8 Squadron Galleries

3 - On the range

Other squadron galleries

Life on the line     

1
Crème de la Crème     

2
Aircraft     

4
On Ops     

5
At ease!     

6

During the Hunter era, there were two main ranges that were used for air-to-ground firing practice. One was located some 7 miles to the north of Khormaksar and the aircraft could easily be seen and heard from the airfield as they dived down onto their targets, which consisted of mainly large canvas screens mounted on scaffolding poles. The second range, known as Jeb-a-Jib, was located some 50 miles along the coast to the west of RAF Sharjah, the targets here comprising a few obsolete military vehicles and large canvas screens mounted on scaffolding poles.

Unless otherwise indicated, these photographs were taken by the author in November 1963.

An 8 Squadron Venom fires a salvo of rockets on the Khormaksar range in late 1959. Mount Shamsan is clearly visible in the backgound (Bill Horspole)

Flt Lt Bill Sheppard poses by an ex-RAF 3-tonner used as a target for the Hunters.

To determine the 'hit-rate-by-pilot' on the target, each canon-shell tip was coloured using a special paint (Mike Halpin)

This photograph was taken in October 1960 during the squadron detachment to Akrotiri, Cyprus, for air-to-air target practice.

With live gunpacks and concrete-headed rockets, FGA.9s XG154-E and XE620-B roar down the Sharjah runway.

With a rasping, pneumatic drill-like sound, an FGA.9 lets loose with all four cannon .......

....... before flying low over the target, the ricochets landing several miles out to sea a few seconds later.

This FGA.9 has just unleashed a salvo of concrete-headed rockets, their tell-tale smoke trails being just visible.

After a successful sortie on the range, FGA.9 XF440-L approaches the threshold at Sharjah.

Although no air-to-air target firing was undertaken in the MEAF, the RAF Air Sea Rescue launches provided splash targets for live firing in the Red Sea off of Aden.

These photographs were taken from ASR Launch 2767 in March 1964 by the author.

RAF Air Sea Rescue launch 2767 at its mooring before departing for air-to-sea splash target firing in the Gulf of Aden.

Flt Lt Roy Humphreyson takes in the sea air as the launch makes its way out of Aden Harbour.

With Roy Humphreyson looking on, 2767's crew launch a splash target which will be towed at speed some 400 yards behind the boat.

FGA.9 XE618-D flies low over the sea before attacking the target with its rockets.

The lead FGA.9 pulls away from a cannon attack as a second FGA.9 takes gun camera shots with new Kodak colour film.

Plumes of water rise from the target area after a rocket attack by the FGA.9 climbing away overhead.

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