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RAF WADDINGTON

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This page last updated on 10th November 2005

[Description] [Attractions] [Viewing] [Other Info]

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

RAF Waddington is located East of Waddington village, between the A607 and A15, 3 miles South of Lincoln in Lincolnshire. Waddo is home to 8 and 23 Squadrons with their E-3D Sentries and the secretive 51 Squadron and their Nimrod R.1s.

ICAO	Telephone	Web sites
EGXW	01522 720271	RAF Waddington (official site)
	01522 721292 (Sentry Post - WAVE)	RAF Waddington Airshow
		8 Squadron
		23 Squadron
		RAF Waddington (RAuxAF)
		No. 2503 Sqn. RAuxAF Rgt.
		Lincs. & Notts. Air Ambulance
		Aerial view

Frequencies
Frequency	Description	Last heard
118.750	Operations NOMAD
125.350	Approach (standby)
127.350	Zone	17/02/2003
249.850	Departures
259.650	Operations (MAGIC Primary)
291.675	ATIS
296.750	Zone
300.575	Director & PAR	17/02/2003
309.675	PAR	17/02/2003
312.500	Approach & Departures	17/02/2003
318.100	Operations (8 Squadron)
342.125	Ground	17/02/2003
364.725	Operations (23 Squadron)
374.500	Operations (NOMAD)	17/02/2003
375.800	Operations (MAGIC Secondary)
378.800	Operations (NOMAD)
388.225	Tower	17/02/2003

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO SEE

The occasional E-3D or Nimrod R.1 movement; they tend to stay out for many hours so as a result movements are infrequent. There's normally at least one E-3D parked up though. With the closure of the ACMI ranges, foreign detachments of aircraft like Mirage 2000s and F-16s will be a rarity. Occasional visits from NATO E-3s and foreign transport types do still occur and Army Air Corps helicopters seem to be staging through Waddington quite often enroute to their training areas further North.

Waddington is a 24-hour emergency diversion airfield, so occasionally aircraft will divert here if they have problems or their destination is weathered in. As the station is basically shut down over the weekend though, anything diverting here between Friday afternoon and Sunday is stuck there until Monday! Other infrequent users of Waddington are civilian aircraft using the runway for training - something RAF types do much more often so expect Harriers, King Airs, Tutors and Dominies, Fireflies and so on.

VIEWING

This station is easily found alongside the A15 just south of Lincoln, with the Waddington Aircraft Viewing Area (WAVE) signposted just before you get to it (A). WAVE is one of the best viewing areas in the country, with lots of (paved!) parking, toilets (airshow style) plus, believe it or not, the Sentry Snack Bar and Shop. Hot and cold drinks and hot food available all day, ideal for those winter days waiting for something good to turn up! Sitting here in the car park you can get passable shots of aircraft landing on runway 21, or departing from runway 03, but for really good shots you need to get out of your car and cross the road (B) - the A15 is busy - so take care.

Harrier T.10 landing (taken from WAVE entrance near point A); author

Sea Harriers taxiing (taken from point B); author

On this side of the road all that's between you and aircraft taxiing is a thoughtfully small fence plus some vegetation and barbed wire - there are a few spots where the geography of the verge means you can get clear shots across this lot but to be honest a small stepladder is in order. What that gives you is truly excellent views of aircraft taxiing at close range - a 70-100 size lens will do for stuff on the taxiway, up to 300 for fighters ending their landing run on 03 (or landing on 21) or smaller for E-3s. You can also look South down the taxiway to sometimes see at least the tails of aircraft parked up on the dispersals there - no good for photos because of obstructions but possibly useful for serials. A 300mm lens or above can give you nice shots of them taxiing out of there; e.g. aircraft taxiing away from you if using 03, or towards you for 21.

Looking across the airfield to the Northernmost hangar (the modern looking one) you'll see any E-3s or Nimrods parked outside; photos aren't really worth the bother because of obstructions though a 300mm lens can frame an E-3 over there quite well. Aircraft departing from 03 will lift off out of sight over the hump of the runway and are a little high by the time they get close to you for really good photos, but passable shots can be had. It's always worth tracking any departures of visiting fighter types with your camera anyway, because some of them show off a little, knowing that you're there. Aircraft departing from 21 or landing on 21 give you even better photo opportunities.

Belgian F-16 taxiing in (taken from point B); author

E-3 landing (taken from point C); author

Cross the road again and walk North; there's a compound adjoining the WAVE which has a couple of gravel mounds in it (C). These give you a nice raised viewpoint for anything landing on runway 21. The gate is normally closed but there's a gap by the right-hand side of it you can walk through, usually nobody seems to mind people being here.

However, you can also get nice shots by leaving this compound and walking to just past the road signs (D). Here you have a nice side-on view of aircraft landing; take care not to get in front of everybody else though as it can get busy with photographers here! The hedge to the right is a little high so some people use stepladders to retain a clear view of aircraft on finals, giving more time to compose your shot - personally I find it easier to just stick to point C.

French Mirage 2000 landing (taken from point D); author

Belgian F-16 landing (taken from point E); author

Walking further up the road you'll soon come to the approach lights (E), where you can get great head-on shots and enjoy the noise and power of anything landing on 21. Not a good idea to stand up here though - to stay out of other people's photos, and away from the wheels of fighter types coming in a bit too low, you may want to kneel!

