The 1960s
 
  Jan 1960 Six B-47 aircraft from the 68th Bombardment Wing of Chennault AFB, Louisiana were supported, while nine arrived and nine departed that month.  Three aircraft were diverted to Spain on their way to Fairford because of the weather.
 
Jan 1960 Nineteen Alpha alerts, five Bravo alerts and two Cocoa alerts were held in January.
 
  Feb 1960 Six B-47 aircraft from the 68th Bombardment Wing of Chennault AFB, Louisiana were supported, while twelve arrived and twelve departed that month.  Scarves that the crews were issued to wear on alert became a problem.  The blue ones issued by RAF Fairford were no longer presentable so the white scarves provided by their home station were used instead.
 
Feb 1960 Twenty-eight Alpha alerts, six Bravo alerts and one Cocoa alert were held.
 
  May 1960 Six B-47 aircraft from the 68th Bombardment Wing of Chennault AFB, Louisiana were supported, while twelve arrived and twelve departed that month.  TAC Site #3 on base was prepared for use when winds introduced the need to use Runway 10.
 
  Jun 1960 Six B-47 aircraft from the 68th Bombardment Wing of Chennault AFB, Louisiana were supported, while fifteen arrived and fifteen departed that month.
 
22 Jun 1960 A requirement for maintenance personnel to familiarise themselves with the loading of the new B-52 aircraft was received.  The project codenamed Alarm Bell would involve the use of an MN-8 bomb bay training device at RAF Brize Norton.
 
  Jul 1960 Six B-47 aircraft from the 68th Bombardment Wing of Chennault AFB, Louisiana were supported, while twelve arrived and twelve departed that month.
 
16 Jul 1960 B-52 aircraft were expected to now become possible visitors to air bases in the UK.
 
26 Jul 1960 The base had a Broken Arrow exercise, during which a Bravo alert was held.
 
  Aug 1960 Six B-47 aircraft from the 68th Bombardment Wing of Chennault AFB, Louisiana were supported, while fifteen arrived and fifteen departed that month.
 
24 Aug 1960 The SAC Inspector General, Brig Gen Wells, conducted an inspected of all base facilities and considered the operation was being run well.
 
  Jul 1961 The Reflex Action aircraft strength doubled and the 68th BW increased to 9 B-47s and the 96th BW to 3.
 
1 Jul 1962 The 3919th Combat Defense Sqn and 3919th Transport Sqn formed at RAF Fairford.
 
1 Dec 1962 SAC alert posture was maintained and a KC-97 from the 19th ARS airlifted B-52 support teams to Fairford.
 
  1962 B-52 bombers started visiting the base, but were very rare and didn’t stay long.
 
5 Apr 1963 Although being planned no dates had yet been decided for the USAF bomber withdrawal.
 
Jun 1963 Aircraft deployments scaled down to 9 bombers.
 
8 Nov 1963 It was announced that RAF Fairford would be returned to the RAF by July 1st 1964.
 
  1963 Project Clearwater halted large scale bomber deployments.
 
  Apr 1964 Investigations began to see if the Central Flying School could make use of RAF Fairford once the USAF had left.
 
6 May 1964 It was decided that the RAF could use RAF Fairford after the USAF withdraw.
 
26 Jun 1964 The RAF take control of RAF Fairford as the USAF withdraw.
 
30 Jun 1964 The 3919th Combat Support Sqn along with all other USAF units left.
 
  Nov 1964 C flight of the Central Flying School with Gnat T-1 aircraft, a satellite of Brize, move in from Little Rissington.
 
1 Mar 1965 The Red Arrows were formed at RAF Fairford
 
1 Nov 1965 53 Sqn form as the RAF's first and only heavy lift squadron with Belfast aircraft.
 
May 1966 Freight tasks start moving from RAF Brize Norton to RAF Fairford.
 
1 Jun 1966 RAF Fairford is moved from Flying Training Command to Transport Command, with 3 Belfast and 20 Gnat aircraft currently present.
 
1 Jul 1966 10 Sqn move to RAF Fairford, while the runway at their home station RAF Brize Norton was re-surfaced, with the RAF's new VC-10s being delivered to them slowly.
 
  Aug 1966 RAF Fairford's runway was slurry-sealed as part of the preparations for Belfast and VC-10 operations.
 
  Sep 1966 The Red Arrows and CFS Gnats left for RAF Kemble earlier than planned leaving the station's aircraft to become 8 Belfasts and 10 VC-10s by mid 1967.
 
May 1967 53 Sqn left for RAF Brize Norton and the station became a relief landing ground again.
 
3 Jul 1967 RAF Fairford was approved to become a flying test centre for Concorde.
 
  Sep 1967 The base was re-opened as an independent station of Air Support Command to become home to the new C-130s.
 
  Sep 1967 RAF Fairford also took over command of the Supply and Engineering Squadrons of the Aircrew Officers Training School at South Cerney until 22nd Jan 1968.
 
Oct 1967 A liaison officer from BAC moved to RAF Fairford to prepare building for use with Concorde.
 
5 Jan 1968 As part of its retirement a Hastings transport aircraft made a fly-past at Fairford.
 
22 Jan 1968 South Cerney becomes a satellite unit of RAF Fairford and is primary used for its housing.
 
25 Feb 1968 47 Sqn reforms at Fairford to be equipped with the new C-130 aircraft.  RAF Fairford will receive the 19th to 43rd aircraft delivered to the RAF.
 
1 Mar 1968 RAF Fairford becomes a No 38 Group unit.
 
4 Mar 1968 The airfield at RAF Fairford re-opens to aircraft.  The first visitor was an RAF Varsity which tested the ILS system while VC-10s visited the station for the rest of March.
 
26 Mar 1968 The first three RAF C-130s arrive at RAF Fairford, XV219, XV221 and XV222.  
 
1 Apr 1968 RAF Fairford starts 24 hour operations with C-130s already conducting worldwide flights.
 
16 May 1968 RAF Andover aircraft from 46 Sqn, RAF Abingdon visit RAF Fairford for 6 weeks.
 
Jun 1968 RAF Fairford C-130 strength reached 15.
 
10 Jun 1968 30 Sqn reforms at Fairford with the C-130
 
Jul 1968 RAF Fairford C-130 strength reached 19 while the aircraft begin participating in exercises.
 
Sep 1968 30 Sqn continues to build up its aircraft numbers and reaches 21 C-130s in October.
 
5 Dec 1968 Bad weather at their home station caused two RAF Britannias and VC-10s to divert to Fairford.
 
  Feb 1969 RAF Fairford flew 100% of its tasked hours for the first time, resulting in approx 1500 movements that month.
 
24 Mar 1969 RAF C-130 XV180 flown by Fl Lt Coutts crashed shortly after a roller landing at 16:25 killing all six on board.
 
9 Apr 1969 Concorde 002, G-BSST, lands at Fairford after its first flight from Filton at 14:50.
 
13 Jun 1969 A Central Flying School Gnat, XP501, makes a forced landing after hydraulic failure and is declared a write off.
 
22 Jul 1969 An RAF Jet Provost training aircraft made a genuine engine out emergency landing at Fairford.
 
Oct 1969 RAF C-130s from RAF Fairford helped in the hurried re-enforcing of troops in Northern Ireland.
 


 

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