Join us live from the Viewing Area at RAF Lakenheath, a USAF base which is home to the 48th Fighter Wing. RAF Lakenheath might carry the name RAF, but it is a USAFE base and home to four combat ready fighter squadrons under its wing. The base is home to the birth of 'SKIM THE FENCE' and 'SKIM THE VAN' where the F-15E Strike Eagles and F-35A Lightning pilots like to show us all how it's done.
Scenes
00:02:27 Intro
00:09:22 A special greeting from the base
00:24:42 F-15 - wave 1 departing
00:40:00 Race
00:53:15 Presentation - history lesson
01:02:49 2x F-15 coming in to land
01:24:03 Presentation - a very special flag
01:32:18 History w/ presentation
01:34:50 2x F-15 taxiing for main apron
01:39:50 F-15 - wave 1 returning
01:44:06 Historical tail codes at RAF Lakenheath
01:59:37 Nikos saluting the 48th maintenance squadron
02:20:28 F-15 - wave 2 departing
02:26:14 Ted greeting a lorry at the base
02:30:53 2x F-15 coming in for circuits
02:46:45 K. C.
02:56:07 2x F-15 doing unusual manoeuvres due to technical issue
03:11:15 Emergency services around emergency aircraft
03:28:50 F-15 take-off
04:09:23 F-15 coming in to land
04:41:47 4x F-35 take-off
05:04:24 Presentation - F-35 versions explained
05:46:33 Drew
05:47:51 2x F-35 coming in to land
05:53:30 Reggie
06:04:42 F-15 - wave 3 departing
06:36:16 Reggie talking to Ted
06:44:13 F-15 - wave 3 returning
07:08:24 Presentation - Bolars
07:21:42 Outro
RAF Lakenheath is the home of the 48th Fighter Wing and home to four combat ready fighter squadrons; 492nd FS, 493rd FS, 494th FS and the recently reactivated 'Valkyries', the 495th Fighter Squadron. It may carry the title RAF but it is a USAF base. This is because the base was originally built for and operated by the Royal Air Force in 1940. The airfield started life out as decoy airfield (Q-site) to RAF Mildenhall, which is about 5.5 miles the way the backwards crow flies. RAF Mildenhall was an established bomber station built in 1934 and to protect it, Lakenheath was chosen to become a decoy, to take any attacks. However, things changes and it was decided that RAF Lakenheath would become a satellite station to Mildenhall.
RAF Lakenheath was home to 20 OTU with Wellington Bombers, 149 Squadron with their Short Sterling Bombers who were also joined later by 199 Squadron. After WWII, and from 1948, it then became home to the USAF's 307th Bombardment Group and also the 2d Bombardment Group.
However during WW2, the 48th wasn't even founded. It was on the 10th July 1952, the Oklahoma Air National Guard 137th Fighter-Bomber Wing at Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, France was redesignated as the 48th Fighter-Bomber Wing. The fighter squadrons being redesignated the 492d, 493d, and 494th respectively, the 58 F-84Gs and support aircraft of the ANG were assigned to the 48th Fighter-Bomber Group under the Hobson Plan. To this day, the 492d, 493d and the 494th Fighter Squadrons still serve under the 48th FW today! Further more, the Statue of Liberty was actually made near the base and the Mayor of the town gave a ceremonial name to the base as the "Statue of Liberty Wing". The 48th Fighter Wing is the only Wing in the USAF to have a number and a name!
It wasn't until 15th January 1960 that the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing made Lakenehath their new home. LR, LS and LT were the tail codes for the base with the F-100's but when they transitioned to the Phantom, a temporary tail code of LK was introduced until a few months later it changed once more to LN, which is active today.
In 1977 a fourth squadron joined Lakenheath's 48th, the 495th Tactical Fighter Squadron. They were known as the "Thundervarks" flying the F-111's. However, they deactivated in 1991. They also sported the green tail flash.
In 1991, The 48th Tactical Fighter Wing was redesignated as the 48th Fighter Wing. This included the 'Tactical' title being dropped on the squadrons too. The 495th disbanded with the retirement of the F-111 in that year but returned 30 years later in 2021 with the F-35A.
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