Final military flight.

[Al R]

When you knew your final mil flight was coming up, how did you approach it? Is it more closely monitored in case distractions cause an accident (a final beat up possibly?!) and/or did you get the final say in what it was and where you went? How did you feel; reflective, pragmatic, thoughtful, emotional.. did you get the cheesy fot-opp or possibly you've got one coming up?

Just curious, no other reason than it would be interesting to get an insight into a wheel turning full circle.

[Algy]

SLF to Singapore on a BA 747 a couple of years back. After shutdown the FO came on the PA and announced that the captain had just told him that the flight had been his last before retirement (the captain's that is) and he would be returning to London as pax. Very wise and professional I thought.

Somewhere there is a pic of a RAF F-4 (???) flying below hangar height at Hurn on what I understand was also a retirement flight. I'm sure a Ppruner can tell the story. Different strokes...

[L J R]

OLF '6 ship' on a Maple Flag.....eeehhaaaaa...

SOP VRIAB....no need to show-boat anymore....

Sat still in the cockpit for a while enjoying the smell of the Martin Baker (strange but true), the sound of the turbine wind down, the scent of the unburnt Jet Fuel and various noxious other smells from various parts of the airframe so familiar making it into the cockpit...looking at the professional ground crew going abuot their business and thinking that, without them I would not have had the pleasure, remembering to make 'everything safe' all whilst savouring the previous 30 years of flying, and reflecting on those who have been lucky enough to experience it, and wishing I could do it all again (well maybe not being shot at)........

..finally removing my helmet, realising it is all over, and thinking that the 'sweaty hair look' will be immortalised in the photos, feeling a little weak as I raised myself up from the seat....and then noting the fire hoses and extinguishers strategically placed around the site......

[Sloppy Link]

A well known tale in Detmold of a boss on his last flight....spanked in but managed to walk away from it, an equally well known tale in Middle Wallop with a far better result, the individual simply cancelled his last flight at the auth sheet.

[MostlyHarmless]

If I'd known it was to be my last mil flight, I'd have snagged the jet before getting in it. :(

[ShyTorque]

I deliberately made mine a non-event, I'd lost too many friends and colleagues and seen too many near misses to want to make it any other way. :(

It was a post maintenance helicopter air test, on the oldest Puma the RAF had. I did the job, signed it off and walked away. ;)

Glad to see it (XW198) is still going strong, 18 years on. Sadly, many other Pumas have been written off since, some by basic handling errors. One very high profile accident in particular by someone showing off beyond his capapbilities. Pumas bite hard, if provoked.

[blimey]

Bit of tanking, break to land, taxied in, patted the coaming, went home, kissed the wife, hugged the kids. Mentally, I was already halfway out of the door and on to pastures new, and having occasionally pushed my luck, felt no need for one last hurrah. I'd like one now, though! :hmm:

[EngAl]

Not really my province this, but those who are counselling caution are obviously very wise. Let's spare a thought for Col Robert Wolff who was on his final flight when he died with Bud Holland.

[fantom]

As Harmless says, not all of us knew it was to be our last mil flight...

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

A landaway weekend. Final flight was a bit of sightseeing, LLOLPIs and air combat in the overhead till the fuel ran out. Sensible head Nav with me, just tried to make it a professional trip. I'd always been given a lot of good breaks because I was trusted not to do anything deliberately stupid (God knows I'd done enough accidentally dumb things), and I always repaid that trust.

[brakedwell]

Had to consult my log books for details of my last military flight as it was a non-event. Sept 11th 1974. Britannia XM520, Akrotiri - Brize Norton. 7h.15m day :bored:

[Pontius Navigator]

Mine just sort of happened. Airborne Sim Controller in an E3D exercise and no more flights followed.

[Dan Winterland]

Mine had been planned to be a ''proper trip'' involving lots of tanking and formation. but then two jets were retasked and it got cancelled - so ity looked like my last trip was going to be a gear down ferry across the Atlantic.

But the day after the cancelled trip, I was asked to do an air test on an aircraft straightout of a major serviceing. As air tests can be fun, I said yes. After diverting with an engine shutdown, flapless with a hose trailed, I wish I hadn't!

