‘I knew Donald Trump was going to attack after this sign at RAF Lakenheath.’
Ian Bowskill described the sight of four F-22 Raptor stealth fighters flying overhead at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, as “like hitting the jackpot,” revealing Donald Trump was due to invade.
Plane spotters say they knew weeks ago Donald Trump was planning to invade the Middle East – after a rare sighting at a British airbase.
Ian Bowskill was one of hundreds of aircraft spotters watching the arrival of F-22 Raptor stealth fighters at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk recently. The 73-year-old described the scene as “like hitting the jackpot” as he claimed it was the biggest sign of impending conflict.
And, indeed, since then, the US and Israel have attacked Iran, leaving hundreds of thousands of people stranded, families being evacuated and airports out of action. Mr Boskill, a regular aircraft spotter at RAF Lakenheath, said, “It’s like hitting the jackpot… We don’t know whether they’ll go to the Middle East or not, or whether they’re here, but to see four take off today is what we’re all looking forward to.
“This is the platform for Mr Trump’s forces to deploy to the Middle East. He always said Britain has the largest aircraft carrier in Europe, and this proves it.”
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An F15 jet lands at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk on Monday. (Image: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)
The F-22 Raptor stealth fighters are considered to be the most powerful and sophisticated fighter aircraft in the world, which is rarely seen in the UK and shows that the US is on a war footing.
Hundreds of aviation enthusiasts have gathered this week on a secluded road at the edge of the airbase – known as the “viewing area” – from where they can view the runway from behind a 10-foot-high fence surrounded by barbed wire.
The most dedicated enthusiasts arrive in vans loaded with trekking gear and radios, while others climb trees and ladders to the best vantage point. Meanwhile, parents with small children and retirees prefer to watch flights from the comfort of their cars.
Several fighter aircraft, such as the F-35 jet pictured, are seen at the Suffolk base (Image: James Linsell Clark/SWNS)
Mr Boskill, who travelled more than 70 miles from his home in Bedfordshire with his friend Paul Langshaw, 68, to see the planes, told Wire: “I have no problem with the US using the bases, but I think Trump was stupid to start it in the first place, downright crazy if you ask me.”
Michael Runham, 46, often makes the two-and-a-half-hour journey from his home in East Sussex to the base and has spent weeks watching the new fighter planes arriving from the United States. “I had a feeling it was going to start a few weeks ago because of the large number of planes coming here from the US,” he said.
Gemma Aspland, 43, who shares videos of fighter planes departing from base with her thousands of followers on TikTok, says many plane-catchers are hesitant to comment on the war because they don’t see themselves as “political people”. She said, “When we go live on TikTok, we avoid discussing the conflict or where the planes are going. We’re mindful of the people flying those planes and the families they’re leaving behind.”
Millions of people are trapped between the joint war of America and Israel against Iran. Despite ongoing evacuation efforts, flights remain severely disrupted at airports in the Middle East and elsewhere.
