Nice picture of the late lamented XV194, AA62, it being in the proper colour scheme and all!.
It's actually facing the '
right way' as it receives final fuel and the culinary delicacies prepared by Changi Creek - it is the other Ks in the shot that are the wrong way round. This untidy-looking situation arose frequently, due to lack of availability of towing resources (men and tug), and sometimes other (infrequent!) aircraft movements by the Shacks of 205 or the Kiwi vibrators
.
Apparently, and before my time on 48, there was an incident featuring a
very senior squadron pilot that involved the combination of reverse thrust, braking, and a slight downward slope on the far end (number escapes me) parking slot
.
I believe there followed a squadron order?/verbal instruction? to airframe drivers that forbade them from reversing into the squadron dispersal slots - one of the aforesaid gentlemen may enlighten us further. As a result, all aircraft arrived 'nose in' to the slot, and were turned around during the turnround or afterflight servicing.
Tromso:
I don't know the full story regarding the demise of XV194. Tales of a possible asymmetrical reverse situation due to an outboard being out of limits, a crosswind, and a bit of a hoo-hah up front surfaced shortly afterwards.
This aircraft was the Fleet Fatigue Index leader at Lyneham at the time.