Fincastle 2013

[Charlie Luncher]

It was announced today that crew 3 of 11SQN will be representing Australia for the Fincastle competition to be held just South of the Barossa Valley at Edinburgh during October. We are looking forward to hosting those that bring the pirple deeth and the drink that keeps a lot of moose happy!
It will be sad not to have the roar of the speys and the antics of some of the ISK inmates but just think of it as I will keep the trophy safe for you to come and get it, if you are hard enough!!:}:}
Yes it is my crew that won so come one come all and have a go:ok::ok:
Charlie sends:E

[Party Animal]

You will have to have been part of it to know what station ISK was however, hopefully some former inmates will make it out to Oz in October. Obviously as part of the Kiwi or Canadian detachments! :{

[getsometimein]

Any chance of the 2008 winners being offered VIP access?

Just as long as there is no streaking at the cricket match...

[Biggus]

Better get used to it being a three way competition... :(

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

D'you think if seedcorn can make up a crew the Yanks will let them enter with a P-8?

Duncs:ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

Good to know that the Commonwealth countries are continuing with the competition.

For the casual observer details are below, but isn't it wonderful that this memorial competition is still a regular event even though the original sponsor country has dropped out.

What, I wonder, has become of the Aird-Whyte?

Fincastle competition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fincastle_competition)

The Fincastle Competition began in 1960 when Mr. and Mrs. Aird-Whyte presented a silver tray, (now the Fincastle Trophy), in memory of their son Sergeant Nairn Fincastle Aird-Whyte, (who was killed in action in 1943 while flying with the RAF Coastal Command). Initially the competition was for accuracy in depth charge bombing showcase but it has evolved over the years to reflect the new duties of today's air forces. The competition fosters relations among the four participating nations while encouraging learning and skill sharing.

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

Don't forget that there was a Nairn Trophy as well!

Duncs:ok:

[charliegolf]

Only a game then?

CG

[Roland Pulfrew]

D'you think if seedcorn can make up a crew the Yanks will let them enter with a P-8?

Duncs, as they are all on the 'OCU' & 'OEU' then wouldn't it be the same as 236/42 competing? ISTR that only the Op sqns could participate in Fincastle??

Like your thinking though :ok:

[Al R]

Better get used to it being a three way competition... http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/sowee.gif

Look on the bright side; sans Mighty Hunter, at least now, it is a competition?

[Not Long Here]

Duncs, as they are all on the 'OCU' & 'OEU' then wouldn't it be the same as 236/42 competing? ISTR that only the Op sqns could participate in Fincastle??

That annoyed me a wee bit about 10 years ago when my crew won the AW but weren't permitted to take part in Fincastle although we were an operational crew (in fact Advanced crew) embedded in 42(R). :(

[Surplus]

Not long here,

That annoyed me a wee bit about 10 years ago when my crew won the AW but weren't permitted to take part in Fincastle although we were an operational crew (in fact Advanced crew) embedded in 42(R). http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/sowee.gifThat would never happen nowadays, what with all the accountability and transparency in the selection process!

Makes you wonder why the management just don't pick a crew whose attendance in the Fincastle run off, would fit in with the long range program.

:rolleyes:

On a more positive note:-

Congrats to Charlie and 3/11.

:D:D:D:D:D

[thunderbird7]

Charlie, i have drunk the purple death and done the pub crawl round the backwater of Adelaide. I volunteer to do it in a 747 next time I'm down. I think the pilots were winning on finding subs by looking out the window last time we flew... :ok:

[Pontius Navigator]

Makes you wonder why the management just don't pick a crew whose attendance in the Fincastle run off, would fit in with the long range program.

Well one year Smiler Jim on Guernsey's Own totally ignored the LRP. Our USN-XO was on the winning Aird Whyte crew. He was approaching tourex and his next tour was as a student at Annapolis.