Actually, it wasn't a diversion as such as with a flapless landing, we couldn't get back into St Athan. So we landed back at our usual base - where the firetrucks were waiting. When they realised it was my last flight - I got wet!

[wiggy]

blimey

Mentally, I was already halfway out of the door and on to pastures new, and having occasionally pushed my luck, felt no need for one last hurrah.

I felt much the same, but thanks to the Boss (M.P.) I got a farewell present of an hour's SCT: Low Level Nav, followed by a last bash of my aeros sequence, and finally joined up another JP5A for some formation before an SOP run in and break........:):)

Handed in flying kit, said goodbye to Staish, handed in the F1250 on the way out and off home.........

[Two's in]

A well known tale in Detmold of a boss on his last flight....spanked in but managed to walk away from it,

The QHI sat next to him probably lulled him into a false sense of security!

[sangiovese.]

Exactly the same as wiggy, just different type. Paused on leaving the base to look at the gate guard and knew pastures new were welcome and the next adventure was to begin

loved my time in, don't miss it even slightly now though, happy memories of great people and sh1tty places

[obnoxio f*ckwit]

Should have been Soesterberg to Benson as the last leg of a 5 day 2-ship 'European trainer'. As it was it was Kiel to Benson on our own as we'd been u/s there for 3 days while the tremendously efficient RAF courier service delivered our spare part. Only ever so slightly galling as the Soesterberg night stop happened to coincide with Freshers Week at Utrecht University. Bugger.

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Slight digression but it may amuse.
My last flight after 3 years on the UAS. Was offered another solo formation, but decided on circuits as better preparation for BFTS. Climbed out and wondered where my RAF career would take me (just before being firehosed).
Four years later, walk out for my first flight on my first fighter squadron...through exactly the same door to a jet parked on exactly the same piece of concrete. Leeming had switched from Support to Strike, and geographically my RAF career had gone precisely nowhere!

[langleybaston]

Not a flier unless compelled, but handing in the pass was the ball-breaker for me.

[Geehovah]

My last real sortie was as Boss of the Falkland Tornado F3 Flight. I managed to launch all 4 jets to meet my successor as he was inbound on the Timmy which took some doing.

More recently, I'd hung up my flying boots at that time. I'd been involved in the Typhoon project since 1987 both in OR and in OT but never had a trip. I was lucky enough to fly a 2v2 ACT sortie against 2 Hawks in Wales as my final trip. No fanfare just a thoroughly fun sortie and I pulled 7.5G at the grand old age of 54. I even got to fly with one of my old studes from my instructor days on 229 who proved to be an outstanding Sqn Cdr!

I probably talk more about that one trip than the other 3000 hours.

Made my day!

[Fareastdriver]

Took my Puma to my kids school in Kempshott. Shut down in the sports field and all the kids had a look around. Coming back a fellow 'last flight in the RAF' joined up with me and we did a final break over the squadron.

Two years later I went back to the squadron with a shiny new Sikorsky S76 with a couple of tasty dollies in the back.

[sargs]

I probably talk more about that one trip than the other 3000 hours.

Are we only talking night hours, then? ;)

[99 Change Hands]

I was wing staff so nobody on the sqn knew, didn't tell my front seater at any point and he probably still doesn't know. Logbook says lead of a pair on MPC practice from Laarbruch, included lofting 2 x 1000lb HES at Donna. My decision to stop and still don't regret it.

Best bit was taking my immersion suit off for the last time.

[Army Mover]

Bit of thread-drift; my last flight on an RAF aircraft was a VC10 from Edmonton to Brize; coincidentally, it was the Captains last flight as well; we had a very interesting chat comparing our careers.

[Geehovah]

Are we only talking night hours, then? http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/wink2.gif Rumbled. Flying at night was a minor emergency:} My hours normally only came an hour+ at a time!

[Kengineer-130]

I got lucky as a C-130 tech, I managed to get on a SF training flight that involved being intercepted by a Typhoon, then low level all the way back from Scotland, via Wales & a run along the Elan valley dams at operational low level ;) . Even got to hang out of the ramp, which is always good fun.

