Do Vulcan crews still eat and drink beer?

[mike rondot]

I posted this appeal on the Aviation History and Nostalgia forum but it fell on deaf ears, bar one ex-captain who is still in the land of the living. Come on, surely there are enough of you out there to eat a free lunch and drink beer at my expense....
Do Vulcan crews still eat and drink beer?
I have a new Vulcan painting ready to go to press. Instead of the usual suspects as signatories I would like to invite a Vulcan crew + crewchiefs and groundcrew to sign it. Do you by any chance know of a group to fit that bill living in the Norfolk area? I am at Dereham and would be pleased to host a lengthy lunch preceded by a short signing session (30 mins) at my local.
The place I have in mind serves great food, in the style of an aircrew feeder, has good beer and is open as long as you care to sit and talk bollocks with your mates.
Late October/early November 2011. First team of 7or8 to call me is in. I have 2 pilots already (no surprise there).
Google is your finder.
Mike Rondot

[Whopity]

Mike, I have your Victor 2 print on the office wall, excellent. I bought it because I was on B1s and I remembered you from school, your brother was in my year I think.

[sisemen]

Mike - you could try the geriatric hospitals and offer free incontinence pads and baby food :}

[Barksdale Boy]

Mike, I also remember you from school and would love to eat and drink with you filling the nav rad slot, but distance makes that impossible. Last saw you in early December 1978 when seemingly half the Air Force was diverted into Valley - a great inpromptu party. For some reason you thought I was Pete Pettinger (RIP).

[Wessex Boy]

One of the chaps in our Rallye Group is an ex-Vulcan AEO (and lives in Cambs), I will point him in this direction

[Rallyepilot]

I am an ex 617 Sqn AEO and I would be glad to come over your way to eat your food and drink your beer. I may be able to get hold of a Nav Plotter too.:)

[Blacksheep]

I don't know about aircrew but although this old junior magician still eats fiery curries, I stick to fine single malt scotch these days. One doesn't have the capacity for pints of beer any more. Gone are the days of eight pints of Tartan followed by a massive blow-out in the City of Lincoln's Bombay restaurant.

[Dan Winterland]

Mike. Offer Horlicks and malted milk biscuits, you may get a few! ;)

[mike rondot]

Thanks, you are in. Bring your colleague if possible.

[mike rondot]

That's OK. Clive makes curry and sells single malt. Get over here.

[Pontius Navigator]

Mike, I am a nav rad an hour and a half away. Only problem I am now retired which means my time is not my own. When had you in mind?

[BEagle]

Roundout, old bean, as an ex-Vulcanologist I would gladly eat, shoot some $hit and then leave. However, you mention Naarfalk and as I only have a 2-seat Teutonic tourer, the thought of negotiating the lanes to the background of duelling banjoes and the twang of webbed fingers :eek: as the locals high-six themselves before beginning their "Fresh meat" chanting :ooh: leaves me with with diminished enthusiasm - the ability to clench ar$e cheeks has fallen off since I stopped pulling G.....

But have a good session!

[Bob Wyer]

One ex 44(Rhodesia) Sqn Nav Plotter certainly does and is available if required

[Spit161]

I shouldn't intrude, but I shall:
Mike, have you thought about contacting the Vulcan to the Sky crew, and seeing if they'd come along to your "little" signing..?

cheers,
Jake.

[Rallyepilot]

Mike, Thanks for letting me in. I have emailed my nav plotter. He normally responds well to the offer of free food and beer, but I will let you know as soon as I hear form him.

Late October (24th to 28th) is difficult for me, but early November would be a goer.

[mike rondot]

Thanks, I am sure we will have a good session. The snake and pygmy pie at this pub is world-class.

Mods
Thank you for kindly letting this run. Can I donate proceeds from a print or three to your charity of choice?

[Sven Sixtoo]

Mike

I'd love a nice Vulcan print to go on the wall between the Lanc and the Tonka.

Any chance of posting a preview pic here?

And if they're numbered, can I have No 202?

Sven

[mike rondot]

Rules do not allow me to post a piccy here but, if you google me, you will find a series of work in progress pics on fac*e**k.

Thanks to PPRuNe I now have:
2 pilots, a liney (rigger), AEO, Nav Rad and a Nav Plotter (possibly 2).

Just need a crewchief or 2 and maybe a plumber.

