Hunter XL573

[hunty]

Afternoon all

To mark the 50th anniversary of this aircrafts first flight in April, I would like to put together an article of any interesting, or amusing stories from any pilots who flew her. Photos of 573 would also be welcome.

I know its short notice, but if you could send anything you have to me direct, I'll should just about have time to put something together.

Cheers

Hunty

[A2QFI]

http://www.classicjets.co.uk/hunterdt/xl573.html

[BEagle]

8 Jan 1976 was the only day when I flew XL573. At the time, Valley had even more appalling weather than usual. So the Boss of 3 (Hunter) Sqn, 4FTS decided that 13 (Hunter) Refresher Course would all go to Leuchars for the day. I was allocated to fly with him.

I don't recall much of it - the trip there took 1:15 with 0:10 actual IF (at Valley!). We went hi-lo; on the way there some Air Trafficker asked a Nimrod to fly exactly overhead Machrihanish. "That'll give your navigator something to do!", he remarked. "All 3 of them!", quipped the Boss.

LU was very accommodating to us, as I recall. A short break for lunch and then off again for the trip back to Valley - a spot of LL Nav, then up to high level and back for a QGH to PAR and 5 circuits. Total sortie time was 1:15 again, of which 0:20 was IF. That was my FHT; all went fine and 4 days later I said goodbye to Valley and drove down through Wales to Brawdy with all my worldly possessions (and my flying kit) squeezed into my MG Midget with me.

[huntaluvva]

In case anyone was thinking of hauling their logbooks out of the loft, just to narrow the search a bit, here is a brief history of 573. The units are all correct, but some of the dates are a bit woolly:

1958 CFE West Raynham, code letter L

10.62 CFE move to Binbrook

12.65 229 OCU Chivenor, code no. 97

1971? (possibly earlier) 4 FTS Valley, code no. 97

1980? 237 OCU Honington

? Laarbruch Stn Flt

? 237 OCU Lossie

1993 Storage Shawbury

Sold to Barry Pover, Exeter

1994 Flying again as G-BVGH

Hoping that this rings a few bells....

[Chairborne 09.00hrs]

Here's a couple of my piccies for you:


At Honington in August '83, still in "Training Command" colour scheme worn at 4FTS

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q217/John_txic666/Hunter/XL573Hon9883.jpg


Seen whilst on deployment to Waddington in the summer of '87

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q217/John_txic666/Hunter/XL573Wad87.jpg


Hope you like them.

[sikeano]

Never had the Pleasure, :{

[grobace]

Fg Off Tichband was captain on 28 Feb 66 when we went to do WA-1 from Chivenor. The trip was DNCO'd for a u/s radar, but we still did 1 hr 10 mins. Not that I can recollect anything else, and I've nearly choked to death from the cloud of dust ...

[huntaluvva]

Chair, We like your piccies very much, thank you.

It looks like 12 Squadron should be added to the list of units that 573 served with, or were the Lossie Hunters all pooled on to OCU charge- does anyone know?

BEagle and grobace, thank you for dusting off your logs.

Please could you help the uninitiated: what exercise was WA-1? I note that scrubbing it still didn't stop you having 1hr 10 of quality time...

[BEagle]

Air-to-air gunnery exercise 1, if I recall correctly?

Attempting to shoot at the flag towed by a Meteor. At least, that's what it was when I was at Brawdy in 1975/6.

In those days we needed the radar for ranging - we weren't taught 'pegged' ranging.

WG was strafe, WB was bombing and I think WR was SNEB rocketry? WC cine weave, and WBG was composite strafe and bombing - can't remember whether there were composite strafe and rocketry exercises.

[klubman]

Just a bit of info from a PPRuNE newbie about Hunters at Honington.

My first (and only) posting as an Airframe Technician was 237 OCU. The ex-4FTS 'frames (including 573) arrived in 1979 as a result of the Buccaneers being grounded following the Nellis crash. They were brought in to keep the pilots current.

I applied for aircrew duties whilst at Honigton, and my farewell gift from the OCU was an hour long trip in sister ship XL609, with the American exchange pilot, Capt Ken Alley. Brilliant!

