Defence plan to scrap F-111s

"Paul Repacholi" wrote in message

"Thomas Schoene" writes:

The F-111/GBU-28 missions were absolutely NOT flown direct from the
United States. The bombs were flown direct from the US to Saudi
Arabia, but that was in a C-141 cargo plane. They were delivered to
the target by F-111s operating out of Taif air base in Saudi Arabia.

AIR, the report I read said the bombed up AC flew from the US due to
time constraints of some sort. It may well have been SA they staged
through, rather than DG. I'm moderatly sure they returned direct, but
can't remember why, or if a reason was stated.

I'm sorry, but that's simply not the case. As I said, the flew into theater
in a cargo plane and were then loaded on combat aircraft already based
there. Here is the most readily accessilble history I could find; it
matches very closely with all of the printed versions I have read of the
same event.

http://f-111.net/CarloKopp/gbu-28.htm

"3 Into Battle

"The third and fourth bomb casings, destined for Iraq, arrived at Eglin on
the 23rd February and were immediately loaded. Still warm from the explosive
loading process, the two rounds were loaded on to a C-141 at Eglin on the
27th February, for the seventeen hour flight to Taif in Saudi Arabia. Within
5 hours of landing these bombs were under the wings of 48th TFW F-111s, en
route to Iraq. "

--
Tom Schoene Replace "invalid" with "net" to e-mail
"If brave men and women never died, there would be nothing
special about bravery." -- Andy Rooney (attributed)