Maple Flag At CFB Cold Lake
Matthew Hamer
Has anyone attended the Maple Flag at Cold Lake this year?
If yes, what was the flying display like? What aircraft/units were
participating?
I have visited Cold Lake during Maple Flag in 1993 and 1994 -- the mass
launches beat any airshow display I have ever seen.
I would be interested in hearing from others who have visited Cold Lake,
Nellis or other "superbases" during exercises ...
L. Katchur
In article <4mrqvf$l...@cliff.island.net>, mha...@mail.island.net says...
I will be at '4 Wing Cold Lake' on May 24th. Maple Flag this year runs from
May 5th to June 15th. I will be visiting with a friend of mine who pilots
a CF-18 from the 441 SilverFox Sqdn. It will be my third trip to the base,
but my first at Maple Flag time. It should be quite interesting.
If there's anything in particular that I should be watching for, I'd be
greatfull for the info. I'll probably post a few comments after the trip.
Also if you want to check out the '4 Wing Cold Lake' home page, just go to:
http://www.4wing.coldlake.dnd.ca/4wing.html
There is all kinds of info about the base, it's operations, history, and yes
Maple Flag.
--
*************************************************
Lyle W. Katchur - lkat...@ccinet.ab.ca
*************************************************
Gary Madore
In article <4mrqvf$l...@cliff.island.net>, mha...@mail.island.net says...
>
>Has anyone attended the Maple Flag at Cold Lake this year?
>
>If yes, what was the flying display like? What aircraft/units were
>participating?
>
>I have visited Cold Lake during Maple Flag in 1993 and 1994 -- the mass
>launches beat any airshow display I have ever seen.
>
>I would be interested in hearing from others who have visited Cold Lake,
>Nellis or other "superbases" during exercises ...
I just got back from Cold Lake this morning. Unfortunately it's a small
'flag this year with 70 or so aircraft per launch...Booooooooring! Oh well,
beats the hell out of boring holes in the sky at home.
Cheers!
Gary Madore
Steve Sauve
mha...@mail.island.net (Matthew Hamer) wrote:
(schnipped)
>I would be interested in hearing from others who have visited Cold Lake,
>Nellis or other "superbases" during exercises ...
Steve Says:
I'm a Photo Tech in the CF, and I've been fortunate enough to be up at
Cold Lake on TD (TDY to 'Muricans) during a Maple Flag. In 1992 I was
working out of 419 Sqn (with CF5's) on a one-week evaluation of a
digital image transmission system. Anyway, I was there on my own, so
I was able to set my own work schedule.
I caught nearly all the morning and afternoon launches and recoveries
during my time there. The base considers these enough of an event to
make a PA announcement to all units the went something like "ATTENTION
ALL PERSONNEL, MAPLE FLAG LAUNCH/RECOVERY WILL COMMENCE IN TEN
MINUTES". Needless to say, many workshops and offices and offices
emptied out at the appointed time to witness the spectacle.
Impressive does not describe the holding point at the turn onto the
active runway, when you can real close and watch the whole strike
package getting off the ground as quickly as possible! F-15s, F-16s,
Jaguars, F-111s, CF18s, Aggressors, even CC130s piling into the fray!
It's simply a symphony of JP-4 being turned into noise. The level and
intensity of activity is really something to behold.
After the package has departed, you want to light up a cigarette (even
if you don't smoke) and say "oh baby, that was good for me, I hope it
was good for you, too!".
Now that I'm thinking about it, I guess I'll be digging out my slides
tonight and have another look at Maple Flag 92.
Cheers,
Steve Sauve
C-323
IPMS Ottawa, Canada
To reach IPMS Canada, or for information on local chapters or joining, contact
bd...@freenet.carleton.ca
or ... snail-mail to:
IPMS Canada
P.O. Box 626, Station B
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1P 5P7
Steve Sauve
Steve Sauve
Richard Berry
On Thursday, 23 May 96, Steve Sauve wrote...
