And you thought we had no working SHARs left?

[airborne_artist]

Well, you were not quite right, All we need now is a proper threat and a PM with a spine ... Culdrose trains flight deck teams for future carriers | Royal Navy (http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2015/february/19/150219-culdrose-jets)

[ShotOne]

"...and a PM with spine??" Are you suggesting he just starts a war somewhere to demonstrate his manliness?

Likewise I understand there's a load of shiny black Jaguars at Cosford used in a similar way.

[airborne_artist]

"Are you suggesting he just starts a war somewhere to demonstrate his manliness?" Remind me of the capacity for maritime air warfare in the RN and RAF at this time?

[Not_a_boffin]

There's a huge difference between flashing up the donk at taxi-ing thrust and being airworthy. Where are the in-date spares, design support etc etc?

Not to mention anyone being current on type after eight years.

Or the absence of a ship to operate from.

Would not dispute that there is an absence of maritime air capability right now, but Siskin's SHAR are not the answer.

[airborne_artist]

Indeed NaB, but I suspect many of us were unaware that the whining fuel-to-noise converters had not been fully silenced on these shores :ok:

[BOAC_Silver_Surfer]

Well I do know someone who does have some in-date spares to get a couple in the sky, going by the other thread, maybe better than sending Typhoon jets, from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire, save some fuel ? anyway what do I know? maybe we should play it all to our advantage and put the boot on the other foot and let the Ruskies carry on - not intercept and thus not show our hand..

[Not_a_boffin]

Indeed NaB, but I suspect many of us were unaware that the whining fuel-to-noise converters had not been fully silenced on these shores

May just be a figment of imagination caused by imbibing too much Spingo.....:ok:

[sandiego89]

Is it time to resurect the dreaded Sea Jet thread? :}

Thanks for posting, neat to see one of my favorites still working for a living.

So who does the fast taxi? Active duty ex-rated SHAR pilots? Contractor ex-SHAR pilots? engineers?

[dervish]

This is a Sea Harrier of 899 Naval Air Squadron leaving a Sea King behind in a blur on the standings at Culdrose.

Brilliant. It's faster than a stationary helicopter. What performance! Buy it now.

Who writes this sh!t?

[Pheasant]

New CO Culdrose is a SHAR pilot.

[Not_a_boffin]

And published author no less....

[sunnybunny]

You can do an airfield tour which goes round the area where the aircraft are. I didn't realise the aircraft actually ran, thought they just dragged them round with tractors.

Highly recommended, just take photo id when booking.

I'm back down that way in 2 weeks, looking forward to being woken up by a Hawk buzzing past.

[MPN11]

Sadly one wonders how many of those ratings will still be serving when the RN gets a functioning carrier with a functioning Air Group.

[earswentpop]

Well done the Fleet Air Finger.

[stilton]

'A limiter on the engine'


Kind of sad really for such a magnificent aircraft.

[david parry]

The new Chockheads, will be in for a rude awakening,if they ever serve on the new carrier;)...hope the still have nets lol

[OafOrfUxAche]

Never mind a SHAR, have we got any serviceable Sharkeys? Much more noisy than a Sea Harrier and frankly a much greater deterrent to any Putative threats

[Stu666]

Would these SHARs be airworthy if the engine limiter was removed?

[Bigbux]

So much cynicism.

Soon we will be the proud owners of 2 mahoosive great carriers with some half-decent jump jets operating from them.

Given that VERY FEW service personnel from the era of our previous capability will be around to operate them we need some form of training and knowledge retention.

So how do we do this? Classroom-based training? Start from scratch when we get there?

Training needs to be as realistic as possible and when you get people to a level of operational capability then it matters not one jot whether they are doing things for "real". They are processing the right information, making real decisions and gaining real experience.

Well done the RN and FAA at Culdrose for using the assets available - that is exactly what I would have expected from the Senior Service.

[david parry]

You would think, that in the training , for the new carrier. The grown ups :rolleyes:would have thought ,that it would need to include. The aircrewman diver !!!

[wetdreamdriver]

If you went to last year's Air Day, you would have seen them running up and down the main runway in the morning for the punters. Bet they will do the same again this year.
Crewed by Civil servants who were ex Service engineers.

[Hangarshuffle]

The Aircraft Handling Branch, 70 years young this year and still going strong. Well in with the curve on this-many at LA/PO/CPO level have already done short tours on USN carriers for deck experience.
Anyway it will be a slow work up when it gets going.
The AH branch have some excellent training facilities these days.

[cobaltfrog]

Last time I sat in one the 'limiter' was a weld across the throttle quadrant! Might well have changed since!!

[Martin the Martian]

The base tours are no more I'm afraid. The new management of the FAA Museum at Yeovilton, which ran the shop and cafe in Culdrose's viewing enclosure, decided to close it as it wasn't making enough money. Seeing as how it was generally stacked out during the holiday season I have no idea how they came to that conclusion but, bean counters eh?

The enclosure is still open but the building has gone, there are no more tours and I believe the toilets are now permanently closed. There is a handy bush however.

[longer ron]

Soon we will be the proud owners of 2 mahoosive great carriers with some half-decent jump jets operating from them.

Rilly ??

I thought we were getting the F35 B Turkey Jet :)

[althenick]

Just my 2d's worth but didnt the RAF bring a Vulcan and aircrew out of retirement to almost Bomb Stanley Airfeild during the 1982 adventure?