BA115 Orange-Caritat (LFMO) 2018

[Adraf]

LFMO 01.06.2018 1030-1245

M.2000B 524/115-OA EC 02.005 - arr 1050/dep 1225
M.2000B 529/115-OC EC 02.005 - arr 1050
M.2000C 124/115-YT EC 02.005 - arr 1050/dep 1220
M.2000N 369 EC 02.004 - apps 1100-1120

AS.555AN 5392/VB EH 05.067 - dep 11??/arr 1220
AS.555AN 5448/VR EH 05.067 - arr 1040/dep 1200

[paul-760]

Orange LFMO Friday 10-08-2018 (MIL)

Runway repair works so hardly any flying today (I should have checked the NOTAM...). Anyway, this is the morning log:
9:00 unidentified Fennec takes off.
9:41 "QRA activated" on the scanner. Shorty afterwards I hear the startup and it takes another minute or so before 115-YH taxied from the QRA shelter to the runway. This Mirage 2000C has a centre line tank with the text "CONTACT 121.5".
Remarkably it did not return to Orange. Probably diverted to Istres or another base, due to the works on the runway of Orange.
The rest of the morning only two more Fennec took off: VD and VF.

[paul-760]

Orange LFMO Monday 13-08-2018

Did not visit base but followed operations in Orange via scanner and visual above campsite.

Wave 1: At least 2 Mirages. Take off 9:30. Flew due west over Ruoms 9:35. Landed on rwy 32 at 10:34.

Wave 2: Did not catch the take off nor any visual. Landing according to scanner 13:45.

Wave 3: Three or four Mirages. Departure not later than 15:36. Visual two M2000B/C started manouvering over Ruoms 16:02.
Another one (call sign "Coton 32") had an emergency and reported landing at Orange at 16:05.
The other two disappeared 16:08 and requested landing on rwy 14.
At 16:30 a Mirage (the 4th?) was seen circling above Vallon Pont d'Arc and soon disappeared in the direction of Orange as well.

All communications today heard on 233.125 (Orange radar, channel 18) and on 376.475 ("Coton" air2air).

[paul-760]

Orange LFMO (& region) Thursday 16-08-2018

A NOTAM said runway out if use 10-12h local time, due to works. So no flying expected in the morning. But at 9:20 (about 15min earlier than normal) one M2000C appears above Sampzon. It performs a full looping right above our campsite and continues in the direction of Grospierre. Edit: According to other spotters it was the QRA. So no pilot training flight.

At 9:30 two Mirage 2000D fly very low over Sampzon from north to south. My son and wife saw it better than me cry: and they discribed one as having "red wings" so probably it was 624/3-IT from Couteau Delta.

In the afternoon I was at the base. No activity until 1520 or so, except for a Fennec helicopter that flew 5 minutes.

[paul-760]

Orange LFMO & Ardeche region Monday 20-08-2018

Did not visit BA Orange because NOTAM said runway construction works in the morning.

At 1140 the Patrouille de France flew low over the Ardeche region, in formation with one blue Mirage 2000.

From the Ardeche region I could determine that Orange did fly in the afternoon.
First wave c.1300-1340 3-4 Mirages. Practiced dogfighting above Grospierres.
Second wave c.1545-1630. Practiced northwest of Ruoms.
Added: Unexpected latw third wave 1815-1907. Practiced (far) west of Ruoms.

[paul-760]

Unexpected night flying at Orange this Monday evening (normally night flying takes place Tuesdays and Thursdays). Fourth wave of today started 21.35. Two flights of at least three Mirages, A2A communications between the "Conton" on 376.475. Visual over the Ardeche.

One of them has call sign Coton 51. According to the scanner they were practicing to find a ground target ( a specific light) at Aubenas airfield. Pointing with laser.
Second flight went for another target to the east.

[paul-760]

Orange LFMO Tuesday 21-08-2018

Strong northerly wind. Runway 23 in use. A busy day with four waves of Mirages and a QRA scramble.

1st wave 0944-1039. Startup approved 929 but actual startup only 938 so only 7 minutes before take off.
115-YG red tail
115-AO dual
Take off and landing in close formation.

2nd wave 1225-1321. Startup approved 1208.
Same aircraft.
Take off and landing in close formation like earlier.

QRA scramble 1334. Take off 1341.
115-YD armed with live R550 Magic missiles (like Sidewinders) and center line tank with text CONTACT 121.5.
Landed 1500 after a low pass over the runway.

By this time the spotters behind the QRA shelter were being accompanied by Gendarmerie, who checked passports but let us take pictures while they were standing next to us.

3rd wave 1435-1532.
115-KN
115-OL dual
Take off and landing in close formation.

4th flight 1503-1600
115-YG red tail
Flew a few times high over the field. Two t/g before landing.

Then everybody said "au revoir" on the radio and the field closed.

[paul-760]

Orange LFMO & region Wedesday 22-08-2018

Did not visit the base. Based on scanner and visual from the Ardeche I could determine at least the following ops by Orange's Mirages:

Morning flight took off around 0940. Not visual, only radio.

Afternoon flight must have taken off around 1450. Two Mirages B/C appeared above Labeaume in the Ardeche at 1503. After 9 minutes of dogfighting they left the area due west, presumably back to base.

[Martijn.]

Log of museum on industrial area of Orange 03-12-2018. Gate was closed, all read from outside. If not mentioned otherwise, a/c is French.

Br1050
1959, 55

CM170
349
409

Etendard 4M
37
???

F-8
???

G91
2/23?? (Italy)

Hunter F58
J-4063 (Switzerland)

Jaguar A
A149, 7-HP
Jaguar E
E7, 11-EC

MH1521M
5

MiG-21F-13
0906 (Czech Rep.)
MiG-21PFM
4406 (Czech Rep.)

Mirage 2000B
520, 5-OS
Mirage 2000C
19, 5-NE

Mirage 3B
222
Mirage 3B-RV
241
Mirage 3E
495, 3-XL
508
526
Mirage 3RD
363

Mirage 5BA
BA43 (Belgium)

Mirage F1C
103, 33-FU
Mirage F1CT
238, 33-FN

MS760
N°91

Mystere 4A
28, 5-NT

Super Mystere B2
53, 5-OF

Vampire FB6
J-1183 (Switzerland)

Vautour 2N
358

[Martijn.]

Seen flying 03-12 between 1130-1600LT. Everything in red is completed from scramble database.

EC02.005
Mirage 2000B | 523/115-KJ, 525/115-AM
Mirage 2000C | 105/115-LJ, 107/115-YD, 123/115-KD

EH05.067
AS555AN | 5387/UY, 5396/VD, 5400/VH

CEAM
TBM-700A | 78/XE

Societe Apache
L-39C | ES-TLS