The club was finally able to resume a more normal program of running Special Event Stations during 2022, following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.

The first of these, taking place between 1st and 28th March 2022 commemorated the 80th anniversary of the first operational sortie of the Avro Lancaster in 1942. Several clubs with associations with RAF stations operating the Lancaster (RAF Waddington, RAF Cosford, RAF Halton and Lincoln Shortwave Club) shared the use of the callsign GB80LAN for the duration of the event. This event was commemorated in 3 countries, with stations that were able to contact all 3 countries’ Special Event stations receiving the “3 Nations” award.

Members of RAF Waddington Amateur Radio Club activated the site of the former RAF Binbrook airfield on the weekend of 9-10 April as part of Airfields on the Air. We used the Special Event Station callsign GB5BK, as “BK” was the airfield’s radio ident. when it was operational. You can learn more about the history of RAF Binbrook here.

Bob and Vic operating in the Binbrook shack	…	and the SES team pose for a photo.

Just a few weeks later, we ran another Special Event Station, using the callsign GB4OBB, at Newark Air Museum during the museum’s Falklands 40th and Cold War Call-up event, taking place on Saturday, 30th April and Sunday, 1st May. This two-day event coincided with the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the successful Black Buck 1 Vulcan bombing raid on the runway at Port Stanley Airport in the Falkland Islands - described in detail at Vulcan to the Sky Trust.

GB4OBB SES team under Vulcan XM594	…	and team members operating the station.

We were back at the museum during the weekend of 25-26th June, 2022, for the museums’ Cockpit Fest.

Operating using the Special Event callsign GB0NAM, we were able to make a number of interesting contacts, including a contact with the Croatian amateur radio station, callsign 9A22YOTA, which was being operated remotely from the Friedrichshafen Hamfest as part of the 2022 Youngsters on the Air(YOTA) summer camp (hosted this year by the Croatian Amateur Radio Association in the city of Karlovac, near Zagreb).

Members of the public also visited the station, some licensed, but others wanting to find out about amateur radio. We were especially pleased to welcome a number of Air Cadets to the station.

Air Cadets visiting the station	The team in front of Shackleton WR977

Our final Special Event Station of the year, using the callsign GB6SHK, was at Newark Air Museum during the museum’s event on 10th September 2022 commemorating the 65th Anniversary of Avro Shackleton WR977 entering RAF service.

Our thanks to the many radio amateurs who contacted us during these Special Events! We’re looking forward to more such events during 2023.