Global Aviation Magazine : 60 Years of the Hercules

[DeanoP]

Brian,
Thanks for that but the mind boggles! I stand corrected. I was obviously hiding in a cupboard!

[bingofuel]

I am curious, what did the co pilot solo consist of? Was it a few circuits, a navex or even a short route leg?

I assume the co did a left hand seat checkout first, but maybe not!

[Brian 48nav]

As I explained above, the instructor was in the RH seat and the 'co-pilot' he was checking in the LH seat. If all went well the instructor did a 'crew-change' with another co-pilot who took his place in the RH seat.
My logbook shows we were airborne for 30 minutes, so just a few circuits, maybe a PAR or ILS ( I can't remember, but doubt it! ), no practising any 3 engined stuff, possibly a 4 engined go-around/overshoot.
That would be the last time the co flew in the captain's seat until he returned for a captain's course some 2 and a half years later.

[Tommy Tipee]

Adding to Brian's explanation above, on the early OCU courses, all pilots flew in the left hand seat on their instructional trips.

Unlike traditional pilot training, the co pilot solo occurred well over half way through the course (I had about 45 hours on type when I did mine), and it consisted of three circuits. The first two were rollers (touch and go in modern parlance), finishing with a full stop landing.

Co pilots learned their right hand seat flying when their trainee captain was doing his solo exercises and they were carrying out the co pilot duties.

At the end of the course, our log books were endorsed as "1st pilot Day Only/Co Pilot".

Those of us who were lucky enough to ferry our aircraft out to Changi got
plenty of practice at straight and level (ish) flying, as the autopilot had not yet been cleared for use by Handling Squadron at Boscombe. Like all good captains, mine delegated most of the cruise flying to me so after 25 hours I was getting the hang of it.

I don't think the nav was very impressed when he was trying to take his astro shots, but we got there anyway!

Happy days.

Tommy

[ancientaviator62]

I have just had the pleasure of attending Bert Desmond's 80th birthday party.
This was organised by his daughter in secret and I think it may take some time for Bert to get over the shock. It was very well attended and it was nice to catch up with some old friends and 'chew the fat'. Not so good to hear of several who are no longer with us.

[smujsmith]

Sorry for the very late post, and my sincere condolences at the news of Mike's (Coffman Starter's) passing. I've enjoyed a lot of banter on several PPRUNE threads from Chipmunk to Albert with him, the man had an insatiable appetite for "gen" from those who "did it" about the aircraft they flew and operated. I can only hope that his family can appreciate the trigger he has been for some major reunions and recollections across the PPRUNE threads. RIP MIke, I am proud to have been at least an on line friend.

[Bengerman]

Slightly off thread, but with C-130 significance.
I regret to report the passing of Sqn Ldr Ron Collins, ex Hercules Nav following a fight with cancer, RIP Ron.

[Dougie M]

Tragic news. Ron and I served on several units together and because we shared the same birth date we both retired on the same day. On clearing, the stores clerk said to me as the detritus of 37 years lay on his desk. "A Mk 2 B helmet. I haven't seen one of those for.. 5 minutes. Ron had just cleared ahead of me. Very sadly missed. Blue skies old chap.
Dougie M

[nimbev]

The posts regarding co-pilot solos on the OCU reminded me that on Beverleys we flew co-pilot mutual ie 2 co-pilots, eng, nav, siggy, and ALM (no qualified captain). On one such sortie at Abingdon we had an overspeed on No 2 (the one next to the nav's ear) as we were turning base leg onto finals. The noise of a Centaurus overspeeding was enough to put the fear of God up you, without the thought of what was about to happen if the flight deck didn't sort it out in the next few seconds. Fortunately we had a very experienced eng (probably by intent) and the engine was shut down and we landed safely. Could have been very different.

[fleigle]

Excuse me for popping into this great thread.
I live on the Central Coast of California and there is a RAF C130 based here at our local airport, I havn't been able to get close enough to read its Reg., but it is flying quite frequently.
Anybody have any ideas??
Regards,
f

[Vzlet]

Central Coast of California

Not an insignificant length of coastline! Could you narrow down the location a little?

[Top Bunk Tester]

Ex FREEFALL ENDEAVOUR - RAF Falcons time to top up their tans :ok:

KSBP is too far north for the above Ex

[fleigle]

"Not an insignificant length of coastline! Could you narrow down the location a little?"

Vzlet, it is KSBP.
North of here are a couple of large US Army bases, south is Vandenberg AF base.

I work just of the NW corner of the airfield, so see them taking off into the west.
We also get an occasional US Navy E2D Hawkeye.
F

[Dougie M]

I agree with TBT. It's a bit far north for PTS. They like to stay near San Diego. The trials team used to frequent that area though and Point Mugu.

[R4H]

Went there from CLake as part of a joint HATS OEU trial. Winter and aircraft had cold soaked overnight. Like climbing into a fridge so short trip to Pt Mugu dressed in jackets etc to be marshalled in by the guys in shorts and t shirts looking at us as though we were aliens.

Short finals waiting clearance to land 1 on - no clearance so went round. Bollocked on landing for not complying earlier with "wave-off" lights! Unfortunately we didn't speak Navy and hadn't seen them.

Saw one of the old Navy ski-equipped Hercs there. Quite an agricultural bit of engineering but it obviously worked.

[India Four Two]

At the beginning of the Test Pilots video (http://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/369246-fighter-pilot-bbc-1981-merged-again-5.html#post9582957) (http://www.pprune.org/military-aviation/369246-fighter-pilot-bbc-1981-merged-again-5.html#post9582957)
there is a sequence about a C-130 dropping a 30,000 lb tractor.

Besides the main parachutes, there is a smaller one. What was that for?

[OmegaV6]

Anti swing chute, as the load "pivots" under the extractor chute it has a tendency to "pendulum" .. this "sideways" operating chute stops that .. :)

Leastways, thats how this FE always understood it ... a suitably qualified ALM will be along shortly to correct me ... no doubt .. :)

[India Four Two]

Thanks, OmegaV6, that makes sense.

I wonder if that was figured out in advance or if it was the product of bitter experience? ;)

As a slight thread drift, I remember being very impressed by an ULLA drop at Farnborough in the late 60s.

[classicman]

RNZAF C130 in action recently airdropping water and supplies to communities cut off by the recent Kaikoura earthquakes:

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/video-look-below-nzdf-drops-tonnes-water-hercules-kaikoura

Ki Nga Hau e Wha

[ancientaviator62]

Omega,
I have arrived on the first bus as in this part of the world (Sussex) the trains seldom run. You are correct it is the anti swing doing 'what it says on the tin'. Due to the low drop height of reefed mains MSP/HSP without such a device
the load would not have time to stabilise before landing on the DZ. I have seen what happens to the load when the anti swing does not work as advertised. Not pretty !

[ancientaviator62]

IndiaFourTwo,
ULLA was indeed impressive. Especially a triple and seen from inside. Probably the airdrop I liked best.

[Dougie M]

AA
It was quite exciting from the front too!




http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag76/dougiemarsh/8e557fcd-7f35-4007-b4b5-4366f65270ab_zpsv7f7jitt.jpg

[ancientaviator62]

Dougie,
very nice picture to stir the memory cell.

[Dougie M]

I42
Here is the anti swing on the HSP doing its job. The risers on the main chutes were so long that the anti swing just stabilised the load in the vertical in time for it to touch the ground




http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag76/dougiemarsh/8e6fb0d8-b0c7-47af-8382-a6cbe033665d_zps6nyko8s5.jpg

[safetypee]

I am familiar with fighter reconnaissance pilots claiming 'a belfry', but this heavy para drop appears somewhat excessive.

[1066]

Photo in yesterday's Sunday Telegraph Business section shows the first RAF Hercules handover ceremony at Lockheed Marietta 60 years ago today! Anyone with access to the online ST able to post it here? Or, in the sad absence of Coff, can someone tell me how to post it here using an iPad? If and when it appears here is anyone recognisable?
1066

[Ken Scott]

I think that should be 50 years - 1966.

[Dougie M]

The 50th Anniversary is already in another thread but the fact that they got four Hercs up for a fly past was in itself noteworthy.

[1066]

I think that should be 50 years - 1966.

Quite right Ken. Oops!
1066

[R4H]

Nothing posted on here since before Christmas!
Hope everyone had a good time.

Where is the most unusual, fun, different, good, dreadful place you spent a Christmas, New Year or birthday, courtesy of Albert?

[deltahotel]

Tampa Florida

[R4H]

Was that Christmas, New Year, unusual, fun, different, good, dreadful?

[Dougie M]

An unexpected Christmas and New Year in Salisbury, Rhodesia before it became the sorry state of Harare, Zimbabwe. "All you need to do is nip down there and take freight out to the assembly areas and you'll all be home for Christmas" they said. Yeah right. I think it was the Ides of March when we finally left one of the most beautiful countries in the world to its fate. The weather was fantastic, the people lovely, the allowances phenomenal and the flying was unhindered by air traffic. The food was exquisite and the hotel excellent. When the Boss came out on a shuttle he was entertained at a pool barbecue with drinks served by the staff and he said "How am I going to go home to your nearest and dearest and tell them that you are suffering the privations of a bush detachment"
I nearly bought a coffee plantation in Chipinga before the election results declared that the fabled Bob Mugabe had "won". The hotel owner said "We are all refugees now"
It was the last of the "Bring a bottle" wars.

[deltahotel]

Tampa for New Year due diversion inbound to Belize for smoke/fumes drill. Most unexpected and a whole bunch of fun. Beat seeing in the NY outside Block 101 just before boarding MT to go flying!

[gopher01]

Dougie, your comments on the hard lying det to Salisbury bring back memories of how we suffered for our country at that time but IIRC we also had to suffer a New Years pool party at the Rhodesian Air Force C.I.C's home at which a certain Co-pilot, C...s F..d by name did his ear in relegating him to Ops Officer for some while while the crew I was with had to borrow a Co when we went flying. At that time the Det was crews plus a G.E. each and Christmas was celebrated in the hotel and a good time was had by all! Your G.E., a gentleman by the name of E..y B....m and I shared a room there and yet again as you say it was very hard to keep up the story of how bad it was to be out there!

[Null Orifice]

Where is the most unusual, fun, different, good, dreadful place you spent a Christmas, New Year or birthday, courtesy of Albert?

It was not always fun in the sun (but I had some of that ,too!:cool:)

I spent one wonderful Christmas inside a fuel tank in J3 hangar!
On the night shift, too (no 'heads down' time either :{)
Made a couple of bob using the 'bog money' system, though.

