Apologies for the slight gap in updates on our project, Christmas and other distractions etc I'm afraid
Well I had better start where things left off when we had our successful Dusk Run back in December! The event was well attended and almost went to plan completely apart from a couple of 'tech' issues...
Firstly we had an embarrassing lighting failure despite checks having been made before the run. The portable generator decided it would be a good time to cut-out just as the lights were needed! We feared the worst for all the photographers, but having seen the results afterwards online - it actually gave some additional bonus atmosphere with photos taken with and then without lighting
Of course we will try better next time and maybe incorporate the split as a planned occurence rather than a total surprise to our crew
The second issue occured nearly at the end of the run itself, when shortly after some 'smoke or mist' was observed from the starboard inner engine / undercarriage bay area; some rather odd comms were passed between myself outside at the end of the long lead, and our onboard crew. I was being told that flaps were being selected down..... nothing happened outside? Try again...... nothing? Ok, try the bomb doors then.... again - nothing moved? I'm sure the onboard crew were convinced I needed a trip to a certain Opticians, but I told them I knew what flaps and bomb doors looked when they moved, and they weren't. Luckily for us, our ex-8 Sqn engineer was onboard, and promptly requested the old standard hydraulic system check - turn the wipers on! Outside, I thought he had gone mad by then
I mean, firstly I'm accused of not seeing large moving metal surfaces, and then I hear they are going to put the windscreen wipers on!!!
The reality of this rather funny moment is that the Shackleton has no hydraulic gauge fitted, so the foolproof method to find out if you actually have any system pressure is to switch on other hydraulic circuits. There aren't many on a Shackleton, but windcreen wipers are one of them! And they failed to work too....
We knew then that we had a hydraulic issue, which coupled with the observed cloud of vapour only minutes before, meant further investigation would be needed after engine shut down.
On closer inspection under torchlight (it was very dark by this time), the oil residue over the entire undercarriage bay was plain to see, and the source quickly became apparent when we all looked up! A small pipe coupling right by the hydraulic hand pump had fractured, dispensing some of the system contents all around.
Luckily we have some highly skilled local engineers on our team, and a repair was sorted quite effectively and with relative ease along with some lateral thinking. Once the pipe was back in place and the system topped up and bled, we were back in business! Other winter maintenance has been the usual multitude of preventative maintenance such as lubrications and cleaning, and when time permits some of the team have continued the swapping over of our MR2 reverse engineering with the reinstallation of the Nav Plotting Table. Our ex-8 Sqn Chief Engineer has promised that we will be seeing the return of some repaired electrical items very shortly, which he assures us will bring back a healthy ignition system on one engine which had been causing a minor concern recently. But very soon we will be ramping up the work to prepare our Old Grey Lady for her forthcoming season, and for that, we need to awaken her from her winter slumber!
We have several events in the pipeline already, the first of which is our appropriately named "Valentine Ground Run" taking place on Saturday 13th Feb! We love the old girl, and we would like you all to share in that love too! By treating her nicely, she does behave
And what better way to blow off the cobwebs and make some more of that infamous Griffon Growl
Following that first ground run, our team have been planning to fulfil a promise made after we taxied 963 around Coventry last year, and this year we're back doing more of these! Only this time, we are able to take paying passengers onboard for the taxy runs too!!!!
Our first taxy run is scheduled for Saturday April 9th, and our Chairman has endorsed a special price package for this taxy run only, with limited places available onboard, so book early!!!
And finally for now, some important changes have taken place at Coventry Airport since last year, which have meant we had to change slightly too! With the closure of Airbase, we are now under the watchful eye of the airport authorities directly, and are now considered to be on the 'live' side of the airfield. The existing fenceline around us will soon be no more, and because of the security implications of being on a operational airfield, we have made some changes to the way we operate in order to satisfy the airport's requirements. This has meant that we have now changed to specific planned Guided Tour dates throughout the season, with intended visitors recommended to contact us to book a place beforehand. We have to meet & greet all visitors now, and escort them airside at all times. To achieve that without planning ahead would be problematic for our small team of volunteers as we also need to plan our schedule of work too. The guided tours are available in two options nowadays, and all the information needed is on our website pages of course. We are building on the successes of previous years, and looking to the future at all times! The team acknowledge the huge support we have been getting from far and wide, and with recent publicity enhancing our profile, we aim to show everyone what we can do now, and what we can achieve for the future - a return to flight of course!
Lastly, here are a couple of posters for the forthcoming events - and please check our website for much more information on all of our plans!
Thank you for your continued support
Pete Buckingham
Publicity Officer
Shackleton Preservation Trust
Shackleton Preservation Trust - Shackleton Preservation Trust
Valentine Ground Run Poster 2 by
Pete Buckingham, on Flickr
Taxy Run Poster by
Pete Buckingham, on Flickr