Lajes (Azores) (LPLA/TER) 2008

[sentinel]

I can confirm that MAZDA 31 was a flight of 4 or 5 EA-6Bs going Stateside. Can someone confirm if these are VMAQ-4 machines. They should already be on deck in Lajes with support KC-10 BLUE81.

[J.J.]

Hi, sentinel!

VMAQ-4 passed trough Lajes January 26-27, 2008, en route to Al Asad Airfield, Iraq, for a six-to-seven-month OIF deployment. They relieved in place VMAQ-2 (deployed since mid-July 2007), which arrived at Lajes on their way back home to CONUS already on February 6, 2008 (see the postings above). And so, I have no idea which other USMC Prowler squadron will return to CONUS yet.

[J.J.]

[...] But at least in case of the first BuNo it could be really a land-based deployment of VMA-311 "Tomcats" (MAG-13, 3rd MAW), MCAS Yuma, Arizona (tailcode WL), to replace VMA-542 "Tigers" (MAG-14, 2nd MAW), MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina (tailcode WH), at Al Asad Airfield, Iraq. According to an USMC news from October 5, 2007, "VMA-311 is scheduled to deploy in the spring of 2008, which will mark the third time in two years the attack squadron has gone overseas in support of the Global War on Terrorism." Source: http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000. ... enDocument" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; [...]

Hi,

The Harriers are indeed from VMA-311. I have a few more BuRo numbers that needs to be verified first before I will post them. [...]

Thanks for confirmation, René! And so, in the next couple of days we can expect at Lajes VMA-542 on their way back home to CONUS. According to official USMC photos, deployed were at least 164570/WH 01, WH 09 and WH 11. Anybody who can me hook up easy to the right page of the Lajes 2007 topic for their stopover en route to Al Asad? I would be very grateful!

PS: I just realized that the posted link to the VMA-311 news article not works today. After checking USMC´s public main website again, it looks to me just overnight they maked some general changes on this website. Here´s the new source link: http://www.usmc.mil/units/mciwest/airst ... rted4.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Hope that works at least for a while.

[falcon]

First serials are dropping in to me, many more will follow these days.

16-3-2008 F-16's
93-0554/SW
93-0552/SW
91-0381/SW
91-0395/SW
93-0550/SW
97-0110/SW
18-3-2008 EA-6B's
163400/NL-503
161883/AF-500
163884/AF-501
161118/AF-502
support for Prowlers was KC-135 62-3519/D and 62-3575 fairchild.


the 4 eurofighters from yesterday 31-3-2008 where not all identified from my contactperson, only one was good visible. The 4 prowlers where also not read.........
ZJ-930/AA
+3

And finally,
The 2 pakistanies that landed months ago on Lajes are now flying on Lajes with their old serials and with LJ code on the tail !!!

special credits to Leandro Rocha. Some of his pics can be seen on azoresairphotos.com

Cheerz
George

p.s.
7-4-2008 10 Harrier unknown user
21-4-2008 6x Eurofighter unknown user

[J.J.]

Thanks for your update, George! Especially for the Shaw Viper serials! I checked they with our F-16 Aircraft Database on http://www.f-16.net" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; - and really they are all from the 55th FS.

93-0554 (marked 55 FS) with 91-0381 in the background are visible in the following picture, taken by Leandro Rocha, as they departed Lajes on March 18, 2008, en route to CONUS:
http://azoresairphotos.com/foto.php?cod ... size=large" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[nilsko]

Must be the most awkward background I have ever seen in an aircraft related picture Nice one!

[blacksky]

Nice report George
Keep up the good work by posting the logs.

gr Frank from room 1.31

[Brian]

Could you post some of the pics with the EX-Pakistani F-16's with LJ tailcode?
I'm very interested in these!

Grtz Brian

[Superscouse]

Me too Brian, but I think that this is a little "April Fool" joke as we say in the UK.

[Brian]

Me too Brian, but I think that this is a little "April Fool" joke as we say in the UK.

i was already affraid of that..... jeez what was i thinking

[falcon]

Me too Brian, but I think that this is a little "April Fool" joke as we say in the UK.

No.

saw photographic proof and there is more going on. Will be followed.

cheerz
George.

[falcon]

Guys,

I will stop posting in this topic for now. My friend Leandro Rocha will continue and will provide the large move-list very soon.

Cheerz !
George

[J.J.]

George! You said you will stop posting in this topic for now. I hope you will not left this very hot topic, alongside the also very hot Spang topic. Special thanks from me for your great job in the past. And now, let us welcome Leandro!

[thunderboypt]

Hi everybody,
My name is Leandro Rocha and I´m a Lajes Spotter. George ask me to do a log file from the movements that i got from 16-03-2008 to 25-03-2008 at Lajes and here it is. This list shows only the movements that I captured in my camera, so there were a lot of c-130s, c-9's, C-40's... etc... that are not on the list because i only saw them from home. (I Live near the base, so, i see all the movements there, sometimes from home and in the other times 7 minutes im y bike/3 minutes on car and i´m in the Lajes Base.)


16-03-2008 F-16CJ 93-0554/SW USAF
16-03-2008 F-16CJ 93-0552/SW USAF
16-03-2008 F-16CJ 91-0381/SW USAF
16-03-2008 F-16CJ 91-0395/SW USAF
16-03-2008 F-16CJ 93-0550/SW USAF
16-03-2008 F-16CJ 97-0110/SW USAF
16-03-2008 KC-10A 85-0031 USAF

17-03-2008 P-3P 14803 AFP
17-03-2008 C-21A 84-0110 USAFE

18-03-2008 KC-135R 62-3575 USAF
18-03-2008 EA-6B 161883/AF500 USN
18-03-2008 EA-6B 163884/AF-501 USN
18-03-2008 EA-6B 161118/AF-502 USN
18-03-2008 EA-6B 163400/NL-503 USN
18-03-2008 KC-135R 62-3519 USAFE
18-03-2008 C212 Aviocar 16517 AFP
18-03-2008 EH-101 Merlin 19603 AFP
18-03-2008 C-130H 16802 AFP

20-03-2008 P-3C 158919 USN
20-03-2008 AV-8B 165307/YM-50 USMC
20-03-2008 AV-8B 164556/YM-51 USMC
20-03-2008 AV-8B 165001/YM-52 USMC
20-03-2008 AV-8B 166288/YM-54 USMC
20-03-2008 AV-8B 163880/YM-56 USMC
20-03-2008 AV-8B 164119/YM-57 USMC
20-03-2008 KC-10A 85-0034 USAF
20-03-2008 C-17A 06_6167 USAF

23-03-2008 C-130H SU-BAM Egypt Air Force
23-03-2008 EA-6B 161244/MD-01 USMC
23-03-2008 EA-6B 159583/MD-02 USMC
23-03-2008 EA-6B 159584/MD-03 USMC
23-03-2008 EA-6B 163520/MD-04 USMC
23-03-2008 EA-6B 163406/MD-05 USMC
23-03-2008 KC-10A 85-0032 USAF
23-03-2008 KC-135R 64-14830 USAF
23-03-2008 C-17A 98-0056 USAF

25-03-2008 E-3D ZH104 RAF
25-03-2008 F-16I Sufa 873 IAF
25-03-2008 F-16I Sufa 874 IAF
25-03-2008 F-16I Sufa 875 IAF
25-03-2008 F-16I Sufa 876 IAF
25-03-2008 KC-10A 85-0031 USAF

From 25-03-2008 until now there were more 4 EA-6's, 4 Eurofighters and 12 Harriers at Lajes, but i could not photograph them because I´m at the Mainland on the next 3 Months :s:s
The next informations that i will receive from my friends at Lajes, i will give those informations to George so he can post it here. The reason that i will not post it myself is because i have little time here at the Mainland.
Sorry my english Guys... i must practise...

Best Regards,
Leandro Rocha

[falcon]

Welcome Leandro !!

First post and WHAT a post.

Welcome onboard.

grtz
George