Quantum Leap

[Q-RTF-X]

I joined the ATC (rather under age – no uniform for a while) in 1956; I joined the Air Force as a Boy Entrant (still a tad under the usual minimum of fifteen and a half) in 1958 and hit my first operational station in 1960. While a Boy Entrant I remember one of our DI’s, an ex WWII Air Gunner order us to the edge of the square at Cosford to look towards the airfield as a Lincoln roared around the circuit a couple of times (look a real aircraft lads!) while just a short while later I was working on my first squadron with Vulcan (Mk’s 1, 1A, and 2) aircraft. During my first overseas tour I worked on transit servicing where we saw almost every aircraft in the RAF transport inventory (Hastings, Beverly, Britannia and Comet along with Pembroke, Varsity, Devon, Twin Pioneer etc. and also many of the current operational types of the time, the V’s, Javelin, Hunter, Meteor, Shackleton and the like. Canberra’s abounded (five resident squadrons) and accommodation on the base placing some poor souls under canvas to quite new and reasonable, food was pretty poor until one went down town a spent one’s own pennies. Air Defense of the station was in the hands of the Rocks and their 40mm Bofors Guns. Many aircrew were to be seen with an inspiring display of WWII decorations including more than just a few grizzled and wizened Flight Sergeant and Master Aircrew. I witnessed the introduction of Lightning, F4 and Harrier and also Argosy,VC10, Andover and C130. During my service there were huge changes in types of aircraft, equipment and weaponry operated and maintained and also sweeping changes in training practices. I left the Air Force quite a few years ago but have, in various capacities had occasional opportunity to become involved with RAF operations which has to a very small degree allowed me to keep some feel for developments. I’m now retired after a life-time in aviation wearing quite a few different hats and still as enthusiastic about aviation as when I first joined the ATC.

Taking the period from 1945 to present; I would be interested to learn opinions and reasons as to which 15 year (or thereabouts) time block various readers would consider to have provided the most significant “Quantum Leap”, in particular with relation to their own particular specialty. Why am I interested? Well, hopefully, we may have some really interesting posts covering a broad spectrum of experience and, even more hopefully, something that does not slide into a mire of petty squabbling in the process.

[Double Zero]

So, no quantum leaps have actually happened then. Encouraging ! :uhoh:

[Runaway Gun]

Personally for me, and many of my colleagues, the next 15 months are particularly significant...

[Rigga]

Having spent about half of my military career on helicopters from Gazelles to Chinooks and almost the other half on small Planks from Hunters to Tonkas (Ptu!) - the only amazing item I can say I witnessed was how fast a Tonka's Quad Valve assy moved!

Sure, some Fairy gear has improved to meet new threats, but they've hardly lead the way forward, and the RAFs been sold some newish technology but, again, has been slow to take it on.

I saw no "Quantum Leaps" but I did see a great leap in the differences between the 1970's and the 2000's. As you saw, probably, from the 50's to whenever you left.

The RAF/MOD Fleets are still only 20 years behind civvy street - so no change there at all! Some equipment may be newer, but not the aircraft or their standards - an exception being Boeings C-17!

IMO the biggest differences happened after I left for civvy aviation (so it wasnt all my fault!) with some uptake of computers and digital technology (at last!) But again, I'm sure there'll be some rules that'll prevent a free and proper use of even that equipment because of things found on trains, etc. "Punish all because of one" - is still a security mantra everywhere.

[tonker]

How about the ability to blow bad guys up remotely in Afghanistan, and to then go waterskiing on Lake Mead to cool off afterwards. Quite a leap.

[Yellow Sun]

In the 1960s the Royal Aeronautical Society published a book containing a series of papers that reviewed aeronautical progress to date and attempted to provide some indication of the main areas of progress up to the end of the 20th century. Although some writers mentioned progress in electronics none came close to predicting the impact that miniaturisation and digital technology would make.

The examples that I witnessed range from H2S/ASV21 to Searchwater, an almost unimaginable leap in airborne capability. TR1154/55 HF to that fitted in the Airbus, no fiddling, big knobs or trailing aerials, just dial the frequency and communicate. "Coffee Grinder" ADFs to GPS embedded in a Flight Management Computer that can be loaded with a route to just about anywhere in less than 10 minutes. But the biggest change must be Fly By Wire, so much more than just electrical signalling.

Where in the next 50 years? Who knows or would dare to try and predict?

YS

[cazatou]

I would suggest that satellite navigation equipment is a strong contender. The originator of the thread mentioned other nav equipment but when one is hundreds of miles from land at relatively low altitudes your ability to receive is limited.