Happy New Year to you all!

[Brian W May]

Just for a laugh and I'll stick my neck out :

Calling 1975 Belize Airlift

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5073174/EnRoute%20Tales.mp3

[AEM 87/AEF 97]

Flier Flyer #4204

Having just worked my way through all of the posts I came across your photos from 1987 when I was one of your SACs and my future Father In Law (Noel) was a major contributor to the smoke in Rects Control. Studying the photos, I then saw myself cleaning windows with Ros, I also believe that's me topping up the main wheels in a previous post. You ask where are they are now....well I live about 6 away miles from Lyneham having left the RAF in 2013 and now work as a contractor at ABW. Happy times.

[pr00ne]

AEM 87/AEF 97
A Contractor at ABW? You going to still be there post March 31st? Or even post the end of Feb?


Sorry for thread drift.

[Null Orifice]

Brian W May:

Very entertaining, that little ditty, Brian! Thanks for re-activating some of my fading memories.

The Belize job was one of those sunny trips I referred to in my Christmas 'hard luck' post above #4536. Some of us groundies were unfortunate enough to have to put up with a couple of weeks or so at the Nassau Beach Hotel - things got even worse for me later, as I had to do it all over again, during the recovery phase :rolleyes:.

Things got off to a cracking start for those of us on the Nassau detachment - the brown jobs (allegedly) fired the starting pistol about 48 hours later than advertised, so there was precious little for us to do for a day or two. We made a start on our suntans, courtesy of the adjacent Cable Beach, and got in some practice in trying to make the perfect Wallbanger - the functional testing of same was a popular gig. Perhaps this was because the groundcrew variation of the Harvey Wallbanger recipe was concocted in rather industrial-sized quantities e.g. Take one clean metal waste bin, etc. IIRC the bottle with the bat on the label, obtainable from the 'licor store' outside the hotel cost around $2.50 for a 40-ouncer!

Luckily, I had drawn the short straw and was on the night shift; staging through just the one aircraft (usually) returning from Belize most nights was a really hard slog! Again, fortune was on my side as my room (half of a suite) was directly above the aptly named "Peanut Taylor's Drumbeat Club" :eek: : being on nights thus limited my exposure to the Caribbean rhythms emanating from below.

We groundies usually ate at the airport: the workers' canteen did an excellent grouper salad and a large beer for 5 dollars, although I did have the odd brekkie or two at the Howard Johnson at the front of the hotel. A fabulous time was had by us all, we even received some rather good rates from the detachment paymaster :ok:.

[Brian W May]

We had a party in my room. The bath was about 9 inches deep in Harvey Wallbanger. We had about four Herk crews and a couple of British Airways crews - mayhem ensued.

The management sent one of the 'security' lads up to ask us to pipe down (it was late) and I managed to convince about four guys who were holding this chap's feet over my balcony (I was on the third floor!) to set him on his feet right side up! Self control is soluble in alcohol!!

I was hors de combat next morning. The aircraft came in having had a Turbine O'Heat warning. You guys checked all the wiring and we launched.

Fortunately, the warning came on again so we slotted the engine and returned to Nassau (apparently it was water in the detector). Do you remember the rain - and the 'dirty' fuel?

That was the playing of my 'joker', didn't do that again . . .

Was it the Emerald Beach that banned us from their 'all you can eat' breakfast as 'we' all ate too much?

[Dougie M]

The three hotels in a row that we were accommodated in not only got understandably annoyed at the over indulgence at breakfast but in rotation they provided "Managers Parties" on different days of the week for the incoming paying guests. The Ascoteers soon cottoned on to the unlimited supply of rum punch and conch fritters at these dos and presented themselves in various dilapidated beach attire at all the functions to the chagrin of the staff. The beach party, however, persisted through the det and as crews rotated the new flasks of Harvey wallbanger appeared. My crew did the shuttle to Belize and back in time to replenish the flasks with the good stuff. The incumbents were down to appletons and minute maid at that stage. An American couple who had been observing the ritual said "We have never seen a beach party go on for seven days. When do you guys sleep?". We were suitably inscrutable.

[Brian W May]

Good man Dougie, we did our best.

This really was my baptism as I'd only joined 30 Sqn that January (75) so was an innocent (ish).

Managed to make it to Belize and back to Nassau then climbed in the back and dead-headed to Lyneham arriving 24th December ready for Christmas party.

Tiring time I recall . . .

[Vasco Sodcat]

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt212/Va5c0_S0dcat/Hercs/IMG_1374_pb_zps7ctd31ee.jpg

Photo bucket having a hissy-fit, other three will follow asap

[Vasco Sodcat]

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt212/Va5c0_S0dcat/Hercs/IMG_1373_pb_zps5udzfstf.jpg

[Vasco Sodcat]

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt212/Va5c0_S0dcat/Hercs/IMG_1372_pb_zpscprfbdqq.jpg

[Vasco Sodcat]

http://i613.photobucket.com/albums/tt212/Va5c0_S0dcat/Hercs/IMG_1371_pb_zpspd1rcahr.jpg

[Ken Scott]

It makes me weep every time I see what they've done to a once fine flying station.

[Brian W May]

That view is so familiar and so alien all at once . . . a bit poignant.

[EESDL]

http://i357.photobucket.com/albums/oo19/eesdl/IMG_3600.jpg?1486624434540&1486624435154
or somewhere a bit farther East....

[juliet]

What is on the field north of 06/24?

[EESDL]

Christmas spent in Utah thanks to procurement forgetting to tick the 'chaff' box when ordering the C-17 and then choosing to use the C-17 in real ops.....
Basic crew plus a couple of excellent 'Movers' headed West - rare event at that time - collected the DG from Hill AFB - marvelled at the number of F-16s on the ramp - and spent the route distributing proper-strength beer among the needy. Beer in 7-11 being marked as 'high alcohol content' if it was more than 2%.....If memory serves me correctly, the city was preparing to host the Winter Olympics so locals were very keen to welcome 'strangers'. Was given a lift by local blue light taxi as they didn't trust people who preferred to walk between bars.
Would still be there now if it wasn't for the fact that someone else needed the load.
Herc crew wearing Xmas hats being chucked out of a bar as the hats were not on the list of 'correct headgear' just showed how much work Utah had to do prior to Olympics.
Xmas hats worked a treat in Halifax on the way out I seem to recall as the local netball team fancied playing with our bobbles...........and the 'co' might have been mistaken as one of Princess Diana's grieving boyfriends.......happy fu55ing days ;-)

[Ken Scott]

What is on the field north of 06/24?

That'll be the solar farm, cropping up on so many open areas of the UK courtesy of substantial subsidies to the owners. In Lyneham's case I believe it offsets much of their electricity usage but also has the additional benefit of denying the airfield to aviation.

[juliet]

Good god, what an eyesore.

[BEagle]

I wonder what the effect of a Typhoon Q-scramble going supersonic over that field of glass would be....:\

[ksimboy]

Don't recall the REME being issued with Typhoons though!!

[Lyneham Lad]

I happened to wander around South Cerney churchyard on Thursday, armed with my trusty Hasselblad 500C and saw this memorial to the crew of XV180 (Fairford). Developed the film this morning and thought this thread might be a suitable place to upload the photo.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2771/32590477270_8c2537b57e_o.jpg

Edit - photo link refreshed.

[Null Orifice]

Poignant picture, LL.

R.I.P. to the crew of XV180.

[Brian 48nav]

I had to think of something to get this thread bumped back onto Pg 1 - it is 50 years ago this month since 242 OCU received its first Hercules and IIRC No1 Course commenced.

[ancientaviator62]

Brian,
did my course in the New Year of 1968, No 8. Not long after yours I think.
We were still operating the Hastings (24 Sqn) when the first 'K' arrived at Colerne.
Did you ever find any more pics ?

[ICM]

Brian, I'm sure you're correct on those dates, but am I imagining having briefly seen the first 130 at Thorney Island whilst on my Argosy OCU in Spring/Summer 1966? Probably in a pre-Marshalls shiny finish?

[ancientaviator62]

ICM,
the 'K' I saw at Colerne was indeed all silver and shiny. This would have been sometime in 1967 I think. I am sure gopher or one of the others can set us straight.

[Dougie M]

Here is XV176 when it arrived "naked" from Marietta but I am advised that it was preceded by XV179.




http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag76/dougiemarsh/64ebea35-c401-447b-b875-0fc6ebeb379d_zpsg8kmaecx.jpg

[Brian 48nav]

Just been delving into a couple of books - the first Herc' for the RAF, XV176, made its maiden flight at Marietta ( the Lockheed plant ) on 19th Oct' 1966.
XV177 was the first handed over to the RAF in a brief ceremony at Marietta on 16th Dec' 1966. It was flown by an RAF crew ( Mel Bennett, Dave Wright as pilots, Cyril Loughheed Nav', Fred Pennycott Flt Eng and John Sutton as AQM ) to Marshalls at Cambridge on Dec' 19th in silver livery. After painting and fitting of more flight deck equipment, 177 went to Boscombe in Feb' '67 followed by 178 in March.
Thetford's 'Aircraft of the RAF' gives April as date of first delivery to 242 OCU at Thorney Island and Andy Muniandy's book 'Hercules - the RAF workhorse' gives the date as 3rd May.
Initially 6 were delivered to 242 and my logbook shows 5 of them as 176,179,182,183 and 189 for the first part of 4 Course with 180,185,186 and 187 being there in November. Maybe some swaps took place with Lyneham as 36 Sqn formed there in August.

AA62

Sorry, no more photos found.

[ICM]

Brian, Many thanks - so my C-130 at Thorney in early 1966 is a trick of memory after all.

[Dougie M]

The first time I did see one of they Hercules was in Muharraq in 67. Horrible things I thought. I'd much rather go on to Belfasts. Well what did I know.




http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag76/dougiemarsh/c6c0f8e4-6ca8-433c-8a41-779836502945_zpsuupj5ccv.jpg

[gopher01]

I notice a very natty chequer board finish to the rear fuselage, trials marking for drop evaluation perhaps? And look at the ironmongery in the background, the delicate shape of the Beverly, fins protruding above the skyline and the whistling wheelbarrow there as well, good old days! The old days with no GE, props not lined up, shocking!
As I mentioned way back on this thread I did in fact marshall the first OCU Herc in to Thorney and if the grey cell is working correctly it was 176, the rest following in numerical order.

[ancientaviator62]

As I recall the rear fuselage markings were for airdrop trials . My fallible memory tells me it was XV 179 that I first saw at Colerne.

