Victor K2 very low with drogues winched out. Where was this photo taken?

[Stratofreighter]

As found at
https://www.facebook.com/FlyingWarMachines/photos/a.278068158996418.1073741826.278066815663219/626931077443456/?type=1&theater

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/11188347_626931077443456_1617297588031126394_n.jpg?oh=b4c3f2 c47472102cbaf2097451aa3139&oe=560D58A2

https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/11188347_626931077443456_1617297588031126394_n.jpg?oh=b4c3f2 c47472102cbaf2097451aa3139&oe=560D58A2

[Valiantone]

On a hill at Ascension ??




V1

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

The hill in the background of the OP's photo is Cat Hill, Ascension Island

I would guess the photo was taken from the top of the hill just south of the runway (circled), and that the Victor is pulling up after a low pass down the runway.

http://i1303.photobucket.com/albums/ag156/RickXI/wideawake_zpsqd8f39fz.jpg

The hill circled is 200m high, so the victor is probably at just above this height when the photo was taken
Cat Hill is off to the left of this photo (arrowed)

[Courtney Mil]

June or July 82. I seem to recall someone called Badger may have had something to do with it.

[Jobza Guddun]

Must be one of your acquaintances Courtney....out of shot I wonder if there was another Victor taxying the opposite way? :ok:

[Courtney Mil]

Jobza, good call. And well remembered. Happy days.

[glad rag]

Must be one of your acquaintances Courtney....out of shot I wonder if there was another Victor taxying the opposite way? :ok:

lol......:E

[Tankertrashnav]

Nice picture. Done a couple of air shows with the wing hoses trailed at low level, once with a couple of Lightnings close behind them, but don't ever recall trailing all three at low level

By the way, small point but the term is "hoses trailed" not "drogues winched out". The hoses were pulled out by the airflow acting on the drogues against the steadying control of hydraulic motors (electric motor for the centreline) which stopped them hurtling out and disappearing earthwards!

[Courtney Mil]

I also remember the same Victor Det landing one with a hose stuck out. Each time the rogue bounced on the runway it left behind a cute little fireball. Very entertaining to watch, but Badger and his boys didn't enjoy it much. I seem to recall something in the refuelling system had exploded leaving a ring of perforations around the fuselage. They were working those jets bloody hard for a while.

Anyone recall the full story - time and wine may have distorted my memory of this one.

[TheChitterneFlyer]

It most certainly isn't Cat Hill... that's a given. Though, I feel sure it is Ascension Island, though (again) the terrain doesn't look right for Ascension.

[ORAC]

It most certainly isn't Cat Hill... that's a given.

Looks like it....... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_Hill,_Ascension_Island#/media/File:ASCENSION_ISLAND_-_CAT_HILL.jpg)

[TheChitterneFlyer]

What I'm saying is, the circled image in Fox3's photo isn't Cat Hill. The hill in Fox3's image is Cross Hill... where the Fort Bedford guns are located. Granted, the image of Ascension Base and the subject hill is correct (whatever its name might be).

[99 Change Hands]

Fox3 didn't claim to circle Cat Hill, he's pointed an arrow towards it.

[TheChitterneFlyer]

Typical PPrune pedants

[Courtney Mil]

My wife's got a pendant.

[BEagle]

Courtney Mil wrote: My wife's got a pendant.

From Wikipedia: The word pendant from Old French word "pendre" and the Latin word "pendere", both of which translate to "to hang down".

:uhoh:

Perhaps you might wish to rephrase your post, Courtney me old, to avoid any misunderstandings - or expensive repercussions?

Re. ASI, my favourite tale (which might be apocryphal) involved the cattle grids on the aerodrome roads, intended to prevent the wild donkeys from wandering across the runway. Allegedly one of the brighter donkeys watched the grids being built, then went off to do some calculations..... Not long after the concrete had set hard and the grids were firmly in place, a small herd of donkeys appeared. The leader strolled up to the grid and lay down next to it, with legs pointing away from it. Then rolled over until his legs were on the other side, got up and wandered off towards the runway - it seems that the semi-circumference of an ASI donkey's fuselage was slightly greater than the width of the grid!

[Tengah Type]

The hill the photo was taken from was usually referred to as TACAN hill. I do not have my maps of ASI handy, but it probably had a name given to it by the Royal Marines in the 1800s.

The incident referred to in #9 was when aircraft XL232 was refuelling an aircraft flown by a 232 OCU Crew(Captain I believe was "Carrot Top"), when the HDU main fuel pump exploded. The fuel pump in the Victor (and VC10) was driven by HOT Air from the old Bomb Bay heating system, a relic from Valiant days when the aircraft could not provide sufficient electrical power for the HDU fuel pump. The HOT air drove a turbine rotating at lots of RPM ( TTN can probably tell you how many ).

In this case the turbine disintegrated and the flying blades cut the fuel lines and electric cables. In the receiver aircraft the roof was spattered by debris, the HDU lights went out in front of them and they were left with a "Hard Hose", which nearly removed their probe. The tanker was now left with a cocktail of hot air, fuel vapour and sparking electrics in the HDU Bay. By some miracle the aircraft did not explode and take the receiver with it.

The fuselage looked like somebody had fired a complete magazine from a sub-machine gun around the HDU bay. Very lucky boys!!

XL 232 was burnt out on the runway at Marham in November 1982 when the No 3 engine failed on take off, on a Tansor scramble, and the turbine disc passed through the fuselage fuel tanks. No one was injured.

[Courtney Mil]

Tengah,

Yep, that was the story, thank you for filling in my blanks. And that was exactly what the fuselage looked like.

The Victor force had a really good team at ASI in '82. I always loved working with them, but being based together really was a treat.

Are you sure they called it TACAN Hill in the 1800s? :*. Yes, I know what you mean.

[Courtney Mil]

BEgs, you are a bugger. And this is the picture of one from the place you found your definition...

Pendant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pendant#/media/File:Amber.pendants.800pix.050203.jpg)

Or like this...

http://www.gleamjewels.com/images/oval-blue-sapphire-diamond-pendant.jpg

[BEagle]

Ah, so that's what you meant...;)

Hopefully your clarification will have saved you from any frosty looks :p ?

[dragartist]

For those interested; the story of the exploding HDU is in Tony Blackman book Victor Boys with a photo attributed to Bob Tuxford on p141.


Enjoyed the donkey story BEagle

[Courtney Mil]

BEgs, saving myself is an occupational necessity. As you know.

Drag Artist, a quick link to an Amazon place or somewhere to find the book? I think I have heard of it. I'm planning a summer of reading and that might be a good one.

I'll swap you for this one,


http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bomber-Boys-Ghost-Simon-Leighton-Porter-ebook/dp/B00X1AQ8TI/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1431376548&sr=8-8&keywords=Bomber+boys

[pbk]

The picture was almost definitely taken from Tacan Hill, but not necessarily at the top. VicDet Tents were located at the bottom of tacan hill as were HercDet.
Sad to see some kn#bs have desecrated the Victor sign made out in painted
stones which were made up in 82 and made it onto Google Earth. Shame really, alot of people passed thro' on Victors and Hercs, (did both). great place to be post conflict. I now live next door to the Retired Saints Police inspector and he loves to jaw about the place. made his day the 1st conversation we had after wife and I moved in.

[Courtney Mil]

Pbk, l agree entirely about the desecration of any legacy. Sorry to hear about it.

As for the picture, it must have been taken from well above Cat Hill. The horizon is well above the top of the hill behind the Victor.

The most important thing is that it is a great photo and it brings back wonderful memories.

[Tankertrashnav]

The HOT air drove a turbine rotating at lots of RPM ( TTN can probably tell you how many ).

Actually T -T that's one bit of useless information my shrinking brain hasn't retained, although it refuses to relinquish such nuggets as the magnetron and klystron frequencies of the H2S radar!

I only experienced a "hard hose" on the centreline once, when doing a tanker - tanker slot out of Luqa. All was well when it trailed, but the receiver called a hard hose, and a quick glance showed the motor frequency fluctuating wildly. Fortunately we were able to wind the hose in and get the HDU raised, but this meant that we were now the receiver, and had to take over the long slot and get back to Malta several hours after the other guys :(

[dragartist]

Here you go Courtney


Victor Boys: True Stories from Forty Memorable Years of the Last V Bomber eBook: Tony Blackman: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store


Hope the link works.


Tony B only appears to have collated the stories.


Interesting none the less and I certainly found it a good read.


Drag

[Courtney Mil]

Thanks very much for that, Drag. Purchased and in the library for poolside summer reading.

[Onceapilot]

Regarding painted stone "signs" on the hillside near the atc tower overlooking the ASI apron, they seemed to be modified several times between '92-'12.

OAP

[Ramshornvortex]

Originally posted by Courtney Mil
Thanks very much for that, Drag. Purchased and in the library for poolside summer reading. Better still CM, why not come along to Wellesbourne Mountford on 21 June (Fathers Day) and meet Tony Blackman in person - he'll have all his 'Boys' books with him. You'll also have the delight of seeing Vulcan XM655 fast taxying and hopefully a whole lot more as well.

