The brand new Harrier was to be demonstrated at Farnborough, and two Wessex from 72 Sqn were going to ‘resuply’ the Harrier in the field. One carried an underslung netted load simulating ammunition, and the other carried an underslung APFC (aka bollock) full of Avtur for the Harrier. On the show preview day laid on for the press I was crewman of the fuel carrier, and as the pair of Wessex hover taxied along Farnborough’s disused runway my pilot transmitted a radio call on the cargo release button!
The APFC fell clear but no problem, these APFCs are designed to be air dropped … but not cluttered with chains and slings … and it burst scattering some 500 gallons of Avtur on the runway.
The display was being watched by AOC 38 Group, Micky Martin of Dambusters fame. Quite naturally he expressed a desire to speak to the crew of the offending Wessex and suggested we used two 8 foot strops in parallel for safety! When we explained this wouldn’t work he suggested we filled the APFC with water instead of Avtur. Too heavy, even with Avtur the Wessex was struggling, so for the remaining display days we used an APFC part filled with water then blown into shape with compressed air.
After an interview with the AOC and a bollicking from our Squadron Commander we thought that was the end of it, until it became apparent that the tarmac we had destroyed was some special stuff they had laid for braking trials, and the damage ran into tens of thousands of pounds. The enquiry was reopened and when asked what I had said on the intercom when the load fell off, “Fuggin’ ‘ell, Ronnie!” was transcribed as “I informed my pilot that the load had inadvertently released”.
The icing on the cake came when a friend told me he had been taking a photo of the two Wessex just as the APFC fell off. The APFC can be seen under the leading Wessex, and if you look really close you can see the 8 foot strop still attached.