48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Communal photo threads for specific aircraft types, operators etc.
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Draken
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48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by Draken »

I'm surprised that this topic has not yet been here so -
GATEKEEPERS
Let me see your 3 photos of planes displayed by the bases/airports etc. Location is mandatory, extra points for history/background of the subject.
I'll go with Swiss theme:
1. Sion Airbase - Hawker Hunter J-4100. 2650 flight hours, last flight 16 Dec 1994, on display since 22 Mar 1995.
Image

2. Payerne Airbase - Mirage IIIS J-2334, 2959 flight hours, In service till 31 Dec 1999
Image

3. Grenchen Airfield - F-104S MM6830, ex Italy Air Force, here with fake livery and reg - FG-903
Image

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Wrexham Mackem
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by Wrexham Mackem »

Oh another tricky one for me, so its a token gesture I'm afraid. I've never gone out of my way to shoot gate guardians unless they are really interesting.

Here's RAF Binbrook's in the low afternoon sun, followed by two from Pensacola, the SabreLiner which is the gate guard for the NAS, and the F-14 which guards the museum entrance. Shame about the grey sky.
Image

Image

Image

I may come back to this if anything else springs to mind.

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buccs2b
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by buccs2b »

Tomas didn't mention whether they had to be current gate guardians, so I'm taking a punt with these

1. RAF Coltishall, June 1994. Lightning F.1A XM172. First flown 10/10/1960. Delivered 13/12/1960. Flew with 56 Squadron & 226 OCU. Now at Spark Bridge
ImageColt_94_1a by Tony Adams, on Flickr

2. RAF Cottesmore, June 1995. Canberra PR.7 WH791. Delivered 31/05/1954. Flew with 542, 82, 58 & 81 Squadrons. Now at Newark Air Museum
ImageCottesmore_19950617_0101 by Tony Adams, on Flickr

3. Mojave, October 1996. Tracor Flight Systems facility. F-4C 64 0741. No provenance on this one but the F-4C was not a model converted to an FSAT.
ImageMojaveTracorGateGuard_96_10_19_e1 by Tony Adams, on Flickr
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Spiny Norman
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by Spiny Norman »

Yes, a Phantom. From me. Whodathink it?

This is XT864 which is in the marking of 111 Squadron. Guarded the gate at RAF Leuchars for many a year. It still survives but after the base became an army barracks, it was acquired by the Ulster Aviation Society and is now in Fleet Air Arm markings. Would have been a good one for Capercaillie's last comp but I don't have any images of its new guise.

Image

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SuffolkBlue
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by SuffolkBlue »

Starting with one close to home with EE Canberra XH170 at RAF Wyton.

Image
English Electric Canberra PR9 - RAF Wyton, Saturday 3rd October 2015 by Chris Day, on Flickr

And then two not so close to home. During my visit to Hickam Air Force Base on Oahu back in 2007, there were a number of gate guardians across the various access points. One that caught my eye was Douglas A-26C Invader 44-35596 that was taken on charge with the United States Army Air Force in 1944. Post war it was transferred to the Hawaii Public Trade and Instructional School. In 1986, under the United States Air Force Loan Program, it moved to Hickam AFB and repainted as BC-596.

Image
Douglas A-26C Invader - Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, September 2007 by Chris Day, on Flickr

Convair F-102A Delta Dagger 53-366 outside the Hawaii ANG headquarters. The aircraft is now on display in one of the historic Ford Island hangars that make up the Pacific Aviation Museum.

Image
Convair F-102A Delta Dagger - Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, September 2007 by Chris Day, on Flickr
Last edited by SuffolkBlue on Tue 01 Dec 2020, 5:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Skyflash
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by Skyflash »

Kleine Brogel's lovely F-16...

Image
by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr

... and the Thunderflash and F-104 at Schleswig-Jagel, photographed during NTM 2014:

Image
by Gordon Duncan, on Flickr
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DerekF
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by DerekF »

English Electric P-1A WG763 at RAF Henlow in 1980. Now in the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.
Imagezz1980448_16_1 by Derek N.Ferguson, on Flickr

Vulcan B.2 XL361 at Goose Bay, Labrador. The aircraft was abandoned there in the early 1980s after a malfunction made it too expensive to repair.
Imagezz1996277_06_1 by Derek N.Ferguson, on Flickr


F-104G Starfighter D-8245 at Soesterberg in 2005. I believe the museum has moved to a new site since then.
ImagezzDSC_2035_1 by Derek N.Ferguson, on Flickr

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AndyXH558
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by AndyXH558 »

Great pic of 361 Derek. When did you go there?
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PeteFenwick
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

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shorsley
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by shorsley »

Difficult one, not many photos of gatekeepers and not sure the third photo applies as it's not a real, full-size aircraft.

