Final Hercules Flypast

[mckelvey]

Hi,

Just heard that the final Hercules flypast will taken place over Wiltshire commencing at 1000 hrs. BBC Points West indicated that the route would be available on their website. I have had a look and googled it without success.

Do any pruners have information on the route.

Thanks in advance.

McK

[Grimweasel]

The Media Release went out today. The route will be a short 45mins trip around Wilts towns to say goodbye to Wiltshire. For obvious reasons they haven't given exact timings for the route but getting airborne at circa 1030. Taking in Avebury, Calne, Melksham, Warminster, Wootton Bassett, Tetbury, Colerne, Swindon (Blunsdon area). Can't recall the exact order but Avebury and Calne first then south to Melksham/ Warminster then heading back North, winding over Lyneham, Bassett, Tetbury and back towards Swindon for finals into Brize. There is then a Parade at BZN to welcome the Sqn Standards and the official handover to Gp Capt Stamp.

[tmobile]

The route will be a short 45mins trip around Wilts towns to say goodbye to Wiltshire.Tetbury:confused:Isn't Tetbury in Gloucestershire?

Please don't answer this one Airborne Aircrew it isn't a wah.:ok:

[SX983]

I trust it will be a K.Even more appropriate if it was 177-first in,last out.

[November4]

Taking in Avebury, Calne, Melksham, Warminster, Wootton Bassett, Tetbury, Colerne, Swindon (Blunsdon area).

Shame Chippenham isn't on the list as the Hercs have been a familiar sight overhead.

[Grimweasel]

Here's the Media release - apologies for any earlier errors in my recalling of which towns were included!!!

On Friday, 1st Jul 11, the last of RAF Lyneham’s Hercules fleet of aircraft will say a final farewell to the County of Wiltshire before their official handover to the Station Commander of RAF Brize Norton. The intention is to have the last of the aircraft transferring to RAF Brize Norton flown at low level, in stream formation to say a final goodbye to the people of Wiltshire. Departing RAF Lyneham at approximately 1030 hours, it is envisaged that the aircraft will follow a route that will start out by flying over Avebury, Calne, Devizes, Warminster, Melksham, Trowbridge, Colerne, Lyneham, Wootton Bassett, Malmesbury, Tetbury and the Blunsdon area of Swindon, before the final leg of the journey to RAF Brize Norton.
The 1st of July will mark the end of a remarkable era not only for the RAF but for the people of the County of Wiltshire that have supported RAF Lyneham so well over the years. RAF Lyneham’s Station Commander, Group Captain John Gladston said:
“This is our last opportunity to say thank-you and pay tribute to the people of Wiltshire for all the support they have given to the Station over the past 70 years. It is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to the Hercules Force, a sentiment which I know echo’s throughout the Wiltshire community. The Hercules Force will now take a piece of our unique and proud history to RAF Brize Norton where I know they will be most welcome and I am in no doubt that it will flourish and continue to build on our proud heritage for many years to come.”

Planned to be 3x Js and 1x K Model ;-)

[tmobile]

say a final farewell to the County of Wiltshire

But not Tetbury as everyone knows that Tetbury is in Gloucestershire.

to say a final goodbye to the people of Wiltshire.

But not Tetbury as everyone knows that Tetbury is in Gloucestershire.

not only for the RAF but for the people of the County of Wiltshire

Apart from Tetbury because it is in Gloucestershire.

This is our last opportunity to say thank-you and pay tribute to the people of Wiltshire

Tetbury is in Gloucestershire.

which I know echo’s throughout the Wiltshire community

Apart from the community of Tetbury because that is in Gloucestershire.

Oh wait a minute, doesn't one of the Senior Officers live in Tetbury in Gloucestershire? That will be it. Just sneak a flypast over your house which happens to be in Gloucestershire. Nobody will notice.

[Dengue_Dude]

Who gives a toss about Tetbury?

The thread is about the loss of Lyneham and the Hercules' goodbye to all the areas it 'populated'.

A sad day indeed. It'll be weird to drive from Bassett to Lyneham without Albert droning over your head. I loved my time there.

Best of luck to all affected, those going and those staying.

