Interview with Tony "Pax" Paxton on the Tornado GR1 & F2/F3

Tony Paxton chats about flying the Tornado GR1 and F2/F3 with the RAF and the differences between the two.
Photo credit : Tony Paxton
A big thank you to Stuart of the Tornado Heritage Centre for allowing us to film. Check them out - / tornado-heritage-centr...

[@lyndonbull3581]

I remember Pax from when I was groundcrew on 5 Sqn Tornado F3. Just after he was promoted to Sqn Leader we were on an APC in Cyprus, and Pax was caught flying his aircraft below cliff height at high speed on one of the beaches. Unfortunately for him, he was so low people on the beach could read his tail number, which involved a subsequent one way conversation with the station commander of RAF Akrotiri! Brilliant interview, brings back the old times, Pax was one of the old school pilots.

[@pauldg837]

It never fails to amaze me how all these fast jet pilots and navigators are so humble. Given their extraordinary abilities, it's a testament to their character, which makes them truly great role models to the younger generations regardless of career choice.

[@ericmartini2980]

It definitely was a different time I'd give the bank to get to grow up in that tilme

[@flyboy2576]

Highly gifted people have little to prove to the world and have no inflated ego’s. (Always some exceptions! 😂)

[@stanleybuchan4610]

Great to hear Tony talk about the Lightning. I was at Binbrook when he was there, really nice guy.

[@martentrudeau6948]

Tony Paxton, RAF fighter pilot, great guy and good story teller.

[@GARDENER42]

These interviews are so much more interesting than listening to some "technical expert" who knows all the specifications but has no hands on knowledge of the aircraft being discussed. Much appreciated.

[@sergarlantyrell7847]

Having an interview with both an engineer who ideally helped design the thing, or at least worked on it during its time, and a pilot at the same time would be the best of both worlds.

[@SPiderman-rh2zk]

These are so brilliant. You learn so much more from those that were there. Being a massive Tornado nerd I love learning stuff like this, and its presented to me without trashy music, bone questions etc. Thanks for doing these mate!

[@yanktornado5121]

My thoughts exactly.

[@n7565j]

I have always had the impression that fighter pilots were all "live hard, die hard" partying all the time, driving fast cars and fast women. (guess seeing Top Gun may have had some influence) Very interesting seeing these gentlemen who flew these magical machines, and many were indeed Gentlemen!!! Thank you for giving us mere mortals a look into these gentlemens lives :-)

[@jakobole]

There are no old bold pilots.

[@mkmdexplorationparanormal5610]

What a lovely guy ! "Strap ourselves into the Tornado, fly at 250 ft at a speed of 450 knots and relax " lol epic, he had alot to tell, loved this interview, great work Mike !

[@Aircrewinterview]

Thanks Mike.Pax is a lovely chap.

[@michaelsalt4565]

Great interview, pilots and aircrew giving honest opinions on the subject matter. Priceless

[@paulbarrett9951]

Second watch for me Mike, pax was probably at leeming when i used to go and watch these guys and girl's fly ! I do miss the bone shaking of the F3s take off on afterburner, fantastic to see at night

[@Aircrewinterview]

Likewise. The F3 was always a beautiful sight.

[@dobiem1]

Always thank your captain. You never know how much you owe him :) Thank you Pax and all those who served

[@jamesstuartjamieson650]

Loved hearing of your experiences flying Pax

[@LuisLopez-zh9kh]

Very interesting story about escorting the MIG-29s to the Farburough airshow :O Quite the historic moment.

[@garyn4318]

I was working at the RAE Farnborough and remember seeing them come in they did a mini Air display before they landed.. It was fantastic to see

[@nomis777]

The best series of videos on KZbin! cheers

[@Aircrewinterview]

nomis777 thanks very much!

[@1903chrisholden]

stunning video with a really nice professional guy + Pilot many thanks for all your time and kindness Sqn Ldr Tony ' Pax ' Paxton

[@raceace]

Tony's seems a top bloke. Brilliant yarn!!

[@Aircrewinterview]

He is a great chap and very down to earth.

[@Aeronaut1975]

07:50 "I didn't fancy camping, so I didn't want to go to the Harrier" pahahahaha!

[@simmo8490]

Great interview again Mike and awesome stores and pictures from Tony's Career! Many thanks :o)

[@Aircrewinterview]

Cheers buddy.

