Just This Once wrote:
Back in the day of line ops on the GR1 with an inconvenient tailwind for start it was common practice to use a bin lid held near the jet pipe during the early part of the start....
During my (very) brief time on the Buccaneer, having got behind the progress line due to weather, our course was ordered to fly one Saturday morning in November, the exercise being a 'high' level navex, then RTB.... The first crew off reported that the cloudbase was relatively low on take-off, but 'befehl ist befehl' in the eyes of the less-than-cuddly 237 OCU staff and off we all went in turn. On recovery it was hardly surprising that 2 out of the 3 of us didn't see the lights at the adjusted Decision Height we had to use, not actually having IRs on type. So we were diverted to Mildenhall, landing after 40 min IMC off another GCA. The 3rd crew went slightly below DH, saw the lights and landed for the customary bollocking.
At Mildenhall, a bus turned up with some annoyed 237 OCU pilots on board who'd been sent to ferry our 2 jets back. Starting was a bit of an issue as we'd been parked tail to wind, which by the time the ferry crews had arrived had picked up rather...
So the trick was to hold an intake blank behind the jet pipe, wait until LP rotation had stopped, then try a 'normal' start. Sounds good in theory, but as I watched this pantomime there was an almighty roar and a sheet of flame shot out of the starboard jet pipe, reaching back as far as the air brake petal....
But that didn't seem to worry the crew, who were soon on their way back to Honington. No idea what damage that might have done, or whether any comment was made after landing....
