3.30 pm four F-15E Strike Eagles
By now we were definitely feeling the effects of the wind. Top Ledge on the Bwlch was not getting any sun. We had watched the hill sides at the top of the valley slowly clear of snow from the Spring sun.
I was watching the head of the valley as we could hear jets. Suddenly on the left hillside I could see a huge shadow of an F-15 momentarily painted there. Seconds later the first F-15E came racing down the valley towards us.
We turned to look for the the leader’s wing man and again we saw the shadow seconds before the F-15E.
We watched the wing man bank away from us, probably going to go past Cad West.
We were now looking for the second pair of F-15Es. The shadow cast by the low sun appeared on the hillside and the first of the pair screamed towards us.
This guy banked right, away from Cad.
Again we looked for the shadow and the fourth F-15E appeared coming towards us.
He followed his leader and banked right away from Cad.
My lesson learnt after these passes is not to take too many shots as the planes approach the Bwlch but to wait until the plane is nearly level before I start to take my images.
Leaving the Bwlch
After the Strike Eagles has passed through we both went for walks around Top Ledge to see if we could warm up. Here’s Steve celebrating our successful afternoon.
All that was left was to pack up and to make our way gingerly back down to the lay-by. The slopes were just as treacherous as by now the frost had gone so we were contending with muddy surfaces as well as snow, rocks and ice.