> mha...@mail.island.net (Matthew Hamer) wrote:
>
> (schnipped)
>
> >I would be interested in hearing from others who have visited Cold
Lake,
> >Nellis or other "superbases" during exercises ...
>
> Steve Says:
>
>snip
"ATTENTION
> ALL PERSONNEL, MAPLE FLAG LAUNCH/RECOVERY WILL COMMENCE IN TEN
> MINUTES". Needless to say, many workshops and offices and offices
> emptied out at the appointed time to witness the spectacle.
>
> Impressive does not describe the holding point at the turn onto the
> active runway, when you can real close and watch the whole strike
> package getting off the ground as quickly as possible! F-15s, F-16s,
> Jaguars, F-111s, CF18s, Aggressors, even CC130s piling into the fray!
> It's simply a symphony of JP-4 being turned into noise. The level and
> intensity of activity is really something to behold.
>
One of the most impressive flying display that I have ever seen was at
Wright Patterson AFB of all places. When Hurricane Hugo hit the Atlantic
coast, all the military aircraft had to bug out. WPAFB was the right
place to go to - plenty of ramp space and those long SAC runways. I got
my first clue that something was happening when I saw a non-stop
progression of fighter traffic in the pattern at 30 second intervals. So,
of course I headed out to the Aero club to watch the spectacle. In all, I
think the base was host to over 200 aircraft including F-14s, F-18s,
F-16s, F-15s, C-130s, P-3s, A-6s, and numerous helicopters. The ramps
were so full, the wop-wops were put on the grass. The next morning I went
up to the Wright Monument ( a great overlook of the field) and was amazed
to see just how many planes were parked there. The next day or two, I
stayed glued to the scanner listening for radio traffic that indicated the
all clear had been given. As soon as that happened, we booked out for the
perimeter road. We were not disappointed. The fighters were being
launched in pairs or singles at short intervals. It was great to see them
screaming over our heads! And, the occasional fighter pilot would oblige
the crowd by lighting up the AB. Best show I've ever seen (well almost -
being out next to the runway and having an SR-71 make 3 passes over you at
200', 100', and then 50' (on this pass he lit the ABs) was definitely the
best).
RBB
snip>
Warren T. Montgomery
Warren Says:
I used to do Maple flag back in the early 80's. Flew the Falcon 20 with
414 Electronic Warefare Sqn. out of North Bay, Ont. We used to have a
blast there. The flying on this Ex wasn't overly exciting for us though.
We used to hold south of Primrose or Cold Lake ( can't remember which one
now) and do stand off jamming.
On one Ex an F105 crew lent us their personel inflight recorder. We got
some country & Western songs and then pluged the recorder into the
headset jack. Played back these tunes at high speed sounding like the
chipmunks and it drove them nuts. Wasn't long be for they were asking for
thier kit back.
Something to note for those of you that use authentication, don't use the
codes in the upper left quarter. It wouldn't take us long to pick up
enough codes so that we could play hell with all the Forward air
controllers and others. On one ex there was quite bad smoke in the area.
Got ahold of one crew and after authenticating using some of the codes
we'd picked up told them they were recalled. They returned to base
without completing thier mission and were very much upset with us over
that one. All part of the game though.
As an air defence Sqn we also did Copper Flag out of Tyndell AFB and
also had to support StNaForta (Standing Navel Forces Atlantic) out of
Bermuda for a month each year. Tough job.
I gave all this up a few years ago now. Presently flying A300-600's and
A310's as a Captain in the Middle East.
Check Six;
Warren
MB1K
Richard,
You wrote: "....wop-wops were put on the grass"
Thanks for using that delightful and respectable term we
helicopter pilots love so much to hear our hard working machines
referred to.
Joe
Kapolei, HI
Graham Mansell
"Warren T. Montgomery" (mo...@emirates.net.ae) writes:
> also had to support StNaForta (Standing Navel Forces Atlantic) out of
>
This line does it imply that the Navy was Navel Retentive?????