HS.125 at RAF Northolt:
ImageNortholtXXI_37 by Sarah Horsley, on Flickr

XM607 Black Buck One veteran at RAF Waddington alongside the A15, opposite the WAVE:
ImageXM607 by Sarah Horsley, on Flickr

G-CONC, 40% scale model of Concorde that was installed at Heathrow in 1990 and removed in 2007. Donated to Brooklands Museum who restored it and painted it in the Negus scheme as worn by 'Delta Golf' (which means G-CONC has worn all three in-service BA liveries). In 2012 she was placed as a 'gate guard' to the Museum's public entrance on the Mercedes Benz World roundabout.
ImageG-CONC_8 by Sarah Horsley, on Flickr
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capercaillie
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by capercaillie »

Lightning F1A XM192 RAF Wattisham 1992 wearing 111 Sqn colours made famous by Airfix. One time hotrod with the Wattisham TFF. Now has extra colours on it and is at Thorpe Camp in the UK.
ImageLightning F1A XM192/K RAF Wattisham by Paul Downes, on Flickr

F-111A 63-9766 sits on the approach road to Edwards AFB in April 1997. It was the first F-111 to fly, so its a winner in my book. Bonus of a big rock.
Imageimg136 by Paul Downes, on Flickr

NASA F-104C Starfighter N820NA is nearby on the approach road to Dryden research centre, also in April 1997. Painted to represent an F-104A, I think its now well hung in Seattle, which was not a film starring Meg Ryan, but may have caused the famous scene. Its not an Agusta Koala, honest, look it up. Bonus of an even bigger rock.
Imageimg333 by Paul Downes, on Flickr
Last edited by capercaillie on Wed 02 Dec 2020, 6:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Andyph
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by Andyph »

This Huey was at the entrance to Tan Son Nhut (Saigon) Airport.
And this is how Communist Vietnam uses the old weapons of the enemy !

ImageIMG_8282 by Andy Heap, on Flickr

and this Bristol Freighter is a gateguard at Omaka Airfield near Blenheim in New Zealand - it just has running engines and does a taxi run once every two years (at the airshow)

Image419 by Andy Heap, on Flickr

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Blackbird
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by Blackbird »

I love that Freighter - brings back childhood memories. They were noisey bu**ers!

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D90Man
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by D90Man »

No histories I'm afraid - just images

Can't do without a JASDF Phantom at Hyakuri in October 2014
Image

On the gate at Comox in August 2009
Image

Harrier farewell day at Cottesmore in December 2010
Image
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Blackbird
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by Blackbird »

First up is this Starlifter on display at Travis AFB in 2006. As this was taken through the car window (hence the slight colour cast) I'm guessing this was the base gate guardian rather than part of the museum. It was delivered to the USAF in April 1965. A bit of research finds that it had accumulated over 41,000 hours by the time it was retired.
ImageLockheed C-141B Starlifter 63-8088 Golden Bear by Andrew Shaw, on Flickr

This C-46 Commando is (or was in 2004) on display at the little-mentioned Glenn Curtiss Museum in Hammondsport, New York. Glenn Curtiss was an amazing man who was not only a pioneer of aviation and credited as a (if not the) founder of the US aircraft industry, he was also a pioneer of motor cycling. This aircraft was delivered the USAAF as 44-78772 in September 1943. SOC in January 1950, it went on in civilian service, suffering serious damage in a landing incident on the ice in Alaska in 1975 and finally seized by US Marshalls in Florida for gun running in 1988. It was turned over to the National Air and Space museum who subsequently have loaned it to the Glenn Curtiss museum. I believe it has been further restored since I saw it 16 years ago.
ImageCurtiss C-46 Commando 44-78772 by Andrew Shaw, on Flickr

Finally, the gate guardian at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum at Hamilton, Ontario home of Vera. This CF-104D Starfighter was delivered to the RCAF at Cold Lake in 1962 where it is believed to have spent all of its service. It came to the CWHM in 1995.
ImageLockheed CF-104D Starfighter 12641 by Andrew Shaw, on Flickr

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Last edited by Blackbird on Wed 02 Dec 2020, 12:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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AndyXH558
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by AndyXH558 »

This was on the gate at the historic jets hangar in 2005, its a composite undter painted to look like G-Boom.
Image
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Ridgeback1
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by Ridgeback1 »

2019 Topeka Regional Airport Kansas
At the entrance there is a small airpark with various airframes served in the Kansas Air and Army National Guard.
This EB-57 just looked ready to go. Apart from RAF Canberra's I never got a chance to photograph an operational EB-57, so this for me was the next best thing, with clear canopy instead of painted over.

