The time two Buccaneers Saved Belize, 50 Years Ago Today
27 November 1978 Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S.2, the last launched from Ark Royal. Six years before the big Bucks had made a hell of an impression in Central America
Via the Unofficial FAA History Page:
28 January 1972. Following threats to British Honduras (Belize) from neighboring Guatemala, two 809 NAS Buccaneer S.2s launched from HMS Ark Royal in the Atlantic. 40 mins later they refueled from two other squadron aircraft, using a buddy-buddy system, then routed at a high level across the Bahamas and the Florida Keys and through the Yucatan Channel, avoiding Cuban airspace to Belize.
They overflew Belize City at 1000-feet then the airfield at 400’ as a show of force. Returning on a similar track, intercepted over the Keys by two Air National Guard F-102 Delta Daggers from Homestead AFB, again air-to-air refueled and recovered to HMS Ark Royal.
This was a 2,600-mile round trip, lasting 5 hrs 50 mins, at that time a record distance for FAA aircraft, and notable in that it was totally unsupported by outside assets. The aircraft were flown by Lt Cdr Carl Davis with Lt Steve Park and Lt Cdr Colin Walkinshaw with Lt Mike Lucas. They were later awarded the Boyd Trophy.
I would have thought that the U.S. would have been paying better attention to the situation. An intercept on the homeward bound leg was kind of pointless. Gentlemanly, but pointless from a defense point of view. Maybe the Brits called ahead.
I read the book Pboenix squadron, in it it stated that they made the decision to cut over Cuba due to low fuel, when 2 aircraft were picked up leaving Cuban airspace this caused the Daggers to be scrambled, they were asking the Buccs to identify themselves and follow them to Homestead, before a pair of fully armed FAA Phantoms dropped in on them and escorted them back to Ark Royal.
Pingback: Red Tails and Immortals Share a Ride for First Time | laststandonzombieisland