Towing Aircraft

[camlobe]

Another one...

After a morning giving the pre-winter MRD training to Trades, Aircraft, Group 1, (engines-J/T and up, riggers and leckies-Sgt and up), camlobe is using a Land Rover Lightweight booked out from MT specifically for towing a Houchin to and from the Blister hangar where the MRD's were housed. However, this was the late '70's, and we still had a mix of RAF and NATO towing pins on the Land Rovers and towing eyes on ground equipment. Sure enough, the Lightweight was NATO and the Houchin was RAF. So, the jaws of the NATO hitch wouldn't fit in the ring of the Houchin. No problem, thinks our self-declared hero. This rope lying around will suffice. Five minutes later, the Houchin is 'secured' to the Lightweight by a method not recognisable by any Boy Scout or matelot. Training finished for the morning, time to return the Houchin camlobe scrounged Camlobe passes through the north gate, waving to the familiar face in the guard post and turns right onto the public road. Due to the incredible amount of shouting and whistling, camlobe decides to stop and investigate. Climbing out of the Landy! camlobe turns round to see...no Houchin. Camlobe's guard mate runs up and uses sign language while he catches his breath. For a couple of seconds, an episode of charades ensues. It turns out, when camlobe turned right onto the public road, the Houchin, now free of restraint, continued onwards in a forward fashion...straight towards one of the lakes popular with fishermen.

The guard deserted his post and assisted camlobe to try and recover the Houchin. Eventually, using the rope to pull the Houchin backwards, the Houchin is recovered to the public road. The guard returned to his post and let through the queue of cars that had built up. Camlobe makes sure of the rope securing and returns the Houchin slowly, after washing off the various bits of mud and undergrowth.

Camlobe is then stopped by the Padre. After a short chat, camlobe offers his services to carry the Padre's firewood collection to the bonfire sight before returning the Lightweight to MT. The bonfire sight is at the bottom of a slope. No problem, thinks our fool of a hero. After driving to the bottom of the slope, camlobe then unloads the firewood. Attempting to drive away back up the slope merely spins the rear wheels. Ahh, well, I'll try four-wheel-drive. Yellow knob depressed, and away we....slip. Ok, Red lever rear wards and that will sort it. Nope. The Lightweight is now covered in...yes, more mud and undergrowth. Walk forever to find a phone, call MT and wait for assistance. After recovery, camlobe washes the Lightweight and returns it to MT. OC MT doesn't get angry with me for my unauthorised trip to assist the Padre. Normally any and all unauthorised trips are automatically chargeable offences. My best guess is OC MT is a religious sort of chap, and possibly feared a bolt of lightning.

So, why did the Landy spin the rear wheels only? Because MT in their wisdom had removed all the front propshafts because the Linies kept breaking them...while towing trains of N2 bottles in four-wheel-drive!

Just another day in a blue suit.

Camlobe