Bravo November

[Dawdler]

Does anyone know if BN is still active in the Afganistan theatre. I saw a TV documentary a few months ago (but I do not know when it was filmed) which featured that particular aircraft. I was interested because as far as I recall it was the sole survivor of the Atlantic Conveyor loss in 1982.

I did a search but failed to come up with anything on this forum.

[Old-Duffer]

I think you might find she is back in UK having her bits looked at.

You are right, however, as she was the sole survivor of the initial batch of Chinooks sent south and she was being air tested when the Atlantic Conveyor was attacked.

[Karma022202]

Go on then, what is Bravo November? Is it some bloke or something?

[Top Bunk Tester]

Karma, ever heard of Google, it's quite a popular search engine ...... that's an engine that seaches the t'interweb thingy :ugh:

[500N]

Karma
Yes, partly correct, It's a Jolly Green Giant with things like huge Bollocks slung underneath. if you look through some recent threads you'll see a picture of one with not 2 but 4 Big balls pre "having her bits looked at".:)

.Now if you had actually READ (that is if you can read) the post above yours, the poster actually says what it is and part of the story as to why it is famous, or at least the first thing in it's history that made her famous.

.

.

[Clockwork Mouse]

Bravo Zulu, Karma (which apparently is Navy-speak for well done)! Only 8 posts and already a flak magnet for the sense-of-humour challenged!

[Tlam999]

Karma: This link might help

Let me google that for you (http://lmgtfy.com/?q=bravo+november)

[Dawdler]

Sorry Karma I should have been more specific in my OP. Perhaps I should have mentioned Chinook, ( I certainly intended to, but missed it out inadvertently). As you will now know this heavy lift helicopter had to do the work of several during the Falklands War.

[Dockers]

Dawdler

try:http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/430897-good-dit-today-express.html and RAF - Royal Air Force CH47 Chinook 'Bravo November' (http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/royalairforcech47chinookbravonovember.cfm)

[Dawdler]

Thanks for the links guys.

[dagenham]

Karma

Witb your sas background i thought you would have been very familiar with bn from the ac right through to the current day

[Karma022202]

Witb your sas background i thought you would have been very familiar with bn from the ac right through to the current day

I was way too hyped up and focused on the mission ahead to worry about what type of aircraft I as in.

[Scuttled]

:D

.....words almost fail me! Outstanding.

[Top Bunk Tester]

As he's on probation (should be medication) can't one of the mods just sin bin him so we don't have to listen to any more of his childish purile Walt cr4p? :yuk:

[Karma022202]

so we don't have to listen to any more of his childish purile Walt cr4p?

You can hear me? You must have good hearing. Ever considered a job at GCHQ they like to listen to things far away.

[Top Bunk Tester]

And with every post he just makes the case stronger ...... Prune Pop, Scroggs, wholigan where are you when we need you? :(

[iRaven]

I found a picture of Karma walking with his Cowboy friend...

http://northoftheriver.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/man_with_a_very_big_cock.jpg

[scarecrow450]

'BN' visited Shawbury last month so its back and flying.

[RetiredSHRigger]

Methinks that the more people react to Karma the more he will post!! Ignore the Troll:mad:

[Motleycallsign]

Clockwork mouse where in the OP was 'Bravo ZULU' mentioned? The a/c in question is 'BN' (which of course was it's original 18 sqn letter designation).

[Clockwork Mouse]

BZ is the naval flag signal meaning "well done", or so I believe (I am a mere Pongo). I was subtly congratulating Karma on successfully stirring up a hornet's nest with his humour, which seems to have gone right over the head of a lot of the drongos on PPruNe. Including yours?

[jamesdevice]

you cal that humour?

[dakkg651]

Guys, you all need to be careful having a go at Karma.

If he says he is ex-SAS then I for one believe him. After all, who in their right mind would lie about such a thing.

Karma. To shut up all these doubting Thomases, why don't you regale us with some of your brave deeds.