[Dan Gerous]

Got a couple of slides of this A/C when it was coded "WC" with 237 OCU at Lossie. Dates on slides are March 85 and May 86.

[hunty]

Thanks to all the guys who have taken the time to help with my project.

The photos taken at Honington and Waddington were very helpful and all I need now are a few more stories from pilots who flew her.

Cheers

Hunty

[Mike Read]

Flew it lots of times on 79 Sqn, 229 OCU, Chivenor, 68/69 but nothing exciting happened thank goodness.

[GPMG]

I know it's a matter of personal opinion but I think that the Hunter is one of the few aeroplanes that looks better in the 2 seat configuration than the single seat.

[LOMCEVAK]

Here is another piece of the jigsaw. When the Hunters were retired from Valley (1979 I think) they were put into deep storge at 5 MU, RAF Kemble. Following the Buccaneer fleet grounding in early February 1980 many T7s and F6s were then recovered from storage and delivered to RAF Honington and RAF Laarbruch for pilot currency. I had completed the Buccaneer OCU course 3 days before the Nellis accident and managed to get detached to 5MU to help with the airtests and deliveries (I had held there before the Bucc OCU and had bought the UTP, Mike Lawrance, many beers! A thread on stories from pilots who held there would be interesting!). My logbook shows that Mike and I airtested XL573 on 10 March 1980 and then I delivered it solo to Honington 2 days later. I remember nothing special about either sortie and there is no mention of a second airtest before delivery so I assume that it was in good shape after the first one. 208 Squadron then kindly flew me back to Kemble in XF995, the T8B now operated by HHA at Scampton.

I never flew XL573 again during my time on 208 Squadron (June 1980 - Dec 1984), either at Honington or Lossiemouth, and as the photograph posted was taken at Honington in August 1983 when the only Buccaneer unit was 237 OCU I suspect that it remained an OCU aircraft until the OCU disbanded and then it went to 12 Sqn. I cannot confirm if it was ever operated by the Laarbruch wing, but there were many 'RAF Germany liaison visits' from Honington to Laarbruch when it could have been seen parked at VAS.

[hunty]

Afternoon

I would just like to say thanks to ALL the guys who took the time to answer my request. The booklet is coming along nicely and I'm sure Duncan Simpson TP, will appreciate it.

Cheers

Hunty

[ZH875]

It looks like 12 Squadron should be added to the list of units that 573 served with, or were the Lossie Hunters all pooled on to OCU charge- does anyone know?

12(B) Sqn had three Hunters on strength in the eighties (whilst I was there) tail codes were X, Y and Z.

IIRC XL573 was Z, and was the only Hunter I flew in, with Cas Capewell as the Pilot, smashing trip down the Lecht ski run, even if we were upside down at the time. 4 minutes from Aviemore to shutdown at Lossie.

The sqn was on a detachment at the time, so minimum manning left at Lossie, Cas volunteered to act as brakeman whilst the aircraft was pushed back into the HAS, one of the gentlemen aircrew out there.

[Peter Carter]

According to my logbook, I flew XL573 82 times in the early 80s. There is a 50% chance that this is it (if not, it's the photo jet). Also, 573 might have been the jet that dropped both wing tanks on Holbeach. About 800 at 6, I think.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn26/untermate/hunter0002.jpg

[rvusa]

Only once, 79Sqn 229 OCU 21st Sept 1967. 55 minutes. The first trip of the FR (Fighter Recce) course with that gentleman of the recce world, George Cole. He was the perfect 'good guy' to B*** A******** 'bad guy'! Not surprisingly, I saw very little of the targets, whilst George reported an unbelievable amount of detail. Of course, he had probably 'done' these targets many times before!!

[Wholigan]

Once only - 29 June 1966.

WR1 - first rocket dual on the DFGA course with Trevor Nattrass as the instructor.

50 minute sortie - - oh and BEags - they were 3 inch drains in 1966, not Sneb.



Ahhh those were the days when my trousers fitted me!!!!

:O


By the way - whatever happened to the days when you could claim - - "Oi - I joined the DFGA world - nobody said I had to fly at night!!!!" ;)


(Edited to say "Oops, don't post without checking wot yer fingers triped into the window fingee!!")

[BEagle]

Hey, Wholi' - you actually duelled with 3" twirlers back then....:eek:

Respect!

I quite liked the SNEB. As it wasn't long after my degree course when I did my first TWU course in 1976, I could still remember some calculus. So I worked out the error in horizontal range with respect to pitch error (dx/dθ) and found that it was inversely proportional to the square of the dive angle. Hence if you waited a tadge after the ideal pitch in and came down steeper, you would get much better scores...

Armed with this, I poked off to Pembrey and came back with a couple of DHs :ok:. Mentioned my theory to the PAI in the cine room afterwards ('Clack clack clack, clunk...."Ride up, early pickle"...scrabble with plotting jobber...OK, just about allowable...wot didya get? Clack, clack' - remember that?) and was told "Hmm, that's why we used to scrub anything over 20 degrees on 79 Sqn - the old buggers knew how to cheat!".

Weaponeering really was the sport of kings back then - but wasn't quite as much fun on the Hawk without a decent sighting system. God knows how, but I managed to win the Viking Trophy on my post-Vulcan pre-F4 TWU. "Did you do much live weaponry on the Tin Triangle", someone once asked. "No, there would have been too many complaints", I responded. "Why?", he persisted. "Because a 950lb HEMC bucket of sun makes quite a bang, I understand" was my riposte!

[Ogre]

Just to fill in some background on the photo at Waddington, the three Buccaneers squadrons from Lossie (208, 12, and 237 OCU) had boltholed to Waddington while the runway was being dub up. I was on 208 groundcrew at the time, and we ran a joint line with 12 sqn while 237 were across the other side of the airffield.

It was normal for 12 and 208 to have a couple of two seat hunters on the books each, which were fitted out with the same nav kit as the Buccaneers. Aircrew check flights were flown in the Hunters with one of the QFI's, with the occasional jolly for anyone interested.

Ogre

[ZH875]

Whilst at Waddington, one of 12(B) Sqn Hunters had an intercom problem.....

..The bottom of cockpit (between the seats) was a bit wet, the water was 12" deep, it had rained for the first 17 days of the bolthole.

Ogre, did you take part in the groundcrew food fight in D/E dispersal, when JEngO 208 nearly crapped himself, but SEngO 12 just said "I think I will have an Inspection soon"....

Also, the Pilots used to take the aircraft home on a Friday, with the pretext of 'using the Sim first thing Monday, and at the end of the Bolthole were surprised that nothing had been laid on to get any of the boys home during the bolthole.

Happy Days.:)

[Ogre]

ZH875

Sorry, it must have been "the other shift" that had the food fight. I remember the rain though, and complaints in the local papers about "the Scottish Air Force". Waddington had been on care and maintenance for a while and bolthole was not long after the guv'ment of the day had cancelled AEW Nimrod, I seem to remember 10 or so completed AEW jets parked on the airfield waiting for someone to decide what to do with them (but that's another story...).

The Hunters were regularly used as aircrew taxis on weekends, and we got quite adept at packing sets of golf clubs into the avionics bay "just in case they had time for a few holes after the briefing/sim sortie/<official reason for flight>". Also I remember one jet arriving back on the Monday morning, and after it had been chocked and locked opening the avionics bay to find a couple of plastic bags full of jock pies. Seems some of the senior engineers could not do without the little esentials and had organised a pie night at the SNCOs mess

[Jabba]

I got about 30 hrs in this great Lady on No 12(B) in the late 80s and every one of them was a pleasure. I still have vivid memories of meeting a Nav School JP as I coasted out at Spey Bay - cheeky s*d decided to turn in!

[hunty]

I would like to have a higher def image of XL573 please

Hunty

[kenparry]

XL 573: though I was on the same DFGA course as Wholigan, I did not fly 573 then. However....... in Jan 67 I did the Hunter IRE course, a whole bag of fun - flying from the right seat but using the left instrument panel. I still have that crick in my neck. Seven of the 17 trips were in XL 573, three of them mutual with Horace Farquhar-Smith (the other half of 135 IRE Course), the other 4 with Pete Maillard, the QFI/CIRE who ran the course alone.

My logbook confirms that the Chivenor fleet number was 97.

[X767]

Kenparry
Good to see you are still alive and kicking !
Like you, I haven't got XL573 in my log book during my DFGA course (106).
After a tour on 54, and during my tour on 4, I returned to Chivenor on 163 PAI course, and I seem to have flown it a few times, with such worthies as Sam Toyne and Tony McKeon.
No pics of XL573 I am afraid Hunty
X767

[Timelord]

If a mere Navigator can join in this DFGA stuff, XL573 spent some time at Honnington serving on the Lead In Training Flight of 237 OCU. This was a short lived experiment to replace the then TWU course with a dedicated pre Buccaneer course for pilots and navs using two seat Hunters (nothing at all like a flying club). I have it in my log book in spring 1983.

[deltahotel]

My first ever Hunter flight was Jan 83 in XL573 with S/L J** R***** (sim boss and gent) - trip one on the Lead In Flight for the Bucc OCU. My first ever weaponry sortie was in the same ac on the same course. A few other trips during the course (couple of bounces in there). Suspect that I flew with Timelord both on the LIT and subsequently on the OCU and Sqn (for which he has my commiserations as I almost certainly slowed his progress!).

DH

[Timelord]

DH

I suspect you are correct - Please PM me, I would be delighted to catch up.

TL

[matkat]

Just a bit of info from a PPRuNe newbie about Hunters at Honington.

My first (and only) posting as an Airframe Technician was 237 OCU. The ex-4FTS 'frames (including 573) arrived in 1979 as a result of the Buccaneers being grounded following the Nellis crash. They were brought in to keep the pilots current.

I applied for aircrew duties whilst at Honigton, and my farewell gift from the OCU was an hour long trip in sister ship XL609, with the American exchange pilot, Capt Ken Alley. Brilliant!

Klubman sorry but your timescale is wrong the Nellis crash occured in January (or early Feb) of 1980 it was of course an XV aircraft with the loss of the two crew of Ken Tait and Rusty Rustom you are maybe mistaken the Nellis crash with a 16 sqn loss the year before, sadly also with the loss of the crew.

[hunty]

Keep the stories coming guys

Hunty

[hunty]

Corgi have released a diecast model of XL573 (AA32714) in 237 OCU markings. Its a limited edition (1,200) and cost around £34.
Very handy if you have a birthday coming up. :ok:

Hunty

[markstott]

I bought XL573 today. Although she has not flown for 4 years I am confident that Hunter Flying will have her ready for the 60th anniversary display at Kemble this year! Fingers crossed!!!!
I will keep you all posted.
Mark Stott (a very average PPL)

[Justin Cyder-Belvoir]

Did my famil trip at 4FTS with Mike Sa*****s in 573.

Then with Bob W***man doing GH on the 19th and 24th.

Did my Prog Check with Pat K****ll on Jun 24th and then more with W**ers on the 27th.

Last trip was a LL nav with Dan "Go to war with a w@nker" W on 14 Jul 77.

[davedrake]

Nothing spectacular: Identified 3 sorties in XL573. 1969 March 14 flew passenger McConnel to Wyton and back. 1973 January 8, flew Buck Buckinghams IRT. Grand chap with the smoking habit!

[26er]

8th Jan 1969 XL573

FAC famil flight with Lt Mills (pongo) in right seat. After usual bumble with simulated a/g and r/p let down to 100ft ish and 540 kts over N Devon (this is what DFGA guys do) when in the corner of my eye a bird appeared. Bang !! Canopy shattered, cockpit filled with cloud, instinctively pulled up and realised that Mills who fortunately had his visor down was covered in blood and bits of seagull but unhurt. But more to the point his pigtail was disconnected and his ejection seat handle was flapping loose. Careful slow rtb. He didn't know how close he'd come to an early departure from the aircraft.

[BEagle]

I bought XL573 today. Although she has not flown for 4 years I am confident that Hunter Flying will have her ready for the 60th anniversary display at Kemble this year! Fingers crossed!!!!

Congratulations on your purchase, Mark! Great to know that this wonderful old lady will soon be back in the air again.

Maybe some photos as the restoration progresses? I do hope you'll use a representative military colour scheme and not some flying drinks can abortion.

I'm sure that you'll enjoy flying her as much as everyone else who's flown her before you will have done over the years.

