The Buccaneer
The Buccaneer.
XW530 was delivered to the RAF on the 31st October 1970 and served with XV and 16 squadrons at RAFG Laarbruch to start with. She returned to the UK in 1979, joining 216 Squadron at RAF Honington before moving on to 208 Squadron. XW530 was one of the Buccaneers deployed to Cyprus as part of Operation Pulsator in 1983, supporting UN peace keeping operations in Lebanon and carrying out 'show of force' low level missions over Beirut - thankfully without the need to drop any weapons.
XW530 was delivered to the RAF on the 31st October 1970 and served with XV and 16 squadrons at RAFG Laarbruch to start with. She returned to the UK in 1979, joining 216 Squadron at RAF Honington before moving on to 208 Squadron. XW530 was one of the Buccaneers deployed to Cyprus as part of Operation Pulsator in 1983, supporting UN peace keeping operations in Lebanon and carrying out 'show of force' low level missions over Beirut - thankfully without the need to drop any weapons.
Returning to the UK, XW530 moved to 12 Squadron at RAF Lossiemouth. She was one of several Buccaneers to take part in Operation Granby, the UK's part of the 1991 Gulf War, being one of the first Buccaneers to be dispatched to the Gulf. Given a temporary 'desert pink' paint scheme, she also gained a Sky Pirates flag and the name 'Glenmorangie' (many of the Gulf War Buccaneers were given not only names and nose art but were also marked with the names of detachment personnel's wives or girlfriends and a particular drink)