Were you HALO qualified by the way. Some of the Albert guys on here may have met you!

[NutLoose]

I was interested because as far as I recall it was the sole survivor of the Atlantic Conveyor loss in 1982.



Err, wasn't there one off-loaded at Ascension too? memory might be playing tricks on me these days....... I remember there being some animosity over a certain life ring when peeps got home.

[RetiredSHRigger]

Nutloose
Correct on that one mate, however it seemed a good idea at the time.:O

[ZH875]

Not a very good photo, but at least the type of Helicopter at Ascension is obvious.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v604/ZH875/IMG_1665.jpg

I used to hate the Rotors Running Refuels, as my little legs were gritblasted every time, the refuelling point being close to where the Vulcans were parked.

[Roadster280]

Well that looks like a Sea King to me! A yeller one at that.

[ZH875]

Also a few Harriers and a Condom wearing Albert.

[Dawdler]

If he says he is ex-SAS then I for one believe him. After all, who in their right mind would lie about such a thing.

If his claim is inaccurate, he won't be the first one. Anyone remember the case of Roger Day, who turned up at the Armistice Day march in Bedworth a couple of years ago with a fabulous collection of un-earned medals? Including I think, several which would have required him to be both of advanced age (which he clearly wasn't) and capable of being in several places and regiments at the same time. One of which would appear to be the SAS.

[Cornish Jack]

500N - being in pedant mood, I think you'll find that the Jolly Green was the CH53 not the Wokka..

[fantom]

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b236/minlgw/WalterMitty.jpg

[500N]

Cornish Jack,

My bad, I had forgotten that it was used for another model.

.

[GreenKnight121]

500N - being in pedant mood, I think you'll find that the Jolly Green was the CH53 not the Wokka..

I'll see your pedant mood and raise you. ;)

HH-3E Jolly Green Giant (Sea King with a tail ramp)

HH-53 Super Jollies (Super Jolly Green Giant, USAF version of CH-53A/D Sea Stallion)

[Fox Four]

ZA718 details here

Bravo November - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bravo_November)

The legend of 'Bravo November' (http://www.airsceneuk.org.uk/oldstuff/2008/469za718/za718.htm)

27 years old: the Chinook from the Falklands STILL serving in Helmand | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1200604/27-years-old-Chinook-Falklands-STILL-serving-Helmand.html)

BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - It's My Story, Bravo November (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00b55tc)

Although the programme above has been removed, I have an MP3 of it. If anyone would like a copy of it pm me.

A living legend.

Keep going BN, keep going......

FF

[Cornish Jack]

GreenKnight121 - I fold!
Re. the Super JGG, I believe it was that model that was used for mine clearance in the Suez Canal. They were flown into Akrotiri on Galaxys and re-assembled. Being on Whirlwinds at the time we had to go and have a look at these 'large cousins'. On the starboard o/h panel was a switch labelled 'Zeroise'(sic) we couldn't find anyone to ask so we assumed that this was for use when everything turned to worms and operating it put you back to where you started from!!:E

[jamesdevice]

Jack

discussion of the switch here (though in a different aircraft)
http://www.f-16.net/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&p=76307

[Lower Hangar]

I was the Duty Air Engineer on the flight deck of Hermes on the day of the Atlantic Conveyor incident and hence the arrival of Bravo Novembeer on our aft outboard helicopter spots. The Duty Flyco ( a stubble headed Lt.Cdr) called me on the flight deck loop and asked "Duty Engineer on deck - could you get the Chinook folded - its completely blocking my 5 & 6 (or some such number) helicopter spots." Needless to say we didn't have any Chinook gear on board to deal with (what seemed to me) massive bolts in the Chinook rotorhead. I think BN went inshore next day accompanied by a Lynx due to the comms fit on the Chinook not being compatible with the comms in operaton at the time. -My memories of BN - came to mind when I saw this thread.

