Flight Lieutenant Derek "Tubby" Oldham, AFM

[Tankertrashnav]

As a result of publicity around the latest V Force reunion I have been asked by the daughter of Flight Lieutenant Derek "Tubby" Oldham AFM, if anyone who has any memories of her father could contact her. Flt Lt Oldham was on Valiants as a pilot at Gaydon 1956-58 and subsequently went to ETPS. He was killed in a Canberra B2 on 25 October 1962 when doing an assymetric approach at Farnborough.

Would you PM me if you can help and I will forward his daughter's email address so you can contact her directly.

[Tinribs]

I was on V Force (55 ; 66/69) and then went the Canberra
Was at Re union on Saturday, a good do

Can't help with Valiant, I was Victors, but was on Canberra 12 years including Farnborough/Bedford. Nugget 25 - Blackbox, Papa. Never met Tubby

There were many losses doing sim assy approaches. The taught technique worked well if you were in light aircraft not tired and did the method correctly but people didn't for about 25 years.

There seemed to be an impass with the thinkers saying the method works and the doers saying yes but not always. Each year we lost an aircraft and crew, each year we were told system was safe if you did it correctly each year people didn't

Each year we were told it was the only method to land on one engine

I had a assy problem myself at Leconfield but followed my instructor (Ace Bloke) Clive Hall's sage advice . Put the B#### down preferably on the runway with the gear down if possible. 2 out of three isn't bad

Eventually after an especially bad year a new system appeared. a fast clean approach to a decision point then reduce power and lower flap to reduce speed; no more landing crashes. Still had some on approach and go rounds though. The last one was at Akrotiri to a highly skilled and experienced trainer at the end of the the aircraft life

The new method appeared in about 71/2 so it may be relevant to this accident. Tubby may have been new to the idea or helping to polish it

[Tankertrashnav]

Two people have contacted Tubby Oldham's daughter already - such is the power of the internet :ok: This post will bring this thread back to the top, so if you missed it when it was on the first page first time round and think you have something to add please PM me.

[Dodgerrt]

I hope it’s not too late to reply to this post, but I’ve only just found it - I flew as the B/A radar Nav on 102 Squadron at Gutersloh with Tubby and John Kirk as the other Nav. If it’s not too late perhaps you can put me in touch with his daughter