[Grimweasel]

Change of plan - the formation will depart LYN at 1030, route will now head North to Tetbury first then head back over Badmington Park, down the side of Bath then onto Warminster, then turning North over Melksham, then Devizes, onto Beckhampton roundabout at Avebury before heading over Cherhill and Calne - then towards the West of Chippenham and turning to fly over Chippenham. Then form up to overfly Lyneham again and getting into tighter formation to overfly Wootton Bassett High Street (over the town hall on stilts and memorial) before heading over to Shrivenham. After Shrivenham I think it was Blunsdon area of Swindon before landing at BZN circa 1115 local. Job done.

[November4]

Thanks fro the update Grim

Good to see Chippenham on the route now.....Oh the power of having a moaning on here :O

[Wander00]

Never been a truckie, but been to Lyneham a time or two, and flew in the Hercules in the FI in '86. Well done to everyone - end of an era (Funny, I also worked for Marshall Aerospace for a year as well!)

[ZH875]

Paraphrasing the old K to J insults:



Lyneham to Brize - End of an Era, Start of an Error.

[tmobile]

Who gives a toss about Tetbury?

Exactly. It's in Gloucestershire with Badminton. Bath? isn't that in Somerset?

[Lyneham Lad]

Arghh, what timing. Twenty six years under the LYN approach and I'm going to miss the final flypast due to a 10.50 hospital appointment - bugger! :{

Hmm, I wonder if the consultant will let me off the table long enough to get on the hospital roof with my long lens when they are on the way over to Shrivenham...

[Roger Mellie's Enemy]

On the rare occasion of me contributing here and the all too frequent and familiar sounding "final something"... I can't help but feel 'Lyneham ehh -what the hell have we done?'

Bugger, double-bugger and damn:{

Wish I could be there to see & hear Albert's final day perpetuating The Wiltshire Hum. I also offer my thanks to the locals who always made us so welcome and tell them that I'm poorer now for not having the available opportunity to repeat a great experience there.

[November4]

1300BST and just seen 4 Hercs flying over Chippenham - assume it's the practise for tomorrow. Look forward with sadness to the real one tomorrow.

Hope they found Tetbury and Badminton OK

[Rocket2]

"The thread is about the loss of Lyneham and the Hercules' goodbye to all the areas it 'populated'."
What a shame a lot of locals like me will be working or doing other things so will miss the flypast, might have been nicer to schedule it at 18:00 - Oh just realised its POETS day.. ;) Thanks to all the stations folk past & present for the fond memories of my tour on B Line ('97), helping put the comet on the gate & working in the gin palace ('87) before leaving. Wish all the good luck in the world to those who will be unemployed & to the service folk posted to Brize etc - at least I'll still be seeing the Herc's bombing Everleigh.
R2

[brakedwell]

Exactly forty one years ago the Britannia fleet moved out of Lyneham and from the 1st July were officially based at Brize Norton. Throughout June Britannias departed down the route, but returned to Brize until the last scheduled flight left Lyneham on June 15th. We were presented with a bottle of Champers by the Station Commander with strict instructions not to empty it before Akrotiri.

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/sedgwickjames/Lastschedbrit.jpg

[Brain Potter]

31 years ago would be 1980. I rather think you mean forty one?

[brakedwell]

Senior moment - will amend to 1970 :ouch:

[grandfer]

A 4-ship of Alberts were flying around the Chivenor/North Devon area around 1400 hrs.BST.:sad::sad:

[OmegaV6]

Well ..... they've just gone by for the second time ... Three J's one K, looking good.... if not a little saddening :(

After 30 years of living under the ILS and even more of actually operating them it will be strange not to hear and see them on a regular basis. I'm sure we'll raise a glass to Lyneham at the Engineers do in September.

To those that continue to operate the best aircraft ever designed, enjoy your new home at BZN. The "Herc" hasn't moved that many times in over 40 years.. Fairford, Colerne, Thorney, Akrotiri, Lyneham and now Brize. ... but wherever it has made its home it has made friends. Long may that continue.

[Grimweasel]

Last change for the timings and places for tomorrow I'm told!!