Bob Wyer Thank you, you are in, date tbn.

Pontious Navigator You are in. Look forward to meeting you. Date tbn probably early Nov. It depends on how smoothly the print process goes.

[Dengue_Dude]

Be careful what you wish for . . . could be Pete Langan (bless him)

I still feel guilty about his cup. When he was on leave, I stuck a cup hook high up in the tea bar and hung his cup on it - 6FTS Finningley in the AEELS (or whatever it was called).

He came back from leave and (predictably) couldn't reach his cup - nobody would help him. Then jumping up he caught the bottom with his fingers, said cup (aided by gravity in good measure) made contact with the work top and broke.

The look on his face . . . oh dear.

Don't ask for just ANY AEO

[Rallyepilot]

Relax, I am not just ANY AEO. That said, I did know the infamous fellow you are referring to when we served together 617. He was a master with expletives and a source of many good laughs - usually at a certain pilot's expense.:}

[Dengue_Dude]

Relax, I am not just ANY AEO. That said, I did know the infamous fellow you are referring to when we served together 617. He was a master with expletives and a source of many good laughs - usually at a certain pilot's expense

Bless him, what a character.

When he was on leave, we thought he was moonlighting on the Goodwin Sands.

Fascinating article on the Jag Mike.

I remember being thrown out of 41 Sqn (43?) tea bar at Colt when having been told 'Not every aircraft can operate off a motorway' by youngest jet jock. I retorted, 'Not every aircraft needs a motorway to get airborne'. It WAS the summer of 1976.

He thought it was so funny he invited me to leave.

Ho hum.

[Tankertrashnav]

Mike - I've had a squint at your website - impressive stuff!

In 1974, I was in one of a couple of Victor K1s which took a Jaguar to Nellis for hot-weather trials. I see you've got a K2 in your catalogue, but the Mk 1 was a prettier aircraft, and refuelling the Jaguar over the mid West might make a nice subject.

Plenty of Victor types around Norfolk as well ;)

[Dengue_Dude]

The only Victor I ever refuelled off was the K2, that looked beautiful in flight. Such an elegant aircraft, even with all the bulges and bumps.

Took our probe to back to Marham though . . . we went back to Lyneham with a very clean windscreen.

Ah nostalgia . . .

[Pontius Navigator]

M, thank you, not too early I hops as I don't get back from the Caribbean until the 5th.

[NutLoose]

I remember being thrown out of 41 Sqn (43?) tea bar at Colt when having been told 'Not every aircraft can operate off a motorway' by youngest jet jock. I retorted, 'Not every aircraft needs a motorway to get airborne'. It WAS the summer of 1976.


Cough cough with dummy fiberglass bombs too ;)

Sorry for the thread drift


You might find a plumber dragging his knuckles here :E

RAF Armourers › News (http://www.rafarmourers.co.uk/)

[kiwibrit]

This ex SEngO still eats and drinks beer. But the scramble you are picturing took place before mu day - we had TFR and RWR - and no white in the roundels.

[Rallyepilot]

Mike,

My Nav Plotter on 617 has agreed to eat your food and drink your beer too. If fact he knew you when you were on 39Sqn/PRU.:O Just let me know the date and venue as soon as poss. I have already started dieting in order to make room for the grand nosh-up!

[mike rondot]

Thanks. I now have 6 aircrew lined up and 1 liney. Just need a crew chief and a line chief or Flight Sergeant to complete the set. Suggestions welcome.

[Rallyepilot]

:ok: Mike, I have found a retired FS Engine Fitter that used to work on Vulcans (and Victors and Canberras) and a retired Vulcan QFI that may be able to come along to your signing event if you are still interested.

[jindabyne]

Hope it makes you lots of dosh

[mike rondot]

Thank you. I have 2 pilots but please ask your chum to be reserve in case dates do not fit in with availability. FS engines, yes please. Just a crewchief needed now. I await response from VULCAN CREWCHIEF REGISTER
VULCAN CREWCHIEF REGISTER (http://www.vulcancrewchief.org)
They have either stopped reading or stopped eating and drinking (unlikely).

Jindabyne,
So do I. All these unpopular foreign wars have done nothing for people trying to smuggle military prints into living rooms.

[Pontius Navigator]

This ex SEngO still eats and drinks beer. But the scramble you are picturing took place before mu day - we had TFR and RWR - and no white in the roundels.What SEngO may have been too embarrassed to mention was the immaculate radome.