[Brian 48nav]

I had a think about the number of airframes at Thorney; I guess what Andy's book gave, 6, was the initial delivery.
This would have been sufficient for the OCU staff to get to grips with them while No1 and then 2 Course were in ground school. Once the students started flying 6 would not have been enough and a few more would have been delivered - hence why I flew in 9 in the 10 week flying stage.

[ICM]

Doug: A once familiar background in that photo. And the Belfast turned out not too badly - some of us had to do it!

[aeroid]

Having seen the posts on the early days of Fat Albert I couldn't resist a little look in the RAF Form 414 and would you believe it, 50 years ago tomorrow (26th April) I was Co-Jo to Skipper Vic Blake and I think Charlie Hartridge Eng, Pete Thompson (?) Nav and no doubt various screen crew as this was our first "solo" delivering XV187 to Marshalls of Cambridge via Kindley AFB (Bermuda) and Lajes. Pass the Sanatogen!

[Brian 48nav]

Vic and Chas were both on 48 went it formed. I have a vague recollection that Vic ended up with Dan Air.

[Scrumblehalf]

That would be correct my Dad was Fred Pennycott. I'll dig out a photo of them standing on the apron in the States taking delivery of the first Herc, for the hand over. They were also presented with a copy of the order placed by our Govt showing the value. I had the pleasure of attending the 1,000,000th flying hour celebration and 25th year celebrations, meeting the guys of that crew. Happy memories....

[Brian 48nav]

Hello, Welcome aboard.

In the early 70s I used to take my kids for swimming lessons at the indoor pool in Cirencester and Fred was often there at the same time with his little one - can't remember if there was more than one child with him. Was that you?

Having been a dad at 22 it always struck me , that Fred seemed quite old to be a dad; I knew he had served in WW2 and guess he was about 50 then. These days being a dad at 22 is unusual and 50 much more common!

I remember Fred as an affable and pleasant chap, so different from lots of the 'trappers' in those days who seemed aloof and very unapproachable - particularly a couple of the navs.

Have you followed him into the RAF?

[Jackw106]

Ian Harvey, an RAF Hercules air engineer, explains how the Hercules fleet supported British forces in the Gulf in 1990 and 1991, flying vital supplies between the UK and bases in the Middle East.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnHzaLUSV68

[extruck]

First flew Fat Albert in July 1968 at Thorney with Bill Tucker as instructor. First flew XV292 in March 72, so probably not an original Lyneham Herc.

[ancientaviator62]

extruck,
welcome to the thread. Our starter of this thread, the late much missed Coffman, would have been delighted to 'see' a new face. Have you any tales pics etc that you could share ? What Sqn were you posted to after Thorney ?

[extruck]

Joined 36, then 24 (briefly) followed by 48, 47, STS (or whatever it was called then!) 47SF, STS again, Upavon, STANEVAL. Enough clues? Stories too numerous to tell. A brilliant period to be in the RAF. Not so sure about today.

[ancientaviator62]

extruck,
we must surely be acquainted each other. If you look back at some of the early posts I can be identified. There can never be 'too many tales to tell' or too many pics to see. As you rightly say great times to be in and on the 'K' fleet.

[Jackw106]

I have flown out of Lynham a few times. Two videos, one going back to the 1960's and one as the base looks now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyN713M0rqw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho6SmV5pHvg

[Brian 48nav]

In today's papers a couple in Crudwell, Wilts ( Mr & Mrs Noel Cleave ) believe their prize winning wisteria had been wilfully destroyed.

When I lived in Crudwell March '70- October '72, Noel Cleave IIRC was the nav' on the Herc' test flight at Colerne. His cottage was, and is, virtually opposite the Plough Inn or whatever it's called now.

I think we mentioned Noel a couple of years ago on this thread.

[DeanoP]

Reference Post No: 4571 for Aeroid.

I think I have identified you as 'Snoopy' from ' Snoopy and the Red Baron' days.

Your navigator was Len Davis (RIP) and not Pete Thompson. I preceded you by a couple of days, on 24 April 1967 with XV 188, with multiple screens who possibly had only one Atlantic crossing to justify their screening expertise. A case of the blind leading the blind!

i remember that our crew at the end of the USAF conversion course decided that we did not want to wait at Sewart to be formally released from the clutches of the USAF and boarded a civil flight for the fleshpots of Atlanta and Marietta. This caused a bit of a diplomatic incident as we had departed without 'Orders' from the USAF. The RAFLO gave us a minor bollicking for our sins. I think your crew were with us when we did the flit.

Happy Days


http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq15/Dean_Pringuer/img004_zpsctw4ujaa.jpg (http://s429.photobucket.com/user/Dean_Pringuer/media/img004_zpsctw4ujaa.jpg.html)

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

Smudge

There is talk of a special edition Ground Engineer Watch

Is it true that you composed the Swahili motto?

Mi amimi mimi kazi, yangu ni fundi m'kuu

Can't guarantee it will be used, but quite a few votes in favour

SPHLC

[cavuman1]

I have followed this thread with great interest since its inception, having a great bond with the Herky Bird as well as all aircraft types produced at Lockheed-Marietta. The connection started during the Great Depression when my paternal grandfather purchased several thousand rolling acres north of Atlanta. He was a gentleman farmer and had his eye on a substantial rise upon which he intended to build a rambling farmhouse. When the structure was completed in 1939, my grandfather and father planted twelve oaks on either side of the winding drive which led to the home. Their labors completed, granddad turned to dad and asked: "What shall we name this place?" My father responded: "It ain't nothin' but a windy hill!" The name stuck, and although most of the property is commercialized now, the house still stands as do those now mighty oaks. Windy Hill Road is a major thoroughfare in Marietta (pronounced May-retta by the locals).

In 1941, Uncle Sam decided to condemn 600 acres of Windy Hill and repurpose it as an extra 2,500 feet of main runway for Dobbins AFB. Bell Aircraft was going to build 668 B-29's under license from Boeing. My father, a Commander in the U.S. Navy and a naval architect who designed the hull of the Essex class carrier, said he loved coming home on leave to hear the thunderous thrumming of Superfortresses as they took off right over the house. Having been born in 1949, some of my earliest memories are of B-47 Stratojets screeching and smoking aloft. Then in 1954, Lockheed began to crank out the first of thousands of C-130's. I recall being impressed by their climb rate and maneuverability. Granddad sold the farm in 1956 and bought Windy Valley Farm which wasn't under the Dobbins pattern. I returned to the old farm frequently to watch the panoply of military aircraft come and go. In late June of 1968, my fiancée and I sat together, shaded under one of the oaks which my father and his father had planted thirty years before. We were there to witness the maiden flight of the C-5A Galaxy. The behemoth gathered speed and struggled aloft. It flew directly overhead at 400 feet and dipped a wing as if to salute us - we were some of the first to witness "the aluminum overcast"!

To this day, whenever I see military aircraft, especially C-130's, I smile to myself and think: "That craft took off from our old farm!" :ok::D:)

[fergineer]

A very young looking Mitch Mitchell there.

[DeanoP]

Could SirPeterHardingsLoveChild give a translation to his swahili quote.

Google translate gives: 'Mi today believe I work, my mechanic m'kuu'.

Does 'Mkuu' mean dead?

[SirPeterHardingsLovechild]

I'm told it's "Trust me, I'm a Ground Engineer"

Someone on the Facebook discussion has also done your google translate

[smujsmith]

Hiya all,

My GE Badge, and motto. I was not favoured with some of the more "glamorous" trips as a GE. Banners, Deci sheds and Africa seemed the norm for me. Hey Ho, as they say, wherever I went was flying in Albert, and mainly in the company of some very splendid people. So, as we entertained 40 - 50 people at our married quarter, to celebrate my daughters 18th birthday, Joe Ion and myself headed for the terminal and a long flight to Dar Es Salaam, via Akronelli and a visit to my old mate Mike Libby. we had a detachment of around 12 Line tradesmen and 6 GEs, to support a flow in to Kigali in Mozambique, where various tribes were busy trying surgical techniques to enthuse their neighbours to their way of thinking.

The stop at Akrotiri was, as always when Libby was involved, a real pleasure, ensuring our transit to Tanzania was sleep ridden. The Hotel we were accommodated in was blooming good and despite sharing rooms, Joe and I soon found that a diet of "road kill" chicken and local Gin and Tonic would suffice. So, the det got underway, under the command from the ground crew point of view of a very junior JENGO from B line. A very nice young lady, but not of a practical bent when keeping Albert flying.

The planned flow of aircraft went quite well, with my job being to allocate a GE to each aircraft flying to Kigali and back. The line lads did the servicing as they landed and departed. in the middle of this I had a communication from our boss Eddie Botham (SAGE) who said that the section was having a competition for a new patch, and could I ask any GEs on the det, if they had any ideas. So I did, not many were too interested.

When I qualified as a GE I bought a world map, and dutifully plotted the routes I did. It didn't take long before I had a large spider striding the planet which gave the graphic for my entry. Following that, I needed a motto, and I decided that the easy, Latin way out, as used by many flying Squadrons would not meet requirements. I got in to a discussion, over a G & T that evening with an expat, who spoke Swahili. Well, we did all the Jambo, Hakuna Matata etc and then I asked if he could translate a sentence for me. Yes he said. So, remembering the old "trust me I'm a doctor" i asked him to translate " Trust me, I'm a Ground Engineer", the result "Mi amimi mimi kazi, yangu ni fundi mkuu" it literally means trust me, I'm a big chief engineer, which of course, all GEs truly were. needless to say I won the competition. I think first prize was to do all of the Banner trips over Christmas that year.

Back to the det. There was a sudden reluctance by the politicians to back this push, so it was being wound down rapidly. I needed to do a quick visit to Kigali to confirm a few suspicions. I had requested, before leaving Lyneham that we took an enhanced "Ranger pack" including spare main and nose wheels. This was denied by Eng Wing, who said that the USAF had done a full check of the airhead at Kigali, and it was "top notch" ! I went to Kigali as GE on one of the last trips. The pan we parked on was covered in shrapnel from grenades, mortars and other deformed sharp metal bits. I collected a large bag (about 5 lbs), and hoped our tyres would get us airborne. On return to Dar Es Salaam I find an Albert delayed northbound because the JENGO had snagged a tyre for wear. Had a look, and whilst it was borderline this tyre needed to survive one take off and landing, arriving at Akronelli where Mike Libby would change it. I spoke with the northbound Captain (Tim Flynn ?) who agreed he was happy to take it, if I signed the 'green'. Job done, aircraft went home. JENGO very embarrassed having to cancel her demand for a tyre on the next BA schedule. How she would have organised changing that tyre is beyond me.

Addendum.

I wrote an article for the Lyneham Globe within a few months of return. It was called Goldilocks and the Three bears, and was a humorous personal take on that detachment. I was informed that OC Admin thought I should be charged with gross insubordination. I was in fact invited to a one way interview with OC Eng, who gave me a lecture on military decorum. I enjoyed presenting him with a 5lb bag of assorted shrapnel, and a wish that my request for spare wheels had been considered properly.

Hope that explains the spider/Swahili patch. I still have one somewhere, and if I can I will find it and post it. Nice to find the thread still going after a few months off. Best to all, keep it going chaps.

[aeroid]

Spot on Deano! Still above the grass, warm, upright and occasionally sober.

[Clive B]

Hi All

I need your help, I am writing a book on the Hercules in RAF service and need some information of missions and activities in Iraq and Afghanistan if you can share?
Also I have been following this thread and have to say there are some great photographs I would like to put in the book if allowed.

If anyone can assist me I would be very grateful, please contact me via email.

Many thanks

Clive Bennett

[ancientaviator62]

Clive,
you may use any of my pics/tales as long as they are correctly acknowledged.

[Clive B]

Clive,
you may use any of my pics/tales as long as they are correctly acknowledged.
Thanks Ancientaviator62, would it be possible to get some scanned at high resolution (300 dpi)? I will of course acknowledge accordingly.

[ancientaviator62]

Clive,
the dark arts of scanning/uploading are a mystery to me. I could only cope previously with the very patient help of the much missed Coffman. All my pics are in a folder on my PC. The original slides no longer exist.

[Clive B]

I fully understand ancientaviator62, within your folder could you possible check the properties on some to determine what the resolution is, it will tell you the DPI per photo. Apologies for being the preverbal pain, but some of the 48 Sqd images are really impressive and I would definitely like to use within the book.

[ancientaviator62]

Clive,
as far as I can make out they seem to be 96 dpi.

[Clive B]

Thanks Ancientaviator62, will speak with the publisher.

[aeroid]

Clive B, Dare I ask when on 48

[aeroid]

I guess it's last one out turn off the lights, so it's goodnight from me and....

[Dougie M]

Aeroid
There are countless tales and scurrilous anecdotes about the Herc fleet still lurking in dark places awaiting an unsuspecting contributor to trigger the replies. Also many photos but with the sad demise of Coffman the photobucket log jam has stymied the incriminating pictures to accompany the stories. Fear not. The thread has not yet run its course. There is another thread "Is it still fun" It may be, but there will never be a better time than was had on the "Classic".

[bunta130]

It's just unfortunate that most of my scurrilous anecdotes involve a few posters on this thread already.....I have a raft of less dodgy ones, in times when there was considerable (usually fairly juvenile) fun to be had.

There I was, out of Hawaii en-route to Guam, with just a single crew (plus extra skipper (Chickenlover) Loadie and Nav) on my one and only global.

Just reached TOC and was accelerating to the hugely impressive 205Kts or so cruise IAS when a request from the back to lower the nose came over the intercom. I duly dropped it by a couple of degrees for a few seconds, then raised it again (as requested from down the back). After getting back to level, the nose drop request was repeated....this time, I asked why.....expecting either news of drips from an elevator booster pack or a level drop in one of the reservoirs......

The reason for the attitude changes was a Chickenlover BX purchase. Our recently-emptied freight bay provided an excellent opportunity to test his new skateboard, but clearly he couldn't be bothered to use anything other than gravity to propell it...

Other than flying through Typhoon Gilbert between HK and Singapore, the rest of that route's flying was uneventful (although that was far less dodgy than anticipated); the nitestops were, as ever with a good crew, the highlights.... I think we had routed via Lajes on the way out, so the Class 6 had provided a fair few supplies for the Kitty.

[bunta130]

Just a few places/names to trigger memories of the Cognoscente....in no particular order

Biggin Hill
Cafe Michelle
Green Frog
Fudpuckers
Ned Kelly's
Jockey Club
The Flyers'
Red Baron
Sidetrax (sp?)
Reflections
Sign of the Whale
Rumours
Mon Cherie
Queen's Castle
Kangeroo Bar
Buffet de la Garre - remember the toilets
Castellis

Happy daze!!!

[Old Fella]

Just been delving into a couple of books - the first Herc' for the RAF, XV176, made its maiden flight at Marietta ( the Lockheed plant ) on 19th Oct' 1966.
XV177 was the first handed over to the RAF in a brief ceremony at Marietta on 16th Dec' 1966. It was flown by an RAF crew ( Mel Bennett, Dave Wright as pilots, Cyril Loughheed Nav', Fred Pennycott Flt Eng and John Sutton as AQM ) to Marshalls at Cambridge on Dec' 19th in silver livery. After painting and fitting of more flight deck equipment, 177 went to Boscombe in Feb' '67 followed by 178 in March.
Thetford's 'Aircraft of the RAF' gives April as date of first delivery to 242 OCU at Thorney Island and Andy Muniandy's book 'Hercules - the RAF workhorse' gives the date as 3rd May.
Initially 6 were delivered to 242 and my logbook shows 5 of them as 176,179,182,183 and 189 for the first part of 4 Course with 180,185,186 and 187 being there in November. Maybe some swaps took place with Lyneham as 36 Sqn formed there in August.

AA62

Sorry, no more photos found.

Interesting that the RAAF equipped with C130A models (first non USA operator) eight years before the RAF got their first C130.

[ICM]

The history of how the RAF finally got to the C-130 is pretty long and tangled - see Chris Gibson's "On Atlas' Shoulders," for example - but (and not having flown the beast myself) I'd imagine that most were content that we waited for the K model.

[Dougie M]

Following ICM's answer to the Old Feller I think that it was probably financially not possible to reconcile the huge inventory of transport aircraft into a single fleet in the late 50s. Since ICM and I had been on Argosies in the 60s we encountered Comets, Beverlys, Hastings and Britannias down the route and expected the VC10s, Belfasts and Andovers to swell the numbers. Smaller comms aircraft like Devons, Pembrokes, Beagles, Twin pins and the odd Dakota kept the maintenance teams on their toes. I arrived on the mighty Herc in 76 and stayed there till 2003. Best fun ever. It looks like Bunta's carrot of "all the gin joints in all the world" has yet to get a nibble.
I do recall a Red Flag detachment where the Herc crew were approached in the Café Michelle with a request to do that "sign language" gospel song. We obliged with Swing Low Sweet Chariot in its various forms ( which went on to be a nightly feature) and the only thing I remember being asked subsequently by an elegant blonde lady of mature years: "Why do you Brits slap yourselves on the back of your neck when you're jacking off?" My reply is lost in the mists of time.

[bunta130]

'elegant blonde lady of mature years'

Sounds very familiar.....they were certainly the majority of beasts that roamed the 'lounge'.....

And I haven't even begun on the Heart of Fayetville........a favourite 'haunt' I believe....

[glad rag]

I happened to wander around South Cerney churchyard on Thursday, armed with my trusty Hasselblad 500C and saw this memorial to the crew of XV180 (Fairford). Developed the film this morning and thought this thread might be a suitable place to upload the photo.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2771/32590477270_8c2537b57e_o.jpg

Edit - photo link refreshed.

Fitting image LL

Respect to them all.

[Old Fella]

Dougie M, I agree with your reasoning re the wait for the RAF C130 being partly financial. I shared several years with the RAF at RAAF Base Edinburgh, South Australia (1963-1966). It was a relatively common thing to welcome RAF Britannia's, Hastings, Argosy's as well as having resident Valiant, Vulcan and Victor there. We also operated Meteor and Canberra aircraft as well as Dakota, Bristol Freighter and De Haviland Otter as well as Allouette III helo's. The C130A was a better aeroplane than many think. The bulk of my time was on the A model, although I did short tours on the E and H models. I enjoyed them all.

[Brian W May]

Buffet de la Gare . . . don't go there !!

Oh, we did and the toilet arrangements were novel to say the least. Friendly folks . . .

[Dougie M]

Old Fella
I only remember once seeing a C130A model with its distinctive "Jiminy Cricket" nose and that belonged to a Reserve unit in the States. I do however recall some time in Adelaide when we went to recover some maritime detritus from a Nimrod detachment at Edinburgh Field after a Fincastle competition. There was some concern about just how much Hazardous Cargo was safe to transport so we were in the home of Two Dogs for a couple of days. On a foray downtown and trying to look in with the much younger crew I was denied entrance to a club because I was wearing jeans. "They are black denim trousers" I protested to no avail. For a garrulous race the Aussies can be quite taciturn when it suits. Anyway I found a bar not too far away fairly close to the uni. A couple of girl studes drifted in much later and said "C'mon Grandpa. Buy us a drink and we'll make you look good". Knowing the $99 cocktails around I said "Only if you're drinking beer at bar prices" "O.K." they said just before the rest of the crew came in saying "We have permanent hearing loss from that place and you can get arrested for being a paedo with these two". The girls fled but my cred was enhanced. I noticed that Adelaide has no twin U.K. city. I would suggest Surbiton.

[ksimboy]

The list of salubrious joints earlier appears to missing Red Lips . Never went there myself of course, but have heard many interesting tales about them!!

[bunta130]

That list could never be exhaustive........ Let's face it, the Ascoteers searched high and (mainly) low for suitable entertainment establishments....

Some I missed off:

Rumours (Happy Valley and Washington)
Cotton Club
Bredbury Hall
King George
For home fans......'Trotters', Camelots etc...

There is plenty more!

[Top Bunk Tester]

Bulldog Club - HVGB accessable with judiciously placed thumb over rank on F1250 ;)
Safari Bar - Muscat
Carnivores - Nairobi
Sherlock Holmes - Bahrain
Adams Mark Hotel - St Louis
Gordon Biersch - Las Vegas

[bunta130]

Seem to remember a Sherlock Holmes in Edmonton too.

Adams Mark......One of the late GB's favourites..bless him!

If I remember rightly, you had to travel down a 'bandit-infested' road to get to Carnivores. Nairobi was always a dodgy nitestop, with an incident in the 80s of Co (OB), Nav (The Wittering Taff) and GE getting mugged.

That reminds me of a ML story from the New Florida Bar....white trousers....with stripe 'applied'

What was the name of the bar between the NGor and the Diarama (?) in Dakar? Resident 'Austrian specialist' in most nights from memory!

