Valiant question

[tsnake]

While there is plenty of information about concerning the withdrawal of the Valiant from RAF service in 1964-5 there is little information I can locate about what happened to the people in the Valiant squadrons then operating who suddenly had no aircraft to use.
Just how did the RAF cope with this sudden downsizing of the V-force, even though the Valiant was on its way out?
My interest is the man-management issue - did people find themselves lobbed into non-jobs at RAF stations all over the place? How many people were involved? How did the system cope with retraining all the crews and ground personnel on to new types?
A point in the right direction or feedback appreciated

[Art Field]

As one of the pilots involved, I was halfway through the captains course when the spar cracked, I joined many other Valiant refugees at Little Rissie on the CFS course. The courses were much larger than usual and the FTS's ended up a little overloaded with QFI's for a bit. As far as I was concerned it was a blessing since, having been a Tanker co-pilot, the thought of a tour on a bomber squadron, QRA and all, did not exactly excite. CFS managed to cope pretty well with these large courses although the runway at Rissie was closed about that time for resurfacing and we boltholed to Kemble.

I know some of the aircrew went to Vulcans and some remained at Marham with the Victors who then became the new Tanker Force. There were probably around 120 aircrew out of a job when the Valiant was scrapped.

[BikerMark]

A point that interested me when reading about the Valiant was that for a period after the spar cracking was discovered it apparently remained technically in service in an emergency capacity. I wonder how the crews felt about having to potentially use the aircraft operationally in that condition.

Mark.

[Art Field]

BikerMark. On inspection, many of the spars were found to be suffering from metal fatigue and would have been from some time back, fortunately unknown to us. The one that broke was pitched forward a bit fiercely on a cabin pressure failure drill. As you say the bomber fleet was still technically holding Q but currency was being maintained in the simulator for what it was worth and crews were happy to keep it that way.

[Brain Potter]

I know a chap who did about 50 hours on the Valiant before it was binned. He went straight back to the Canberra. I think he was quite glad about the situation.