U2 @ Akrotiri
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I spent a couple of weeks in Akrotiri on a Det from Lossiemouth. We arrived around lunchtime on the first day, so we got stuck into setting up even though the rest of the station went home shortly afterwards! Two of us were driving around looking for Ground Eng to pick up some Houchins and parked up to ask directions. We just got out of the rover when this nice RAF officer came round the corner of the hangar we were parked outside. We asked if he could direct us to GE, and the reply was along the lines of, "Yes just get into the vehicle and drive because if you sit there much longer you'll have some long discussions with some of our American friends who live in the hangar you're parked next to. Oh and don't park there again, or leave a vehicle there unattended...."
Like you all say, there are no U2s in Akrotiri, I remember the plod in the land rover driving down the pan telling me this, just after he told me to turn round and lie face down until something that wasn't there went past.
Like you all say, there are no U2s in Akrotiri, I remember the plod in the land rover driving down the pan telling me this, just after he told me to turn round and lie face down until something that wasn't there went past.
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As the stn Rock sqn, we used to vist the hangar frequently (invariably at 0300) to have an official rummage around, check arcs, approach routes, entry points, likely enemy positions etc. God, the noise that thing generated ot 0640.. in fact, the inly time I ever heard a louder groan based on the noise that an aeroplane generated were the C5s and various helicopters that always seemed to be there in the mid 80s, in connection with Libya and the Achilli Lauro. But of course, Delta Force was never there and if they had been, they certainly wouldn't have tried to swap kit with the likes of me.
Interesting to read the tale of the crash - although before my time there, we did have someone on the sqn who was caught up in it during his previous tour. He got blown into a dustbin and damaged his back. Olive Harvest piss ups were pretty good and made a nice change, B52s and Depthcharge cocktails are remembered with much affection still and I have loads of shots take in the club - lots of dodgy haircuts and loud Limassol shirts. The women were pretty hideous though.
In fact, on one occasion, we weren't invited to the 4th July do, so we held a rival one at the Pen Club and branded it as a VC night. We turned NBC suits inside out, ripped up some bamboo lie lows and made them into conical VC hats, flip flops, tin AK47s and of course.. lots of Anglias brandy. Things went sour when we held a swallow diving competition into that big bush from the old PS bar roof and sustained an injury. We used to welcome the OH lot into the block whenever possible and they bought some great booze stashes. All in all, great lads.
If they had existed of course. Perhaps I just imagined the entire 4 years.
Interesting to read the tale of the crash - although before my time there, we did have someone on the sqn who was caught up in it during his previous tour. He got blown into a dustbin and damaged his back. Olive Harvest piss ups were pretty good and made a nice change, B52s and Depthcharge cocktails are remembered with much affection still and I have loads of shots take in the club - lots of dodgy haircuts and loud Limassol shirts. The women were pretty hideous though.
In fact, on one occasion, we weren't invited to the 4th July do, so we held a rival one at the Pen Club and branded it as a VC night. We turned NBC suits inside out, ripped up some bamboo lie lows and made them into conical VC hats, flip flops, tin AK47s and of course.. lots of Anglias brandy. Things went sour when we held a swallow diving competition into that big bush from the old PS bar roof and sustained an injury. We used to welcome the OH lot into the block whenever possible and they bought some great booze stashes. All in all, great lads.
If they had existed of course. Perhaps I just imagined the entire 4 years.
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U2 @ Akrotiri
Whilst servicing a 56 F6 in a certain hangar at Akers in `74, I and my mates noticed a large black balloon at the other end, unattended.
Being curious we all had a good look around it inc. the basket.
Outside were several burly Americans in civilian clothing they had not noticed us go in! We completed the service and left, the look on their faces was a picture!
The balloon had two large gas tanks which could be mistaken for engines!
Being curious we all had a good look around it inc. the basket.
Outside were several burly Americans in civilian clothing they had not noticed us go in! We completed the service and left, the look on their faces was a picture!
The balloon had two large gas tanks which could be mistaken for engines!
But of course, Delta Force was never there and if they had been, they certainly wouldn't have tried to swap kit with the likes of me.
They were all up at the Mull of Kintyre, playing with weird Wally's wacky wirelesses.
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Well the security standards have certainly come down since the Cold War days then. On a S**** T**** det from Lossie a couple of years ago, one of the returning Tonkas went u/s so we hangared it overnight opposite Olive Harvest. Noticing their hangar doors open with the resident at home, I wandered over to ask their techies if I could have a look. As I approached the red line, my lot were expecting me to get arrested or shot at any moment. Nothing of the sort happened and I was treated to an up close tour of the ac, cockpit and all, in exchange for a look at our GR4 - good swap I thought! 
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Despite representations to the contrary on several postings on this thread the 2 'tanks' slung under the wings on a U-2 are not for holding fuel. They are called superpods and generally contain lots of SIGINT sensors however they are optional depending on the sensor payload of the mission aircraft. Some U-2 missions are/were flown with a slick wing configuration.