[@nerodcs3087]

another GREAT video! i love real pilots talking about thier airplanes and events instead of those overdramatic "Documentarys"

[@Aircrewinterview]

+Nero DCS thanks Nero!

[@scarletiv5683]

Great interview. The Tornado is my favourite military jet, so hearing from aircrew that have flown and operated it offers a really good insight. I live not far from the Tornado heritage centre, so I will no doubt become a regular visitor! Thanks so much for these video's, always look forward to watching this channel. Great work :)

[@Aircrewinterview]

Thanks very much :)

[@phillipneal9289]

Terrific work Mike. Enthralling to listen to actual pilots giving assessments on air frame performance Top work keep it up 😉

[@1903chrisholden]

Well done Mike Young your best interview yet with a wonderful supportive guy and friend Mr Tony 'Pax' Paxton interview worth waiting for thankyou

[@Aircrewinterview]

+1903chrisholden Thanks Chris.

[@pascalchauvet4230]

Super instructive, thank you so much for posting!!!

[@Aircrewinterview]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@Antares2]

Great interview!

[@larrythorn4715]

I had to chuckle about the EF111 buzzing them. The Raven was so fast it could probably kill you with it's speed...Oh wait one did that to a Mirage, didn't it...

[@martinallenuk]

That was fascinating. Thanks for sharing.

[@Robert_Kawalec]

Thanks for this video. Very interesting :)

[@lesterbeedell9725]

What a fascinating channel, superb!

[@Aircrewinterview]

Thanks very much!

[@monty7630]

Really good interview. Very detailed accounts which is great. "MUD moving!"

[@andrewockenden]

Very interesting. An excellent interview.

[@Aircrewinterview]

Andrew Ockenden Thanks Andrew.

[@clewis5220]

As a Sgt I worked as a techie and instructor on the tornado gr1 full mission flight simulator at Honington and would love to hear what pilots thought of their simulator experience/rating. Great characters these aircrew were, great videos thanks

[@The_Unintelligent_Speculator]

The F3 was epic. I was lucky to get a back seater at Leuchars years ago!

[@skinbackyourpeel]

Just seen an episode of Bargain Hunt on BBC 1 with 'Pax' and his wife Helena participating - there were the runners up.

[@DiyMech]

Good old TFR and GMR (TNR Radar), used to setup the radar at RAF Sealand (30MU) along with CRPMD (ARD) and eScope, superb vid.

[@simonrichardson5077]

great video,thanks

[@Aircrewinterview]

Simon Richardson cheers Simon.

[@malcolm9994]

Another good one !

[@Aircrewinterview]

Cheers!

[@WeeRosieOurFrenchie]

Again you pull it out the hat, great interview. I am particularly looking forward to Roymac,s interview, Roy McIntyre.

[@Aircrewinterview]

Cheers mate!

[@SunDodger]

'I didn't fancy camping, so.....' LOL

[@Pow3llMorgan]

Did he mean it literally or is this British lingo?

[@hairychris444]

Yes, literally! RAF Harriers were tasked to run out of temporary airstrips in case of Cold War going hot.

[@willb8684]

would love to camp with a harrier...awesome plane

[@bill8784]

Brilliant.

[@AvengerII]

This is one of the better interviews to date. How well these go off really do depend on the guy being interviewed. Obviously, he had a lot of interesting stories to tell and was there doing an important transition period for the RAF. Right now, it looks like the Tornado GR/EW/ECR/IDS variants will be around for at least another 8-13 years. It was and is a superior ground attack plane. Probably the second or third most iconic jet ever operated by the RAF. I would rank only the Spitfire and Harrier higher for planes (prop or jet), period. I haven't seen or heard as much about the EE Lightning (although it feels like Aircrew has interviewed a ton of ex-Lighnting pilots) but it sounds (from the pilots POV) that it's held in very high esteem even as its issues were acknowledged. It looks like Tornado almost has or will tie the longevity the Harrier had. Probably be in service just a few years longer than the Harrier (in UK service) at this point... I don't think any air service that ever employed the ground attack variant has completely retired their Tornado fleet even as the ADV version has been completely retired from service with the RAF, Saudi Royal Air Force, and the Italian Air Force.

