Shackleton Mk 3
Beags,
Ben Benbow stories are legendary,
Including;
Getting a Wraf officer to cross her legs and try to f*rt as part of "alleged" training for decompression. All this in front of a class of aircrew.
Telling a long story in mixed company at a happy hour about the terrible road accident his missus had had , involving her being scraped along the road on her bottom and losing her Glutinus Maximus muscles as a result. Fortunately, he explained, the docs had built a prosthesis. This looked normal but was held on to her pelvic bones by a set of connectors which causes her problems from time to time and required removal occasionally to give her relief .
Looking at his watch he declared that such a time was now coming and therefore he had to go home:
" In order to screw the arse off my wife"
Ben Benbow stories are legendary,
Including;
Getting a Wraf officer to cross her legs and try to f*rt as part of "alleged" training for decompression. All this in front of a class of aircrew.
Telling a long story in mixed company at a happy hour about the terrible road accident his missus had had , involving her being scraped along the road on her bottom and losing her Glutinus Maximus muscles as a result. Fortunately, he explained, the docs had built a prosthesis. This looked normal but was held on to her pelvic bones by a set of connectors which causes her problems from time to time and required removal occasionally to give her relief .
Looking at his watch he declared that such a time was now coming and therefore he had to go home:
" In order to screw the arse off my wife"
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Ahhhhhh, Benbow.
When the legend first arrived at Cranwell it was to be an instructor, possibly on 2 Squadron and I think his c/s might have been 50, but it was about 40 years ago, so be gentle. It soon became apparent that Ben's style didn't quite meet up with the expectations of the wheels, although as BEagle suggests, and I can confirm, he was much loved and appreciated by pretty well everyone, except the stiff upper lip crowd. After a wee while he moved to the UTP post, which suited him fairly well. I think he went on to Shackletons after Cranwell and I next met him when he was visiting Honington about 1975/76.
Permit me a brief recollection: Sitting on approach and the dreaded four tone blips of a speechless aircraft rang out. After all the usual nause and questioning about can you maintain height, is your further emergency this that and the other and so on, I had finally sussed that was Ben and I hadn't a clue what the problem was. OK I said, I give up what is the problem? That delightful gravelly voice came back with "I've got a wasp in the cockpit, and its hiding ha ha"
Incidentally I think that, before his encounter with Cranwell, he had spent quite a while at Pershore on Canberras with the RRE.
Good times, and interested to note that BEagle was at RAFC around the time I was there ('72-74)
When the legend first arrived at Cranwell it was to be an instructor, possibly on 2 Squadron and I think his c/s might have been 50, but it was about 40 years ago, so be gentle. It soon became apparent that Ben's style didn't quite meet up with the expectations of the wheels, although as BEagle suggests, and I can confirm, he was much loved and appreciated by pretty well everyone, except the stiff upper lip crowd. After a wee while he moved to the UTP post, which suited him fairly well. I think he went on to Shackletons after Cranwell and I next met him when he was visiting Honington about 1975/76.
Permit me a brief recollection: Sitting on approach and the dreaded four tone blips of a speechless aircraft rang out. After all the usual nause and questioning about can you maintain height, is your further emergency this that and the other and so on, I had finally sussed that was Ben and I hadn't a clue what the problem was. OK I said, I give up what is the problem? That delightful gravelly voice came back with "I've got a wasp in the cockpit, and its hiding ha ha"
Incidentally I think that, before his encounter with Cranwell, he had spent quite a while at Pershore on Canberras with the RRE.
Good times, and interested to note that BEagle was at RAFC around the time I was there ('72-74)
Thanks for the entertainment gents . It's prompted me to think there is a cheap Nimrod replacement readily available and possessing of what seems to be the 2 most desirable MR characteristics . Namely she's Avro and leaks mightily ..... daughter of 't Budgie [748] and Andover ..... the mighty Parrot - Bat - Wigwam [ a teepee ] .. ATP [ advanced technical problem ] .
Not being military , but having the occasion to speak to the lovely radar lass in Leuchars .. '' spose you're sitting in a nice warm aircon room sipping coffee ''?
''Yes , aren't you '' ?
'' Nah , we're sitting here with blankets over legs to soak up 't water , wipers on max to minimise ingress , and coffee too watered down to drink '' .
Reply was not sympathetic .....
Middle of the North Sea at FL150 or so , walk down the back and ship spot through gaps in doors . And on a 3 month old airframe fuel leaks [ engineers called them ''weeps'' ] from the wing tanks . Sounds like she is definitely an Avro .
However at 500' up the Minch we did spot 2 submarines in 1/2 an hour . Leaving Stornoway during the September RAF takeover , we followed a pair of F3s . They were copying Lightnings , but seemed to run out of puff at 3000' , ...... us well we toppled over at 600' . Mind you we did overtake a frigate [ even when they went to full power as we came up the portside at 500' ] . Couple all this with a rare few runs up the Gt Glen , or down Bassentwaite , Derwent Water to top of Windermere . Plus lots Northern Isles five hundred footers , avoiding bad wx or Puffin hunting [ avoiding Buccs ] round The Old Man of Hoy and Northwards .