Crossing the road again and going to the high wooden fence, you'll find a small square hole in the fence at ground level (F) where a single landing light peeks out. While it's not a good idea to block this light (it's there for a reason after all), if you're quick you can use this to take photos through just after something passes overhead, and get nice touchdown shots. You can also do this with a stepladder to look over the fence of course, but I would not advise standing on a stepladder near the approach when something is actually landing - think how landing pilots will feel about it. I have seen people do it - and I've seen at least one chap dive off a ladder as a result. The fence here has been knocked down by jet blast on occasion too!

NATO E-3A landing (taken from point F); Nick Challoner

To try and log serials of anything parked up in the ACMI dispersals plus the air ambulance helo, a walk along the fence from WAVE to point G should do the job, but there are many buildings and trees to obstruct the view, so don't expect to get them all. Photography is not possible due to range and obstructions. There are a couple of places to park the car on the way (old taxiways to hardstandings on the other side of the A15 from the station), but a walk paying close attention to every tailfin etc. that comes into view is the best way to read off as many aircraft as possible.

Back to the car and drive down to the crossroads formed by the A15, the B1178 and what is now a track running along part of the southern perimeter of the station (H). It is gated, and often locked, although ownership of it is not clear (MoD or farmer). Either way, enthusiasts regularly drive up it to get more views of the aircraft parked in the dispersals, often providing another serial or two, mostly without serious hassle from the station or from the farmer. I would recommend parking nearby and walking (in case the gates are locked after driving up!) and being courteous to anyone challenging you.

Mirage 2000 turning onto finals (taken from point I, 500mm lens); author

There's one further spot good for arrivals to runway 21, particularly fighter types. A road runs to the North-East of the A15 and fighters often turn over it, providing good photo opportunities. Drive back out of where you are and across the road, onto the B1178. Take the first left. Now if you keep an eye out on your left you'll soon see the approach lights again (I). There are a number of places where you can pull off the road to park (particularly on the wide flat verge on the right). Police will move you on from here during airshow days though. Anyway, basically the whole length of this road can be useful, it depends entirely on the style of circuit aircraft are carrying out. If you're lucky you can get some nice top-side shots as they bank hard over to bring themselves onto the approach for 21. Even the E-3s do this when doing a visual circuit, though they tend to be much further away. As always the bigger your lens the better; 400mm is really a minimum for this style of shot and even then there can be days you'll need much more.

There are a lot of dispersals down at the southern end of the airfield, and these are sometimes used by visitors, or even residents (particularly on the airshow weekend) so it can be worth a look here just to make sure. To do so continue South on the A15 and turn right to head West on the B1178. After approximately 1.5 miles the road bends to the right and then to the left; as it bends right there's a lane running North (actually an old Roman road). While rather rough it's passable for a car so drive up it and you'll come to a crash gate (J) - make sure to park off to the side so you don't block it - there's room for at least three cars to do this. From here you're right next to a large dispersal and can look across to the 03 threshold; nice landing shots in the morning if you have a big lens (300mm plus, less for larger types) - but only of them airborne, the large lighting poles along the fence ruin the view as they pass to your right. You can also walk along the fence between the new wire-mesh fence and the old wooden fence/hedge (i.e. keeping off the farmer's fields) if you need to. The RAF police do sometimes move people on from here, though I've never known them to tow away a car if they cannot find the driver because he's in the field, out of sight from the road.

NATO E-3 landing (taken from point J); author

French Mirage 2000 landing (taken from point L); author

Back down the lane and turn right to get back onto the B1178 and just before you reach the A607 crossroads there are a couple of places off the side of the road where you can park (only room for one car on each though); e.g. by a field entrance (K). You can get fairly nice near-head-on shots of aircraft landing on 03 from here, but they're a little high so for a more exciting experience, hike across the field with the landing lights in it towards a point by the end of the hedge visible to your right and a copse of trees to your left (L). Landing aircraft are only around 100 feet above your head as they pass over you here. Even a 28mm lens can get you decent shots here!

However, for a more intense experience, continue walking towards the station fence by the end of the runway (M) and the altitude of landing aircraft is reduced further; don't expect to be able to stay standing up! Not only can you get great head-on landing shots here, you can also catch aircraft on touchdown, or get good reheat shots of fighter aircraft departing from 03. It's obviously not the safest place in the world so try and keep off the direct centreline and don't be surprised if you do get asked to leave on some days.

One further spot not well known is a footpath that is about 200 meters South of Waddington village, leading off the A607 and going right up to the airfield perimeter fence (N). From here a 300-400 mm lens will give you good shots, but it's only useful in the afternoon because of the sun's position earlier in the day. It does offer good views across to the ACMI dispersals, depending on which ones are in use of course.

That's about it for Waddo; if you want a pictures of the Vulcan or Phantom, you can get to see the Phantom at the annual airshow, but will need to contact the CRO for anything but a long-range photo of the Vulcan, which is now parked near the A15.

OTHER INFORMATION

RAF Waddington hosts a major two-day airshow each year, which is well worth attending. On the Friday before the show the RAF open up part of the station by the threshold of runway 21 (O) and charge around 3 quid for entrance (the WAVE is usually shut). This is excellent for logging serials, and great for photos (though for stuff landing on 21, the morning and early afternoon sun makes life difficult - stuff taxiing is fine though). Many people walk outside onto the verge for the first half of the day. The local police cone off huge amounts of the roads for miles around, so cough up your five quid or whatever and park on the airfield!

Nimrod R.1 taxiing in (taken from point O); author

Contributors: Nick Challoner, Michael Anderson, author, Gary Parsons.

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