[@yanktornado5121]

Brilliant

[@Aircrewinterview]

Cheers

[@simonrichardson5077]

Quality video and quality guy

[@Aircrewinterview]

Thanks :)

[@rafchris]

This is going to sound weird, and it might not be the same person, but I recognise the voice. In about 1997 (i was 7 going 8) we stopped at EMA on the way home because back in the day you could go to the restaurant on the top floor and have dinner while watching the planes. I was already somewhat interested in aviation and was watching a 757 doing circuits and go arounds and talking to my dad about approach angles when a crew on the opposite table sat down. One of them took an interest as I was pointing out some of the interesting bits of another 757 on the ramp. The crew told me how they where dhl cargo and just moving over to the 757 due to the restrictions and talking to the flight engineer about what that meant for his career going forward etc etc. The captain said to me to finish school and college. join air cadets, get a ppl or a flying scholarship, and to look him up when I was 21 if I wanted help getting into a career in aviation. After that day, I knew what I wanted to do, and I did all of that, except to look him up. Partly because I had no other info other than a guy at dhl based at EMA and partly because I felt a bit silly trying. At any rate, if it was Pax, then thank you! You inspired me to follow a career in flying and I wouldnt have changed a thing!

[@peterdoonan3144]

Great info on the day of fast jet jockey... And the aircraft systems.. 😷😊

[@EK-gr9gd]

Of course there is a "sound barrier". Just ask some Spitfire or P-38 pilots. It is possible that be EE Lightning was designed in such an optimal way, that the pilot wasn't aware when he reached and surpassed the sound barrier.

[@paxpaxton6843]

Ade Brown was correct about the initial deployment to Saudi. It was 5 Sqn on APC in Cyprus.

[@lovelyfloorcoverings]

What a jolly nice chap !

[@Aircrewinterview]

Blown Fox he is indeed.

[@Wirefox1]

Brilliant, really down to Earth guy (pardon the pun).

[@louisleprince5573]

You were showing off at Lake Windermere with Strike Attack

[@patrick764]

Can you believe those guys had to beg just to get chaff and flares for Desert Storm?

[@ghostindamachine]

Tony is a good guy :)

[@Scotscan]

A good taste in beers! Cheers to Harveys

[@garydoctor3578]

What an interesting guy.

[@matthewrogers8407]

I cannot believe the answer to the last question: 727 or Gnat when you have time in Lightning and Tornado, or even the Hunter. What could he have been thinking? Maybe afterburners just aren’t any fun?

[@alfonsobonilla9582]

Video en español x favor

[@BlackWarriorLures]

I didn't realize the tornado was such a versatile aircraft. All we ever saw here in the united States during Gulf War I was the Tornado attacking ground targets, airport runways and such.

[@LuisLopez-zh9kh]

It wasn't. Everyone agrees turning it into an "itnerceptor" was a dumb idea.

[@georget5874]

They only did it to save money, it wasn't a good idea. Luckily Britain never needed to use it for any other role than ground attack. Even there it has to be said it wasn't that brilliant, lots of them got shot down in desert storm. Things are better for the RAF with the typhoon and the F35.

[@hoghogwild]

E F treble one. If he didnt say Raven and then "jamming" I wouldnt have known what ac he was referring to. I'm used to it being referred to as an E F One-Eleven Raven. It takes stones to cross into enemy territory without so much as a sidewinder to defend yourself.

[@PCTechHub]

This filmed at Hawarden? Another great interview.

[@Aircrewinterview]

It was. It’s a cracking place.

[@PCTechHub]

Aircrew Interview certainly is and a great full English at Chokes Away too 👍🏽😃

[@nizz00]

cooling guns with fuel seems a bit hazardous .....loved it

[@moonbaby6134]

F3. Such an unserviceable jet. During APC it took 3-4 just to get 1 aircraft up.

[@pascalchauvet4230]

Isn't this one beautiful warhorse?

[@HaroldCombs]

Really would’ve loved to see a DACT of a Lightning vs a Tornado. I guess all the Tornado could do would be try to survive until the Lightning hit bingo fuel.

[@gungriffen]

I've never ever understood this concept in the 60s that dog fighting was over so remove the guns. Even if they were right and you are only to intercept bombers 20mm cannons would still work on bombers after you fired your missiles. It then gives the fighter the ability to bring down one or two more bombers far cheaper than missiles! I've never understood why they believed cannons wouldn't have any effect on bombers and not just for fighters. And they were wrong about dog fighting.