It's a great aircraft. I had the pleasure of working on sensor and datalink systems on them (based out of RAF Alconbury) from 1990 to 1994 when they left Alconbury. I had a great time and worked with some real characters many of whom had been with the programme for many, many years and who had fantastic stories to tell.
One of my former colleagues (a civilian contractor) left Alconbury to go to an island somewhere in the med that is/was known as Det 3 in the U-2 world
. When I later went there on holiday I contacted him and we spent a very enjoyable evening out in town - Brandy Sours all around.
It's a great aircraft. I had the pleasure of working on sensor and datalink systems on them (based out of RAF Alconbury) from 1990 to 1994 when they left Alconbury. I had a great time and worked with some real characters many of whom had been with the programme for many, many years and who had fantastic stories to tell.
One of my former colleagues (a civilian contractor) left Alconbury to go to an island somewhere in the med that is/was known as Det 3 in the U-2 world
. When I later went there on holiday I contacted him and we spent a very enjoyable evening out in town - Brandy Sours all around.
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There's an interesting U2 story in the current Air & Space magazine - also on the website at:
Above & Beyond: I Have a Flameout | Military Aviation | Air & Space Magazine
The last time I was at Akrotiri (3-4 years ago) we were assured that the U2's that hadn't been there in previous years definitely weren't there now. A couple of days later the most almighty jet noise had us rushing out of the accommodation early in the morning. Something black appeared to be spiralling upwards, but was almost out of sight. As it can't obviously have been a U know what, I assumed it was some sort of bird scarer...
Above & Beyond: I Have a Flameout | Military Aviation | Air & Space Magazine
The last time I was at Akrotiri (3-4 years ago) we were assured that the U2's that hadn't been there in previous years definitely weren't there now. A couple of days later the most almighty jet noise had us rushing out of the accommodation early in the morning. Something black appeared to be spiralling upwards, but was almost out of sight. As it can't obviously have been a U know what, I assumed it was some sort of bird scarer...
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I was on 56F 84-87, and our F4's used to que up on the runway to take off behind those planes that didn't exsist.......Funny lot used to Herc in loads of Coke and Big Macs...........Top diet.........
I was 14 years old on the day the "Weather Balloon" crashed, remember going to school in Episkopi that morning & one of the girls being a bit upset, found out later her father was one of the casualties killed in the accident.
The weather balloon used to wake us up at around 06.55 am most weekday mornings & it used to throw a great big shadow as it decended to the runway in the afternoons over Buttons Bay while we were swimming.............
Never saw sight or sound of Bono or his mates though..............
The weather balloon used to wake us up at around 06.55 am most weekday mornings & it used to throw a great big shadow as it decended to the runway in the afternoons over Buttons Bay while we were swimming.............
Never saw sight or sound of Bono or his mates though..............
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Interesting topic...
Was on det there in 1981 for a week... it existed then..
posted there 1995-98... still existed.....
Why...??
i aksed the question to one of there support tem.. a Master Sgt... who i got to know very well as mover invariably helped to unload the c141 resupply run...
Under the SALT agreement, the "balloon" was sent there...
Loudest "balloon" in history though.... the Beemer was still in use 95-98....
Such a high spec a/c but only fitted with stabilisers... oddly same as the Harrier !!!
a Google search for SALT surely show it up...!!
think i'll look now!!!!
posted there 1995-98... still existed.....
Why...??
i aksed the question to one of there support tem.. a Master Sgt... who i got to know very well as mover invariably helped to unload the c141 resupply run...
Under the SALT agreement, the "balloon" was sent there...
Loudest "balloon" in history though.... the Beemer was still in use 95-98....
Such a high spec a/c but only fitted with stabilisers... oddly same as the Harrier !!!
a Google search for SALT surely show it up...!!
think i'll look now!!!!
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no big secret...
check this link out
RAF Akrotiri (Hansard, 15 June 1990)
so it aint a big deal after all...
if in doubt ??
ask !!! or
seek and ye shall find...!!!
as already explained... loud balloon that you couldn't really hide !!
i can smell the early morning coffee...!!!
more chance of seeing a U2 in AKT than the RAF AT fleet from BZZ !!
RAF Akrotiri (Hansard, 15 June 1990)
so it aint a big deal after all...
if in doubt ??
ask !!! or
seek and ye shall find...!!!
as already explained... loud balloon that you couldn't really hide !!
i can smell the early morning coffee...!!!
more chance of seeing a U2 in AKT than the RAF AT fleet from BZZ !!
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I was a Runway Caravan Controller at one stage in my career. I received a telephone call one morning instructing me not to look at the black thing that was lining up on the runway.
Thirty years on, I'll come clean. Tee Hee, DSATCO, I looked!!!
Thirty years on, I'll come clean. Tee Hee, DSATCO, I looked!!!
I don't own this space under my name. I should have leased it while I still could
Jun 08, Ladies Mile, same time every ****ing at **** sometimes headed west other times east. For the westerly take-off it would swing to the south and out of sight after about 5 minutes.
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Could this be a weather balloon. The one with the Black and Yellow tail ????