What made it even better is that I had spent a lot of time with the most of the crew down MPA, so there was plenty of banter, and some fantastic flying. Didn't know it would be my last ever flight in a Herc, or indeed the RAF, but I have been very lucky to have some great memories of some epic flights, but my final flight will never leave me.:ok:

[lsd]

Last 3 flights over 2 days were checking out from the OCU a very talented and personable new pilot (often wondered how his RAF career progressed...) and being greatly satisfied to launch him on his operational life.
Spent 5.15 hrs day and night,inc his IRT, between 5'agl (tac in LFA1) and 10,000 ft (demo of free-fall para drop and zero speed auto to dz), sight seeing along the helilanes, hauling usls - thoroughly enjoying myself and I believe Graham did also.
Culminated in a very,very low level high angle of bank break in front of the tower which left me somewhat concerned that personal desires had overcome my professional responsibilities - it's never to late to learn when it comes to aviation.
So, a memorable conclusion to my military flying and the Wessex remains my favourite aircraft.
Aaaaahhhh.....

[MightyGem]

I learned my lesson after my last flight at the gliding club at Kingsfield, Cyprus. The CFI took me for an aeros flight, and we/he only just managed to get back up to airfield level from below the cliff at the western end of the runway. :eek:

A well known tale in Detmold of a boss on his last flight....spanked in
My how we laughed. Couldn't have happened to a better bloke. T****er.

[Shackman]

Last military flight - solo GH (so no student), and a bimble around LFA 9 for a last look at the sights, with a couple of quickstops/circuits at Chetwynd and Ternhill. Restrained myself and did not do a final EOL, before a run in and break back at Shawbury. The only problem was a bit of dust in the eye as I closed the throttle for the last time.

Have I missed it in the last few months - no. Do I miss the people - you bet (even the Navy!)

[diginagain]

The QHI sat next to him probably lulled him into a false sense of security! A combination that should never have been allowed out together.

[MrBernoulli]

My Flt Cdr was pretty much insistent that I should have a last, planned flight. So that was how it was arranged. I took the time to get out to the aircraft a bit early and had some photos taken of me and the aircraft. Standard North Sea towline refueling 6xTornado F3s and 1xTornado GR4. Back to base for a circuit and roller, and one final landing. Met by a members of the Sqn with several glasses of champers (no, actually it was just fizzy wine, but much appreciated). 3 hrs and 5 mins added to the logbook - all done and dusted!

I should add that my Nav was the Sqn Cdr, heh heh. Keeping an eye on me, I reckon. ;)

[Arm out the window]

6-ship form aeros finishing the handover to my replacement ... then a glass of champagne on the flight line.

[floppyjock]

Not much time to think about it really.

Went into work on my last day to pick paperwork and say bye. They were short a pilot for a two aircraft task in the highlands. So being a good bloke I got my flying kit back from flight servicing and strapped on a Gazelle for the day. Landed back on at 5pm signed the aircraft back in along with my flying kit. 7 hours later I was a civvy. Good last day.

Floppy

[Training Risky]

Cruising around Hampshire in a Chinook HC2, Sep 2002,

Quickstopping into Roussillon Bks, cracking memories!

[juliet]

Deployed overseas on operations, did 3:50 of which 3:40 was on goggs. Was sort of expecting it as a last flight but was still on pager so you never quite knew. Didn't really think about it as possibly being my last flight, was honestly just too busy with the operation. In the end Im glad it was that way.

[Pontius Navigator]

Actually, it wasn't a diversion as such as with a flapless landing, we couldn't get back into St Athan. So we landed back at our usual base - where the firetrucks were waiting. When they realised it was my last flight - I got wet!

I bet there were other ructions too. Vulcan out of St Athan closed its undercarriage doors before the wheel retracted. The crew elected to land at base thus transferring the accident stats from Maintenance Command to Bomber Command.

There was a battle royal as the station didn't want St Athan's pigs on its books.

[Old Fella]

RAAF B707-338C. RAAF Richmond-Sydney KSF for several ILS approaches-RAAF Richmond. Wife aboard, watched from L1 door as I got 'hosed down' by the Fire Tender crew and then joined us for Champagne with Base Commander to end my RAAF tour (1958-1981). No regrets - No burnt bridges.

[Samuel]

Sqn Ldr Easty' last flight, now flying Hornets in the RAAF. Tower is 80'!!

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e33/Shadblat/Eastyslastride.jpg