What's new
British Ordnance Collectors Network

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Shaw AFB, Sumter, South Carolina

sksvlad

Well-Known Member
The best USAF base in the world. Why? Because my daughter is stationed here. A large active F-16 base with a lot of screeching jet noise. It is old (1941) so even has a railroad. Here are static displays. What is the central small round feature in the tail of Aardvark in the last 2 photos?
DSCF1641.JPGDSCF1642.jpgDSCF1643.jpgDSCF1644.jpgDSCF1645.jpgDSCF1646.jpgDSCF1647.jpgDSCF1648.jpgDSCF1649.jpgDSCF1650.jpgDSCF1651.jpgDSCF1652.jpgDSCF1653.jpgDSCF1654.jpgDSCF1654.jpgDSCF1655.jpgDSCF1656.jpgDSCF1658.jpgDSCF1659.jpgDSCF1660.jpgDSCF1661.jpgDSCF1662.jpgDSCF1663.jpgDSCF1664.jpgDSCF1666.jpgDSCF1667.jpgDSCF1668.jpg
 
Last edited:
Those are some very impressive machines. So nice that you are able to get in among them to really get the feel of them.
Thank you for posting
 
Vlad,
My thanks also, I had seen this post back when you originally put it up but I didn't carefully read it. There is included a sign denoting that the F-111 was with the 20 TFW at Upper Heyford UK, (a US Force Accomodation on a Royal Air Field) from 1970 to 1993. I didn't know exactly when RAF Upper Heyford was closed. My EOD unit while physically located at RAF Croughton, was assigned to the 20th TFW. I was Commander from Oct '78 until Oct '81. Great assignment, and GREAT working with Royal Air Force EOD personnel. I guess to say due to the troubles in Northern Ireland, the UK EOD were way ahead of US EOD at the time, and the Royal Air Force, Royal Engineers, Royal Army etc. shared their unfortunate experiences and lessons learned with the US. We were also granted use of ranges at Otterburn and Orford Ness, which aided the US EOD mission terrifically. AND, as a sports car enthusiast, being just a few miles south of the Silverstone GP Circuit was an added bonus.
 
Taber, thank you for your service, and a great rundown of RAF base names. You may be interested to know that my daughter is moving to a new base with very strong historic ties to RAF. I'll be covering this soon, hopefully with pictures.
And regarding my original question (on top) about a round structure between Aadvark's exhaust nozzles, I came to a conclusion that it had something to do with emergency fuel dump. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io31Xvd8oq8
 
Last edited:
Yes, the round structure near the tail is the fuel dump.
The RAAF (Aussies) used this in airshows with their spectacular 'dump and burn' sequence, noisy,hot and smelly!.

55310_462427582638_88014372638_5771743_5463444_o.jpg
Image from the internet.

F111.Ohakea NZ '90s..jpg
Image taken by myself, Ohakea NZ 1990s
 
Last edited:
I guess to say due to the troubles in Northern Ireland, the UK EOD were way ahead of US EOD at the time, and the Royal Air Force, Royal Engineers, Royal Army etc. shared their unfortunate experiences and lessons learned with the US. .

A small correction is that the British Army is not known as the Royal Army. Only certain British Army regiments have Royal in their title for historic reasons. The Royal Engineers are a corps of the British Army.

More information at link as to why. https://www.forces.net/heritage/history/why-it-british-army-and-not-royal-army
 
Last edited:
Falcon,
My apologies, and thanks for the correction. As stated in the OP, I left the UK in 1981, and today, I can't even remember this morning's breakfast!
Taber
 
Falcon,
My apologies, and thanks for the correction. As stated in the OP, I left the UK in 1981, and today, I can't even remember this morning's breakfast!
Taber

Maybe just a memory slip, at the time you are talking about we still had the Royal Army Ordnance Corps.
 
Falcon,
My apologies, and thanks for the correction. As stated in the OP, I left the UK in 1981, and today, I can't even remember this morning's breakfast!
Taber


There is no need to apologise, I have seen others from outside the UK think the same before. I have never served in any branch of the UK military myself.
 
Top