View Full Version : leeming taxis
See there's an ad in this week's flight for a 7 day a week, 365 day a year shuttle between LI and CY for 4 bodies + bags.
Day's long gone by the RAF would have been able to do it by themselves. Still, I suppose they're lucky they're not doing it in a 4 tonner.
Still be fun on grotty winter days. Don't nag the spotty kid on the left, and don't ask to sit at the front. :}
Runaway Gun
3rd Sep 2003, 22:19
And if you do sit at the front, don't look at the instruments. Considering some of the Civvy Bashing that's been going on these pages of late, it'll be a brave FJ guy to hop on board this taxi for Q duty !! Tehehehehaha :p
My copy begins, "The RAF intended to place a contract for the provision of an air charter . . . . " Is STC having second thoughts, or is someone at Wycombe having trouble with his tenses? Having read it, only thanks to ORAC's post, I think I should just pass my small-font eye test at the next medical, if nothing else.
What a shame they did away with "Station Hacks". They were really useful in more ways than one and cheap to operate.
Gainesy
4th Sep 2003, 20:45
Hmmm, Seem to remember a fleet of RAF light twins to ferry V-Force crews about called the er, Beagle, BEagle?
Beeayeate
4th Sep 2003, 22:45
26 Sqn. In the early/mid 70s at Wyton. Ground attack Devons and Bassets (Beagles),
Good sqn , great blokes, easy a/c, lots of NAVEX to places like Jersy (for ??), Machrihanish (for fish), Benbecula, Northolt (Northolt?)
Strangely, the Bassets were supposed to move V-crews around to their extended QRA sites. Poor little things couldn't lift off with a V-crew + kit aboard though :{ so they became taxis for the brass at Brampton. The hyd entry steps were a rigger's nightmare, waaay overdesigned.
Loved the Devons though. :ok:
Dan Winterland
5th Sep 2003, 16:46
Not suprised they had problems getting airborne considering the size of the average V Bomber crew member :D (Self included there!)
The re-introduction of the station hack sounds a grand idea. It would be very handy for civilian IRs.
Beeayeate
5th Sep 2003, 18:51
Right DanW! Not going to comment on "bigness" of V crew, except to say that there must have been some reason for Cranberrie jockeys to have to move onto Vulcs! :}
That and the fact "they" cut about three or so inches off the tips of the props to allow the Bassett to operated on grass! But I reckon it was the hydraulic entrance steps package that added to the overweight probs. :hmm: Apart from the fact that the Bassett couldn't fulfil it's role, it was a nice little kite, perfect for a brass taxi.
As you say, re-intro of station hacks would be good, a lot of Chippies and Canberra T.4s were used in this way. But, these days the "hack" would have to be multi-role. Ground attack Chipmunks! (There was a PR version after all :) )
Runaway Gun
5th Sep 2003, 20:18
Maybe that could be a use for some of the older Hawks that the new 128's will replace.
aviate1138
8th Sep 2003, 03:18
"Apart from the fact that the Bassett couldn't fulfil it's role, it was a nice little kite, perfect for a brass taxi."
Often see one in the Boscombe Down circuit. Along with the odd Dakota and Harvard. Modern stuff!
B J
Based at Old Sarum
PICKS135
8th Sep 2003, 03:48
I might be missing something here but if 'Auntie Betty' and Bliar are both using British Airways'. Then WTF are 32 Sqn doing all day? Surely the poor soul going to sit and allegedly watch porn vids all day deserve a bit of comfort. Or why not get the dominies at Cranwell to do the Job.
The kicker is the 7/365. Work out the cost of opening their home base every day to do the trip including ATC, fire, met.... That doesn't take into account operating costs including positioning. Cheaper to put it out to contract to an air taxi company.