So many hazy memories....and great blokes' company along the way....some huge characters; I was lucky enough to have been on the Fleet in the Pedro era.

[Old Fella]

http://www.pprune.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=3131&stc=1&d=1506491831

Dougie M. This was one of our 12 C130A's (1958 until 1978) which were replaced with 12 C130H models.

[Nugget90]

That photo of A97-209 flying over the Blue Mountains brings back many very happy memories of the time, 1965 to 1967, when I had the great pleasure of being first a co-pilot and then a captain with the Richmond-based Squadron. The photo shows clearly on the tail of 209 the Squadron badge of a rampant black stallion (motto, 'Sure') that today, i.e. more than 50 years on, is applied to the RAAF C17s of the modern No 36 Squadron now based in Queensland.

Having completed a two-year tour with No 24 Squadron flying Hastings out of RAF Colerne, I was fortunate to obtain an exchange tour with No 36 Squadron RAAF and enjoyed every minute of my time there! The first and best thrill was getting to handle this beautiful aeroplane that was so responsive to control inputs, and thereafter the fun was operating to airfields all around the Commonwealth of Australia and the surrounding territories: Papua New Guinea, Honiara, Nauru, Norfolk Island, Canton Island (Pacific), Hawaii, Philippines, Malaya, Thailand, Vietnam, Cocos Island, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Fiji, etc. Absolutely the best time in my (flying) life.

We operated onto crushed coral, grass, clay, PSP (Pierced Steel Planking) as well as hard surfaces, and flew some relatively long flights such as Darwin - Changi (7.15) whilst having the capability of making some very short-field take-offs and landings. The long three-bladed propellers gave this aircraft that extra performance. All very different from flying the Hastings - which I don't regret having flown for for the company and the challenges - and seeing many beautiful sunrises and sunsets all around the tropics.

On the way up from Pearce WA to Butterworth in Malaya via Cocos we would of course have to negotiate the ITF/ITCZ with its towering cumulus. We had a Flight Engineer who could draw quite well, and he would illustrate these clouds on the vertical profile chart on which we plotted our course, then handed the result with its depictions of where the clouds were to the Met folks at Cocos Island to help them with their forecasts. These charts, if drawn by this Flight Engineer, used to be kept as 'Pin-Ups' by the Met Office because he drew the big bubbling clouds in the style of Botticelli with voluminous curves, rosy cheeks and smiling eyes!

As co-pilots we were checked out in the left-hand seat, and over each weekend two of us would be on standby together with a Flight Engineer and a Loadmaster (no Navigator needed) to carry out air tests on aircraft that would emerge on Saturday or Sunday. We were authorised to fly for three hours, and after we had completed the air test, and assuming that there were no deficiencies, we could do whatever we liked! Thus we would shoot ILS approaches to Mascot (Sydney Airport) overflying the Harbour Bridge (for the view) and, my favourite, low flying along the canyons of the Blue Mountains.

Purely coincidence, but I'm meeting up tomorrow with the RAF Navigator who served with me in Richmond, and his wife, to meet and greet one of our RAAF colleagues and his wife who are visiting a member of his family over here in the UK. Friendships made all that time ago still endure!

[ksimboy]

Trappers in Happy Valley for the pleasure of cooking your own steak on the indoor bbq.

[bunta130]

Trappers in Happy Valley for the pleasure of cooking your own steak on the indoor bbq.

Good point.....albeit the 'joint' was a bit quiet, certainly in comparison with Rumours bar there.... Now that was a scary place, with the local mooses ready to 'pick off' 'tired and emotional' Ascoteers

[Old Fella]

Nugget90. I am pleased my post showing A97-209 in flight over the Blue Mountains evoked some pleasant memories for you. I arrived at 36 Sqn a year after you completed your exchange posting. I remained with 36 Sqn, except for a short attachment to 37 Sqn in the lead up to 36 re-equipping with the H model, before leaving to undertake a B707 conversion with Qantas, in Jan 1979 when we acquired that type. I left the RAAF in 1981 after 23 years service and later joined CX in Hong Kong.

Hope life is treating you well.

Regards OF: ok:

[DCThumb]

What was the name of the bar between the NGor and the Diarama (?) in Dakar?

The only one I remember was called 'Disco O box' or something similar.

[Dougie M]

DCT
All I remember of that place was trying to avoid the French speaking Night Fighters who would even follow you into the gents. 'Appy days.

[bunta130]

Heidi was the one I was alluding to....

Remember the 'disinsect' canisters we used to let off in the rooms on arrival in the hotel? One of the chaps was staying in one of the thatched lodges around the pool - he had dead and dying insects landing on him all night as they fell out of the roof!

[gopher01]

Ned Kelly
The best jazz and sausage and mash in Hong Kong, first went there when I was on Brit Det in '75 I think it was when the Det was based at Kai Tak. Managed one trip to Nepal during the det, memeorable for the Nav coming up to look out of the screen, say " Oh ,that's where we are "and and disappear back to his desk, a wind up I hope. that and re-fuelling in India an aircraft that used Lbs and gallons worked out with a spirit level in the cockpit with a bowser either side, one in litres and one in decalitres, just slightly complicated.
Normally popped in when going through HK west about or east about after that during my first stint as a G,E,, didn't get there so much on the second go on it!

[Dougie M]

I have good reason to remember The Waltzing Matilda bar in Cameron Road Hong Kong. A certain Welsh Nav was O.C. Airport Unit at Kai Tak and he invited me and my family to visit. A long indulgence flight courtesy of B.Cal got us there in time for him to say that his bro. and family had already arrived unexpectedly and there was no room. We were put up in the VIP suite at the Grand Hotel for the duration. The South Atlantic broke out and the inscrutable Chinese refused my Access card for payment because we would lose the war. Drowning our sorrows in the "Wally Mat" I espied a Herc crew then another every hour or so. One Co who had American Express paid off our bill in dorra and I then noticed Mrs.M was quite pixilated by the amount of B & Cs bought. The departure the next day was self help and conversation restored by Dubai. I never got grief for subsequent kokkinelli hangovers.

[Brian 48nav]

That 'certain Welsh nav' was an occasional poster on here 4 or 5 years ago, be nice if he appeared again - he must have lots of good stories to tell.

BW

[bunta130]

I believe that Welsh nav was also the one present during a met brief within the UK some years ago. The metman coudn't get hold of the Wittering TAF, but was told the crew had one with them....

There is a (potentially) apocryphal story of the same gent, who admitted, on the first leg of a US route, that his wife had packed his bags for him. Cue Loadie ransacking his suitcase and removing all of the shoes within. GT then wore DMS shoes for the entire route, only to have them returned at the start of the last leg (having moaned about his wife's forgetfulness for the entire time).

Happy days.

A similar 'kippering' was 'enjoyed' by a rather youthful Ed P****ing at around the same time....whose suitcase gradually fell to bits as we went round a Belize schedule. Having just bought it for him whilst in Dubai, I felt quite guilty, until I realised that Arthur K*****n had been loosening all of the wheels and eventually the handle on each leg.

[Brian 48nav]

If your Welsh Nav's initials are GT then I don't think I knew him.

My version's initials are A L C******.

[Dougie M]

Brian
Yes you are right. It was Cl*m. We were on "F" together. GT is famed for other stories.
I recall Fudpuckers from Fort Walton Beach I believe whilst visiting some of Uncle Sam's finest. I bought the Tshirt for the missus emblazoned with a pelican and the motto "You haven't been pucked till you've been Fudpucked" She never wore it.

[bunta130]

You're right Doug.....it was indeed Cl*m in HK - my nav going through the OCU first time in 84 (him having arrived back in that year), and with us on STF a few years later.

Speaking of which....remember the Sky TV cameraman who upset Cl*m in St Andrews? Pretty sure you were there too.

[Dougie M]

I see the curmudgeonly Cambrian occasionally. The last time being the inauguration of the Island Boy TWB R****s as mayor of Calne. I was expecting a bowl of Kava as a toast. Cl*m once brought to heel a deputy boss of the renowned STS, who was trying to get us all to follow the new received wisdom, with the observation. "The way to a man's heart, Boyo , is not up his nose.

[bunta130]

I see the curmudgeonly Cambrian occasionally. The last time being the inauguration of the Island Boy TWB R****s as mayor of Calne. I was expecting a bowl of Kava as a toast. Cl*m once brought to heel a deputy boss of the renowned STS, who was trying to get us all to follow the new received wisdom, with the observation. "The way to a man's heart, Boyo , is not up his nose.

That wouldn't have been the SF Xmas 'get together' punchbag would it?

'Sugar Ray' Cl****t's haymaker was a thing of surprising beauty. We did have to prevent the cameraman retaliating though, as we needed C for the next leg home...

He was (and hopefully still is) a very witty curmudgeon. Unusually taciturn for a Taff too.

Best

Pete

[Brian 48nav]

Clem arrived as a first tourist when I was on 30 - not sure if it was just before or after we moved from Fairford to Lyneham. We always got on well, despite my contempt for the 'Green Shield Stamp' Flt Lt situation i.e I as a second tour Fg Off having to screen a first tour Flt Lt! Whenever I meet Clem he always refers to me as the 'angry young man'.
Having spent Dec 31st 2015 at my old mate Angus M's in Little Somerford we called in to see Clem the following morning on our way to collect our dog from friends at Broad Hinton. We hope to do the same this coming New Year. Clem and I both made the ultimate sacrifice for proud navs - donating sons to the RAF to become pilots!

By the way we are still in contact with the late late GB's good lady.

[Wander00]

Just a thought - a fellow thespian at school was a guy called Ian Henley. Years later, in 1982 I turned up at the Towers as a newly minted IOT flt cdr (albeit nearly 40 and a retread) to find Ian was OC "C" Sqn, and of the Hercules persuasion. Anyone know what happened to him or still in contact.

[bunta130]

Just a thought - a fellow thespian at school was a guy called Ian Henley. Years later, in 1982 I turned up at the Towers as a newly minted IOT flt cdr (albeit nearly 40 and a retread) to find Ian was OC "C" Sqn, and of the Hercules persuasion. Anyone know what happened to him or still in contact.

Were you on B or D Sqns in 82 and 83? If so, our paths would have crossed....

[NutLoose]

https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/revealed-britain-sells-ex-raf-aircraft-bahrain-human-rights-abusers/

[Wander00]

Bunta - I was on B - three courses, two with RS as boss and one with R B-J. Went off to Neatishead in April 84

[Wander00]

Jenkins - aah thanks.

