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View Full Version : Last Buccanneer to leave Lossie


stbd beam
22nd Aug 2007, 13:07
I watched a low loader being fitted with a Buccaneer yesterday at Lossie (had been left in a dusty hangar!), destined for a museum in Dublin apparently. I haven't had chance to research it yet but the guy said it was the last one to leave the Ark Royal and the last one to leave GW1 - nose art still in place (repainted?) and still in desert pink. T'was a sad occasion and I just happened to have my camera - can anyone host them for me .... [email protected].
SB

db16
22nd Aug 2007, 13:10
I saw the NA39 as a PPL trainee in '58 overhead Brough

Al R
22nd Aug 2007, 17:35
stbd,

Send them to me.

MINself
22nd Aug 2007, 20:41
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff16/hawk010/100_0158.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff16/hawk010/100_0160.jpg

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff16/hawk010/100_0159.jpg

Could this be the venerable aircraft you are refering to?

I had the pleasure of sharing a HAS with this Buccaneer in early 2004 whilst at Lossie on a JMC, the 12x12s they accommodated us in were a bit chilly :{

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff16/hawk010/100_0156.jpg

but it beat digging in on SPTA :ok:

Sorry about the pics being out of focus, must have had the shakes from the cold!
MS

guinnessplease
23rd Aug 2007, 01:18
Lots of stories about Bucks as groundcrew ! Probably best kept secret !:ok:

PerArdua
23rd Aug 2007, 09:34
Last time I was at Lossiemouth I am sure the Sea Witch was the Gate Guard, just after they destroyed the Gannet and Shack and removed the Bucc S1 from the old gate and built the MacD's Drive through. Am I correct?

PA

Al R
23rd Aug 2007, 14:48
Some might remember Op Pulsator. I stood on a CVR(T) as one came ashore, and it was as near as dammit, level with me. There was a video as I remember, with the jets snotting Beirut at quite low level.

Ewan Whosearmy
23rd Aug 2007, 14:58
Back in the day... Debbie ws much hotter back then!

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/pics/gulfwar/bucs/Buccaneer%20S.2B%20XV863%20'S'%20Sea%20Witch.jpg

More here: http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/pics/gulfwar/gwbucs.htm

AR1
23rd Aug 2007, 15:35
Whats the partly dismantled aircraft behind the Bucc - Tornado?

Variable Trim
23rd Aug 2007, 15:54
Sea Witch used to be the Gate Guardian at Lossie back in 97, I wondered where she'd gone to. Is the one still at the Buccaneer garage on the Elgin/Lossie Road ?

teeteringhead
23rd Aug 2007, 16:15
Saw her parked at the TeBay services on the M6 about 10 this morning as I was driving south from Spade.
Looked very sad on a low loader :( ..... I took a quick piccy which I may try and upload later.....
Edited to add piccy: Lovely sky though!
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e253/teeteringhead/BuccM6.jpg

cornish-stormrider
23rd Aug 2007, 16:52
Sea Witch Debbie was still on Guard duty when I left ISL in 2002, poor cow. She must have been soooo bored

Snapshot
23rd Aug 2007, 17:34
Forgetting the policies and whatever, its SO sad Lossie didnt keep that icon
on show as a proud statement to history and all things that she represented!:(

corsair
16th Feb 2008, 12:33
These photos were taken a few days ago at Weston Airport in Dublin. Debbie sits happily if rather incongrously on the flight line surrounded lots of light aircraft, bizjets and helicopters. No sign of the museum just yet.

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/6445/p2120218st5.jpg

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/3277/p2120219hz4.jpg

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/2526/p2120220qd1.jpg

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/9908/p2120217cv4.jpg

rafmatt
16th Feb 2008, 15:55
The aircraft was taken apart by Edwards worldwide avaition
for a private collector in Dublin.
Tonka has also now been moved to a diffrent place but i do not know where.

The hanger has now got a DC3 (drag em oot) housed in there undergoing winter maintance.

rafmatt
16th Feb 2008, 15:58
There is now a Tonka on Gate guard and there is a Buccaneer at the buccaneers garage hence the name.

I belive it was moved by being towed down the road to the garage

moggiee
16th Feb 2008, 22:30
stbd beam - I'll host them for you - I've sent an email.

Lower Hangar
17th Feb 2008, 02:57
Yes -but whats the tail number ???

Sgt.Slabber
17th Feb 2008, 08:47
The aircraft at the Bucc service station, on Lossie Road in Elgin, is I think XW530 (XV530? - don't have my cabbage book of numbers to hand). Was "HF - Harry Fox" on 12 Sqn, Usually roled in the CM - TV Martel fit. ISTR ripping CBLS and TVATs off it and loading 1000lb slicks on the door and DPL with Live TV Martels on many a generation exercise, including the infamous "Raft-Race Taceval" mentioned in the "Pull up a sandbag...." thread. Happy days...NOT!

Slabb.

Edit to confirm XW530 - from Bucc Cabbage site -

Link:

http://www.blackburn-buccaneer.co.uk/S2B_XW530_files/0_S2B_XW530.html

Ogre
18th Feb 2008, 01:04
Just want to put in my little piece and pay credit to the bloke who painted some of the nose art. When GW1 was on and the Buccs flew out, the original nose art was painted by a bloke called Kenny Letham, who was a rigger on 208 when I was there. In those days all the jets were named after distilleries.

Kenny was a fantastic artist, and was in great demand painting lineys ear defenders with scenes including scantily clad but very well armed women.

Lower Hangar
18th Feb 2008, 02:10
Yes but what was the tail number of the Bucc at Tebay -now Dublin ??

Lynxman
18th Feb 2008, 08:28
The last Buccaneer to leave Ark Royal was XV863 on 27th Nov 1978. Pilot was Flt Lt R Philips and the observer was Lt Cdr KD MacKenzie. The aircraft eventually became Sea Witch and is the Buccaneer in question, now the last Buccaneer to leave Lossie.

Sgt.Slabber
18th Feb 2008, 09:11
Lower Hanger

XV863

http://www.blackburn-buccaneer.co.uk/Buccaneer_Index.html

and

http://www.blackburn-buccaneer.co.uk/S2_XV863_files/0_S2_XV863.html

Pleased to be of service :ok: :ok:

johnfairr
18th Feb 2008, 09:14
As a totally pointless snippet of information, I trained with Ken McKenzie at RAF Finningley in 1973, when I was an ab initio Nav stude, and he and Keith Tatman were on exchange to the RAF, having already done tours as lookers in Sea Kings.

They were an absolute breath of fresh air to the staid training establishment that was Nav School. I learnt more about being an officer from Keith than I ever learned from equivalent RAF mates.

One incident stands out when the PMC (from memory, a W/C Admin, ex-pilot called M*j*r, as in Catch-22) noticed that at 7:01pm one evening, both RN chaps appeared to be out of dress order. Keith and Ken re-appeared 5 minutes later, dressed in No 5's which was apparently Red Sea Rig and told a bemused PMC that this was the correct rig for the time of day in the RN. Collapse of stout PMC and much chortling by many studes . . .

Ken went to Honnington for RAF Bucc training and Keith to Conningsby for F-4s, with me, and he eventually ended up on 31 Sqn at Bruggen, where the pilot he'd been crewed with on the OCU, managed to take off in more Naval Style than is deemed necessary, his wings folding as he rotated. The old adage "Don't Assume, Check" reared its ugly head at the BoI.

I believe Ken was also, as a secondary duty, a clearance diver.

Happy days!

jf

moggiee
18th Feb 2008, 13:33
The original posters pics are available here (including afew of a partly dis-membered Tornado which slipped in somehow). There are 37 pics, all fairly large (so I had to place them on Photobucket, not my server):

[Last Buccaneer pics link] (http://s255.photobucket.com/albums/hh123/buccaneer-pics/)

Samples:
http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh123/buccaneer-pics/LSBuccaneer1.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh123/buccaneer-pics/LSBuccaneer10.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh123/buccaneer-pics/LSBuccaneer2.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh123/buccaneer-pics/LSBuccaneer28.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh123/buccaneer-pics/LSBuccaneer37.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh123/buccaneer-pics/LSBuccaneer24.jpg

http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh123/buccaneer-pics/LSBuccaneer16.jpg

themightyimp
18th Feb 2008, 21:30
Many thanks all - brought back memories of many a happy day at Lossie working on Buccaneers :D

tucumseh
18th Feb 2008, 21:42
Some great pictures there.

Another useless piece of tat. The MoD Vs Ferranti golf trophy is constructed from a Blue Parrot radar component. I recall Ferranti tended to field a team of scratchers, but the last time it was played for MoD prevailed with help from the resident RAF team. Somewhere in MoD sits a fine trophy.......

Lower Hangar
19th Feb 2008, 04:01
Yes -thanks for all that good stuff- is that the AN/ALE 40 dispenser fitted aft of the hook ?? ( see piccies above)

Riskman
20th Feb 2008, 19:12
AR

Whats the partly dismantled aircraft behind the Bucc - Tornado?

Yes - radome, maxi-skirt, canopy and fin removed hence the odd shape and the engines must be out to account for the extreme nose-down attitude.

moggiee
20th Feb 2008, 20:02
Click on the blue "Buccaneer pics link" link in my post #26 and you'll see more of the Tornado.