View Full Version : C-130 night flying question
jimgriff
2nd Feb 2011, 08:09
At 21.20 last night we at chez jingriff were treated to a flying display par excellence! A C-130 (no idea whose!) was blatting around the valley at low level and I just wondered if NVG's were used or some other means of seeing where you go? I understand if this question cannot be answered for usual reasons.
BTW- Good display- Can I have my TV ariel back? :ok:
Brian 48nav
2nd Feb 2011, 08:56
Secret Carrots!
So Jim, you have seen the classified blatting around the valley at low level at night device in action.........I hope you keep it secret...:ok:
billynospares
2nd Feb 2011, 09:21
A good map and a stopwatch just like hunt for red october ! :ok:
Green Flash
2nd Feb 2011, 10:12
Probably being driven by my missus. She sees through brick walls and misses nowt .....:uhoh:
jimgriff
2nd Feb 2011, 11:20
GF- Nah! Deffo a herc- not a broom!!:ok:
NutLoose
2nd Feb 2011, 11:44
Secret Carrots!
would be tinned, RAF cannot afford fresh ones these days you know.
Dengue_Dude
2nd Feb 2011, 11:57
Probably a distant relative of 'Cats-eyes Cunningham' . . .
I used to know a Jim Cunningham . . . but he spent his time telling us where we'd just been (sorry Jim). He was an expert in steam-roller driving though.
Duncan D'Sorderlee
2nd Feb 2011, 13:44
I believe that the current ACOS Manning, Air Cdre Rob Cunningham is the nephew (or somesuch relation) of 'cat's-eyes'.
Duncs:ok:
Brian 48nav
2nd Feb 2011, 14:45
IIRC there was one slightly ahead of me at nav school '66,can't remember first name but I think his accent was close to Cockney.
jimgriff
2nd Feb 2011, 14:53
Thread drift Alert! Thread drift Alert! Woop Woop!
Duncan D'Sorderlee
2nd Feb 2011, 15:40
jimgriff,
I think the issue is being raised is that having the name 'Cunningham' indicates a propensity to excellent night vision. Consequently, it appears that it is most likely, given your discription of 'a flying display par excellence' - at night and probably in contravention of a number of Rules, Regulations and SOP - that the sortie was most likely carried out by an individual named Cunningham. The local RAFP should be on their way to arrest said individuals shortly!
Duncs:ok:
davejb
2nd Feb 2011, 16:23
And then of course there was the siggie, 'Dog eyes Mc Ivor*', who could never pass a night time disco without picking up a less than attractive companion....
Dave
*name changed to protect the innocent...
jimgriff
2nd Feb 2011, 17:14
DnD- And oh what a display- loops, rolls etc and all in the dark.......:hmm:
OK- Just low and in the valley then- with the nav lights and a/c strobes going it looked good.
I understand the Cunningham thing- I just wondered if one used NVG's or had FLIR or other "aids". I guess the guy on the ramp with the wheighted string was taking the height readings?;)
Having been on board a Herc at low level through Wales I wouldn't be surprised if this one was looking for Scotland. :p On my (daylight) trip there were two navs arguing over the location much to the ammusement of the Captain who did know where he was.:D
Dengue_Dude
2nd Feb 2011, 19:24
I think low levelling in the Herc was the best fun I've had in an aeroplane.
I guested with F Troop one night and did it in the dark - err, no thanks, not funny at all - they're welcome.
US Herk
3rd Feb 2011, 01:15
How was the weather? If a bit dodgy it adds a new clue.... :E
slatch
3rd Feb 2011, 01:32
Could be a MC-130P Shadow airplane assigned to the 67th Special Operations Squadron, 352nd Special Operations Group based at RAF Mildenhall, England, but who knows?
Kengineer-130
3rd Feb 2011, 02:02
It will be one of my fondest memories of the RAF, and indeed the mighty K... I was lucky enough to blag a 47SF training flight pax ride with another engineer off 47/70 eng.
We took off from Lyneham, flew up to Scotland mid-level via the west cost/ I.O.M, where we got "intercepted" by a Typhoon, and got thrown around a bit.. We then broke off, carried on North to the Scottish mountains, dropped into low level and flew back towards wales.
Loadie then put us in AD harnesses, opened up the back end for a bit, and did a bit of ramp riding for 10 mins, looking at the landscape flashing past at 220 kts :cool:.. After that, went back on the flight deck, and sat with my head sticking out the cupola as we flew down the 3 Dams of the Elan Valley... Carried on low level (OLF as well, so <150ft :eek:) through Wales, then climbed out for the short trip back to LYN... It was the perfect flight, crew were fantastic, weather was perfect... :ok: I know low level training is carried out for very real reasons, but on flights like that, it is almost impossilble not to have a huge grin on your face :ok:
Brian 48nav
3rd Feb 2011, 09:13
The truthfulness of your post is in doubt - come on,a captain knowing where he was?