They came back from Bitteswell resplendent in black/white/grey/green and all the lines lining up. In short order they finished up with the horizontal line at a different level from the fueslage, some were just white and black, and so on.

There must have been someone in the radome bay (:)) whose job it was to ensure that no radome was returned to its original airframe.

[kiwibrit]

We could do immaculate finish .... when CinC Strike flew to Goose ;)

[mike rondot]

Does anybody know a Vulcan crewchief willing to come to NR20 to sign some wallpaper and eat and drink in a good pub?
My request on the VCCR website has fallen on deaf ears.

[mike rondot]

Rallyepilot, Pontious, BobWyer, Busta, BG,

More finger trouble here - PMs and emails not sent properly, so here is a post update for you kind volunteers coming to NR20 5JB.

Prints should be ready by end of October. Best date for signing, eating & drinking will be Wednesday Nov 9th, with Thursday 10th as alternative if 9th does not fit your diaries. It is a small edition and won't take long to sign.

Still looking for a crewchief - crew is not complete without one. Anybody out there?
http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z409/5dilly/P1000658-2.jpg

[mike rondot]

I found one, thanks to Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Lord Craig, who is President of the VCCR. Peter Smith will join the rest of the crew on 9 November.

[Pontius Navigator]

Ah, ex-OC 35 when I was on 12.

PS,

Mike plse see PMs.

[Doctor Cruces]

Beags,

I wouldn't worry about the Naaarfolk locals, I've lived here over thirty years and I rarely hear one, mostly "Landanners" as far as the ear can hear!

Doc C

:)

[Whopity]

I thought they were all Eastern Europeans who arrive on the cargo boats at Kings Lynn with a crew of 95!

[Flatiron]

I'm very happy to come across with BEagle if you want a 35 Sqn front duo.

I still have a superb Mike Rondot drawing from my time on 85 Sqn at West Raynham. Now, that really was rural Norfolk

[mike rondot]

Thanks for kind offer. I already have front pair lined up , with a reserve in case BG (not Beagle) can't make it, but you are always welcome to come and drink beer with me if you are in this neck of the woods.
I'm in the phone book and within easy reach of West Raynham, The Crown at East Rudham and The King's Head at Bircham, not that you would recognise them these days...

[Flatiron]

Thanks Mike. I might take you up on that.
It's a great 85 Sqn Hurricane picture. I miss those days when we hexed everything in sight.

[SAMXXV]

So who is "Flatiron"?

Quote "I still have a superb Mike Rondot drawing from my time on 85 Sqn at West Raynham. Now, that really was rural Norfolk "

I, sadly, was the guy brought in from 25 Sqn to be the 85 Sqn Training Officer in 1987, because Gp Capt Graeham Smith (deceased) could not trust any of his EC's on 85 Sqn. Wg Cdr Roy Wood (buccs - deceased)) was my fantastic boss.

[BEagle]

Wg Cdr Roy Wood (buccs - deceased)) was my fantastic boss.

A wiz(z)ard boss, surely.....;)

Flatiron was my captain during my Vulcan OCU course. Since neither of us were dyed-in-the-wool VFWs, it was good fun!

[mike rondot]

Here's your answer....

A wee snackette after an arduous bout of print signing...


http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z409/5dilly/P1010015.jpg

[mike rondot]

Trying to take photo of empty (almost) plate, a wee hand crept into frame to steal the last chip. Now I know I really am among Vulcan crews...

http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z409/5dilly/P1010021.jpg

Note the empty beer glasses - they do still drink beer.

[Bob Wyer]

What a splendid gathering of assorted Vulcanologists, ancient and modern.

Many thanks Mike for a splendid day, food, drink, reminiscences and an excellent print, I particularly am proud of No44/350

[mike rondot]

Do you know any of these men?

There is a small risk of "outing" a couple of PPRuNers here, maybe that is why Beagle was not willing to make the journey to Norfolk. Oh well, we enjoyed his beer and pie and the EDP readers will have to wait for another occasion to hear his views on the mighty Vulcan.

Vulcan veterans sign special print - News - Eastern Daily Press (http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/vulcan_veterans_sign_special_print_1_1125308)

http://i1188.photobucket.com/albums/z409/5dilly/P1010013-1-1.jpg