[Dougie M]

t's tragic to see XV177 and XV209 for sale in "Psst you wanna buy a Herc" detailed in https://ex-mod-aircraft.com/
Many happy hours in both frames. When the last 6 aircraft were up for disposal 3G Aviation were asked if they could be ferried to a "Central American country" avoiding U.S. airspace. No sweat we responded, mentally calculating the Lajes - Bermuda - Carib pond crossing. Sadly in vain. Don't think I could be happy "glamping" in a fuselage section of either frame. I could wake up panicking that I'd missed a 30West estimate.

[Vasco Sodcat]

I have a very recent picture of what has become of Kai Tak which I'd like to post. Does anyone know of a fool-proof alternative to the PhotoBucket method?

[Vasco Sodcat]

Those with long memories may recognise the Kai Tak runway running through the centre of the photo; the white building at the right-hand end is apparently a cruise ship terminal.

<blockquote class="imgur-embed-pub" lang="en" data-id="a/9nnzmLI"><a href="//imgur.com/a/9nnzmLI"></a></blockquote><script async src="//s.imgur.com/min/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

It appears that the "Snapfish" method is not as reliable as the PhotoBucket method. Any suggestions?

[OmegaV6]

I have a very recent picture of what has become of Kai Tak which I'd like to post. Does anyone know of a fool-proof alternative to the PhotoBucket method?

postimage.org is getting some half-decent reviews on several forums (forii ?? :O ) that I use .... :O

[MPN11]

I recently started migrating stuff to imgur ... no problems to date.

[Vasco Sodcat]

:ok:
Thanks to OmegaV6 and MPN11; I'll give those sites a try.
VS.

[Vasco Sodcat]

The former runway at Kai Tak is almost unrecognisable. The long white building is an ocean liner terminal.

https://i.imgur.com/HdNBu2f.jpg

[Vasco Sodcat]

OmegaV6,

I tried PostImages but one needs to know which Bulletin Board software engine PPrune uses for images; anyone know? :ugh:

VS.

[Yamagata ken]

For images try Tinypic. It works for me (see snow photo in Boring and Worthless in JetBlast).

[Zombywoof]

one needs to know which Bulletin Board software engine PPrune uses for images; anyone know?They use vBulletin, naturally, since Internet Brands owns both PPrune and vBulletin. ;)

[Dougie M]

To paraphrase the poet:
"O Coffman. Wouldst that thou were living at this hour"

[dragartist]

To paraphrase the poet:
"O Coffman. Wouldst that thou were living at this hour"

Spot on Dougie. Coff certainly helped me post pictures. To begin with I sent them to him over e-mail. He showed me how to do it myself. I know I am not the only one. His search skills were also second to non. He helped me on a number of topics. I know he is missed on here.

[ancientaviator62]

Without Mike this thread would not exist. Sorely missed.

[Vasco Sodcat]

Imgur-hosted image at #4643 above.

[Vasco Sodcat]

Imgur-hosted image at #4643 above.

[bunta130]

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4635/39473805532_8f047b60c1.jpg

Finally cracked uploading via Flickr - only took 2.5 months!

Unfortunately, it would seem that you haven't......

[Dougie M]

Until a reliable gratis host is found to replace photobucket, and an obliging guru's instruction, the incriminating photos in my library will remain the subject of scurrilous conjecture....rather like the Trump White House. We need another live briefing at the 5 Bells.

[Yamagata ken]

Try tinypic.

TinyPic - Free Image Hosting, Photo Sharing & Video Hosting (http://tinypic.com/)

[Yamagata ken]

Tinypic walkthrough.

Go there, press Browse.

Find the location ot the photo and press enter.

Press Upload now.

It may ask you to copy a Captcha into a bar, do that if need be.

When the photo is uploaded you get four choices under "Share This Image". Choose No2 "Image codes for Forums and Message Boards"

Copy and paste into the message.

The family which bikes together, stays together.

http://i63.tinypic.com/es9abm.jpg

[condor17]

Yamagata Ken . Thanks for tips .
Just a trial run , but a tribute Ed Strongman and his connection to ' Grizzly One ' ; big cousin of C130s ...

http://i67.tinypic.com/e9dwqu.jpg

Toulouse museum , Feb '17
rgds condor.

[condor17]

Ken , great ; seems to work easily .

thx aagin ,

rgds condor .

[Dougie M]

Condor.
Ed and I on a yacht trip across the pond in 78. Coo, Big picture innit.
Thanks Ken. That bike is not safe for your lovely family!

https://www.pprune.org/[IMG]http://i66.tinypic.com/5nu2qo.jpghttp://i66.tinypic.com/5nu2qo.jpg

[Jackw106]

Task force 317

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj8Hkbb0-0Q

[Jackw106]

part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_10Y0sRd1xE

[Stretchwell]

I’ve only just become aware of this. Sadly the first talk is sold out.

RAF100: A History of RAF Lyneham at REME Museum - 16th January ? 16th June 2018 - REME Museum (http://www.rememuseum.org.uk/2018/01/12/raf100-a-history-of-raf-lyneham-at-reme-museum-16th-january-16th-june-2018/)

[enfranglais]

For a few who may like?:
RAF Operation Deep Freeze 30 Sqn. Photos & Memorabilia 1972.

In November 1972, RAF Hercules C130 aircraft from Lyneham, Wiltshire, based out of Christchurch New Zealand to resupply the Antarctic research stations from McMudo station. They astonished the Americans by landing with wheels rather than skis!!! The resupply was from the 26th November 72 to the 8th of December & each return flight was about 14 hrs flying time.

This collection of 9 photographs, taken by the official USN photographers PHC Ralph Payne/Richard Beaudet on the 26/11/1972 (11-26-72 for the Colonials), shows LCDR Ralph Lewis greeting the RAF pilot, Sqn. Ldr. E.G. Waddingham & various shots of Hercules & base camp.

[Top Bunk Tester]

Anyone remember carrying Das Boot around at full MOS

[Checks Complete]

Anyone remember carrying Das Boot around at full MOS

Carried one back from the Far East. Flight planning was interesting, I never did more Vno, drift down and wing relieving calculations for 'real'. It was like one of 'Dolly' Grey's classroom plots. It helped when the captain persuaded the operators to remove all the beer from the boat!

[ORAC]

TBT, the other photos in the album look a little colder......

[Top Bunk Tester]

ORAC - Now that’s interesting, the other photos in the album aren’t mine and not posted by me. The photo I posted was only scanned yesterday so has not been posted before.

Checks Complete - We were taking it out to the Far East, and ended up in Colombo for a #3 Engine Oil Cooler Leak, tried to get out after ‘fixing’ it but still remained once airborne. Biggest Fuel Dump I’ve ever done. Then once we eventually did get out, we got a full smoke & fumes 80 minutes out of KL at night in the middle of the worst tropical storm I’ve ever seen. Flight Deck ConPac shed it’s bearings. Cue 4 nights in KL :)

[Checks Complete]

ORAC - Now that’s interesting, the other photos in the album aren’t mine and not posted by me. The photo I posted was only scanned yesterday so has not been posted before.

Checks Complete - We were taking it out to the Far East, and ended up in Colombo for a #3 Engine Oil Cooler Leak, tried to get out after ‘fixing’ it but still remained once airborne. Biggest Fuel Dump I’ve ever done. Then once we eventually did get out, we got a full smoke & fumes 80 minutes out of KL at night in the middle of the worst tropical storm I’ve ever seen. Flight Deck ConPac shed it’s bearings. Cue 4 nights in KL :)

Storms at night in that part of the World are never much fun, especially with a very high ZFW. I seem to remember we had a fairly uneventful trip back. Think we had a couple of days in Colombo CCWR problems.

[Top Bunk Tester]

Yeah, our Cloud & Clunk was u/s outbound from Colombo, dodging the centres with the help of the lightning was a mind sharpening experience.

[dragartist]

Not sure if I don’t have a revised loading scheme set of drawings from JATE in the mid 90s.
I visited Little Creek and Dam Neck a few times. On return our guys were keen to develop a similar Airdrop scheme. I think the second word was “off”. The PAC 28 DRIB was overweight requiring dispensation on overloaded chutes. Not sure if they have dropped bigger since I left.
There may be an earlier version of the LRIC preserved at Shrivenham.
At least the fit would be more comfortable in the A400.

[Brian 48nav]

Mike Preston,

Former RAF Herc' pilot - 48 Sqn 67-70, followed by 47 Sqn 70-73, has recently died.

His funeral is on Tuesday 15th May at 1300 at South Oxfordshire Crematorium OX13 5PA then after at The Nag's Head, Abingdon

[Dougie M]

Over one Million hits on this thread. Coff would have been proud!

[Jackw106]

70th anniversary of the battle of Arnhem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKYuTcnyd1w

[ksimboy]

Given the request for information regarding the Hercules, how many remember the "Frozen" (Star/Crane/Griffin) exercises we used to hold in January in Goose Bay? The plan was a long range para insert onto Gosling Lake, followed by a week of Low Level flying including Air Drops to the Inuits at their "teach the kids the old ways" settlement ( never could work out why we had to Air Drop a freezer to them however). One highlight of the many years i did the exercise was the social evening where a Captain (Biscuit) was so proud of his Xmas jumper bought for him by his wife, he had successfully spent the entire week upsetting people so said jumper was cut off him and displayed (in tatters) behind the bar. Many more stories of events on that particular exercise.

[Dougie M]

http://i65.tinypic.com/xlkosi.jpg
I always enjoyed Frozen Star!

[gopher01]

Whilst browsing back through the thread one of the few remaining grey cells kicked in and I remembered something that happened when we took XV 292 to Marietta for the 25th anniversary visit or at least I think it did. I have memories of having a briefing from Lockheeds on their C130 H.T.T.B. or at least I think that was the abbreviation, High Tech Test Bed in full. It was their frame for any possible updates or mods to the basic frame, slats is one thing I think was mentioned. I also believe it crashed some years later. Does anybody else have any memories of this during the visit or of the H.T.T.B.?

[Vzlet]

I saw it in Paris in 1985. Unfortunately static only, but the glossy black paint job was gorgeous:
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/800x526/34677937882_852e8f73e7_c_f1535a2d9fc61e71eaa17208d0ec19e04ec fba00.jpg
https://flic.kr/s/aHskMh6bK9

[Jackw106]

I can almost smell the avtur
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16xVCRoNeGo

[Chugalug2]

Jackw106, thanks for the YouTube link. The bread and butter work of the Hercules Force very well displayed. I was never privileged to witness the work of the despatchers down the back, being otherwise engaged up front. The sheer hard work of recovering the static lines and bags is clear. 17 years after my time and they'd repainted the hulls, but the work seems much the same. The weight those guys had to go out carrying is truly impressive.

[Jackw106]

Chug just keeping the thread alive my last decent from the Fat Albert was in 1980 most of the guys carried 100 lbs in weight standing in the stick waiting to jump was uncomfortable and a relief to get out of the air craft

[ExAscoteer]

And it didn't get any better when the system went to Para-Wedge!

[ancientaviator62]

Jack,
thanks for putting up the video. It was a real memory lane for me. I wonder if there is a video of a full op drop with door bundles and wedge.
Wonder why they opened the cargo door as I did not see any wedge kit. Yes pulling the bags in was a struggle. We did have retrieval winches but if the bags snagged the winches could be pulled off their mountings. Pulling the bags in on the Hastings could be a struggle too. We dropped with the inboards throttled back and as soon as the 'troops gone' call was made they were powered back up again just as we were trying to recover the bags !
Happy days.

[Jackw106]

ancientaviator:- after my time we used to do door bundles the RAF had some good devices for finding kit on the dz at night

[Dougie M]

On big ABEXes when para/wedge and door bundles were dropped, the calculations for stick length timings were tortuous. The wedge went on "Red On - Cut" abeam the early marker, then there was a head/tailwind gap till "Green On" when the door bundles went, after which the troops were dispatched. The timing to the end of the DZ was calculated from the early marker but if there were still jumpers on board when "Time" was called it would take a brave despatcher to halt the stick on its way out.

[dragartist]

Jack, probably around 2001 we were experimenting with a modified SARBE. Dedicated frequencies away from the Emergency ones. These were coded and would burst transmit a GPS location over UHF. This could be picked up on the SARFIND box which listed the loads and locations. Just march with your hand held garmin and there it was.

Probably overcomplex for a harness pack but the requirements fell out of loosing a high value load on an overseas exercise (Safe Saria)

All the kit was disposed of to the School at St Mawgan to one of the Squipper WOs

remember trialing various lights including some IR which would flash a code. Mocking Bird they were called and could be programmmed. The change from IR to white light was effected by putting the batteries in the other way round. Like most things of this nature they were pilfered. Apparently they were useful to the Scuba divers.

Not sure what became of the pingers we put on boat airdrop platforms. Again that came about through having lost one.

[Jackw106]

Dragartis:- very interesting copied that to my Para guys who may have some more stories

[ancientaviator62]

Been on several trials to aid location of airdropped kit on night drops. We seemed to keep coming back to Cylumes ! I was on JATE when the Wedge raised its head. The original notion is that it would replace door bundles. By the time the Mk3 (stretch) came along we were back to wedge and door bundles plus of course longer sticks of troops. As Doug says in this state you did indeed need a long DZ, especially if the comedians who suggested dispatching consecutively from the doors got their way. No, I could not stop the last couple of paras from going out of the door after the 'red' came on.
Nor could anyone else. The train was going too fast and their only ambition was to get out of the 'honk box' and get the weight off their legs as I am sure Jack will agree.

[Shackman]

A long way back in this thread there was a picture taken from the ramp of two Shackletons in formation for a flypast to mark the closure of the RN base (Sembawang/HMS Terror) in Singapore. Here's the ones looking the other way! Sorry to admit we were a bit further back than normal when they were taken.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1342/behind_c130_8de93ce6a2b4fdf8e83df03c02e4ce07944759e9.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1408/behind_a_herc_87dfca35323be37f633cf9e4f34ba6077febd506.jpg

[Shackman]

Oh, and here's one from the ground courtesy of Mrs S of the run in and break at Changi:


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1481/herc_shack_run_in_to_break_fa85d69d9e1e66274653ef52726f1bcda 52b68e4.jpg

[ancientaviator62]

Shackman ,
great pics. When were they taken ? I was on 48 at Changi then so may have been on the trip !

[Shackman]

I'm fairly certain they were taken on the flypast for RN closure at Sembawang or possibly the practice Sep/Oct 71.

It is possible it could have been the FEAF disbandment parade - a multi feature flypast of RNZAF frightener with Whirlwinds either side, ourselves with you, Sqn of Lightnings, Sqn of Mirages (RAAF) and a few other odds and sods. Unfortunately the slides are all mixed up and undated.. Here's us looking down:


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1333/changi_flypast_rnzaf_and_whirlwinds_04704c34be1baac3cdf67801 3eb861d4200f08d3.jpg

And one looking up:


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/2000x1342/c130_shacks_4c08051cc5ba92b7349f803465025515d5b7a1fc.jpg

[ancientaviator62]

Shackman,
thanks for the pics. I had just left 48 by then as I was due to go to Thorney Island as an airdrop instructor. However they had decided to close Thorney and move it all to Lyneham. So we set up the squadron at Lyneham whist I waited to start my new job.
We used to use Sembewang as a DZ for light stores and para. I still have memories of looking out of the open para door down at the shipyard as we turned for the run in.

[DeanoP]

Shackman:
I took these photos on 27th or 29th October 1971. Flypast at Naval Base Sembawang. 29th Oct was my last flight from Changi before relocating to Lyneham
Previous images were deleted by Photobox. (Hope this works with imgur.com)
https://i.imgur.com/SKMudPS.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/MTDHX1h.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/XgrkX8B.jpg

[Dan Gerous]

Nice to see this thread revived and liking all these pics. More please if anyone has anymore.

[skylimey]

Awesome set of photos... A question though, in all these shots it seems the front/rear props are sync'd for each engine, whereas a few photos from wiki have the front/rear props out of phase by (i'd guess) 30 degrees for each engine.

Was that for vibration or???

Thanks
Skylimey

[sycamore]

Sky,both props rotate in opposite directions,through a common but complex gearbox and propeller system,driving two propeller shafts,one inside the other...I am sure that each engine can then be `synchronised` with all the others to reduce a harmonic ` beat` that you get(drone) throughout the aircraft if one or more engines are running at slightly different RPM. This can be refined further by `synchrophasing the propellers` from the `master engine`.This is really a job best left to a `flight-engineer`/witch-doctor,as it invokes much voodoo,incantations,time of day,time of month,ascension of moon,periodic tables,and copious amounts of coffee/tea/pasties,etc...
I`m sure ``Shackman ` can elaborate further....my experience was limited from the C-130,and getting engineers to `get rid of that f£$%^& beat`..

[wub]

Just came across this:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qjZMWI77b84&time_continue=721

[carlos755]

Does anyone remember the drawing of a Co-pilot as seen through the eyes of various crew? It was on the noticeboard of the OCU last time I saw it
It had various depictions of a co seen through the eyes of the rest of the crew and a drawing of a baby whilst the view from his Flt Commander was one of a long haired teenager?
If anyone has a copy I'd appreciate it!

Cheers
Carl

[Cerney218]

I am not recently from within your service (since 66) but I do appreciate this great explanation of Albert operations coupled with a good level of human interest.

In the hope of restarting the thread.....

How were you fed down the route?

[ExAscoteer]

How were you fed down the route?

It depended upon the twats at 1 / 38 Gp Admin.

We were either on 'Rates' ie a fixed rate per per meal per place (easy give everyone their allowance), or 'ACTUALS', ie the actual meal cost of a table d'hôte per head that could be paid for. The latter was (despite the Penguins at 38 Gp) a bloody Nightmare for the CoPilot who would have to attend the Crew Meal at a restaurant and then the Groundcrew meal (if applicable later) with the comcommitant affect upon 'Crew Duty Time'.


Of course the bloody penguins in Accounts only ever looked at the ££ cost and never the Operational Efficiency.

[ksimboy]

Actuals, wasn't that "Chateaubriand for 2 for 1"?

[DCThumb]

Ahhhh actuals...

I love the story about when The rate at Gander switched to actuals. Command accounts saw the bills that were coming in and decided that an audit was in order, naturally involving a visit to said Canadian bright spot (!). Upon arrival (in reflections???) they ordered what was clearly the most popular dish amongst crews, at least so the receipts said, the ‘Chateaubriand’ (insert food of choice here, the story works whatever...). The waitress looked at them and said ‘You guys are RAF, right?’ the disappeared to get the food. A few minutes later she emerged with 2 pitchers of beer and a basket of fries (chips in English). Said accountants pointed out that there must have been an error as this wasn’t what they ordered whereupon the waitress said (words to the effect) ‘no no, that’s how it works, you pay for the chateaubriand, we bring you fries and beer’..

Gander returned to Rates shortly thereafter....

[Brian 48nav]

Cerney218

Interesting choice of name! If you were on 218 Course at South Cerney you may be interested in looking at another thread entitled '230 Course South Cerney' - lots about the various SC course in the mid-60s.

B48N ex- 218 South Cerney

[Cerney218]

I was on 218, and found this forum through the 230 course thread. 3

[Dougie M]

I believe that the "chateaubriand for two for one" was coined in the Equatorial hotel in Singapore. "Actual" meal entitlements were accumulated through the day to pay for a decent repast. When on rates, roughly £15 for breakfast and £20 for lunch/dinner, eating on the ground (EOG) was actively discouraged in favour of contributions to the "kitty". That's why, when down the route, the first tray of in flight sandwiches disappeared before start checks in the morning.
Dougie M ex 188 Cse South Cerney

[Cerney218]

Brian & Dougie
Second part of my reply. I am row 2, second from right behind Sgt Greenop.

Sorry for thread drift everyone else.

[Brian 48nav]

Hi C218,
You had me scratching my head, particularly as I was aware of 2 from our course photo' who 'left' in 66. Both back row, 3rd from left sadly chopped from our nav' course - I bumped into him in Ciren' a few years later and he seemed to be happy with an international bank - 4 further along from him also got chopped at nav' school and I bumped into him in Hong Kong in '68 and he was a trainee police inspector there.
It was announced on Where are they Now? that Al McDicken ( back row ) passed away a couple of weeks ago and also that someone was trying to trace Garth Bennett ( behind the Group Capt' ). One or two of the others have posted on Prune in the past.

Sorry for thread drift again folks, but the latter was a Herc' man.

Brian - directly behind you 2 rows up.

[Dougie M]

Brian.
I'm afraid that Garth Bennet is also no longer with us. I'm not sure of the date.

[BEagle]

After we received rather a strange signal from Command Accounts about accommodation in Cyprus, I did some delving. The VC10 AAR force would arrive at Akrotiri and simply ask "Where are we staying?". If it was on-base in single rooms, then fine - the usual kebab in the village was on the cards. So why the signal...

It turned out that some C-130 crews were lying about co-location of the crew and demanding to stay off-base, which had rightly annoyed the Ops staff who had worked out the accommodation plan at a particularly busy time - hence the bollocking signal to all AT/AAR crews.

Another time we were U/S at Andrews waiting for a C-130 to bring a replacement engine. They shambled up to the posh hotel in which were staying with a huge poly bag of leftover inflights (to save spending their allowances) and their 'crew bar' from which they began to drink at reception whilst arguing about room allocation. Ill-mannered trash hauling peasants, WTF did they think they were doing?

But that wasn't quite as bad as a night at Goose. For some reason crews were staying in the Lab Inn. Next day I paid the accom. bill from the FSI and off we went to the RAFU. Where we heard that a Nimrod crew had buggered off without paying their bill, so I was asked to pay it from our FSI - it seems that the Nimrod mob had expected the RAFU to pay. Accommodation - fine. But the restaurant and huge bar bill they'd run up, expecting the Queen to pay? No way! I advised the RAFU admin folk to speak directly to Kinloss and to recover the costs directly from the crew, whose names were known.

The greed and piss-poor behaviour of some crews down route was an utter embarrassment to others and ruined life for them. No-one expected us to be choirboys, but the fraud and lies of some crews really was too much. At one point it got so bad that Nimrod crews were banned from the better hotels at Lajes.

Sorry to sound so negative, but I used to get utterly fed up with the way some people ruined things for the rest of us.

[Clunk60]

I don’t know how you coped Beagle in your perfect world/ivory tower when such ruffians disturbed it. Of course the Strat/AAR fleets never pi$$ed anyone off.

[DCThumb]

Hmmm - perhaps try to keep the thread on a positive note not cross-fleet bitching....

I always recall the transop stating 'co-location authorised' in my time - don't see how any crew could get away with lying about it as Akronelli ops got the transop and they were the signers of the all powerful Form 95!!!

[Shackman]

Sky, Sycamore et al - re Synchronization of props/engines. Alas I don't know how (or even if when down the back en route FI etc) the Herc engines were synchro'd, but it was (unfortunately) the pilot's job in the Shack, ably assisted by an instrument called a 'Synchrometer;(?) consisting of three small props, the idea of which was by minor movement of the RPM levers you could stop rotating, at which point the thrumming would stop although not the noise. As Sycamore says this was also accompanied by prayers, incantations and the odd sacrifice, but I found the imminent threat of a bash round the ears by the Flt Eng was the most compelling reason to become proficient by sortie No 2 on the OCU (MOTU)

Oh, and for further info on formation flying we left the outboards at constant power and just played with the inboard throttles to maintain position.

[OmegaV6]

Shackman

Herc engines were electronically "synchrophased" ... synchronised first, to all run at exactly the same rpm, then "phased" so that the blades lead or trailed the "master" (either inboard could be chosen) by an exact amount of degrees. This ensured (or so the blurb said) that the noise levels / vibration levels were at a minimum throughout the airframe .. originally not done for crew/passenger comfort at all .. but as a way of reducing airframe fatigue !!

FE's were required to know how the system worked, but in reality it was "select a master on the switch, if it all works, leave it alone ". As the system was quite complex there were several more complicated procedures for restting/fault handling, but generally it was a pretty good system.

Hours of fun asking/answering complex questions during a ground cat!! (NOT !!) :)

[ancientaviator62]

Joanne B,
you sent me PM ref your father (ex Beverley and Hercules Air Engineer) but I am having difficulty persuading the system to reply to you. Perhaps you could post your queries on this thread where the corporate body of knowledge may help you in your quest

[Stratnumberone]

Hello all.

Can anyone advise where the surviving Ks are? I know there’s one at Cosford. Any ideas
on the rest?

thanks in advance

[AnglianAV8R]

Strat...

Demobbed.org.uk is the best resource : Demobbed - Out of Service British Military Aircraft (http://www.demobbed.org.uk/aircraft.php?type=562)

[Stratnumberone]

Many thanks

[DCThumb]

I saw somewhere that XV202 was open to walk through....is it just me that wants to open the hatch in the galley and see if it says ‘hello Gav’ on the mirror.....?

[rutley]

XV200 is in Africa I believe.

[Willard Whyte]

Done my bit, got my bit...


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/400x327/img_1465_ed0231f22af4fc5c8ecf1a793fd111a5b294f4f8.jpg

[enfranglais]

Still got many boxes to go through but this photo is rather topical!!
By the way, does anyone remember navigator Tom Norcross, last seen at his lovely cottage in Castle Coombe back in the late
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1481x1112/prince_andrew_para_wings_dc3cc489a63420586261e0517a755d6b3e2 17f59.jpg

[ksimboy]

A real blast from the past there, a few familiar (younger) faces in that pic.

[ICM]

enfranglais: I certainly remember Tom Norcross, but from earlier Argosy days at Benson, when he was on the Wing staff. Good chap.

[ancientaviator62]

enfranglais,
nice pic. Do you have anymore you can share ?

[enfranglais]

Will have a look but mostly earlier photos found to date.
This one may be interesting to some, as the thread has discussed early Hercules courses?
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1179x886/15_herc_course_f778fd12839b4b6bd3d7e875a335574a71f44df9.jpg

[Dougie M]

Fg Off Ogilivie, Holy Cow

[enfranglais]

Why holy cow - though i notice you have given him 3 i`s!!!!!!!!LOL

[Dougie M]

He looks so youthful and earnest before becoming my Flt Cdr on SF. Extra i's or not.

[aeroid]

Definitely some blasts from the past. Ian Godfrey, Fraser Maclean. Keep em coming

[enfranglais]

The only interesting one i can find - In our house, it used to be the "Does my bum look big in this Ma`am"? photo!!!!!!
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1123x793/ed_meeting_the_queen_b426d7b071036b8dfa3a77714f231198be1f44c 5.jpg

[Stug298]

In the top picture front row me stew goldsmith (pic right ) steve payne next to me mick the chief with the standard issue1000 pint beer bellybelly ifcouldnt fix it it wasnt fixable simon in the dp's geoff at the back and i think alex gibbs with back to camera in light blue shirt cant recall the reason for the team pic but good to see the motley crew again perhaps a reunion is in order ?

[DeanoP]

Spent the last lockdown, whiling away the time, reinserting photos kindly deleted by Photobox, a long process ,finding the photos and putting them, hopefully, in the right place. (thinks of Morecambe and Wise with Andre Preview).

Came across this cutting from the Lyneham Globe, shortly after the event.

In retrospect, it may have been an overreaction, but the Captain was relying on information passed from the freight bay and of course it was pitch black ( apart from the flames) and difficult to see where they were emanating from. We were just coasting out south of Gatwick. I think we were on the ground within 10 minutes from the time the flames were detected. A very busy 10minutes.



https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/693x1878/img005_07a1a733a789b9b1d403869fe2c933a649f92e4d.jpeg

[NutLoose]

The only interesting one i can find - In our house, it used to be the "Does my bum look big in this Ma`am"? photo!!!!!!
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1123x793/ed_meeting_the_queen_b426d7b071036b8dfa3a77714f231198be1f44c 5.jpg

interesting photograph, I see they didn’t trust officers with knives :p

[DCThumb]

I've just seen on Facebook that MEng Derek Jeans has passed away. Very sad - a true gent and a great instructor. And, incidentally, responsible for my PPrune username. Blue Skies Derek

[ancientaviator62]

So sorry to hear about Derek's passing. A nicer chap you could not wish to meet. RIP

[WIDN62]

So sorry to hear about Derek's passing. A nicer chap you could not wish to meet. RIP
A sad few days because we have also recently lost Tom Fortune - another excellent Air Engineer and lovely man.

[ancientaviator62]

So sorry to hear about Tom too. We were good friends when we were both on 30 Sqn.

[Null Orifice]

Extract from Changi Informer, dated June 1971:

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/433x234/48_changi_informer_jan_1971_da66c3d438aeff380405f17c6c7be4bf 6e54f7d3.jpg
But they would have missed out on Terry F's Honkers stew!

[fergineer]

RIP both Tom and Derek, both of whom I had great respect for

[ksimboy]

Bearer of more bad news i am afraid, MALM Dave Whiting passed away late Nov and his funeral was held in Dec. LXX Sqn standard was displayed in the church and 24 Sqn provided an A400M for a flypast as the cortege arrived at the Crematorium. A fitting send off to a legend of the AT (and C130) world.

[ancientaviator62]

ksimboy,
thank you for letting me know about Davie. As you say a real legend. RIP

[fergineer]

More sad news RIP Dave

[India Four Two]

I thought about posting this on the Granby thread, but decided this thread was much more appropriate.

http://cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2021/01/wonz-232-gulf-war-30th-w-c-bob-henderson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu6BtHB1mOQ

[India Four Two]

When I posted the above, I hadn't listened to the whole 1h45 talk. I now have and it is definitely worth listening to. A lot of detailed information about front-line operations and information about co-operation between the Kiwis and their RAF C-130 counterparts.

I like this picture. The skipper, the loadie in the front and the nav have Steyr AUG 5.56 bullpups, but the loadie at the back is seriously tooled-up with a Minimi (C6?) GPMG.
Be polite to your rear-crew! :E


https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/686x595/screen_shot_2021_01_21_at_9_53_56_pm_b7348572154c992d2e0f93e 76703dba95ce83748.png

[ancientaviator62]

We were fully tooled up too with the UK C130K. We were issued with the standard 9mm pistol and eight rounds of ammunition. Oh and we had to drag to useless AR5 kit into theatre with us.

[ksimboy]

But riding the trolley with the pallet of kit on it down the hill from the hangar was fun AA62 :)

[ancientaviator62]

ksimboy,
thanks, I had forgotten that !

[deltahotel]

It certainly was. And counting the number of pallets in the hangar to work out how many crews were there and thus the likelihood of a good time in the mess

[sycamore]

Or ,3 to a room in Bl 101.....

[Fed-Up]

Or bonfires outside the blocks, AND, my field demotion as a Navigator to a new rank of Sgt to get into their mess.

Memories of my Captain Tex, telling the crew to go to bed - talk about pot-to-kettle

Having competitions in the early days in August / September 1990 seeing who could get into town quickest

Taking hire cars across the salt flats

[ancientaviator62]

I shared a room with the Station Commander and OC 30 one time. As someone said a grenade would have enhanced promotion prospects for a lucky few !