MPN11 (#8694),
...1. Whilst I accept your perspective on the working environment...
That was the major factor in our dread of an Area Radar posting !
... as opposed to a horde of Leeming JPs going round the circuit[s] day after day...
We had our moments of excitement (as a Master Airfield) all the same. Offhand I remember the day (1971) of the Wingate Vulcan (although it was all over when I came on watch after lunch), when a burning Vulcan was coming down from the North, the Captain had baled-out all the back office people, and announced his intention of trying to get the stricken aircraft down at Leeming. Of course we had cleared the "horde" of JPs away, and all the Crash Crews and ambulances were out with engines running, everything was teed-up, and the Top Tower was filling up with the Top Brass.
But he could not put the fire out, pointed it out at the North Sea (only a few miles to the East); both pilots banged-out. Then the Vulcan had other ideas, went into a wide left hand descending spiral and impacted near (but mercifully not
on) a school at Wingate. There were (miraculously) no casualties (Google it, take first item on menu):
"crash of Vulcan XM610 - neam.co.uk
www.neam.co.uk/wingate.html"
Then there was the day when the C-in-C of Maintenance Command left Catterick (still in use as an airfield then) in his Comm Flt Pembroke. They got up to about half way to Leeming, then an engine failed. Put out a Pan, and (obviously) chose Leemimg. Again we'd told the JPs to go away and play somewhere else (or land at Dishforth [our RLG] if fuel short), and made all ready.
Pembroke landed safely. Nav came up to ATC to complete formalities. "
What's with the donk ?", asked him affably. (This shows advantage of having Old Hairy pilots in ATC - he would bridle at such a question from a wingless youth or girl, but it was quite acceptable from me). "
Lost oil pressure ?" I added...."
Lost a pot!", he tersely replied. Indeed they had, a whole Leonides cylinder had blown off, gone through the aircraft like a six-inch shell, but done no other harm (don't think it's ever been found). What the C-in-C (I think we put him on the train) said about Maintenance when he got back home is not recorded.... Never a dull moment ! - and don't get me started on the Night of the UFO (that never was). It's all on this Thread.
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..I always understood that the flt lt instructors took turns in 'leading' a Course...
Don't think so in my time (if so, they never asked
me) I just gave my lectures, orchestrated "Mocks", mentored named students (I don't think I "lost" a single one), and tried to keep out of the way of Group Captain W*****e !
...3 x Flt Lt...1 x Plt Off...9 x MACR/WO [of which 3 were either recoursed or RTU]...
A small Course indeed ! (did the Instructors outnumber you?). The new boys/girls must just have started coming in. Interesting that old aircrew should fail; this chimes exactly with my own experience. Perhaps they were
too old by then. I came to the Branch at age 33, and the great bulk of entrants then would be around that. In '65, I would be 44.
More thoughts on Point 1 of your #8682, but that will have to wait till later.
Cheers, Danny.