Planned Route with timings:-

1030 hrs (Depart) Lyneham heading via west of Hullavington
1041hrs Colerne
Warminster
Trowbridge
Melksham/Devizes
Calne
1100hrs Chippenham
Lyneham Village
Wootton Bassett
Blunsdon area of Swindon/Shrivenham
1120hrs (Wheels down) Brize Norton

Will give you all a wave tomorrow!!:ok:

[popeye]

Local / zulu?

Thanks.

[maximo ping]

Local on this one occasion!

[dead_pan]

I bet the good folk of Salisbury are pi**ed off. Ever the bridesmaids.

I remember in my yoof in Swindon regularly seeing 9-ship Herc formations. Still, that was a few years ago now.

[Amos Keeto]

[Quote]
I trust it will be a K.Even more appropriate if it was 177-first in,last out. [Unquote]

Although 177 was the first to arrive in UK, it was 190 that was the first Herc. delivered to Lyneham on 1st August 1967....and I was there to record it! :ok:

[Wycombe]

Great to see Joe Public rubber-necking and traffic noticeably slowing on the M4 eastbound this afternoon as the formation of Alberts strutted their stuff over LYE - sadly I suspect most of those observing would have no clue as to the reasons for the unexpected airshow :sad:

[mr ripley]

Nice to see 3 Hercs fly in to RAF Lyneham this morning and execute a lovely break, under a beautiful blue sky.

[sumps]

...im supprised that they are not going to fly past Boscombe Down. After all it's in wilts' and there has been a lot of work on the Herc going on there too.

[BEagle]

I remember in my yoof in Swindon regularly seeing 9-ship Herc formations. Still, that was a few years ago now.

Back in the early '70s, as a UAS APO on a week's detachment to Lyneham, I was fortunate enough to be on the flight deck of number 33 of a 36-ship Herc formation....:\

Them were't days!

[Union Jack]

Just flown over my mansion - which I've always suspected was a waypoint! - accompanied by a chase plane, presumably taking photographs. Could have sworn that they were a lot lower than usual but of course I know that's just not possible!:=

Oh sorry, have to go - bloody dust in my eye again much like the day of Concorde's last flight into LHR...... Very sad:sad::sad:

Thank you very much boys and girls!:ok::ok:


Jack

[EngAl]

That's funny - they've just flown over Chippenham and I got dust in my eye too!

[engineer(retard)]

Passed here also, well done fellas :ok:

[DME MILOS]

Thank you gentlemen, a fitting end to an Era that I will always remember, must be going soft in my civvy life as a bit of a tear in the eye watching that :sad:

[Mal Drop]

Stood at Hullavington with a bunch of other folk to fleetingly see the formation low on the horizon, about three miles to the west and headed south. Rushed over to Chips'n'Ham to see them avoid the town centre and make their way north for the Blundon/Shriv part.

Oh well...

[mr ripley]

Nice send-off!
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f191/mjg66/DSCF1498.jpg
Last K
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f191/mjg66/DSCF1502.jpg
At the holding point
http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f191/mjg66/DSCF1515.jpg
Final Flypast

[Brian 48nav]

You forgot the best station and squadron of them all -- 48 at Changi! Oct'67 to Sep'71.

Abingdon was also used as the home of JATE's Herc' detached from DL, and Boscombe of course.

[ancientaviator62]

Seems an awfully long time since we took 39( ? )to Incirlik for Ex Deep Furrow !

[Kengineer-130]

I spent my entire 12 year RAF career at Lyneham as a tech, very sad that the best base in the RAF is gone. Fantastic aircraft, fantastic people :ok: I just hope that we don't come to rue this foolish decision.

[ewe.lander]

Well done to Gladys and the Crews! I joined a big crowd on the main drag in Wobbly B, lots of old faces from the Camp. Nice touch when the Police stopped traffic to let all onto the road for the flypast :ok:. A good tight formation down the main street with everybody going bonkers on the ground.

Good coverage from BBC Wiltshire, and a job well done by Team Lyneham!

Wrong decision to move - lots of reasons, but not emotion driven.

[Grimweasel]

YouTube - ‪DSCF0351‬‏

Some video as we overflew RAF Lyneham and Wooty Bee!

[Exascot]

Excellent clip thank you Grimweasle.

All the best with your new base. I had 10 great years at BZN. Guess it will be a bit crowded but some great pubs around to escape to.