[Roadster280]

Interesting dit, Lower Hangar.

Probably just as well you didn't get the blades off. I can see the Flash signal now.

FM HMS HERMES
TO 18 SQN RAF
INFO RAF GUTERSLOH

Z O 251900Z MAY 82

UNCLAS

BT

REQUIRE TORQUE SETTING FOR CHINOOK ROTOR BOLTS. REGRET INCONVENIENCE.

BT

[NutLoose]

Interesting dit, Lower Hangar.

Probably just as well you didn't get the blades off. I can see the Flash signal now.

FM HMS HERMES
TO 18 SQN RAF
INFO RAF GUTERSLOH

Z O 251900Z MAY 82

UNCLAS

BT

REQUIRE TORQUE SETTING FOR CHINOOK ROTOR BOLTS. REGRET INCONVENIENCE.

BT

And I can see the answer, SUGGEST YOU CONTACT RAF ODIHAM THEIR HOME AND ONLY OPERATING BASE..... :p

[Roadster280]

Thought they were in Gut? Meh. Message would have got to 18 Sqn as addressed.

[NutLoose]

Nope were still Odious at the time and for a period after the war.

Though it wouldn't be the first or last signal ever to go adrift :)


http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/ff321/taylortony/Aviation/Refuelling18Sqn.jpg

[ZH875]

And I can see the answer, SUGGEST YOU CONTACT RAF ODIHAM THEIR HOME AND ONLY OPERATING BASE..... :p


From the RAF web page on 18 Sqn:
(http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/18squadron.cfm)
During the Falklands War in 1982, four Chinooks were dispatched on the cargo ship Atlantic Conveyor, but three were lost when the vessel was sunk. The sole surviving aircraft gave sterling service on the islands in the months that followed. After the conflict, the Squadron returned to Germany, taking a small number of Pumas on strength before moving to Odiham in 1997.


Someone is wrong on this one.

[Tallsar]

The Chinook pictured flying over Wideawake at Ascension Island is BP, which had been off-loaded.
BN was indeed the only one of the four remaining Chinooks on Atlantic Conveyor to survive the Excocet atttack. Incidentally, the aircraft that nearly got away from the aft deck (most were stored and flown off the central deck area) was BT. Although it is often written that only 3 whole Chinooks were lost on Conveyor, this severely underestimates the very large stock of spares, components and engines that also went down with Her. Indeed if you were at Odiham or Fleetlands at the time, you would find quite a few stripped airframes as a testament to this. The loss of the Conveyor therefore had a much more fundamental effect on the RAF Chinook force which lasted for many years after the end of that far away conflict.
Having reformed as the RAF's first Chinook sqn in Sept 1981 at Odiham, 18 Sqn did indeed remain based at Odiham until mid 1983 when it moved (at last) to its long intended home base of RAF Gutersloh, before relocatimg post Cold War to Laarbruch in 1993 once Gutersloh was handed over to the Army.

[NutLoose]

Actually the RAF webpage is strictly true, they did return to Germany............. Eventually.


Yup tell me about it Tallsar, was a busy time,
Suprised the Conveyor never sank in Plymouth Sound with the stuff she was carrying that went off inventories when she sank :E

Along with the safe containing all the Cheques people had cashed on the way south :}

[Roadster280]

Suprised the Conveyor never sank in Plymouth Sound with the stuff she was carrying that went off inventories when she sank

Indeed, although I joined up in 86, the amount of Signals kit that went down on it was still affecting the Army then. Whether it actually did or not, is a matter for the QMs and their less-than-sharp pencils.

Did the term "FOFAD" a few year later ever make it to the RAF?

[1.3VStall]

I have a print of Robert Taylor's painting "Corporate Action", which shows Sqn Ldr Dick Langworthy standing in front of "BN" somewhere in the Falklands, with Harriers in the overhead. Can't believe it's nearly 30 years ago!