YorkNite 2023 Detachment 2 started on the 4th December with the crew changeover happening on the Saturday beforehand. An Helvetic Airlines flight landed into Teeside Airport as Leeming was suffering with thick fog on the Friday afternoon. This also caused the only flight on Friday, J-5234 to divert to Coningsby as the thick fog moved in from the North Sea rapidly reducing visibility below 300m.

RAF Leeming. Yorknite 2023 Detachment 2.
Swiss Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-18D Hornet J-5236 taking off from RAF Leeeming during Ex. Yorknite 2023 Detachment 2
Taxiing out for YorkNite 2023 Detachment 2. RAF Leeming

As Detachment 2 are the experienced pilots there is less need for the two seat aircraft with J-5232 and J-5238 returning home on the Monday (4th December) being replaced with J-5017 and J-5236. The diverted jet J-5234 also arrived back from Coningsby on the Monday and departed 24hrs later to make the detachment 2 aircraft sit at 9 with just the 1 twin seat.

Detachment 2 Aircraft

F/A-18C J-5002 J-5003 J-5005 J-5010 J-5011 J-5014 J-5017 J-5021

F/A-18D J-5236

Taxiing back to the HAS after the first sortie of the day during Ex. YorkNite 2023 Detachment 2. RAF Leeming
Taxiing back to the HAS after the first sortie of the day during Ex. YorkNite 2023 Detachment 2. RAF Leeming
Sat outside the HAS after the first sortie of the day during Exercise Yorknite 2023 at RAF Leeming.

Our visit for media day took place on Tuesday 5th December and we got the opportunity to photograph J-5010 navigating its way through the northern HAS complex and park up outside its assigned HAS before being pushed in for servicing ready for the next sortie.

Sits in the HAS as the spare jet for Yorknite 2023 Detachment 2.
Swiss Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-18C Hornet J-5003 in the Northern HAS Complex with Pilot and Detachment Commandar. Taken as part of the Exercise Yorknite 2023 Media event.

Whist that took place we moved over to another HAS to meet the pilot and photograph him and the Detachment Commander with the spare jet. The plan was then to photograph the aircraft as they taxied out for the second sortie of the day under the lights but as we waited in the hanger we heard the bad news that the evening flying had to be cancelled due to the high risk of fog. We therefore had to end our tour early but are thankful to the Swiss Air Force and RAF for hosting us on the evening.

Departing from RAF Leeming during SwissNite 2023
Departing from RAF Leeming during Ex. YorkNite 2023 Detachment 2.

 I made the trip up the A1 for a final time on Monday 11th December and was able to capture 7 jets go up in the first sortie of the day after watching J-5003 perform a performance take off for an impromptu air test before taking part in the later sortie. There was also a visit from Swiss Air Force Dassault Falcon 900EX T-785 and the stunning Fliegerstaffel 17 J-5017 Falcon tail art scheme was also thankfully part of the first sortie. The experianced pilots undertake advanced night flying training for the remainder of the exercise both over the North Dea and low level through the Lake District.

Swiss Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-18C Hornet J-5003 performance take off from RAF Leeming during Ex. Yorknite 2023
Swiss Air Force McDonnell Douglas F-18C Hornet J-5002 taxiing put for YorkNite 2023 Detachment 2. RAF Leeming
Taxiing out for YorkNite 2023 Detachment 2. RAF Leeming
Departing from RAF Leeming during Ex. YorkNite 2023 Detachment 2.
Taxiing out for YorkNite 2023 Detachment 2. RAF Leeming

 The exercise concluded on Wednesday 13th December with the jets returning to Switzerland the next day departing between 11:30 and 14:30 with the exercise already pencilled in to return to Leeming in 2024.