[@jakobole]

Also : You can't dodge or jam a 20/30mm shell.

[@bazej1080]

From mid 1950s to late 1950s, in ~5 years, they went from subsonic, lightweight fighters armed with guns only like F-86 or MiG-17 to Mach=2 60,000ft interceptors with radars armed with guided missiles and aimed by computer GCI. It was easy to believe gun is quickly not only useless but also impossible to employ with such speed. Most countries felt this trap Soviets, US, Britain.

[@1903chrisholden]

its a shame Air Chief Marshall Stuart Peach isn't contactable

[@zloychechen5150]

Ya' know, what could potentially be interesting? there's this dude kzbin.info/door/hs73Q9cJpqcPk43a6OfWjw (also has a livejournal here, but it's in russian letchikleha.livejournal.com/) i know he used to fly mig-21 and su-17 back in the soviet days, iirc, but for not a very long time, from what i know. maybe you could ask him for an interview to get a little more international or something.

[@navnig]

Great idea!!

[@Aircrewinterview]

Good idea. We are trying to vary our guests with more international aircrew. Cheers :)

[@Stadtpark90]

21:43

[@HMSDaring1]

5:21 Amazing how the MoD loves flip flopping their way though removing guns from fighters. Even with Typhoon they decided 'guns are unnecessary'... makes me think the brain boxes at Abbey Wood have no experience whatsoever with aircraft combat

[@Antifaith29]

About the same time the Americans were flip flopping abut with the F4 and it's guns or lack there of so it's not an issue unique to the MOD

[@willb8684]

we learned the hard way im sure the brits took a look at our problems and got out ahead of it

[@FireAngelOfLondon]

@@Antifaith29 But the Americans made that mistake just once, and learned from it. The MoD ignores the advice of the armed services far too often; the RAF want a gun on every fighter and have never wavered from that.

[@SPiderman-rh2zk]

The RAF were not happy that the Phantom lacked a gun, so they installed SUU-23 gun pods on the centreline pylon. They weren't as accurate, but did the job, or so the ex-aircrew I've spoken to told me. One said the Phantom could carry up to three - strafe passes for days!

[@FireAngelOfLondon]

@@SPiderman-rh2zk I have seen a Phantom with one of those pods under each wing, a deadly useful load for strafing, but putting one under the centreline as well would be crazy. I presume the lack of accuracy of the pods could be compensated for by using more ammo if you were using them for air-to-air gunnery.

[@thisisadebrown]

You may have got a bit mixed up, the 29 Squadron a crew had hassle with the blue circle cement radar was there on 2290 see you, not on 29 Squadron it’s off. The tornado are you showed was a 29 Squadron aircraft which had no hassle and had radar... Plus the aircraft you showed was a tornado F3 and not a tornado 2

[@albertmontanes7705]

didn't fancy camping 🤣🤣🤣

[@alanthecat59]

Gg.Andrew Paxton

[@thisisadebrown]

Although the guy flew it, it was And a superiority fighter using technology, plus the advantage of the highly technical advanced missile system to shoot from a distance rather than a dogfight? I’m pretty sure thats what you meant? Superiority was designed to be different with this aircraft then say an F15, 16, or lightning.

[@Twirlyhead]

Superb programme from a superb channel but lets hope that you find some aircrew who don't mind talking about their experiences unlike this taciturn chap :-)

[@thisisadebrown]

I’m sorry to keep commenting on this video as I watch it, but this gentleman’s recollection is totally out of kilter what happened during the run-up to Gulf War one And which squadrons

[@thisisadebrown]

I’m sorry to keep commenting on this video as I watch it, but this gentleman’s recollection is totally out of kilter what happened during the run-up to Gulf War one And which squadrons Where out in Akrotiri when Saddam Hussein invaded. Sorry to be nitpicky but it has to be said

[@paxpaxton6843]

Hi Ade, you're absolutely right of course. However, there was no intention to mislead anyone. Was it 29 on APC and 11 sent out some unmodified aeroplanes with crews pretty quickly? We didn't go out until the end of August; we then had the new radar and the chaff and flares.

[@magna4100]

Where was this filmed?