired the Lynx last year.
There are very obvious differences between the Lynx in the video and the wildcat. There tricycle landing gear was only fitted to the Lynx trainer as army Lynx employed skids
@@donlaight5943 not just that though, the wildat also has a different tail boom and the horizontal stabiliser is mounted below and in front of tail pylon.
5:45 looks like the M is being worked on...thats primer on it...hope its being rescued....54sqd bird
i served on 54 sqd in the early 70`s i think M was XV500 ...Fantastic aircraft clean winged or fully armed ...
would be better if you guy's knew what they were
Ad 3yk
The jets were Mcdonald douglas F4 Phantoms & the Helos were Westland Lynx
@@fishbmw didn't hear anything but 'jets' and 'helicopters' lol
Where was this guys? I’d love to visit
F-4 Phantom at that! needs restored
czcams.com/video/9khQr1iOPfs/video.html
There is a restoration hanger there that we was allowed entry to 👍
There are a number of restored aircraft at Bentwaters. The Cold war museum is very good. As is a trip around what was the
Top Secret part of the airfield. Where they stored the nuclear weapons.
The Phantoms are ex 74 squadron aircraft.
When I buy any electric or electronic appliance, I pay a tax included in the price which finance the scrapping and disposing of the goods. Doesn't MoD budget the same when purchasing military stuff ? That's a shame really. Just put all that crap outside till when ? Yes sounds like a good idea. Maybe just do the same with nuclear waste. Good grief smart folks.
12345fowler It belongs to someone who is restoring them
I want an F-4 in my yard!
Yeah me to how cool would that be 😂
Did i see Mike Tyson's musical cousin there?
F4
Your taxes paid for them.... Take one home and fix it up!
I wish I could 😂
Funny how times move on: millions of quids worth of Taxpayers' money sitting there, slowly falling to bits.
I think all the jets and parts are privately owned as we know alot of them are being used for parts on restoration projects