History:
Martin B-57B-MA Canberra/52-1526
*1954: USAF 3510th CCTW.
*1968: USAF 4713th DSES.
*1977-78: Kansas ANG 117th DSES.
*1978: Vermont ANG 134th DSES.
*Was preserved at Beale AFB, CA.
*Currently preserved at the Museum of the Kansas National Guard, Forbes Field, Topeka, KS.

Image20190602-135603 Topeka = EB-57B by Melvin Furster, on Flickr


2019 Emporia Municipal Airport
Who says a faded Phantom can't look smart in the right conditions?

McDonnell F-4D-26-MC Phantom II/65-0585
1970-73: USAF 8th TFS (49th TFW).
1974: USAF 7th TFS (49th TFW).
1975: USAF 9th TFS (49th TFW).
1979: USAF 61st TFS (56th TFW).
1986-87: Minnesota ANG 179th FIS.
10/1988: Assigned as a ground trainer to Sheppard AFB, TX.
Became a gate guard at Emporia MAP, KS in presumably 2007

Image20190529-061643 Emporia = F-4 by Melvin Furster, on Flickr

2017 Gornja Stubica
Technically not a gatekeeper at an airport, but preserved at a village in Croatia. Based on the position as seen on googlemaps and with the sunset timing at that time of the year I chanced the photo opportunity and it paid out nicely.

This MiG-21 commemorates Rudolf Perešin, who was born in Gornja Stubica. He was a pilot of the Yugoslav Air Force. On October 25, 1991, he flew his MiG-21 from Bihać in Bosnia to Klagenfurt in Austria to prevent his plane from being used in the fight against the Croats by the Bosnian Serbs.

Image20170921-44 Gornja Stubica = MiG-21 by Melvin Furster, on Flickr


PeterR
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by PeterR »

Interesting topic!

Firstly, a Gate Guard that isn't at a military installation! This NASA Hornet is on display outside the Lancaster Baseball Stadium, in California, which has nickname of "The Hangar" as the home team are called the 'JetHawks'. The relationship with NASA is due to the fact the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center is located in nearby Palmdale.
Image

This F-104 Starfighter sits proudly between the Turkish Air Force Museum, and the small military installation nearby. A very impressive sight, although I do think it's rather strange it's displayed at this striking angle with the dear deployed..?
Image

Finally, my favourite gate guard photograph. This immaculate looking Mirage F1 is on display outside the military part of Lanzarote Airport. Although, be warned the guards on the gate weren't best pleased to have me photographing it, even at this angle shooting away from the base entrance. Not sure if it's by design or coincidence, but I think the plinth looks like a volcano with lava flowing down it (which Lanzarote is obviously famous for). Note the real volcano in the background of the image.
Image

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Col. Chibani
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by Col. Chibani »

2 gate guardians in front of the San Diego Air & Space Museum:

YF2Y-1 Sea Dart, 135763, one of 5 built:
ImageDSC_0105 by Colonel CHIBANI, sur Flickr

A-12 60-6933, one of 13 built:
ImageDSC_0187 by Colonel CHIBANI, sur Flickr

And a late addition, a view of the "Century Circle", outside of Edwards AFB: F-100, F-101, F-102, F-104 (hidden), F-105 (only tail visible), F-106:
ImageDSC_0796_ by Colonel CHIBANI, sur Flickr

xkekeith
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by xkekeith »

Three from Dhahran in January 1988:

Lightning T55
Image54-060 Lightning T55 RSAF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

F-86 Sabre
ImageF-86 RSAF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

T-33A Shooting Star
ImageT-33A RSAF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr

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capercaillie
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by capercaillie »

xkekeith wrote:
Thu 03 Dec 2020, 9:13 am
Three from Dhahran in January 1988:

Lightning T55
Image54-060 Lightning T55 RSAF by Keith Heywood, on Flickr
Theoretically unless they've changed the fin this should be one of the two much rarer T54s supplied, re-labelled ex RAF T4s. Doesn't help the belly tank has been removed as well as the T55s were of course unique among two seaters in having the larger belly.
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Draken
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by Draken »

Thank you all for your lovely entries, it's hard to pick just one...
I need to mention few:

Andyph Huey - unexpected and unusual.
Ridgeback1 MiG-21 - I just love the shapes of "the Pencil".
Col.Chibani SeaDart - rare and interesting.
SuffolkBlue Invader - great machine!
D90Man - Voodoo looks amazing!

But -
PeterR - all 3 are very interesting, but I'll go with your Mirage F1 - Great composition and subject.
So - over to you Peter! :)

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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by PeterR »

Thanks! It was worth the grief from the military guards to get the shot then... :joy:

New thread coming this afternoon.

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AndyXH558
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Re: 48 Hour Photo Comp: Gatekeepers

Post by AndyXH558 »

Always worth the grief
Life's a piece of S*** if you look at it!

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