Scene around the UK

19 January 2007 - Lakenheath

Sporting two newly-applied green stars is F-15C 84-0019, flying with the 493rd FS. This Eagle shot down two Su-25 Frogfoots over Iraq on 6 February 1991 when flying with the 53rd TFS, 36th TFW, then based at Bitburg, Germany. Pictures courtesy Mike Kerr

17 January 2007 - East Midlands Airport

Return of the Cock - An-22A UR-09307 seen back at EMA, this time picking up engines to go to Toulouse. Maybe a regular from now on? Picture courtesy Michael Hind

15 January 2007 - Heathrow

Captured at Heathrow was E-4B 73-1677 from the 1st 1st Airborne Command Control Squadron. The mission of the 1st ACCS is to provide US National Command Authorities with a survivable command centre from which it can make accurate decisions and transmit timely directions to US military forces during all conditions of peace and war.

The E-4B is a militarised version of the Boeing 747-200 - it's a four-engined, swept-wing, long-range, high-altitude aircraft capable of being refuelled in flight. The main deck is divided into six functional areas: a command work area, conference room, briefing room, an operations team work area, and communications and rest areas. An E-4B crew may include up to 114 people, including a joint-service operations team, an ACC flight crew, a maintenance and security component, a communications team and selected augmentees.

The E-4B has electromagnetic pulse protection, an electrical system designed to support advanced electronics and a wide variety of communications equipment. Improvements over the E-4A include nuclear and thermal effects shielding, acoustic control, an improved technical control facility and an upgraded air-conditioning system for cooling electrical components. An advanced satellite communications system improves worldwide communications among strategic and tactical satellite systems and the airborne operations centre. To provide direct support to the President and the Secretary of Defense, at least one E-4B is always on alert at one of many selected bases throughout the world. Picture courtesy Matthew Clements

14 January 2007 - Brize Norton

One of two VIP Airbus A310s on the Belgian military register, CA-02 taxies out at Brize Norton. Originally delivered to Singapore Airlines as 9V-STN on 30 April 1985, CA-02 was delivered to the Belgian Air Force on 25 September 1997. The A310s replaced the ageing Boeing 727s that were a common sight in the early nineties. Picture courtesy Mark Rouse