Plenty of 'Vulcan Boys' in attendance as well, maybe including BEagle....;)

Sorry for the thread drift.

[Courtney Mil]

I would dearly love to Ram's Horn. But it's a long drive from where I live.

[otatco]

Spent 6 very happy months As a Cpl in Tanker Ops on Asi Nov 82 to apr 83.
Scrounged a few 6th seat rides. On 16th April landed in XM717 with the HDU trailed. That was a Friday, flew again on the Monday in Xl162 and ended up coming back on a Pan with only 3 engines!
I was immediately banned from flying in Victors for life. Bit harsh as Andy Barrett was Captain on both occasions but was apparently allowed to fly again!

[Stratofreighter]

Found it!
http://www.victorxm715.co.uk/index_htm_files/29263.jpg

http://www.victorxm715.co.uk/index_htm_files/29269.jpg

was taken from
Profile of Mike Beer (http://www.victorxm715.co.uk/mike_b.htm)

Farewell Wideawake, good bye airbridges!!! Mike with Paul Mulcahy flying
bids a spectacular farewell to Ascension Island after Mike completes his last
Hercules airbridge sortie on 26 March 1985 in Victor K2 XL163- 10 detachments
lasting 300 days.

[farefield]

Nice one Stratofreighter. Interesting that you are from the Netherlands because I seem to remember that one of the pilots in this event;


XL 232 was burnt out on the runway at Marham in November 1982 when the No 3 engine failed on take off, on a Tansor scramble, and the turbine disc passed through the fuselage fuel tanks. No one was injured.

Was one of our 2 Dutch exchange officers.

[Stratofreighter]

Never knew a Dutchman flew on a V-force tanker operationally... :ok:

It was an AEO exchange posting, it seems.

[twochai]

The highlights were a couple of 3-month detachments to Lima, Peru to collect samples of the French atmospheric nuclear tests.

I recall sharing a few pisco sours with you folks in the Crillon Hotel, Lima, where I was instructing FAP pilots on their new DHC Buffalos.

Small world!

[Tengah Type]

Stratofreighter.

Both the Dutch officers flying with 55 Sqn at the time were pilots gaining
4 jet experience prior to forming the Dutch input to the, then, forthcoming NATO AWACS. Neither Maj Krauss or Capt Nieuwlands were allowed by their government to participate in the fun and games south of Ascension, but I believe that, apart from working their socks of in UK based flying, they were involved in ferrying Harriers and F4s to Ascension. They may also have been involved with C130 and Nimrod Deployments. The same restriction was applied to our USAF Exchange oficer to his intense annoyance.

[The Oberon]

TT, I can clearly remember debriefing D*** P*** on ASI on more than 1 occasion and I'm pretty sure that one of those followed a short slot south.

[BEagle]

TT, once the USAF Exchange Officers discovered what a $hithole MPA was, they maintained the story that Uncle Spam wouldn't allow them to be deployed there....

....until one of them asked their attaché. Who checked with the Pentagon, only to find that there was no such restriction.

His successors were so happy.....:(

[Tengah Type]

The Oberon

I can not remember DP being at Ascension during the shooting war, but he may have arrived on a frame swap, and managed to grab a short slot while he was there. (Just like NO Brits flew with the Americans during the Vietnam War !!) Or he may have come down after the war. I can not remember any NATO Exchange officers on the C130, Nimrod or fighter dets either.

DP was certainly at Marham when I returned there on 8 July. I flew several times in UK with both the Dutch officers and DP between 13 and 29 July before I left to fly a different tanker (with a toilet and galley and NO Immersion Suits). My last two Victor flights were with DP.

BEagle

MPA was not built until 3 years after the war, so, I suppose the rules had changed.

[1066]

I was one of the early C130 Airbridge pilots. Thanks to all the Victor crews for the service you provided, especially in the early, post war, two bracket sorties.
There seemed to be only two pilots providing my training on the UK towlines from 18 to 21 June 82. One I believe was OC Marham and the other was your USAF Exchange Officer, the DP you refer to I assume.
Much belated thanks also for the excellent grouper at your BBQ, late Jan/early Feb'83. Had some lovely grouper in Turkey last week which reminded me of your BBQ at ASI.

1066
BCBS, Radars will remember!

[brainofdeci]

And rightly so Jonah - you jinxed us twice! We declared a mayday and no one bothered to pick that up! I was the plotter!