[hunty]

Mark

Its only three years since 573 flew. April 17th 2008 when George Begg and Brian Grant flew her on the 50th anniversary of its first flight. Hawker's test pilot Duncan Simpson was also there that day.

We will all have a beer when she gets airborne again.

Hunty :ok:

[Manandboy]

8 sorties during May/June/July 1980 during the major Buccaneer grounding following the wing failure at Nellis. I was one of the very fortunate first tourists checked out on the Hunter during this time - we used the 2-seaters to keep the navs in practice and just had fun in the F6s. One particular sortie sticks in mind in 573 - just checked the logbook - 11 June 1980, Lo nav/GH, Flt Lt (name redacted to avoid libel proceedings, very experienced). Plan was to takeoff from Honington, lo nav round E Anglia/Lincs, pull up for some aeros, back home. Vis was surprisingly poor (but must have been at least 5 km, mustn't it?). Unlike on other 2-seat types, navs did the navigating on the Bucc, so I didn't have a map - but with an experienced directional consultant what could go wrong? Things stated to get a bit uncertain in the RHS as we headed southeast towards Ely from the Norfolk coast - never actually saw the cathedral, but vis was pretty poor, so turned on time to head towards Peterborough. By now great cloud of uncertainty almost blanking out right side of cockpit, so I was more tense than usual. Unexpectedly, we fly over some lakes, then what appears to be a large scrapyard, might be a car park, couldn't see much - then came the very large piece of concrete, about 9000 ft wide and 300 ft long, which was definitely not supposed to be anywhere near our track. Pulled 6 G, levelled at 6000 ft, explained to directional consultant my theory that his headings were all f****d up and we had just flown over Alconbury. DC offers stout rebuttals, but did give me Alconbury TACAN channel - needle whizzing round, distance indicates 1 nm - pretty good clue. I got the tower frequency out of him with a little elbow work, called up and apologised for the unplanned overflight , saying we'd had a nav equipment failure!

I learned about checking understanding of mag/true headings from that! Rest of the sortie was uneventful but quiet!

[foldingwings]

Now here's a turn up for the logbook!

It seems that XL573 did operate out of Laarbruch as she appears in my logbook on 18 May 1982 when D2 and I flew her as 'bounce' against a 4-ship of Buccs in the Ardennes - I was Wpns Ldr on 16 at the time! I recall that the LLK Hunters belonged to Station Flight and were available to both XV & 16 as and when programmed.

Working backwards, I also flew another Bounce sortie in her on 11 Feb 82 with N*** B******* polling it, and another on 23 Jul 81 with D** F****** at the helm!

Strangely, didn't fly her at all during our Bucc downtime in 1980 when I was OCU staff.

So, it seems 573 was at LLK throughout 1981/82

See! We navigators have our uses!

Thankfully, 573 was not the one we managed to overstress (that was XF995) whilst I was following the OCU's US Exchange pilot's demands that I show him my aeros! Well, he told me to just pull back on the stick!

Now with some 40 hours Hunter under my belt (all RH Seat) during 4 Bucc Tours!

Arrabest and good luck with the article

Foldie:E

[WHIRLWIND f1]

I was OC 237 OCU, 1984 -87, when 573 was one of our Hunter T7s on strength. We used the T7 to familiarise graduates from TWU (who had no Hunter experience) with the Hunter before they moved on to the IFIS equipped T7As and 8Bs for their pre Buccaneer flying. The T7s were also great bounce aircraft and squadron transports. I did a solo aeros season in 1986 in 573, displaying at Lossie, Leuchars, StMawgan, St Athan, Abingdon and one or two other locations I dont recall. Corgi have produced a very good model of 573 in 237 OCU colours.
Happy 50th birthday !

[foldingwings]

Whirlywind - Shouldn't that be CI 237 OCU?

Tsk Tsk!

Foldie :ok:
(Gorilla Club Rules!)

[Pontius P]

Have found 10 entries for 573, at Laarbruch from 11 Feb 81 to 3 Mar 82 - mostly with Navs - Ian A, Terry C, Norman B, Dick A, and Dave H. Also with PCN & JJW

NB :8

[foldingwings]

Pontius P, I guess that that was with me on 11 Feb 82 then?

