Originally Posted by
sarn1e
OK, here goes...these are the highlights since there are many transits to and fro to start/end Trials, MPCs and one-off/QRA firings. No pictures, I'm afraid.
Lightning Firings with 5 Sqn:
28 Oct 85 F6 XR727 AP72 Firestreak
08 Sep 86 F6 XS922 AP72 Firestreak
08 Sep 87 F6 XR728 AP81 Firestreak Photochase
11 Sep 87 T5 XS416 AP72 Firestreak
15 Sep 87 F6 XR758 AP71 Firestreak (Night) Abort Wx
17 Sep 87 T5 XS416 AP71 Firestreak (Night)
18 Sep 87 F6 XR758 AP81 Firestreak
Tornado F3 Captive Carry Trials and Firings with 229OCU, F3OEU and 25 Sqn:
5 Dec 88 ZE339 QWI MF1 SkyFlash Firing
20 Mar 90 ZE911 AIM-9L de-chirp Trial
21 Mar 90 ZE 911 ditto
22 Mar 90 ZE911 ditto
14 Aug 90 ZE889 Op GRANBY SkyFlash Firing
17 Aug 90 ZE911 Op GRANBY SkyFlash Firing
21 Aug 90 ZE911 Op GRANBY AIM-9L de-chirp Firing
29 Aug 90 ZE889 Op GRANBY AIM-9M Firing
9 Mar 94 ZE797 QRA SkyFlash Firing
15 Jun 94 ZE199 AP5 SkyFlash Photochase
16 Jun 94 ZE762 AP4 SkyFlash Secondary SkyFlash Firer
22 Jun 94 ZE341 AP2 2 x SkyFlash Firing
28 Jun 94 ZE165 AP2 SkyFlash Photochase
Typhoon PDs with 17 Sqn:
30 Jan 04 ZJ803 First in-service RAF Typhoon PD to Valley
A few stories to go with the data...
5 Sqn conducted the last ever Firestreak MPC hence why we took 45 missiles to Valley and did our level best to get rid of them, both day and night. The weather was truly terrible, but we managed to fire about 35, if I recall correctly.
It was a fun, but very odd, detachment that included a spell of open arrest during the middle weekend for the (I think, all QFI - I was on the desk) 4-ship that we were begged to put up for a course graduation - apparently offending the Valley Stn Cdr through the use of a lag-pursuit roll (both legal and authorized) to regain formation at low level. This led to one of the best displays of leadership I saw during my time in the Service. At 0830 on the Monday morning following, having just come out of main Met Brief (during which we had been publicly berated by Valley's Stn Cdr as "amateurs" - to the extreme embarrassment of the 4FTS students and staff present) our Stn Cdr arrived in the Valley circuit doing what looked and sounded like about 600 knots. He demanded a car and disappeared over the other side from STCAAME for about 20 minutes, stopping only briefly on his way out of the door to berate the "guilty" party with "that'll teach you for being a fighter pilot!". After the said 20 minutes our Stn Cdr reappeared, climbed in his quick-turned jet and then proceeded to carry out a "f-you" rotation departure. All done by 0900. We never heard what was actually said, but we certainly appreciated the sentiment.
Even odder was the vibe at Valley, where, because the jet was going out of service, the students seemed to be discouraged from asking us for a trip (which rather undermined why we'd taken the T5 there in the first place). We stood up in our first Met Brief and offered pax rides on firings, but the only takers in the two weeks were there were ex-Lightning guys and exchange officers. I flew the Canadian and French guys who, unsurprisingly, thought firing the Mighty Firework - especially in the dark - was awesome. Not sure they liked the RHS circuits quite as much, though. As an aside, Firestreak was much more basic than Red Top, but also went bang more reliably.
During the Op GRANBY modification circus there were a number of firsts, which was both challenging and great fun. One particular SkyFlash firing involved a weapon-system mode that was classified need-to-know. Unfortunately, OC STCAAME was not on the list, which led to a bit of a Mexican stand-off in the ops room after we landed. He expressed some surprise at the mode the missile had launched in and asked to see the tape. I asked him to confirm the (successful) telemetry results and then, in the face of very robust objection, politely-but-firmly told him that I could not provide him with the tape and that we were leaving. This earned me a mildly-amused-but-supportive lecture in tact and diplomacy from my boss when I got back to Coningsby.
There were a good number of other STCAAME-involved firings, including some quite esoteric stuff, but these took place in the Hebrides with us flying out of Leuchars.
Everyone should know that the slot to get on an MPC is armed photochase. Something always goes wrong with one of the firers and you (nearly) always get in there on the day. Given my tally, it was clear that I had no business being near the firing list when it came to 25 Sqn's MPC. The programmers thought they had sidelined me by relegating me and Baby Nav (now Dreamliner Driver) to armed photochase. Cometh the hour, cometh the snags on start, followed, once airborne, by the second firer's (we were shooting 2 SkyFlash at one target to see the effects on the second missile of the first hitting the target) radar refusing to hold lock. Cue Baby Nav screaming (in the cockpit, not on the radio) at the Second Firer to admit defeat after three radar recycles and hand it over, since the contingency was a double firing!
And lo it came to pass. "Firing, firing, now" followed luxuriously by "firing, firing, now". Two stores away and a double "drop kick" (at least, I think that was the banter). Baby Nav never let the QWIN - for it was indeed he - forget it. I was not forgiven and never allowed (armed) near a firing detail again, but it was totally worth it. As it happens, I was guesting some years later on an F3OEU ASRAAM shoot in Florida, but my reputation preceded me and they refused to let me fly armed as the photochase just in case!
If only my posting hadn't come through before that first Typhoon AIM-120...
Very impressive tally of Missiles fired, no wonder they banned you later! I found the same as a GR1 QWI in Goose/Alaska, not allowed to drop any 1,000pounders but every time I crewed into the spare there would be 8 of the bloody things underneath!
I went through Valley in '87, if I'd known you were giving away pax rides I'd have been over like a shot! I have around half a dozen photos taken on the STCAAME line during your detachment, if you'd like a few copies just give me a shout on
[email protected] Also have a few of 'AQ' which came in on Monday 14.9 but don't know if that was Fynes'ey visiting or your Staish. At the St Athan Air Day in I think '95 the UAS were complaining about the Mess Sec who was an Engineer so we 'transported' his room outside onto the garden. Said Mess Sec came up & was greatly chuffed saying he hadn't seen that done for Years - UNTIL he asked whose room had been transported - YOURS!!!
All the info is much appreciated, many thanks for your time, much appreciated which goes to everyone whose contributed. Best wishes, Taff