The first time I crossed the Atlantic non stop was in a Mk1 Andover with Ferry Tanks. We reached 11200 ft in a climbing attitude and it wasn't going any higher or any faster until we had burnt off some more fuel. Total flight time Gander - Abingdon 8hrs 50 minutes. The radar Operator on a Weather Ship asked if we were doing it for a bet!!

[Xam]

I too was in this time frame and to me the bigget quantum leap was the increase in range of new aircraft that eliminated the need for the infamous staging posts and their tours of duty. Naming a few El Adem, Aden, Masirah, Gan. Having experienced all of them, it was a quantum leap in comfort!

[Chugalug2]

I would also cite air-navigation as the most universal quantum leap forward in aviation, civil or military. The Hastings had a sun-gun, a drift sight, an API and a GIVB compass. Armed with these and a Nav Bag full of charts our Navigators plotted their way across endless oceans and inhospitable deserts. All that has been replaced by the box of tricks mentioned in previous posts. The ease of Navigating nowadays (and hence the demise of the Nav) makes it difficult to imagine what a challenging task it was to find your way to your destination or target 50/60 years ago. I believe that is the reason that so many of today's generation believe that bombing cities of whatever nationality by night in WW2 was a deliberate act of "frightfulness". It was in truth the only practical way to conduct mass offensive air operations against an organised opposition until long range escort fighters evened the scales. Even so many failed to find such cities, lacking perhaps the experience needed to meet the challenge that Air Navigation then posed. Experience that all too many were never to gain given the massive loss rate incurred in such operations.

[Lima Juliet]

I think this poster says it all really...
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/eagleeye_poster.jpg
Today's RPAS/UAS are only just the start.

LJ

[dctyke]

How about the Management of Change culture! Taken up with zeal and dropped 2 minutes later when the next guy comes in!

btw, I had Q-RTF-X, happy days choking on ammonia :-)

[cazatou]

Xam

Masirah was luxury compared to Salalah - you didn't get shelled for a start.

[Morf]

I thought a Quantum Leap described the smallest possible change!

[cazatou]

Surely the smallest possible change was a farthing?

[Compressorstall]

The TV series Quantum Leap was about a time travelling scientist who temporarily took the place of other people in time to put right what once went wrong. I feel like I have Quantum Leapt each day I go to work and sit at my desk trying to make sense of things...or perhaps that's just the nature of a staff tour.

[Rigga]

As I said in Post 4:

"Sure, some Fairy gear has improved to meet new threats, but they've hardly lead the way forward, and the RAFs been sold some newish technology but, again, has been slow to take it on."

...fairy gear includes nav gear - and the military following civil developments and practices being introduced on to its "new" aircraft like tornado and nimrod - built as new and equipped with some "new" basic equipment which the MOD then makes it last for the next thirty/fourty years without change.

The only quantum leap's felt would have been through changing aircraft types revealing what was previously accepted as the 'benchmark'.

Agreed, the change from Hastings to Herc must have seemed huge on the day but, no doubt, a Herc still has an 'E2B' somewhere?

[Chugalug2]

Rigga:
..no doubt, a Herc still has an 'E2B' somewhere?

"E2B Compass missing".
"E2B Compass Cover removed. E2B Compass located"
Sorry, Rigga, couldn't resist it. Olden ones and golden ones, eh?
I take your point about the reality of Quantum Leaps only appearing with new aircraft types, and can certainly attest to the culture shock of changing from Hastings to Herc. The point I was trying to make was though that may indeed have pointed up the effect of technology on in this instance Air Navigation it took an even further new aircraft (viz the J) to see the full effect, ie the complete removal of the Nav and his manual Nav Plot. So the Quantum Leap here took three aircraft generations to witness the move from Sextant, Air Position Indicator, Drift Sight, GIVB, Navigator and his Charts, to FMC, GPS and "What's it doing now?".
The E2B as you rightly say has seen it all, that is once its cover has been removed! :ok:

[E L Whisty]

For me, a significant QL would be the advent of Embedded (Computer) Systems. They fundamentally changed the way we interface with an aircraft - not always for the better for people brought up on hard wiring and switches.

Of course, there are very few Quantum Leaps; more, steady evolution. E (C) Ss, for example, could not be dreamt of until programmable computers were developed along with programming languages and coding techniques.

[Blacksheep]

05 August 1977 to 06 August 1977 - from RAF to British Airways. That was my quantum leap. RAF Transports to Civilian. HS748 Series IIe (Andover CCMk2) to B747-200.