Foldie:ok:

[Pontius P]

What a coincidence - flew it with Athers on 11 Feb 81, and DH on 11 Feb 82!!
NB

[rhino11]

As one of the volunteers for Kemble this year I hope to see her safely arrive and park :ok:

Here she is on static display at Mildenhall in 1986

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr255/sluf199/Kemble/rhino11huntert7xl573237ocumildenhall.jpg

[BBadanov]

Foldie "Whirlywind - Shouldn't that be CI 237 OCU? Tsk Tsk!"

Foldie, you really are a pedant. By the time we moved up to Lossie we were more operational than your time on the unit. We had a war role, so "OC" was far more appropriate than "CI". But we did keep the "SNI" job title - that did seem appropriate in a lot of cases!!

Oops thread drift - back to XL573. I did not fly her at XV Laarbruch over 81-83, and if Foldie and cuddly old PP did, I would suggest she was kept on your side of the airfield? While I do remember going to Sation Flight on some occasions, I am sure we flew most Hunter sorties from the squadron. Therefore I suggest that over 81 to 83, 573 was on 16.

Re OCU use from WHIRLWIND f.1 (from a chap with a passion for flying I think you have adopted your Dad's callsign?) - I have it logged at Lossie only over 85-86. Perhaps after Laarbruch it went to servicing and storage to be reissued to Lossie in 1985? I note we did have it at Leeuwarden for the Sqn Exchange in Oct 85. No mention after 1986.

Now to Rhino's fine picture in 1986 of 573 with the OCU code "WC". Most uncomplimentary!! Here is a bit of Bucc historical trivia that not even Foldie and PP know.

When the wing formed at Lossie, the units (12, 208 and 237) adopted the then standard RAF squadron two-letter codes. Ie, lead squadron had AA, AB, AC, next sqn had BA, BB, BC. Get it? (You can see it say with the Jags, F-4s and electric jets, each adopting series starting AA, BA, etc).

Now the Buccs (and Hunters) went one better, just to confuse the Russians of course (gee, I hope this isn't secret). The first letter of the squadron badge was adopted as the 2nd letter, with the individual aircraft lettered as A, B, C as the 1st letter. 12 Sqn had the Fox, so its aircraft were AF, BF, CF, etc. 208 had the Sphinx and a/c AS, BS, CS. 237 had the Cutlasses, so Buccs were AC, BC, CC, etc, and I think Hunters counted backwards to be ZC, YC, XC and hence 573 as WC.

For you Foldie ;)

[markstott]

Xl 573 went into the hangar yesterday for a major service. All panels to be removed, and fin, tailplane and ailerons taken off for corrosion checks and lubrication etc. Low hours engine will be re-fitted and ejector seats serviced. All functionals such as flaps, speedbrake and undercarrige to be testedand adjusted.

I am keen to keep her in authentic colours but would like something different to her current wrap aroung grey/green which is now faded and drab.

The 4FTS colours look bright, but what did she look like when allocated to the DFLS at West Raynham or with 229 OCU at Chivenor? Does anyone remember?

I shall not be painting her in drinks company colours unless I am desperate for the sponsorship!

[foldingwings]

BBadanov, You are such a darling but so far away from me too!

I was, as you state, unaware of the lettering protocol at Lossie as I only ever got mindlessly drunk on detachments there - never served north of the border despite my heritage!

Good to know that 573 is still trucking! Can anybody (BBadanov) tell me when it was repainted from Raspberry Ripple into the more operational camouflaged version.

Foldie:ok:

[kenparry]

what did she look like when allocated to the DFLS at West Raynham or with 229 OCU at Chivenor?

The only thing I can offer is that all the Chivenor T-birds when I was there in 1966 were silver and dayglo orange. Yuck! The camo schemes look much better - I hope you will go for that option.

[BBadanov]

Foldie: Can anybody (BBadanov) tell me when it was repainted from Raspberry Ripple into the more operational camouflaged version.


Hmmm. Now if it was Laarbruch (I suggest 16) over 1981-83, it would have been cam.
With grounding of the Bucc over 79/80, the Bucc units received rasberry ripples from the training units. If there is no record of it at Laarbruch prior to 1981, and I don't have it at OCU Honington over 1980, then perhaps it was one of the surge Hunters in 1980 and may have been painted about that time??

