8 Sqn's new Hunter

[shawshank]

Pics of the unveiling on thisislincolnshire.co.uk



Restored Hawker Hunter aircraft unveiled at 8 Squadron reunion at RAF Waddington | This is Lincolnshire (http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/Restored-Hawker-Hunter-aircraft-unveiled-8/story-19162762-detail/story.html#axzz2V5JkWHII)

[Courtney Mil]

They had a great flypast from a Hunter and BBMF flew their Dakota. It was, according to my BiL, an excellent weekend. :D

[Al R]

Beautiful. One of the few fighters to look (at least?) as good with 2 up.

[Wensleydale]

Indeed, a good day seems to have had by all. Following its long period of silence, the 8 Sqn Association has recently come under new management who I believe are trying to re-establish lost contact with some ex-8 Sqn Association members. May I use this thread to ask any ex-members of 8 Sqn who did not receive the e-mails etc about this event to get in touch with the Association via the 8 Sqn Website?

Thanks, W.

(PS. It would have been too easy to banter 23 Sqn about the replacement at Waddington of their Ex-Falkland Is F4 with a proper aeroplane so I won't bother).

[kweelo]

Coutney Mil wrote:

They had a great flypast from a Hunter and BBMF flew their Dakota. It was, according to my BiL, an excellent weekend. :D

Though, I believe, not strictly part of the 8 SQN Association, the Vulcan also made an appearance and as always, was a great sight.

[clicker]

What's happened to the F-4 that the Hunter replaced?

[phantomstreaker]

Went up for Disposal and is currently at Bentwaters with Everett Aero.

[cuefaye]

kweelo,

Not by official close of play it hadn't. I departed at 1645, so did it sneak in after that? Tam Syme travelled over from Florida to help perform the unveiling ceremony; he was our CO in 1964 ---

http://i1340.photobucket.com/albums/o738/HaroldEdward/IMG_2093_zpsfcaf911b.jpg (http://s1340.photobucket.com/user/HaroldEdward/media/IMG_2093_zpsfcaf911b.jpg.html)

[kweelo]

cuefaye - as suspected, wasn't part of the 8 SQN Association reunion.
I, along with 3 of my colleagues were stood in Station car park when it flew between 4 & 5 hanagar approx 500ft from east to west about 1550hrs.

Shame you missed it.

[Tankertrashnav]

As a lot of you will know, medals fascinate me, so does anyone know how Tam Syme won his DFC? There can't have been many fighter pilots of his vintage with the DFC - I've found out he already had it when he took over as CO of 8, so obviously sometime earlier, but where, and flying what?

[cuefaye]

Jebel Akhdar War, Oman, 1957, flying Venoms, again with 8 Sqn.

[Tankertrashnav]

Thanks Cuefaye - very interesting. We had a squadron leader in the Regiment who won the MC somewhere in the Peninsula around the same time. Not knocking WW2 gallantry medals by any means, but they were very sparingly awarded in these "minor" post war campaigns, just as they continue to be.

[26er]

When I was learning to fly at Ternhill Fg Off Tammy Syme was the PFO and Fg Off Pete Bairstow the RAF Regiment Officer. ( Now there's a name to remember )

[cuefaye]

26er - that's probably something to do with both Tam and his lady being superbly fit octogenerians!

[oldpax]

I already forgave him for the 14 days jankers he gave me in Aden ,just as I was about to leave!!!

[cuefaye]

What was it for oldpax? Anything to do with an RP being loosed off on the apron?

[haltonapp]

I can remember the boss of 8 jumping out of his Hunter in Sharjah in 68 or 69, (we were on detachment from Bahrain) saying he wanted the man who fitted the brake parachute charged for forgetting to break the red drogue chute string, this was done before closing the second brake para door, he then left the aircraft and stomped off to the line hut, having forgotten to fit his seat pins! Needless to say, our pilots did not get many sorties on the range that day, as we all got our T/R schedules and worked IAW all the rules.

[spoff]

Would love to get in touch with Tam again.

Flew with him in SOAF some years ago..

Anyone have contact details?

[brokenlink]

"Went up for Disposal and is currently at Bentwaters with Everett Aero." - That's interesting cos once the RAF had finished with them they were supposed to be RTP, at least that was the case when I was responsible for the day to day working of a/c and spares disposal a long time ago.

[cuefaye]

spoff - pse send me a PM

[oldpax]

AS far as I can remember the rocket projectiles fired on the runway as the hunter pair were gathering speed and a pair of them bounced along and ended up in the sea.The wiring in the wings had detiorated ,we also had drop tanks that dropped on the dispersal for no good reason!!!Jankers was for leaving a door to the tank bay open as I was key orderly one evening!So I was a week late leaving Aden and to cap it all I was taken of the next flight as someone more important needed it!

[trap one]

Disposal for the FGR2. Hmmm when 23 disbanded and questions were being asked about the jet I was informed that the deal was the lend of the FGR2 to the museum/collection whilst 8 got the Hunter. Therefore keeping the FGR2 available for 23 should they reform.:ugh: