blaireau

Seeing mention of the old song took me back a bit to just the sort of event that inspired it.
In the early 70's, life on 6Sqn was fairly idyllic. Based at Coningsby, flying about 30hrs month of DFGA on the F4M, it was a grown up Hunter squadron in atmosphere. Go in about 8'ish; check the UK Wx and then launch off somewhere suitable for low level simulated strikes. (Formal Met Brief was only attended by people who weren't flying.) Loads of great detachments. Apart from the two obligatory one month dets at Deci, there were many European visits and occasional weekend a/c to Bruggen. On top of this were the six week visits to Singapore and on one occasion on to Hong Kong. This involved most of the UK tanker force to get 6 a/c out there. (On the OCU course, I recall Mike Flynn's AAR briefing "It's like taking a running f*ck at a rolling doughnut....") Life was one long party.

We thought it was too good to last and indeed, that proved to be the case. The Magic Flying Circus was about to come to town.

The Wheels determined that by employing the Lepus flare, we would be able to carry out self-illuminated sea and ground attack. Joy was unconfined in the ranks.

Initial work-up was on illuminated ranges such as Theddlethorpe and Wainfleet and led in the initial instance to such exchanges as: Pilot "What's our dive angle now?" in a high pitched voice, followed by, Nav "We haven't got any dive angle".

As may be imagined, adrenaline flow was in inverse proportion to beer flow on a summer night. The only upside was the late start the next day.

Weapons employed were 20' freefall, 15' retard, and Sneb. All of this from an academic pattern.

Subsequent self-illuminated was practiced on Jurby, Salisbury Plain and Otterburn, eventually leading up to groups of 5 a/c. These comprised a leader with 3 flares on each inboard pylon, No 2 with 3 flares left side and Sneb on the right with bombs on the centre. The remaining 3 a/c had weapons on all three pylons. Outer pylons had SF tanks. Route was flown at 420kts 500' agl using radar prediction maps and worked OK if the height keeping was reasonably accurate.

The game was to make a 4G pull at a predetermined radar range from the target, releasing flares at 30, 35 and 40 degrees pitch angle. Immediate overbank and pull to kill the climb, reverse the turn, identify the target, reselect switches for weapon selected to drop, and dive on in. Thrilling stuff on a poor vis night with frequent ghosted flares in the orange goldfish bowl. Aircraft were in 2 mile radar trail and recovered in sequence onto an agreed heading and repeated the procedure until the flares were expended. Well, theoretically anyway. Trying to get the 5 a/c back into the correct sequence was a real challenge since the dive headings had probably been far from that briefed.

The really worrying thing that added to the excitement, was the increasingly common event of total attitude instrument failure in the F4M. The a/c theoretically had 3 independent systems, Inertial, AJB7 and MD1. On no occasion that I'm aware of, were the faults replicated on engineering investigation.

Anyway, during a 2 week det in the Ionian Sea attacking NATO boats, a further, and fatal incident occurred at Bruggen on GCA at night in cloud. The pilot was pulling back harder and harder to maintain wings level whilst in reality the a/c was banking. Pedal shaker, loss of control.......The pilot's canopy killed the Nav during the ejection sequence.

Pilots Union pressure got us off any more night attacks whilst investigation took place. Four nights of revelry in Naples ensued.

The night GA continued. The Squadron was assigned to Allied Command Europe as a specialist squadron. The boss got an MBE not an AFC and I went to the Navy.

Anyhow, that's how I remember it.

soddim

As you say, blaireau, life was just a long party. Remember the night in Limassol at the Romantic Bar when we dined out half the squadron who were leaving mid-detachment to form the first Germany sqns? As I recall it there was an ADEX at dawn the next day and by the time we got back to Akronelli it was far to late to go to bed so we just changed and briefed - our leader changed the callsign from "Red" to "Redeye", which was far more appropriate and we launched on time.

That was the occasion when one of our F4s attacked Gata radar head so low that the stn cdr who was on the roof with our sqn cdr turned to our boss and asked who was flying the now departing aircraft. "Aircraft" said the boss, "what aircraft?". Good man H-Smith.

blaireau

Ah yes Soddim. The Cyprus detachment. Do you recall the scandal of the "crap in the hat"?
Check yr PMs

soddim

I certainly do - but if I remember correctly, that particular AEO got no more or less than he deserved! Checking PMs forthwith.

FJJP

Anybody got the definitive story on the incident when the Leu F4 clipped the Cranberry?

keithl

No-one's answering FJJP's question, so instead does anyone want to admit being in the F4 that appeared on my Cranberry's wingtip in Benbecula Range 30 sec from launching a Rapier!!??

Perhaps not...

Exmil

Keithl,
Who was doing what with a Rapier?!

BEagle

FJJP - F*cked up night PROFIT. Pure and simple.

Checking the elstrobes might have helped......allegedly!

keithl

Exmil Benpeculiar were about to launch a Rapier at me. Well, more properly at the Rushton target a mile or so behind me.
Imagine my surprise when a grey, AD F4 (Leuchars, I guess) pulled up from below on to my right wing.

We made some phone calls afterwards and got the impression it was somebody senior (would be, wouldn't it), but never reaaly chased it. Better things to do...

meadowbank

Perhaps it was the Scottish Group Captain? No, silly me, he didn't actually used to fly, did he!

soddim

And if he did he never made a successful intercept - even against the wrong target.

meadowbank

Must've been Supernav in the back, then

Greek God

Chris Kebab
Can I have another chop instead of the liver? !!!
Managed to get an unintentional 25 mins solo when my nav left & decided he would prefer tea & stickies with ein Fraulein in Area 2 a while ago. Bit noisy though a Cabrio Toomb!!
AAAAh those were the days
:-)

Greek God

Some from the archives
Visiting Alice

The Road to Stanley, allegedly



Wish they all could be Caledonian!!


LFA2 The Peheim Mast "Rotate Go"

Prof Aviator

'greek god' ????? - you have changed!

Someone was asking about songs - here\'s (a bit more) of a cleaner one, plenty more in a song book I have kept but not very clean, pc, or printable


ROLLING DOWN THE RUNWAY

ROLLING DOWN THE RUNWAY, THROTTLES OPEN WIDE
SEE THE MIGHTY PHANTOM SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE
AIR-BORNE AGAIN WITHOUT A BLIP
IT\'S JUST ONE MORE ABORTED TRIP
BUT WE\'RE PRESSING ON REGARDLESS
FOR THE WING COMMANDERS AFC

WENT TO EARLY BRIEFING, CLIMBED INTO THE KITE
OPENED UP THE THROTTLES AND ROARED INTO THE NIGHT
LEAVING THE FLAREPATH FAR BEHIND
IT\'S DARK OUTSIDE BUT WE DON\'T MIND
COS WE\'RE PRESSING ON REGARDLESS
FOR THE WING COMMANDERS AFC (AND BAR)

NOW THE WAR IS OVER WE\'VE REACHED THE PROMISED LAND
THE WING COMMANDER GREETS US AND SHAKES US BY THE HAND
"WELL DONE CHAPS I THANK YOU MEN - (Whilst holding nose)
I\'VE JUST RECEIVED BY B.E.M."
BUT WE\'RE PRESSING ON REGARDLESS
FOR THE WING COMMANDERS AFC

(ADDITIONAL VERSES)
ROLLING DOWN THE RUNWAY THROTTLES OPEN WIDE
SEE THE MIGHTY JAGUAR SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE
AIRBORNE AGAIN BUT ONLY JUST
IT\'S NOT MUCH FUN WITH F*** ALL THRUST
BUT THEY\'RE PRESSING ON REGARDLESS
FOR THE WING COMMANDERS AFC (AND BAR)

ROLLING DOWN THE RUNWAY THROTTLE OPEN WIDE
SEE THE MIGHTY FALCON SWAY FROM SIDE TO SIDE
AIRBORNE AGAIN WITH JUST 9 G
I WISH I HAD A NAV WITH ME
BUT I\'M PRESSING ON REGARDLESS
FOR THE WING COMMANDERS AFC



WHEN YOU\'RE A PILOT (When I\'m 64)

WHEN YOU\'RE A PILOT ON TREBLE ONE
YOU\'RE ON QRA
DUMPING ALL YOUR MISSILES IN THE FORTH OF TAY
YOU DON\'T NEED THEM
THROW THEM AWAY
YOU SIT ON YOUR BAR STOOL
DRINKING YOUR MILK
WE THINK YOU\'RE A BUNCH OF BUMS
NOBODY NEEDS YOU NOBODY HEEDS YOU
**** OFF TREBLE ONE, **** OFF TREBLE ONE

WHEN YOU\'RE A PILOT ON TREBLE ONE
YOU ARE ON DISPLAY
FLYING YOUR FORMATION IN ST ANDREWS CROSS
WHO AUTHORISED THIS
BEST ASK THE BOSS
MAKING A TURN NUMBER 2 MAKES A TWITCH
THEN YOUR WING TIPS GONE
THERE\'S A BIG LOAD OF SPRAY
AND YOU END IN THE BAY
SO **** OFF TREBLE ONE, **** OFF TREBLE ONE

WHEN YOU\'RE A PILOT ON 74
YOU FLY IN STAIGHT LINES
DRESSING UP IN ALL YOUR FANCY YANKEE KIT
WE DON\'T NEED YOU ,
YOU GIVE US THE SH*TS
YOU SIT ON YOUR BAR STOOL
DRINKING YOUR MILK
THEN FALL ON THE FLOOR
NOBODY NEEDS YOU, NOBODY HEEDS YOU
**** OFF 74, **** OFF 74

(31 Sqn verse omitted)

Prof A

Exmil

Keithl - been away for few days; thanks for the answer. Could have been the aforementioned senior officer if '88-'90; sounds like the sort of thing that might have happened with him (I can speak from experience).

Greek God - your nav's surname didn't begin with Y did it? Close encounter with a Cranberry? More solo time than Valley F4 - Lungs completed successful test of furniture. If in doubt, vote with your hands! Nice piccies; I have seen similar (but much better) from Saunders Island - something to do with a hot running engine and copper on the leading blades.

Trumpet_trousers

...I well remember the wind-up on BFBS leading up to the 'MPA Open Day' in 1988 when the announcer said that not only were the Reds going to attend, but the BBMF were booked too!....
....The B*nnies/Nota's/Stilla's/Andy's must've loved that one!!

spocla

Greek God-long time no hear!.......how is it??
Spon

meadowbank

Thanks Greek God - just what I was looking for!

Now, does anyone else have any other pics taken at Alice or elsewhere (Byron, Kent, Pax Port Howard, etc)?

RHINO

Spon is that really you?

RHINO

Naaaaaargh!