Mt Alice Fighter Control Radar Relocation 1984
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Radar
Just to let you know I was the Engineer hooking up the radar for Mount Alice.We had one stop then raced back to get fuel before final lift. I also have pic's of the dome once completed and pics of the area.
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I did a tour in the Falklands at JCUFI, but I never got out to the Radar Dets; funnily enough though, I went to the Outer Hebrides twice on exercise and visited Benbecula Radar Head each time...
My overriding memory of my tour was spending my birthday on Sealion Island.
My overriding memory of my tour was spending my birthday on Sealion Island.
End of Feb 83 - Started the lifts of ISO's and Portacabins off Sir Percival and up to Mt Alice - this was the first phase of building the radar station up there. Unfortunately on day 2 succeeded in 'sliding' an ISO across the deck of Percival and fracturing the high pressure water main (used for fire fighting if required). Apparently quite spectacular from other views and from my crewmen, who couldn't figure out why the load was leaking(?), but that was the end of any further lifts until they fixed it. Main memory of the task was in fact the Chinese Take Away from the Percival - they gave you a menu, ordered it on the radio and about lunch time we hovered over the rear heli deck (Op Corporate rules which allowed us to land on them had just been rescinded) and a large carrier bag was duly delivered, and we then shut down on shore and ate our carry out in absolute peace and quiet. many BZs to the RFA!
Unfortunately my photos of the incident have long gone, but I seem to remember posting about this on another thread some time ago.
Unfortunately my photos of the incident have long gone, but I seem to remember posting about this on another thread some time ago.
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Was Cara-Cara never meant to be the final radar base on south West Falkland? When did the Albermarle area come to be chosen?
I read somewhere that the SBS run an operation in June 82´s second week at Pillar Cove (Weddel Island), maybe meant to get rid of navigational aids to the argentinean flights through that route (that were never placed there) or to set an OP that could be later turned into an eraly warning radar site (such as Woodward´s wish was by the time the San Carlos Landings were planned)
I read somewhere that the SBS run an operation in June 82´s second week at Pillar Cove (Weddel Island), maybe meant to get rid of navigational aids to the argentinean flights through that route (that were never placed there) or to set an OP that could be later turned into an eraly warning radar site (such as Woodward´s wish was by the time the San Carlos Landings were planned)
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Original Puffin Radar
Anyone know about the original Puffin Radar Station?
1982 I was down south on the Illustrious. Around the beginning of October I got the chance to get ashore for a few days and work alongside the guys at Puffin Radar station. At the time we were based near the end of Stanley Runway. There was some destroyed Pucara fighter jets there that we got to take a look at and geet some photos. I will look for them and post.
1982 I was down south on the Illustrious. Around the beginning of October I got the chance to get ashore for a few days and work alongside the guys at Puffin Radar station. At the time we were based near the end of Stanley Runway. There was some destroyed Pucara fighter jets there that we got to take a look at and geet some photos. I will look for them and post.
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Not a picture of Mt Alice but one of Mt Kent, taken during a visit on Fixmas Day 94, a Measles by a 1312 C130K.
As I recall one of the FCs & I shared a couple of bottles of KVV Port in the OM so I was a touch ragged on my return to MPA. Our FE stayed to see the visiting CSE show that night, bad weather came in and he wasn’t able to get back for 48hrs , we had to borrow a FE from another crew for our next task.
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This is me on the aft end of the MV CORATO (OP Sheppard) purpose built, Chinook compatible, flight deck doing the hooking. Image was shot from one of the ships cranes.
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This has become a fascinating historical thread; please keep contributing! Still hoping for a photo of the lift from Alice though ...............JHSU?
regards,
Pedro
regards,
Pedro
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A view of Alice (I think) from the Sikorsky helicopter bringing us back from R&R on Saunders Island. A pretty remote spot to spend your det compared to the bright lights of MPA.
(The wrinkles in the photo are the plastic covering to the page in the album, sadly showing its age.)
Mount Alice map link
https://goo.gl/maps/ugTX4BQGq8EEvHx78
Mount Kent view which has quite similar inlets and islands.
https://goo.gl/maps/gXhVpEXqHRX9oQWT8
I did 2 tours as Dep Heliops Controller Aug - Dec 87 & Jul - Oct 2000. During the 87 Det, an empty ISO was taken up to Mt Alice as the rubbish ISO and the full one taken off. When the lads from Alice went out to put rubbish in the new one they discovered the Falklands supply of Loo Rolls inside. For several months they used to barter with every other unit for goodies in return for a roll or two. The other little wheeze was when anybody was visiting for a dining in night, whilst the diner was at the meal the lads would fill his/her cabin with loo rolls which they then had to dig out before they could get to their bed!!