Granby Memories
Indeed. It will be 25 years ago tonight that I took off from KKIA just after midnight, leading 3 VC10K tankers to RV with 8 Tornados from Muharraq on their way to attack Talil.
Weather at the refuelling level was pretty dire, but we found a level which worked and released the Tornados on time. Then waited on Lemon Post towline, planning to balance out the fuel across our 3 tankers - but the tanker with all the spare fuel couldn't trail the centreline hose, so we had to make do with what we had.
Dozens of black shadows of other formations went past at deconflicted levels, then back came the Tornados, thankfully - after some post-attack AAR they went back to Muharraq whilst we headed back to KKIA. As luck would have it, both our hoses stuck out, so a flapless landing on absolute minimum fuel was the finale to our first war sortie. Pretty small beer when compared with the Tornado mates' experiences.
That was the first of 38 such sorties I did; the only threats we really faced at KKIA were the Scuds thrown in our direction and the ever-present risk of mid-air collision, given the number of jets in theatre. That and some of the Saudi drivers on the local roads!
After being scrambled from bed to support some F-14s and GR1As, I was making a cup of tea for the rest of the crew in the galley when we heard that the cease fire had been declared. So back we came via a Palermo nightstop to a flypast at Brize on March 13th.
Then back to flying some aeros in my Bulldog at ULAS a couple of days later, before some leave once I'd regained currency.
So, it all kicked off 25 years tonight. Has anything been planned either by the RAF or the meeja to commemorate the start of Gulf War One - or are they all rather embarrassed that the Middle East is still in turmoil despite all the sacrifices and events of the past 25 years?
In particular, RIP Max Collier, 27 Sqn, killed in action with Nige Elsdon the following night whilst attacking Shaibah. Max had been the nav plotter on my first Vulcan crew 14 years earlier and we'd spoken only a few days before he was killed.
Weather at the refuelling level was pretty dire, but we found a level which worked and released the Tornados on time. Then waited on Lemon Post towline, planning to balance out the fuel across our 3 tankers - but the tanker with all the spare fuel couldn't trail the centreline hose, so we had to make do with what we had.
Dozens of black shadows of other formations went past at deconflicted levels, then back came the Tornados, thankfully - after some post-attack AAR they went back to Muharraq whilst we headed back to KKIA. As luck would have it, both our hoses stuck out, so a flapless landing on absolute minimum fuel was the finale to our first war sortie. Pretty small beer when compared with the Tornado mates' experiences.
That was the first of 38 such sorties I did; the only threats we really faced at KKIA were the Scuds thrown in our direction and the ever-present risk of mid-air collision, given the number of jets in theatre. That and some of the Saudi drivers on the local roads!
After being scrambled from bed to support some F-14s and GR1As, I was making a cup of tea for the rest of the crew in the galley when we heard that the cease fire had been declared. So back we came via a Palermo nightstop to a flypast at Brize on March 13th.
Then back to flying some aeros in my Bulldog at ULAS a couple of days later, before some leave once I'd regained currency.
So, it all kicked off 25 years tonight. Has anything been planned either by the RAF or the meeja to commemorate the start of Gulf War One - or are they all rather embarrassed that the Middle East is still in turmoil despite all the sacrifices and events of the past 25 years?
In particular, RIP Max Collier, 27 Sqn, killed in action with Nige Elsdon the following night whilst attacking Shaibah. Max had been the nav plotter on my first Vulcan crew 14 years earlier and we'd spoken only a few days before he was killed.
John Nichol is doing something on Sky news today/
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In particular, RIP Max Collier, 27 Sqn, killed in action with Nige Elsdon the following night whilst attacking Shaibah.
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25 years ago tomorrow, flew 1:15 day; 5:30 night in Nimrod MR2 XV250 (Callsign DYLAN 45) looking for Iraqi Navy activity around Kuwait, Al-Zawr and Bubiyan Island.
Later in the month (don't remember the date), the following report:
HOSTILES. TM 1806Z DYLAN 45 RPT CTC IN POSN 2954N 04834E C090 S17 EXITING BUBIYAN CHANNEL. SUCAP ATTACK WITH MK 82 DIRECT HIT EXPLOSION SEEN NIL BDA. ID AS POSS FPB57/TNC45 CERT MIL. NEXT SUCAP TO CARRY OUT BDA.
Later in the month (don't remember the date), the following report:
HOSTILES. TM 1806Z DYLAN 45 RPT CTC IN POSN 2954N 04834E C090 S17 EXITING BUBIYAN CHANNEL. SUCAP ATTACK WITH MK 82 DIRECT HIT EXPLOSION SEEN NIL BDA. ID AS POSS FPB57/TNC45 CERT MIL. NEXT SUCAP TO CARRY OUT BDA.
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OK Beagle, we were DOVER 21 flight of 8 GR1's. My knee pad is a bit cryptic when I look at it now but I think we took gas from POLARIS 52A. So that would have been you. I remember bouncing in an out of the tops of fluffy CU with lots of turbulence throwing the baskets around.
Well, 67Wing, 'tis a small world thanks to PPRuNe!
I was indeed Polaris 52A, with 52B and 54 in cell behind. Mission 4452 was our mission line in the ATO. We'd been told that, for deconfliction, we HAD to stick to our assigned AAR levels (much lower than normal due to your weight with JP233s and the temperature), but had I done so we'd have been in cloud and couldn't have refuelled you - so I had to find the nearest level where AAR was JUST possible, whilst informing the rest of the cell. There was no point in passing the information to PONCA as he would have needed to find a General to approve it. But I assessed that no-one would have been coming the other way on OLIVE TRAIL! I was flying ZA141, the first VC10K2 in service, but it had recently been fitted with Sky Guardian and a half-decent PFM, so at least anything with radar would have shown up.
Although we'd been allocated a tanker combine frequency, it was 116.7MHz and therefore outside our VHF radio frequency range - hence all comms on Red 4! The same sort of basic error as the lack of a force-wide QNH in the early days, which the air box in Riyadh hadn't NB'd.
My records are equally sketchy, but we'd been briefed to select A/A TACAN on at RV2 -15 minutes. So when the display lit up showing you 87 miles out and closing rapidly, we were all very relieved!
Shall raise a glass shortly to those who were lost.
I was indeed Polaris 52A, with 52B and 54 in cell behind. Mission 4452 was our mission line in the ATO. We'd been told that, for deconfliction, we HAD to stick to our assigned AAR levels (much lower than normal due to your weight with JP233s and the temperature), but had I done so we'd have been in cloud and couldn't have refuelled you - so I had to find the nearest level where AAR was JUST possible, whilst informing the rest of the cell. There was no point in passing the information to PONCA as he would have needed to find a General to approve it. But I assessed that no-one would have been coming the other way on OLIVE TRAIL! I was flying ZA141, the first VC10K2 in service, but it had recently been fitted with Sky Guardian and a half-decent PFM, so at least anything with radar would have shown up.
Although we'd been allocated a tanker combine frequency, it was 116.7MHz and therefore outside our VHF radio frequency range - hence all comms on Red 4! The same sort of basic error as the lack of a force-wide QNH in the early days, which the air box in Riyadh hadn't NB'd.
My records are equally sketchy, but we'd been briefed to select A/A TACAN on at RV2 -15 minutes. So when the display lit up showing you 87 miles out and closing rapidly, we were all very relieved!
Shall raise a glass shortly to those who were lost.
Last edited by BEagle; 16th Jan 2016 at 19:38.
My only contribution was as a GE on Albert. It did ultimately lead to my early, enforced retirement, but at least let me experience a little of "operations". Like Beagle, KKIA was one of the bases I worked from, though my return to Lyneham was extended by a six week extension in Bahrain. I well remember the trips in to Kuwait, post friction, and the oil fires, particularly on night trips. While results of the sharp ends efforts, were hard to ignore;
Perhaps a conflict that received little publicity in respect of the effort put in by all elements of the deployed forces. Best to all who took part, I'm sure there's some good stuff to come.
Smudge
Perhaps a conflict that received little publicity in respect of the effort put in by all elements of the deployed forces. Best to all who took part, I'm sure there's some good stuff to come.
Smudge
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I remember watching the events unfold as a 12 year old, and asking my mother if the Iraq war would still be going when I joined the RAF. 'Don't be ridiculous son' was the reply....... Been there many times since then.
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Great thread. Not quite a 'gaining you RAF wings in WWII thread' but let's have some more personal stories from those that were there. A defining conflict for the RAF.
In the 25 years that have past the RAF have been absent from the skies of Iraq for just 4 of them. 15 of those remaining years have been kinetic with all that brings. For a small number SHADER will represent their fourth different medal for air operations over Iraq since GW1!
For the light blue currently in and over Iraq, stay safe.
In the 25 years that have past the RAF have been absent from the skies of Iraq for just 4 of them. 15 of those remaining years have been kinetic with all that brings. For a small number SHADER will represent their fourth different medal for air operations over Iraq since GW1!
For the light blue currently in and over Iraq, stay safe.
Last edited by Selatar; 17th Jan 2016 at 06:20.
In particular, RIP Max Collier, 27 Sqn, killed in action with Nige Elsdon the following night whilst attacking Shaibah. Max had been the nav plotter on my first Vulcan crew 14 years earlier and we'd spoken only a few days before he was killed.
My first sortie of the War was providing out-and-back AAR for the formation that included the Peters/Nichol crew. One's morale takes a a bit of hit when a crew is missing on one's first soirée!
I still do the occasional schedule to Bahrain with the current employer, and landing at Muharraq still brings back memories of the sights, sounds and smells of that time!
Hi MrB - shame you couldn't make TBs last week, there was quite a gathering, as Tengah Type will no doubt confirm.
Glad to know that you bought those beers for Max and Nige, mate!
In 1990, the RAF had the luxury of aircrew in various QFI posts or on ground tours. I'd been at the UAS long enough to have passed my B1, had my first summer camp and block leave and was just starting the 'pre-Trappers' week' work-up session at Abingdon. I'd just got my jaws around a large G&T at home when the Boss rang to tell me that I was 'vulnerable for recall' for the Gulf. "Great", I thought, "no doubt as some wretched Ops officer or somesuch....".
The following day the Boss told me that I was that, if I was needed, it wouldn't be as an Ops Off, but back as a VC10K captain. Then the fun started - off to sick quarters to let them know that I'd be needing some inoculations, followed by a quick SCT trip. Next day I had some 1:1 GDT refresher training including lots of time with the 9mm and less fun with the S10. Off to sick quarters immediately afterwards for the anthrax and meningitis jabs - and a 24 hr flying ban. I did 4 more trips that week of 'RMCS air experience', then off to AMTC at 06:00 on Friday morning for an AR5 refresher.
There was still no definite news of any need for a 'retread' crew, so it was back to the UAS for CFS week, then the start of 'Freshers Fair' recruiting - until a signal arrived ordering me to report to 241 OCU the following day to start VC10K refresher training with the rest of our 'retread' crew - a Chipmunk QFI, an F3 simulator nav and an air eng from Boscombe Down. 2 days groundschool, then a morning sim trip, but I nipped off back to Abingdon in the afternoon for some more SCT in the 'dog. Same thing the following day, but my afternoon trip in 'my' XX546 was the last UAS trip I'd have for the next 5 months.
I hadn't flown the VC10K for 17 months, but 2 sim sessions, a couple of GH/IF refreshers, an AAR trip including some jousting and then an a combined AAR Cat and IRT, landing at Wildenrath and we were all deemed ready to deploy - all in 7 working days! They allowed us a 'crew' AAR trip on 16th Oct, then the next day we flew ourselves to Muharraq!
I started back on the Bulldog on 15th March, but it was back to the stubborn ways of Learning Command. It had taken 7 days to regain my Op Cat on the VC10K, but it took Learning Command required an FAT, 4 mutual SCT trips with the CFI and Boss before they allowed me to fly with students again!
Which only goes to prove that the level of BS is inversely proportional to the size / importance of the aircraft / job!
An amusing postscript to my time in the Gulf came a few months later. In the station post there came a note from someone deep and blunt at Binnsworth or wherever, notifying me to sign for my potential 'general war appointment' slot as a UAS QFI - something involving flying Bulldogs around south east England looking at nuclear bomb craters or whatever. So I rang and politely told them what they could do with that idea - as I'd just had a real war appointment! The Fg Off(W) at the other end giggled at that, but she sounded so nice that I did agree to sign her piece of paper.
With the RAF having imploded to its current state, augmented by civilian contractors and FTRS, one can but wonder how any surge training would be managed 25 years later? Currently they are trying to find around 13 FTRS pilot to fill UAS QFI slots...... Door, stable, horse?
Glad to know that you bought those beers for Max and Nige, mate!
In 1990, the RAF had the luxury of aircrew in various QFI posts or on ground tours. I'd been at the UAS long enough to have passed my B1, had my first summer camp and block leave and was just starting the 'pre-Trappers' week' work-up session at Abingdon. I'd just got my jaws around a large G&T at home when the Boss rang to tell me that I was 'vulnerable for recall' for the Gulf. "Great", I thought, "no doubt as some wretched Ops officer or somesuch....".
The following day the Boss told me that I was that, if I was needed, it wouldn't be as an Ops Off, but back as a VC10K captain. Then the fun started - off to sick quarters to let them know that I'd be needing some inoculations, followed by a quick SCT trip. Next day I had some 1:1 GDT refresher training including lots of time with the 9mm and less fun with the S10. Off to sick quarters immediately afterwards for the anthrax and meningitis jabs - and a 24 hr flying ban. I did 4 more trips that week of 'RMCS air experience', then off to AMTC at 06:00 on Friday morning for an AR5 refresher.
There was still no definite news of any need for a 'retread' crew, so it was back to the UAS for CFS week, then the start of 'Freshers Fair' recruiting - until a signal arrived ordering me to report to 241 OCU the following day to start VC10K refresher training with the rest of our 'retread' crew - a Chipmunk QFI, an F3 simulator nav and an air eng from Boscombe Down. 2 days groundschool, then a morning sim trip, but I nipped off back to Abingdon in the afternoon for some more SCT in the 'dog. Same thing the following day, but my afternoon trip in 'my' XX546 was the last UAS trip I'd have for the next 5 months.
I hadn't flown the VC10K for 17 months, but 2 sim sessions, a couple of GH/IF refreshers, an AAR trip including some jousting and then an a combined AAR Cat and IRT, landing at Wildenrath and we were all deemed ready to deploy - all in 7 working days! They allowed us a 'crew' AAR trip on 16th Oct, then the next day we flew ourselves to Muharraq!
I started back on the Bulldog on 15th March, but it was back to the stubborn ways of Learning Command. It had taken 7 days to regain my Op Cat on the VC10K, but it took Learning Command required an FAT, 4 mutual SCT trips with the CFI and Boss before they allowed me to fly with students again!
Which only goes to prove that the level of BS is inversely proportional to the size / importance of the aircraft / job!
An amusing postscript to my time in the Gulf came a few months later. In the station post there came a note from someone deep and blunt at Binnsworth or wherever, notifying me to sign for my potential 'general war appointment' slot as a UAS QFI - something involving flying Bulldogs around south east England looking at nuclear bomb craters or whatever. So I rang and politely told them what they could do with that idea - as I'd just had a real war appointment! The Fg Off(W) at the other end giggled at that, but she sounded so nice that I did agree to sign her piece of paper.
With the RAF having imploded to its current state, augmented by civilian contractors and FTRS, one can but wonder how any surge training would be managed 25 years later? Currently they are trying to find around 13 FTRS pilot to fill UAS QFI slots...... Door, stable, horse?
Last edited by BEagle; 17th Jan 2016 at 09:00.
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I was working in Saudi, at Kahamis, and remember coming into work in the morning, as all the F117's arrived back. There was also some talk before hostilities started about the lack of NBC kit at Khamis, and we were informed that there was sufficient stock, but they wouldn't be issuing it unless it was needed. Lo and behold, GW day one, and we had two glow in the dark F111's divert in for weather diversion, that had flown through some dubious cloud at a site they attacked. They were parked well away at the far reaches of the airfield.
I knew Max Collier from Cranwell and many years later bumped into him at Goose Bay. I was a C130 pilot looking after the AOC on his annual visit there and then on to Red Flag. We flew into Goose and the real crew flew the aircraft on the next day. The AOC was looked after elsewhere and I was stuck in the Mess on my own for 4 days. Max befriended me and I was grateful for his company in the evenings.
Again, a few years later I got to Akrotiri to be told that my crew was being held to fly a repatriation flight back to Brize. That was the one that Max was on.
Again, a few years later I got to Akrotiri to be told that my crew was being held to fly a repatriation flight back to Brize. That was the one that Max was on.
Respect
Just got to say that I have the utmost respect for the crews doing low level airfield attacks. It must have been like flying into Dante's Inferno. I've got a copy of the TVam 'spoof' recording and the banter among the crews is brilliant, whilst the recording of cockpit dialogue on the strike is gripping. Those warning notes for Roland etc must have concentrated the thought process What an incredible triumph of logistics and also, pay back for all that training 
What an incredible triumph of logistics and also, pay back for all that training