[dallas]

Was hoping to catch a glimpse but admit to not actually taking any practical measures to be in the right place/time. Lo and behold the 4-ship flew right over our village past our living room window!

Sorry to see LYE go - happy memories of the base and a few nice trips as SNC. Wishing everyone a happy future at 'superbase' Brize. :ok:

[BEagle]

Because the BBC dicked about with TV scheduling last night, thanks to some game or other of tennis, it's probable that a lot of people will have missed BBC Oxford's coverage of the day's events.

You can see last night's 1830-delayed to-2030 live OB plus local news here:

BBC iPlayer - BBC Oxford News: 01/07/2011 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01264k0/BBC_Oxford_News_01_07_2011/)

How lucky we are to have Geraldine as our local news presenter!

[Wander00]

Any one know another link that does not need BBC iPlayer - mean bu@@ers won't let us watch in France. Mind you watching the Tour de France (ITV4) on our local roads is fun, so long as you are not trying to get anywhere!

[Grimweasel]

Thanks Beags - that was an excellent and fitting show by the BBC - even if they did get a little controversial bleeting about the repat' route ;-(

[staircase]

...mmmm, but some of us still remember saying goodbye to the Hastings!

[friendlypelican 2]

Thanks Beags and Grimweasel for the links.
Yes I too remember the 39 a/c det to Incirlik. Should we leave the details of the 47Sqn wave of 6 all abandoning take-off to the dim memory? Mind you, they caught up after about an hour and slotted-in immediately in front of us (leading the 30Sqn wave) as if nothing had happened! According to my logbook, all for 7.55hrs low-level as a 36-ship.
This forum has never been backward in berating truckies for grabbing the best accom, so perhaps it is worth flagging-up that even in the '70's we were then sharing in 66-man rooms and 12-man bogs (sans doors!).
And the memories of the many week-ends of 6, 12 & 18 ship exercises including Tiree and Benbecula procedural let-downs, to end up still in the correct order at low-level. Perhaps JATFOR memories deserve a thread of there own.
Whatever, all the very best to the guys and girls now at Brize, who clearly continue the very finest traditions established by earlier Albert crews!

[Brian 48nav]

As you know I left late '73 and I'm pretty sure the term 'Truckies' wasn't around then.

When did it start? Was it something that came from the Kris Kristofferson film about lorry drivers, CB radios, convoys etc?

IIRC the term 'Herky Bird' was widely used and in Changi the coastal guys, 205 Sqn, had come up with the name 'Grumblies', which I think referred to the sound made when Ground Idle was selected. I think that is a much nicer name than 'Truckies'.

33/36 ship formations! Gosh!! One of the reasons why I left, and I know I wasn't the only one.

BW

[Icare9]

I don't wan't to be happy at threads like this..
Death of Concorde
Death of Vulcan
Death of Lightning
Death of Jaguar
Death of Lightning
and no doubt many other RAF "mainstream" types.............
I was proud of what Team GB could produce, but now I'm reduced to memories of what once was....
I was born in 1948 and what the RAF represented then is not what I perceive now...........
Please tell me that we still have something to be proud of?????????????????????

[WIDN62]

Some of us were quite proud of yesterday! Not necessarily the decisions that brought it about, but the day itself.

[Tommy Tipee]

Hello friendlypelican2

I was the wave leader who abandoned at the front of the 47 wave, because I had no airspeed indications.
After taxiing off the runway, the ground engineer discovered a six inch blade of grass in the pitot tube!
How it got in there was never established, but it's hard to believe it got there unassisted.
As you recounted, we rejoined the fray in time for the drop, and as I only logged 7.35, I got round 20 minutes quicker than the rest of you!

The aircraft was XV 179 which was sadly lost in Iraq on 30/1/05.

My last flight on the Herc (don't know when Albert came into fashion but clearly after my time) was on 30/12/76, from Brize to Lyneham in XV209.
Is she still around?

I had 8 great years at Changi, Fairford and Lyneham and wish everybody good luck at your new home in Oxfordshire.

Tommy

[friendlypelican 2]

Tommy T, pse check yr PMs.

