No. 101 Squadron RAF
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No. 101 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Vickers VC-10 K3 and K4 from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. Since 10 Squadron disbanded in 2005, the squadron is the only operator of the VC-10.
101 Squadron was formed at Farnborough on the 12 July 1917 operating the Royal Aircraft Factory FE2b, it moved to France two weeks later as a night bomber squadron. In March 1919 the squadron returned to the UK and it was disbanded on 31 December 1919.
The squadron was reformed in March 1928 at RAF Bircham Newton as a day bomber squadron. In 1938 the squadron was equipped with the Bristol Blenheim. In 1941 the squadron changed to a medium-bomber squadron with the Vickers Wellington. These were replaced the following year with the Avro Lancaster.
In 1946 the squadron replaced the Lancaster with the Avro Lincoln and then in 1951 the English Electric Canberra. The squadron was disbanded 1 Feb 1957, and was reformed 15 October 1957 as part of the V Bomber force operating the Avro Vulcan from RAF Waddington. The squadron performed operations during the Falklands Campaign in 1982. The squadron was again disbanded 4 August 1982.
The RAF bought second-hand civil Vickers VC-10 aircraft for conversion to AAR aircraft. No 101 Squadron was chosen to operate the aircraft and was reformed at RAF Brize Norton on 1 May 1984.
Notable recent deployments of 101 Squadron include the Gulf War, Operations Northern & Southern Watch, Operation Allied Force (Kosovo), Operation Desert Fox, Afghanistan, and the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.
The VC-10 aircraft will be retired from 2008 when the Airbus A330 tanker (bought under the Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft program) enters service.
Former Aircraft Types
- Royal Aircraft Factory FE2b
- Royal Aircraft Factory BE12
- Royal Aircraft Factory BE12a
- Boulton Paul Sidestrand
- Boulton Paul Overstrand
- Bristol Blenheim I
- Bristol Blenheim IV
- Vickers Wellington IC
- Vickers Wellington III
- Avro Lancaster I
- Avro Lancaster III
- Avro Lincoln B2
- English Electric Canberra B2
- English Electric Canberra B6
- Avro Vulcan B1
- Avro Vulcan B2
- Vickers VC-10 K2
Current Aircraft Types
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