RAF VC10s Air to Air

Click here for a list of abbreviations

And for the technical minded:

Click here to view the background picture(s)

Home
Up
Early days
Inside the VC10
Views from a VC10
BOAC and BA Brochures
British Airways VC10s
More BOAC/BA VC10s
VC10s in storage
The RAF VC10 Force
VC10s Air to Air
VC10s at Airshows
Maintaining the '10
People with VC10s
Red Flag
RIAT 2004
Wisley
Flight Deck photos
Google Earth VC10s
Moving Aircraft at Brooklands
Memorabelia - Airlines
Memorabelia - RAF
Memorabelia - Vickers & BAC

Send E-mail
Note: Remove the last section from the e-mail address before sending!

View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook

RAF VC10s Air to Air

In its role as an air to air refueller with the Royal Air Force there are many opportunities to photograph a VC10 in its element. Because of a growing collection of photos in the air I decided to group them all together on this page. There are also a few new photos on this page (scroll down!).

Photo A. Townshend

1&2. Two Jaguars being refuelled somewhere between Lajes and Halifax.
3. VC10 K4 ZD241.
4. This Nimrod on the centreline hose is being refuelled while on its way to the Falkland Islands in March 1998.

Photo A. Townshend

1. These two had just been on a trail and were back inbound to MPA, this photo was taken from a VC10 that went out to meet them from the Falklands (not really a VC10 photo but I didn't want to leave it out of this sequence).
2&3. VC10 and a Tornado, probably somewhere over the Mediterranean.
4. Two French Airforce Jaguars seen with a 101 Sqn VC10 in 1995, the photo was taken by the pilot of the third Jaguar.

Photo M. Franks

1. Somehow I don't think this one turned up for gas, encounter with a Tu-95 Bear in 1987.
2. A year earlier ZA141 had already found this Tu-95 Bear in February of 1986.
3-4. Two photos taken on one of the 'towline' sorties around the UK.

Photo A. Townshend

1-4. XV104 with two Tornados over Saudi Arabia in 2000.

Photo A. Townshend

1-2. VC10 seen from below, photo taken during receiver training in 1998, prior to a Kosovo detachment.
3-4. Just before making contact.

Photo A. Townshend

1-2. Contact, from this point on the trick is to keep the aircraft in this position. The catch is that it is slowly 'gaining weight' as fuel is transfered.
3-4. VC10 K2 ZA144 with the centreline hose trailed.

Photo A. Townshend

Photo copyright BAE SYSTEMS/RAF

Photo Crown Copyright

1. VC10 C.1K XV103.
2. A publicity photo showing compatibility trials between the BAe Eurofighter and VC10 K3 ZA149.
3. One of the most memorable flypasts carried out by 101 Sqn during the 40th anniversary year was on 17th June 2006 when K3 ZA148 overflew Buckingham Palace as part of a 49 aircraft overflight in honour of the Queen's 80th birthday.
4. Ex-EAA Super VC10 5H-MMT, now K3 ZA147, flying low over an island in the South Atlantic ocean in 1995.

Photo S. Ludlow

1-2. VC10s at twilight, two nice moody images showing the classic VC10 shape.
3. Another photo with the same type of light showing the old white over grey RAF colours on XR807.
4. XR807 again, this time formating on K3 ZA150, 5H-MOG of EAA in a previous life.

Photo S. Ludlow

Photo A. Ludlow

Photo S. Ludlow

1. Approaching the airfield in formation, K4 ZD242 in the lead.
2. Turning final while staying in formation off the right wing of C1K XR808 which is also known as 'Bob' after the last three digits of its registration.
3. Three VC10s in one shot, although only the right wing of the camera aircraft can be seen. Both the camera ship and the second VC10 are Super models as shown by the two small wing fences, Standards having only one of these per wing. The third ship is too far away to identify.
4. Looking up at a VC10 tanker with both wing hoses trailing, ready to refuel two fighters at the same time.

Photo S. Ludlow

1. Two Tornados being refuelled overhead what seems to be the British countryside.
2. VC10 K2 ZA142 refuelling a Tornado on the centreline hose.
3. A VC10 with three Jaguars in tow overhead the Nile valley, somewhere near Luxor.
4. Two VC10s demonstrating 'cell refuelling' over the North Sea in 1997. The clients are six Tornados.

Photo Peter R. Foster

1. C1K XV101 refuelling a Tornado in November 1994, showing the original white over grey colours.
2. VC10 K2 ZA143 shows the 'hemp' colourscheme which was introduced with the 101 Sqn tankers.
3. ZA147 is a K3 tanker and is seen here in 1999 in the all over grey scheme which replaced the hemp colours.
4. K3 ZA149 refuels RAF's latest fighter type, in this case Typhoon development aircraft ZH588.

Photo B. Knoll

1-2. In June 2007 XV102 was dispensing fuel over Iraq. Hornets from VFA-41 were vectored towards it for a top-up, having flown an hour and a half since their launch from USS Nimitz.
3. For some of the pilots, this was the first time that they encountered a VC10.
4. Refuelling procedures are standard though, so plugging in for some fuel was achieved without any trouble.

Photo B. Knoll

Photo Crown copyright / collection J. Hieminga

1. F/A-18F 'NH/100' taking on fuel from XV102. The special colours show that this is the CAG's aircraft.
2-3. ZD230 and ZD241 formating on a French Air Force KC-135R over France during exercise 'Vulcano' in 1996.