[dagama]

Tommy T and friendlypelican

Reading your posts sent me scurring to my log-books and my record show that we abandoned due to the said blade of grass. I put out the call on tower freq and the following 5 ac of the first wave also abandoned so the second wave ldr led the formation. Our ac was was XV213

My log book shows that the 5 ac tagged on at the end of the stream as they were serviceable but we had to wait while the cause of problem was found. My recollection is that the blade got into the vent beacuse 36 ac started No 3 engine at the same time, generating a lot of crud and smoke. Infact, Incerlik went BLACK for a few minutes.

While we waited for the rectification, message was received from the DZ that one jumper had candled and died so the crew was tasked to fly to Izmir to pick up the body and fly to Lyneham directly to avoid the host nation getting involved. So we picked up XV 299 and Sqn Ldr Richard Hodder who was the medical officer (as well as the Sqn MO) and did that but via Istanbul. Richard Hodder had the gruesome task of examining the body and sign the certificate. All this happened on 27 Sep 73.

[TwoStep]

Anyone know why the formation avoided the centre of Swindon and stuck to the outskirts, I hear the local paper is getting letters asking why they were 'shunned.'

[ICM]

Brian48: I'm sure you are right about the 'Truckie' term not being in use in 1973. I don't think I ever heard it used about myself before getting to Staff College in 1978, and I'd swear on the Good Book that the term was not then in use at BZN as I left there - which makes me think that it did not originate within the Air Transport Force.

As to 'Fat Albert' - I became aware of that whilst with the USAF in 1970. It had emerged as a slightly pejorative nickname for the C-5A, then being introduced to service in Military Airlift Command, and the word was that 'Higher Command' really did not like it! With that background, and with our Belfasts being distinctly more rotund, I was always quite surprised at the term eventually coming into use for the RAF's relatively slim C-130s.

[Kreuger flap]

Anyone know why the formation avoided the centre of Swindon

Because everybody tries to avoid the centre of Swindon, except of course the chavs, drug dealers and pikies.

I hear the local paper is getting letters

Who from? People in the centre of Swindon can hardly speak let alone write to their local rag.

This is what people who live in the middle of Swindon affectionately call Ikea……

http://www.flavor8.com/images/renovation/dump1.JPG

[Dengue_Dude]

Kreuger flap

Works for me . . .

First time I saw the magic roundabout, I parked in a bus stop and walked on the pavement until I could suss out how to get around it.

Turned out to be brilliant though . . . unlike the rest of Swindon (which was about 7 miles finals and always good for a pee).

[Lyneham Lad]

Anywhere will do.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5101/5619392798_a15dde5c7f_o.jpg

[Nomorefreetime]

Thanks for the flypast today, perfect timing:D

[November4]

Is anyone able to say what the item that dropped by parachute was?

Thanks

[Capt Niff Naff]

My guess it was the keys to the main gate!

[DummyRun]

Main gate still open.

However, although not 47 AD Sqn RLC myself I believe they have a tradition of dropping a case of champers at every base they leave.

Unless anyone knows better............

[WIDN62]

....is the right answer.

[November4]

Thanks for the info on what was dropped.

[Ken Scott]

There was a C130J in the circuit at the secret Wiltshire airbase yesterday, which makes it the last, last Hercules to fly out of Lyneham, doesn't it?

[Really annoyed]

which makes it the last, last Hercules to fly out of Lyneham, doesn't it?

No, because it started its journey at Brize Norton and it didn't shut down at Lyneham.

[Ken Scott]

I believe they had landed having shut down an engine (for practice), so they did start up one!

Besides, some of the aircraft in the final flypast were already at Brize & had to be flown back to Lyneham to make the grand departure.

[Really annoyed]

Ah, but they parked and shut down all of their engines.

[WIDN62]

Let it go guys - you are now belittling what to many people (military and civilian) was an emotional occasion:mad:.
Yes, the airfield is still open and therefore available for training flights. Yes, the aircraft had to be flown from Brize for the formalities on 1 July - they are working pretty well flat out and obviously weren't going to be left doing nothing at Lyneham until the last minute, when most of the aircrew and ground crew had moved in the few days before. Yes, there was one hidden in a hangar awaiting an engine change on 1 July. Etc, etc, etc.
You are deliberately missing the point of the significance of the events of 1 July 2011.
Grrrrrrrr!!!!