Any aviation photojournalist’s dream would be to catch a Raptor down low in the mountains of Wales, running what we refer to as the Mach Loop. It is an absolutely epic location, where the British Hawks, Typhoons, and Tornados–as well as USAF Eagles and Strike Eagles–can be seen down low, raging through valleys with steep escarpments and mountains on either side.
As we reported previously, F-22s from the 95th Fighter Squadron are currently deployed to RAF Lakenheath and enjoying the hospitality from our good friend Colonel “Blend’r” Novotny. Mister F. Bones and his contingent of Raptors are using the England base as a jumping-off point for a tour of Europe, but folks around the ‘Heath are getting spoiled with the sights and sounds of Raptors venturing out into the English countryside. They’ve now flown the Mach Loop for the first time!
Any aviation photojournalist would love to capture a Raptor running the Loop. Talk about a dream come true, right?! It’s certainly a “bucket list” item for us, and we’re hoping to get over there soon to see it in person.
So in the mean time, we’ll continue to live vicariously through the lens of Mark Jayne, Neil Bates, Elwyn, and others who regularly frequent the loop. As you can see from the video below, the result is nothing short of spectacular!
Enjoy!