[eaw]

I have been following the thread while on holiday & since returning & checking my logbook I have found the following info re 573.

First flew it on 16 Sqn at Laarbruch on 4 Feb 81 with Dickie A & subsequently for a further 22 sorties, during 81, 82 (last flt 31 Mar 82).

My next encounter with WC was on 12 Sqn at Lossie on 11 Feb 85 (with USAF exchange nav) but suspect it may have been "borrowed" from 237 as it was the only time I flew 573 during my 3 years there.

Then flew her regularly on 237 between 19 Aug 85 & 2 Jun 86 (22 sorties) before a long gap (major servicing at Abingdon??/St Athan?? + assigned to another Lossie Sqn??) to 11 & 12 Oct 88 when I flew her 5 times in 2 days. That was to be my final airborne encounter with WC!

Hope this info may be of use to you.

[BBadanov]

So 'e', 'South of God's county' would be 'South of Jordy' ??

Oh-aye man :8

[foldingwings]

BBadanov,

You got him in one! :ok:

Foldie

[BBadanov]

Yep Foldie, I bet he is still piXXXd off about wilf getting his gong!! :ok:

[grandfer]

I think while at 229 OCU at Chiv. she was painted Light Aircraft Grey with Day-glo stripes on nose , tail & wing tips rather than Silver/Dayglo prior to Grey/Green/Lt. a/c grey camo . Good Luck !!:ok::ok:

[GeeRam]

The 4FTS colours look bright, but what did she look like when allocated to the DFLS at West Raynham or with 229 OCU at Chivenor? Does anyone remember?

229 OCU scheme at Chivenor at the time would have looked like this Corgi model.

http://www.corgi.co.uk/_images/assets/product-directory/product-large/AA32712-1.jpg

[kiwi12]

Just looking thru my log book ,did a total of 42hrs on 573 while on 12 mid to late 80's and had the pleasure of taking it to such exotic spots as Aalborg, Vandel,Furstenfeldbruck,Kliene-brogel and many, not quite so exotic, spots in the UK

[hunty]

Gents

Just to let you all know, I did produce a small booklet all about XL573, which contained a number of "interesting" stories from guys who had flown or maintained her. This booklet was presented to the then owner, George Begg, and Hawker's test pilot, Duncan Simpson. Duncan flew XL573 on its maiden flight on April 17th 1958 and attended the special 50th anniversary event I had arranged.

Thanks to everyone who has answered my request and I'm sure there's more to come.

Cheers

Hunty :ok:

[XA290]

During the summer of 1985 I was a staff cadet with the 12 AEF detachment at Kinloss. The job involved strapping cadets into parachutes and Chipmunks, un-strapping them, removing full sick bags and making coffee for the pilots etc. All great fun but as an aside, we were all trying to get as much gash flying as possible. Normally this was just Nimrod and Shackleton.

I had arranged such a trip in a Shackleton with 8 Squadron but on arrival for said trip I was told it was delayed 4hrs as both main wheels needed changing. So, nothing trivial then. One of the 8 Squadron guys suggested I pop over to the Buccaneer OCU for a visit while I waited. So phone calls made, I nipped over to say hello. To my surprise, as I walked into 237’s ops room I was told by a very apologetic chap that “really sorry but we can’t fly you today; we just don’t have any free aircraft”.

I thought I was just going to have a look about and a coffee but things were looking up. “How about next week” he asked. “Are you free next Wednesday” I responded in the affirmative and made an arrangement to be there 0800hrs sharp. I thought after that I had imagined it. Had I just strolled into a Hunter trip with no effort?

So on 21st August 1985 at 0800, I turned up, got kitted out and spent all day drinking coffee. There was one problem, then a meeting of staff, then an un-serviceability and I was beginning to think I had dipped out of my trip. Then at about 1500hrs a chap walked in and said “come on then before they change their minds” and off we set to the flight line where XL573 was sat.

I recall seeing a very efficient pair of white gloved hands flashing round the cockpit flicking switches, pressing buttons and pulling knobs as I got the plethora of straps attached to me by some very helpful individual. In no time, we were off and heading south low level..