Smiler, without consulting Tom L, contacted the USN Poster and got Tom extended to take part in the Fincastle. This was approved and Tom had his posting deferred so that he missed most of the first semester at Annapolis. Not best please.

AlR, with respect, a cheap shot. If you check the wiki entry, while it is true that the RAF won more than any other air force, the RAF has not won the majority of the competitions.

[Al R]

.. just banter. ;)

[Janda]

I was lucky to be on the 201 Sqn crew that took part and won the Aird Whyte and Fincastle in 1975/6. During the 76 Fincastle night sortie not only did we locate and attack the competition O Boat but also had time to locate, track and drop SUS on a Soviet Whiskey Class that was in the area. I will always remember the silence when the accoustics lead told the captain that we had just attacked the Soviet. :confused::confused::confused:. The O Boat captain was apparently more confused as he was listening to all that was going on.

[Basil]

Janda, great story. Although not ex maritime, I've a friend who was AEOp on Shacks & Nimrods.
I started life in torpedo R&D and then MN and fancied maritime but, at the time, it was Shacks and, following an indulgence in a Bev, decided big pistons were too noisy (what a wimp!). I went to Argosies which, I have to say, was a bit boring. I wish I'd gone maritime but, then, that would probably have changed the civy progression which turned out OK, so mustn't grumble.

I hadn't heard of Fincastle before; are you saying that the Brits won't be competing?

[Janda]

Basil, As the UK no longer has a maritime patrol aircraft the RAF are unable to enter the competition. Traditionally the competiton has been maritime based and have some element of Anti Submarine Warfare in it as well as intelligence gathering and surveillance.

[Basil]

So Sentry and Sentinel don't compete, or perhaps we can't spare any for the comp?

[Hoots]

Basil, sentry and sentinel have nothing to do with ASW, as a Maritime nation we are a bit bare of a long range maritime asset, this includes long range SAR, hence not meeting our international obligation, we can say we get round it with other platforms, but those in the business know the capability gap that we have.

Good luck to all on fincastle.

[betty swallox]

We presently have no long range maritime partol aircraft.
We cannot mitigate this capability gap with ANYTHING else.
Therefore, we cannot enter Fincastle.
Them's the breaks...

[Duncan D'Sorderlee]

betty is, of course, correct. The UK has no MPA capability and is, therefore, unable to participate in Fincastle or, as hoots has indicated, do some of the other stuff that a maritime nation might think was worth doing.

Duncs:ok:

[GalleyTeapot]

We could just send all the assets that are being used to fill the capability gap .....oh I could hardly write that without laughing out loud!

[betty swallox]

...see above

[Winged Wombat]

Had the priveledge of being part of the Aussie party crew on Fincastle '95 at Kinloss.

Without a shadow of a doubt the best trip of my career. Excellent hosts, outstanding competitors and a Casex thrown in to keep our livers functioning to some degree.

Well done Charlie, good luck.

[Party Animal]

We presently have no long range maritime partol aircraft.

Even worse, we have no medium or short range maritime patrol aircraft either!

I understand chairmanship and secretarial duties for the Fincastle committee remains with the RAF so we should have 0.3821% representation at this years event.

WW - I had the 'priveledge' of working towards damaging your liver in 95!

[GalleyTeapot]

...see above


My responce ref capability gap filling assets was rather tongue in cheek but refers to para 10 in this document.

House of Commons - Future Maritime Surveillance: Government Response to the Committee's Fifth Report of Session 2012-13 - Defence Committee (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmdfence/827/82704.htm)

[Surplus]

C'mon guys, 93 is recognised as being the best Fincastle - so far. Shearwater air show - maritime history!

[circle kay]

Surplus

You may be right, no one has ever had a bad time near the big H.

However, 96 'return to the land of the Long White Cloud', will be right up there.

