The 1986 RAF Buchan Families Day
Well, it was probably Sunday June 15th 1986 that the Chinook (BV234) appeared at the RAF Buchan Families day.
I clearly recall it as a Sunday, and surely that would be the right day for such an event?
In which case...my logbook shows it was also the day of my 1179 (type rating test) on the 234, G-BISN with Capt Dave Humble. It was not only my first ever flight in the beast, but also the only occasion I ever flew a Chinook on a Sunday so this must be the one, tho I had forgotten it was tacked onto the 1179.
We got a call during the sortie from Abrdeen Radar saying they'd had a request from RAF Buchan to see if there was anything flying that afternoon that could give them a low pass or two to liven up their families day, and we were the only cab airborne. (ABZ operations were on a very gentlemanly routine in those days with no scheduled flying at weekends). We couldn't spend much time on it, but agreed nonetheless. I guess we were not far away, or organised the sortie so we were near Buchan, and the Capt sketched out a plan; fast low pass over the site, pull up into a biiig wingover, reciprocal fast run back, splitarse turn and flare to a 100ft hover over the site, hold it for 10 seconds, then a full power vertical climb to 500ft and a max performance transition away towards ABZ.
In an empty Chinook this is all very impressive stuff involving some pretty radical attitudes. I think Dave was also showing me what the old 234 could do too because there was bugger-all sky in the view as we went over the top of that first wingover. We hauled round in a gloriously thunderous slapping flaring turn to the hover, nose pointing at the sky and as it dropped to the hover attitude I saw all the loose gear on the ground. Picnic tables, chairs, umbrellas, picnics, whole families picknicking everywhere, an ice cream van with a big red and white striped awning, and a row of green canvas field latrines...After we'd stabilised in the hover for a few seconds a thought was forming in my head that this had potential for discomfort on the ground just as the first picknick or nine got airborne. I think Dave realised it too and pulled all the pitch he had which was perhaps not the best idea, and iirc didn't transition away but kept to the briefed vertical climb. (Did we do a 360 yaw in the climb? That would have been typical BV234 showmanship but I don't recall it). I hollered to get out of here fast but by then most items of the families day were dispersing radially beneath us at a surprising rate; entire picknicks and parasols were zooming about like magic carrpets and the ice cream van, awning wrapped over it's roof was visibly rocking on it's wheels. The dunnies went over like ninepins flapping wildly. I remember seeing lots of people spreadeagled face down on the ground, arms protecting their heads from the carnage of the family day that was hurtling past at face height!
As I recall we rather slunk into Aberdeen and adopted a low profile as we disposed of the flight paperwork and were actually scuttling towards the door of the Ops room whan Fraser (the ops manager) called after us " Dave! I've got Group Captain Crabfat, CO of RAF Buchan on the line; he'd like a word!"
Dave turned a little green and went slowly back to the desk, I could almost hear his brain turning in overdrive but there was no escape. Oh sh!t! Now we're for it. Dave spoke his name, listened with what I can only describe as a stricken look on his face, and then slowly broke out a shaky disbelieving grin.
The CO had apparently told him, "Damn good show chaps, well done! Made the day, don'cha know!"
Bless him, he was either blissfully unaware of the disaster we'd so rudely visited on his families day or was a master of forebearing, tact and diplomacy.
And that was the last we ever heard of it.
(told as accurately as 25 yrs of faulty memory allows, but that's the bones of the event. Thanks to excrewingbod for reminding me!)
ps. of all the machines I've flown before or since the BV234 was the one I remember the fondest, and the one I'm proudest to have flown, and the one I'd most like to fly again.
Last edited by Agaricus bisporus; 16th July 2010 at 22:33.