We flew down the A9 and beat up a train near Blair Atholl. Then it was west along Lochs Tummel and Rannoch. Then it was north up Loch Ericht. The pilot said he liked flying along it as he was called Eric so it made it his loch. We were pretty low most of the time but the pilot indicated the point where a Hawk of the Red Arrows had taken the top of its tail off on a power line and the engineer had ejected a couple of years earlier and it seemed right down in the trees and we were not much above 300ft at that point.

Then it was up to I think 8000ft for some aerobatics south of Kinloss. Lots of “g” and graying out (for me anyway) once or twice. I was somewhat disconcerted when my legs began to inflate vigorously. I had been wearing anti-g trousers since 0830 but I had forgotten about them by this late stage in the day so it took me by surprise but it was a novel experience.

The trip was rounded off by PFL into Kinloss followed by an all too soon arrival back at Lossiemouth.

Since then I have flown over 9,000 hrs in helicopters and fixed wing but I would say that the 45 minutes in XL573 was one of the most memorable flying day of my life. I recall it as if it was yesterday and only wish I could do it again.

[eaw]

Glad you enjoyed the trip, I am sure that I did :) (along with all the other Hunter flying I was lucky enough to do - 600hrs+)!

FYI it was my first flight in XL573 after joining the staff of 237 OCU earlier in the month (ex 12 Sqn).

[spe-h]

Between 19/11/73 and 26/4/74, I flew in 573 at Valley including my first supersonic trip.

Have just found this site, so will wander around with interest.

[Al R]

Good thread, how is 573 doing?

Does the Lebanese Air Force still fly the Hunter; could they ever be bought back to fly in the UK once more?

[markstott]

Xl573 is just completing her (very thorough) annual and has had an electric start fitted. She is about to be repainted in her existing colours but in gloss. The matt colours are too difficult to keep presentable as they pick up persistant oil marks from hands and boots too easily. At 60+ she needs quite a bit of servicing.

She should be back in the air very soon.

[cuefaye]

I flew around 60 sorties in 573 as captain.

This from my logbook:

6Jun75 - Self/Hobbs - St Athan to Valley - Engine Seized - Forced Landing VY

Pete Hobbs was our SENGO, and I was giving him a lift back to Valley from some meeting or other. Unfortunately, XL 573's donk quit at 2000ft about 5 miles from the airfield, but fortunately fairly well placed for low key.

So, as her continued existence is in large part due to me (!), can I claim an early trip in 573? At a price of course :ok:

[Sanf]

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/familysanford/Hunter1-XL573_zps56e6a5bd.jpg

Just came across this thread - and having looked at one of the Hunter pictures in my album it is XL573. It has CFI marked on the back, and the album it is in makes me think it was when my step-dad was CFI of 237 - 85-88, so the picture will date around then.

Possible thread drift - but here are three together-taken I believe towards the end of his stint as OC 237 before it was closed. Not sure of one is XL573 as all the markings are too small. But it's a nice picture. :O

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn105/familysanford/Hunters_zps3f9dc602.jpg

[BBadanov]

Just came across this thread - and having looked at one of the Hunter pictures in my album it is XL573. It has CFI marked on the back, and the album it is in makes me think it was when my step-dad was CFI of 237 - 85-88, so the picture will date around then.

I took that solo pic, on 1 April 1986, flying with eaw in T.8 WV322.
I have a better pic from the same sortie of 573, but do you think I can work out how to insert an image. (FAQ not helpful.)

You are right, BSC was CFI. The man with "a passion for Flying" was OC 237.

I think the 3-ship "Black Arrows" scheme was at the end of the OCU, before being absorbed into 208. 16 also' briefly' had a Bucc in that black scheme for the wind up in Laarbruch in 1984.

BBad

[hunty]

Mark

Will you be keeping the 12 Squadron badge on your jet?

[cuefaye]

I hope not! All the Hunters were on the Honington inventory - not as squadron aircraft. Trust me! Crests were simply cosmetic.

[CoffmanStarter]

That's still one delicious looking aeroplane in my book :ok:

[cuefaye]

Of course - in any garb!

I'm simply recommending accuracy.