So this really is a truly Multi Role MR machine , and can be picked up in-expensively , only 2 owners , never raced , or rallyed , several Lady drivers , and nicely beefed up with freight doors .
Oh , forgot to say .. we calculated she could haul 17 pax. from Stornoway to Gander , with a 20 kt headwind . Never really knew how many times a week , month , year , decade that capability would be needed .
Rgds dave f
Not being military , but having the occasion to speak to the lovely radar lass in Leuchars .. '' spose you're sitting in a nice warm aircon room sipping coffee ''?
''Yes , aren't you '' ?
'' Nah , we're sitting here with blankets over legs to soak up 't water , wipers on max to minimise ingress , and coffee too watered down to drink '' .
Reply was not sympathetic .....
Middle of the North Sea at FL150 or so , walk down the back and ship spot through gaps in doors . And on a 3 month old airframe fuel leaks [ engineers called them ''weeps'' ] from the wing tanks . Sounds like she is definitely an Avro .
However at 500' up the Minch we did spot 2 submarines in 1/2 an hour . Leaving Stornoway during the September RAF takeover , we followed a pair of F3s . They were copying Lightnings , but seemed to run out of puff at 3000' , ...... us well we toppled over at 600' . Mind you we did overtake a frigate [ even when they went to full power as we came up the portside at 500' ] . Couple all this with a rare few runs up the Gt Glen , or down Bassentwaite , Derwent Water to top of Windermere . Plus lots Northern Isles five hundred footers , avoiding bad wx or Puffin hunting [ avoiding Buccs ] round The Old Man of Hoy and Northwards .
So this really is a truly Multi Role MR machine , and can be picked up in-expensively , only 2 owners , never raced , or rallyed , several Lady drivers , and nicely beefed up with freight doors .
Oh , forgot to say .. we calculated she could haul 17 pax. from Stornoway to Gander , with a 20 kt headwind . Never really knew how many times a week , month , year , decade that capability would be needed .
Rgds dave f
Lengthen the wings and stick a couple of extra jets on, a slightly larger fuselage and THEN stick a radome on top - and you'll have one of the original contenders for the AEW Shack replacement. Oh, and find a few 11000ft runways, as performance was 'a bit limited'!
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Only problem is that the 748/ATP has drifted into history in much the same way as Nimrod has. I guess that with the last C-130K aircraft retiring vey soon, they would be the really cheap alternative, if the MoD has suddenly decided that we do need a SAR/ASW aircraft after all. On the other hand, now that we're all European (*cough, splutter*), there must be more than a few abandoned Atlantics in need of a good home!
I assume that the dark rumours of P-8 Poseidon aircraft may well eventually bear fruit, but somehow I don't think a tarted-up Boeing is much of a replacement for the mighty Shackleton and Nimrod. Funny how the idea of a maritime VC10 flapping its airliner wings over the sea at low level seemed ridiculous in the 1960s and yet it seems that the lowly 737 is somehow able to take such matters in its stride...
I assume that the dark rumours of P-8 Poseidon aircraft may well eventually bear fruit, but somehow I don't think a tarted-up Boeing is much of a replacement for the mighty Shackleton and Nimrod. Funny how the idea of a maritime VC10 flapping its airliner wings over the sea at low level seemed ridiculous in the 1960s and yet it seems that the lowly 737 is somehow able to take such matters in its stride...
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Tales from those that crewed the aircraft
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMFRXWDl6bg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqXgQEPRJqU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMFRXWDl6bg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqXgQEPRJqU
Last edited by Jackw106; 6th Apr 2014 at 13:55.
groundcrew.
My last sight of a Shackelton was sitting in a Brymon airways Dash 7 at Newquay /St Mawgan when the captain came on and said Ladies and gentlemen we are on hold while another aircraft lands,for those of you who are interested its a shackelton,one of the last in service!I saw it from my window seat and almost broke into tears,what a sight .
Ex 204 sqdn groundcrew .....with a few flying hours in MK 1s and 2s!!!!
Ex 204 sqdn groundcrew .....with a few flying hours in MK 1s and 2s!!!!
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I knew an ex shack navigator, who was not impressed with 20 hour patrols.
My only ( near) contacy with Shacks was flying Oxfords out of No 3AFS Dalcross in 1952, when I was in our low flying zone, thought I was flying low up a highland valley when a Shack came out of a valley at right angles and passed under me.
My only ( near) contacy with Shacks was flying Oxfords out of No 3AFS Dalcross in 1952, when I was in our low flying zone, thought I was flying low up a highland valley when a Shack came out of a valley at right angles and passed under me.
