RAF Coningsby
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The 25 May 2024 was a very sad day for the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Sqn Ldr Mark Long lost his life following the crash of Spitfire IX MK356 while flying from Coningsby. The thoughts of the administrators of this website are with the pilot, his family, and all those at the BBMF who work tirelessly to keep these wonderful machines in the air.
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RAF Coningsby is located in Lincolnshire on the southern edge of the village that bears its name. For a full history of the airfield please follow this link: www.airshowspresent.com/the-history-of-raf-coningsby
The airfield is home to the following units: No. 3(F) Squadron (Typhoon), No. XI(F) Squadron (Typhoon), No. 12 Squadron (Typhoon, joint RAF and Qatari, info here: www.raf.mod.uk), No. 29 Squadron (Typhoon Operational Conversion Unit), No. 41(R) Test and Evaluation Squadron (Typhoon), The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), Typhoon Display Flight, Typhoon Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI) course and the Air Land Integration Cell (comprises personnel from the RAF Regiment who are trained as Joint Terminal Attack Coordinators and Tactical Air Controllers).
Often referred to as Fighter Town UK, the station is responsible for training all RAF Typhoon pilots a task undertaken by No. 29 Squadron, while No. 3 Squadron specialises in air defence and No. XI, air land integration. The role of the No. 12 Squadron is beginning to wind down as the Qataris undertake their own in-country training, while No. 41 Squadron continues bring new capabilities into service.
Coningsby is also home to Southern QRA (Quick Reaction Alert), which keeps at readiness two Typhoons on constant 24-hour alert. The QRA will react to any threat to UK Airspace. Infringements could be the Russians who continue to probe UK response levels as they did during the Cold War or civil aircraft that have lost radio contact with Air Traffic Control. The station's Typhoons are also actively escorting the RAF's Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft currently monitoring the war between Russia and Ukraine.
A visit is usually rewarded with plenty of activity from the Typhoons and other visiting aircraft. During the airshow season, the BBMF's aircraft will often be seen in the circuit, and the glorious sounds of Rolls-Royce Merlin aero engines are heard again as an echo to the airfield's illustrious wartime activities.
If you go to Coningsby, be sure to visit the BBMF Hangar and take the tour.
The airfield is home to the following units: No. 3(F) Squadron (Typhoon), No. XI(F) Squadron (Typhoon), No. 12 Squadron (Typhoon, joint RAF and Qatari, info here: www.raf.mod.uk), No. 29 Squadron (Typhoon Operational Conversion Unit), No. 41(R) Test and Evaluation Squadron (Typhoon), The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF), Typhoon Display Flight, Typhoon Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI) course and the Air Land Integration Cell (comprises personnel from the RAF Regiment who are trained as Joint Terminal Attack Coordinators and Tactical Air Controllers).
Often referred to as Fighter Town UK, the station is responsible for training all RAF Typhoon pilots a task undertaken by No. 29 Squadron, while No. 3 Squadron specialises in air defence and No. XI, air land integration. The role of the No. 12 Squadron is beginning to wind down as the Qataris undertake their own in-country training, while No. 41 Squadron continues bring new capabilities into service.
Coningsby is also home to Southern QRA (Quick Reaction Alert), which keeps at readiness two Typhoons on constant 24-hour alert. The QRA will react to any threat to UK Airspace. Infringements could be the Russians who continue to probe UK response levels as they did during the Cold War or civil aircraft that have lost radio contact with Air Traffic Control. The station's Typhoons are also actively escorting the RAF's Boeing RC-135 Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft currently monitoring the war between Russia and Ukraine.
A visit is usually rewarded with plenty of activity from the Typhoons and other visiting aircraft. During the airshow season, the BBMF's aircraft will often be seen in the circuit, and the glorious sounds of Rolls-Royce Merlin aero engines are heard again as an echo to the airfield's illustrious wartime activities.
If you go to Coningsby, be sure to visit the BBMF Hangar and take the tour.
Practice display for Typhoon FGR.4 ZJ914 at Coningsby on 7 June 2022
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12 Squadron Typhoons, seen here at Coningsby in September 2020
Typhoon FGR.4 ZK359
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Typhoon T.3 ZK383
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Indian Air Force Sukhoi SU30 MKI-3 Flanker Deployment July 2015
Sukhoi SU30 MKI-3 Flanker SB 138
Sukhoi SU30 MKI-3 Flanker SB 138
German Air Force Eurofighter Deployment April 2016
Eurofighter EF2000 30+50 - April 2016
EF-2000 Typhoon 30+49 - 11 September 2017 - Exercise Cobra Warrior
EF-2000 Typhoon 30+45 - 11 September 2017 - Exercise Cobra Warrior
German Air Force Tornado IDS - 8 September 2017 - Exercise Cobra Warrior
A typical day at RAF Coningsby can be summed by the photographs below.
Spitfire PR.XIX - PS915 - 8 September 2017
Tornado GR.4 ZA607, 41 Squadron - 11 September 2017, since retired
Typhoon T.3 ZK379, 41 Squadron - 11 September 2017
Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 ZK341 - 20 June 2016
Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 ZJ814, 29 Squadron - 20 June 2016
Boeing E-3D Sentry AEW.1, 8 Squadron - ZH103 - June 2016 (since retired)
Hercules C-130J C.5 ZH880 - June 2016 (since retired)
Typhoon ZK349 - April 2016
Typhoon ZK349 - April 2016
Hawk T.1A XX255, 100 Squadron - April 2016 (since retired)
Spitfire MK.IIa P7350 BBMF - March 2016
Embraer EMB.121 Xingu - 078 YE and 082 YG - French Air Force -
March 2016
Typhoon FGR.4 Trio
Typhoon FGR.4 ZJ935
Page Index - Aircraft Within This Gallery - Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ805 (BD) - Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ812 (BK)
Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ803 (BA) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ924 (DD) - Panavia Tornado GR.4 - ZA601 (66)
Dassault Falcon 20 - G-FRAU - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ915 (BY) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZK306 (ED)
Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ939 (DXI) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ914 (AF) - Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ806 (BE) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZK305 (EC) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ947 (AH) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZK331 (EE) - Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ801 (BJ) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ920 (QO-A) & ZJ917 (QO-G) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ930 (AA) & ZJ946 (AG) - Supermarine Spitfire LFIXC - MK356 (UF-Q)
BAe Hawk T.2 - ZK020 - Panavia Tornado GR.4 - ZA557 (048) - Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ805 (BD)
Eurofighter Typhoon F.2 - ZJ936 (QO-C) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ941 (QO-J) - BAe Jetstream 41 - G-MAJG
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Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ803 (BA) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ924 (DD) - Panavia Tornado GR.4 - ZA601 (66)
Dassault Falcon 20 - G-FRAU - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ915 (BY) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZK306 (ED)
Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ939 (DXI) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ914 (AF) - Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ806 (BE) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZK305 (EC) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ947 (AH) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZK331 (EE) - Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ801 (BJ) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ920 (QO-A) & ZJ917 (QO-G) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ930 (AA) & ZJ946 (AG) - Supermarine Spitfire LFIXC - MK356 (UF-Q)
BAe Hawk T.2 - ZK020 - Panavia Tornado GR.4 - ZA557 (048) - Eurofighter Typhoon T.3 - ZJ805 (BD)
Eurofighter Typhoon F.2 - ZJ936 (QO-C) - Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4 - ZJ941 (QO-J) - BAe Jetstream 41 - G-MAJG
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