Local/Casevacs
Two flights always spring to mind, both involving the TOS at Buraimi. On the first occasion the CO at the fort asked me (unofficially) to take one of his corporals back to Sharjah to celebrate his son's first birthday. We landed in the early evening and retired to the mess. The following day rumours of a murder spread around the camp. It turned out to be true and the TOS corporal from Buraimi had commited the crime. Apparently he arrived home to find his wife being pleasured by a neighbour. In a fit of rage he set fire to the barasti hut. Both adults and his child died in the fire. At the trial he pleaded guilty and was cleared of killing his wife and her lover, but guilty of killing an innocent child. For this he was sentenced to death by burning! After considerable diplomatic pressure the Sheikh agreed to commute the death sentence and allow the corporal to serve a life sentence in a Bahrain jail.
On the second occasion we flew down to Muscat early on a Sunday morning and returned via Ibrii at lunchtime. During the climb out of Ibri the starboard engine started misfiring for several minutes before settling down again. After landing a magneto check confirmed one mag was dead and there was no spare available. The Sharjah Fete was getting under way so after a quick change we headed for the beer tent! Two hours later I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see the Stn Cdr and MO looking serious. He asked me how I felt. "Fine,"I said. "Then get down to sick quarters and drink as much coffee as you need to sober up because you have to pick up a casevac from Buraimi. The doc is going with you and will brief you in sick quarters."
The situation was serious. A Rock Cobra had bitten the TOS Squadron Sergeant Major on his middle finger as he went to hang up a hurricane lamp in his room. The doc explained that the snake bite sarum stocked at Sharjah was a mixture to cover bites from three indigenous snakes, Sand Crites, Russell's Vipers and Rock Cobras. Because of this the effectiveness was reduced. I told the MO that the aircraft was unserviceable with a magneto problem and asked him what would happen if we didn't fly to Buraimi. Without the serum he will die and he will need specialist treatment at The American Hospital in Dubai if he is still alive when we get back, was the reply. We took off very late in the afternoon and landed at Buraimi as the sun was setting. The doc injected the patient and decided not to move him until the serum took effect. Unfortunately the sergeant major deteriorated and couldn't be moved. A couple of hours later the doc decided the only hope of saving the man was to get him into hospital asap. We took off in the dark and kept climbing while both engines were running normally. At 8000 feet the lights on the coast became visible on the horizon and I was forced to throttle back as the engines were overheating. The starboard engine gave several loud bangs as it cut in and out, then stopped. We continued towards Sharjah in a shallow descent and landed without further drama. The Sergeant Major was rushed to hospital in a very bad way, but eventually made a full recovery. Unfortunately, the beer tent was closed!
Last edited by brakedwell; 7th Feb 2013 at 05:51.