BW
Sorry you see it that way. I felt a lot safer flying with Don than I did with some of the TPs at Boscombe. :oh:
Dengue_Dude
3rd Feb 2011, 11:45
Not an old raincoat was he?
Most of those sort of flights are done using autopilot. This avoids the need for NVG's or anything fancy.
StopStart
3rd Feb 2011, 13:50
Most of those sort of flights are done using autopilot. This avoids the need for NVG's or anything fancy.
A tremendous yet non-hilarious & poorly constructed wah I assume?
:hmm:
teeteringhead
3rd Feb 2011, 13:58
Dengue Dude was the best fun I've had in an aeroplane.
... should that not be qualified with the phrase: "...with me kecks on!" :E
Brian 48nav
3rd Feb 2011, 15:05
I'm intrigued - this calls for a PM.
Dengue_Dude
3rd Feb 2011, 17:12
That'll be the guy.
He'd get my vote too. Good man, I think I was on main, when he was on F Troop, failing that it was around and about that secret airbase Rompers Green.
Smudger
3rd Feb 2011, 19:20
Rompers Green... aahh those were the days ....
US Herk
4th Feb 2011, 00:40
Could be a MC-130P Shadow airplane assigned to the 67th Special Operations Squadron, 352nd Special Operations Group based at RAF Mildenhall, England, but who knows?
...not if the weather was dodgy! :E
Mal Drop
4th Feb 2011, 10:48
Rompers Green... aahh those were the days ....And they can be again!
The Rompers Green Collection - The Story of a West Country Transport Station (http://www.rompersgreen.com/)
Dengue_Dude
4th Feb 2011, 13:00
A friend at work mentioned had I seen this series.
He was gob-smacked when I told him I used to fly with Chas Fink and that most of the content was based on fact.
Even today, they bring such a smile to your face. I've been grateful for the laughs at the time and ever since.
Bless you Chas (RIP), I'm still mystified as to why you carried the SAS (Scandanavian, not the other lot) timetable around though . . .
OmegaV6
4th Feb 2011, 17:04
I still have the 2 "Rompers" books from when Chas published them as "collections" ... bring back many happy memories every time I pick them up .. :)
Brian 48nav
6th Feb 2011, 17:32
Hi Dengue Dude, I think it may have been because IIRC his wife was Danish.
I think Chas arrived as a Co-pilot on 30 while I was detached from the squadron to JATE,Oct'72 to Mar'73. My first day back was on the 1st April and straight on to a Singapore slip with Colin Ruston and this guy,Chas,that I had not met before in the right hand seat. Sometimes us late second tour navs could be a bit wary of new cos - will they buy a beer? Not descend too early so that we dragged our arses in to Akrotiri at 2000' from 30 miles out etc.
But Chas was a delight! A smashing bloke! I see from my log book we had five days off in Singapore,operated Tengah to Gan before being swept-up by VC10 to Brize. Chas had his guitar with him and taught us the words to Don Mclean's American Pie,which we seemed to sing all the way back in the 10!
I only flew with him once more, circuit-bashing,before I left the service later that year,but bumped in to him at OM Lyneham once or twice in the years that followed and he always greeted me with a big smile.
RIP, a privilege to have known you Chas - Brian Wildey
Dengue_Dude
7th Feb 2011, 11:58
I arrived on 30 in January 1975 and got marched straight into the Wing Commanders office (the nice Mr Hardwick of 'sense and humour' fame). He was incredibly impressed with me on the OCU apparently.
Gordon Poole, my new boss said 'I haven't even met you yet and I need to give you a bollocking'.
Chas was a new captain who rather seemed to share my view of authority figures and we both played guitar a bit too. I flew with him a fair few times and it was always fun as his sense of humour was wicked - hence Rompers. Ah yes, I remember the Nordic connection now - thanks.
Bit of a thread drift, but nevertheless we did fly Hercs, sometimes at night and sometimes low-level :p
It would appear that chaps called Brian are common as muck ;)
Brian 48nav
7th Feb 2011, 16:59
Not any more Dengue! I'm not sure whether the blame lies with 'Life of...' or Magic Roundabout!
Or have you been peeking at my working-class Grammar School Oik background?
(...common as muck...).
I can remember a few Brians... Weatherly,Poulton,Cripps,Appleby ... all of us except the latter (not good-looking Shack nav) good-looking Herc navs and Brian Lee,Flt Eng ..Comet,48 Herc,Comet again.