Regards to all the survivors of 96 especially the legendary Brit AEO Fincastle Judge; who returned from nearly 3 weeks on the Auzzie 'O Boat' and broke his leg on the damp floor of 5Sqn RNZAF Hangar within hours of reaching dry land thus missing International Night !!!!:ooh:

[circle kay]

Re my first point, all but the CXX crew who had to share the big H with the crew of a Nimitz Class CVN :ugh:

[reynoldsno1]

Well, with the Indians receiving their first P8s, and being members of the Commonwealth, perhaps they could fill a gap ....

[Roland Pulfrew]

Surplus:
C'mon guys, 93 is recognised as being the best Fincastle - so far. Shearwater air show - maritime history!


93? Not a chance! Now 88 was a really good Fincastle. Global trip. Oz Bicentennial Airshow @ RAAF Richmond. Fincastle and bicentennial Airshow @ RAAF Edinburgh (including supersonic Mirage :ooh:), Adelaide pub crawl .....

[Party Animal]

Roland - you missed out the Singapore bit as well! Do you still have that Hong Kong Gucci kit bag that you bought for a really good price down a back street? The one that the both handles fell off as you carried your kit from the terminal to the aircraft! ;)

[Charlie Luncher]

2006 in ISK was a good un for the International Night Mayhem and chaos:yuk:
Never had a bad one yet:ok:

Any word on which crew from the Kuzzins across the ditch or from the Canuks so we can get some gizzits/shirts knocked up?? PM me with details if you wish
I will try to get a reduced size lady for the Canuks as in 2006:eek:
Not going to be the same with only 0.3821% football hooligan participation but I do like the thought of a curry on International Night, that has got to beat seal flipper pie or chicken undercooked in mud :eek:
Charlie sends

[Charlie Luncher]

It is my sad duty to inform you that Fincastle has been delayed until early 2014 hopefully to take place in the frozen North of Scotland instead of south of the sunny Barossa. It may be so the Uk can have a look at our AP3Cs and make an offer to buy rather than a little twin toy!!:E:E
Given that the new date is at least 6 months away all bets are off we have an election and posting cycle to survive:sad::sad:
Will post more as I know, least I have longer to wait for purple deeth, cant be a bad thing:yuk::yuk:
Charlie sends

[betty swallox]

...the twin toy is fab!!
Hopefully see you there...

[INT_QRU]

Roland - we must know each other. I still have the diary I kept for that trip and an empty bottle of Purple death sits proudly on the shelf in my garage!

Rich
201/5

[Sandy Parts]

has anyone told Lossie you're popping over in 'early 2014' ? - I think they are expecting some small whizzy jets from Leuchars about then......unless they are also delayed again:E Will be nice to see some real multi-role MPA in the skies of Moray again.

[Biggus]

So why the delay, and change of venue?








Have the Germans been asked to provide a "target" submarine yet? ;)

[Ventre A Terre]

Biggus, unfortunately our Canadian cousins are no longer unable to make October due to the the Block 3 CP-140 upgrade programme. The Fincastle Committee had agreed on JW 141 as a backup for Ex Triton Centenary some months ago.

Sandy, Lossie not 100% confirmed, however they have indicated that they are still likely to be able to host MPA in the future as they did for JW 12-1 and 13-1 despite the move of Typhoon north from Leuchars.

Hopefully MPA will be gracing the skies of Moray for some time to come (sadly not ours!):\

[old'n'bald]

Roland, were you part of the Schooner team or the big boys pints crew!! If you were on the later, do you have the photo of our 2nd Nav doing his technicolour yawn in the middle of the street?

[Surplus]

Technicolour yawn?

I may have to look out the photo of the 201Sqn CO having a Purple Death 'Bounce Back' from the Kiwi pressurised sheep drenching backpack at Greenwood.

Hard to take the 'Death' at that speed.

Where is Harry 'Houdini' these days?

INT QRU:- please ensure that the shelf in your garage is not rotting through.

[FInotQFI]

Chaps. Who is looking after the fine Trophy at the moment? :ok: