Salalah Photos

[bushveld]

I have been in Salalah for the last couple of days, doing some work for Oman Air and the Oman government.
There are big plans for airport expansion, and work is due to begin mid-year, with a 4000m runway etc. (Good grief). My 2 days in Salalah this week - the first for 39 years since I was seconded there in 1970 as a "know nothing" Plt Off - were fantastic. Sadly, my photo records of 1970 are almost nil.

The Director of the airport is very keen to get some photos of Salalah in the late 60's and into the 70's. Clearly, most of the activity then was military.

With the expansion of the airport, the entire airport community remembers the RAF's involvement and contribution there with fond memories, so if anyone has photos of RAF Salalah in times past, please dig them out and post. I will make sure they will get to the Airport Director.
Thanks.

[WorkingHard]

I hope we see them on here Bushveld. I was last there in 1971 and not a single photo of mine survives of Salalah, Masirah, Muharraq, or Sharjah

[Cornerstone958]

Hi
The best I can do for you is to direct you to 55FST (sorry no idea how to post a link). Photo's stories from both the RAMC & RAF related to the medic's time there which may be of interest.
Regards
CS:ok:

[ARINC]

Thummers any good..

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircrew/243901-extreme-low-level-operations-exercises-3.html#post4734459

[moony]

Did a 2 week detachment from Masirah to Salalah in early 1971, will try and find some snaps.

[endplay]

Bushveld,

Google Salalah 1972 and look at the Rockape site (The Desert Song). You'd need permission of course but I doubt that it would be refused. I was there from Mar to Nov 72 on GRSF and have some great memories (rekindled after visiting the aforementioned site) but no pics of any merit. I look forward to any incoming (photographs that is)

[brakedwell]

bushveld,
I took this photo at Salalah in 1965 while on 105 sqn Argosies in Aden. I vaguely remember the "new" Beavers and the Provost were being ferried from Aden to Bait al Falaj, Muscat. We were on a scheduled RSM (Ryan, Salalah, Masirah).

http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/sedgwickjames/aviation/Beaver.jpg

[Dengue_Dude]

I do remember landing there in 1975 in a crud and custard Herc, (one of our last trips) and the co-pilot hammered it in because he hadn't noted the reduced width of the runway and thought he was a lot higher than he (we thought). The aspect did look wrong compared with a 'normal' width runway.

We used to fly amongst other stuff, fresh water down from Masirah I seem to remember. We went to Thumbrait afterwards to pick up a pallet of bananas and four rusty 1,000 lb bombs - reckoned if we blew up, we'd be the biggest banana split in Creation!

Ah, nostalgia's not what it used to be!

[4PON4PIN]

If you sit on the beach at Salalah
There's no land between you and Antarctica......

Will dig out some pics but will have to scan them. How long before SAILOR VEE makes a post!? Both there '77-'81 ish. Most memorable times.:ok:

[Basil]

Regrettably no pictures but was there in an Argosy in 1971 and then in a TriStar in 1983. Main differences: in 1983 there was a runway and no one had mortared the place for a while :ok:

[Brewern]

I was the SATCO at Salalah from Oct 70 to Aug 71 and I have a small collection of photos of the airfield, based aircraft, visiting aircraft etc. How can I help?

[Sailor Vee]

How long before SAILOR VEE makes a post!?Not until after June! Didn't bring any of my pikkies with me when I returned to Oman last October! Will dig some out when on leave, in the meantime may I present the range behind the Beavers, unfortunately the civvies decided it had to go in about 1982! Yours truly in chinese safety boots and sporting a double chin!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v616/SailorVee/zaaaap.jpg

[bushveld]

Many thanks to all. Brewern, could you PM me and perhaps you could send pics by email?
I'll take a few pics of Salalah now - just a few changes from the 70's!

[Bro]

I have great memories of my time flying Strikemasters and Beavers with SOAF in 1970/71, unfortunately my phototgraphs have faded to nothing. I would love to see what others might come up with though.

[Basil]

Brewern,
We lobbed in and out in an Argosy on 5th April 1971.
We were told that you'd been recently mortared. Any truth in the tale?

[Brewern]

Yes, We did have the odd exciting evening/night - but none more so than when one of your ARDET Argosy ac went u/s and there was a chance that the cast of the visiting Combined Services Entertainment show would have to stay overnight. Unfortunately, an over eager engineer fixed it and they all flew away leaving all the all-male RAF folk and our SOAF colleagues very disappointed!

[Fokkerwokker]

Used to go there 74/75 and certainly remember a couple of Strikeys launching 'up' the approach path in response to some urgent biz in the hills. Bit disconcerting for a young chappie in his 'Friendly Fokker' at 3 miles finals :eek:

IIRC cameras were very much 'verboten' by the local snowdrops which is why I suspect I have no pics of Salalah in my Gulf collection.

Well remember the NDB approach, over the sea, to the sand runway during the monsoon.....character building stuff :}

If you have any then bring on the pics!

Happy Daze

FW

[endplay]

Anyone remember the words of the adoo song? I can only recall the first bit of the chorus "Oh the adoo is a rebel and he lives up in the Jebel".

I do remember when I had a memory - vaguely!

[Brewern]

30 photos of Salalah airfield sent to Bushveld this week. Hope he's got the know-how to give all those interested access.

Interesting one for you of Sultan Qaboos arriving for his first visit as head of State - in an F-27.

[octavian]

I have very happy memories of my time at OOSA during 1975. Best I go digging in the archives, although I suspect that the fading bug may have hit Octavian's piccies too.

[nipva]

Bushveld,
I have PM'd you - some photos from '73 available.

[brakedwell]

Bushveld, I have found another 1964/6 photo taken at the same time as my first one, showing our Argosy.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/sedgwickjames/LocalAskariguardSalalah.jpg

[rtewalker]

Willie Hacket and Pep wrote the Salalah song, available on Britains Small Wars.
GRSF now there's a thing.

[bushveld]

Thanks so much to all who have either PM'd or posted. I have forwarded all pics to the airport boss of Salalah airport, who is over the moon with the response.
I intend to travel there next week and will post pics of Salalah now.
Thanks again for the memories.

[Brewern]

Can't see any of the other folks' Salalah photos yet.

[dagama]

Did a few Herc (from LYE) LCRA-OOSA-OOMA runs in the early 70s. Had to fly through the night to land early morning to mitigate the jebel activity. Maintained high alt until over the sea and carried out the NDB approach to 35. If the sea swell was up then lost sight of the R/W at the critical height but carried on regardless as the sandy R/W and threshold came in sight after crossing the coast. Parked in a revetment of oil drums to minimise the damage in case the morters were lobbed at the airfield. In bound cargo was food and mail and anythihg else to bulk out the hold

Quick offload/onload and a t/o on 17 to hot foot it to Masirah for crew rest and a few tinnies of Charlie Gold. Stayed in a 40-man room with blacked out windows and a motley collection of transiting crews. Hardly any rest and a night flight to Akrotiri overflying Iran and Turkey (part of the CENTO route). Deep joy.

[Airborne Aircrew]

Bushveld:

Funny... You post asking for pictures today and a mate on Rocknet posting this web site today...

http://www.omanrafveterans.org (http://www.omanrafveterans.org/)

[piggybank]

Good memories of Salalah in 1973. My pictures are still in a stored hard drive and no way yet to get them out. There is a site Britain's Small Wars that is worth a look.

[cyclic35]

Parked in a revetment of oil drums to minimise the damage in case the morters were lobbed at the airfield.

Overheard R/T between visiting small, two seat Rotary Wing wishing to park next to the firing range and an unidentified pilot. "Will my machine get mortared if I leave it here?" asked the heli pilot. Anonymous reply . . . "I don't care how much it gets mortared, it won't grow any bigger."

There was nothing more amusing than observing a marshaller trying to persuade a hovering Chinook to move away from open office windows and the open doors of a hangar where the fitters were removing the engine from a Strikemaster. The things you see when a video camera is not available.

[Fareastdriver]

Salalah? Chinook?????????

[teeteringhead]

Salalah? Chinook????????? Imperial Iranian ones were there in 1975, when the Shah was alive and on our side!

Nothing else could lift the 5.5 guns to the border to shell Hauf .....

[Fareastdriver]

I stand corrected.:O

[teeteringhead]

...and I might just have a piccie of one - must have lots of Salalah somewhere (shed? garage? loft? - wait 'til I retire!) from '73 to '75 .....

[John Seccombe]

Everything seems to have changed in 1972.
In 70/71 we never made use of Askari guards.
There were only 75 of us including two officers.
There were no roads. Taylor Woodrow were in the process of building the roads, harbour and hospital.
I controlled the MT which involved mine sweeping the Resuit road on a regular basis.
I have a few black and white snaps including my favourite of my three Salalah Pin ups, three 10 to 12 year old girls who caused quite a stir at the time, as the law forbade the taking of their image. Camera and film confiscated by the head Whali. Returned to me later when the new Sultan rescinded the old archaic laws.

[brakedwell]

An Askari guard was always present when I passed through Salalah during my time on 105 Sqn in 1964-66. In fact one old man shot a hole in the wing of my Argosy while standing under it fingering the trigger of the Martini Henri rifle slung on his shoulder. Fortunately the bullet didn't hit anything important so we made Masirah before they closed the bar!

[hval]

Bushveld,
When the R.A.F. Regiment depot was at R.A.F. Catterick the museum had access to a number of photographs from Salalah.

Might I suggest contacting R.A.F. Honnington (the current Regiment depot)?

[fincastle84]

Sadly no photos but I remember lots of fly bys in 1970-71 from both Sharjah & Masirah in our 210 Sqn Shacks.