Firq - Sayq

[Herod]

Perfectly decent, I assure you. The subject of the Firq - Sayq shuttle has come up in conversation. Does anyone have the tie, and if so, could you post a picture of it? Thanks. (For the uninitiated, they're two airfields in Oman, nor far apart laterally, but about 6,000' vertically. The RAF used to run a regularly re-supply run between the two.)

[Herod]

IIRC, the total phrase on the tie consisted of the letter "O", followed by an Arabic "4", then the two airfields. I never went to either; this is just a discussion with some people who did, but no-one seems to have the tie.

[Bro]

I flew the Firq - Saiq shuttle many times in Beavers whilst with SOAF. Never got a tie though.

[brakedwell]

I flew the Firq - Saiq shuttle many times in Beavers whilst with SOAF. Never got a tie though.

Ditto in Twin Pioneers during 1959/61, before there was a tie. Also Nizwa -Saiq as I was scared of land mines in the road to Firq!

[highcirrus]

If anyone is dishing out ties, can I have one please? Firq-Saiq four times (sorry that's all - do I qualify?) with SOAF flying Beavers. Also vaguely remember Muscat-Nizwah-Muscat (gravel strip days - at both, that is) and lunch plus swim in the stream fed pool at the Nizwah OM. Happy days of just about post Empire (please, no leftie recriminations of what bast*rds we were suppose to have been!).

[dixi188]

In the late 1970s Skyvans used to leave Seeb early in the morning and do 6x Firq Saiq shuttles and be back by noon. I was on the ramp at Seeb and this was 6 days a week. I think they were moving building materials mostly.

[brakedwell]

I think they were moving building materials mostly.

Thats what we did, mostly. The Sultan wanted a fort built on the Jebel and SOAF only had a couple of Single Pioneers, which didn't last long anyway!

Original Saiq strip showing the new fort.
http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c32/sedgwickjames/152%20Squadron%20Bahrain/Saiqrunway_zps674c4d56.jpg

Saiq, the movie!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3cnU-6YcPs

[friendlypelican 2]

Back to the original query:
I did post a photo of my tie some time ago on the RAF Sharjah thread - http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/374714-raf-sharjah-24.html#post7703442
If the link doesn't work, go to page 24 post 463.
Checked the wardrobe this morning and it is still there, maybe feeling unloved as it hasn't been worn for over 40 years. It was conceived/planned/designed/ordered by a bunch of us first tour reprobates on 84Sqn in 1968 (Quincey,Sibbs,Shag,Les,Blenks,C-J, to name but a few).

[Herod]

Thank you, friendlypelican. Just what I was looking for. There were a group of ex-78 palm-tree drivers discussing it. I can now put them out of their misery.

[teeteringhead]

There were a group of ex-78 palm-tree drivers discussing it. As an ex-78 palm-tree driver myself, I'm a little surprised they didn't know of/remember the tie (if that's what you meant ........)

We on 78 qualified in the Summer when there were not enough Bernoullis at Saiq for fixed wing operations - but at (from memory) about 6500 ft amsl and +50 ish C it was off most performance graphs :eek::eek:

That said, even the mighty Wessex had problems in t'Summer; the interesting tail rotor aerodynamics (not power limitations) dictated a minimum airspeed of about 30 kts - had to be on the ground at any lower IAS, which made for some interesting - and very dusty - take offs and landings.

As sometime O i/c Sqn Fund on 78, ISTR we were the vendors of the tie. There were two versions, blue and green; no significance in the difference, just choice .......

Firq-Saiq four times (sorry that's all - do I qualify?) That's exactly the qualification highcirrus, hence the O (Arabic) 4 F-S (well, one reason ........ :E)

[Herod]

Hello teeteringhead. Yes, all ex 78, including me. However, they are all ex Khormaksar as well, so probably had gone home before the tie was available.

[brakedwell]

We on 78 qualified in the Summer when there were not enough Bernoullis at Saiq for fixed wing operations - but at (from memory) about 6500 ft amsl and +50 ish C it was off most performance graphs

It's a good job the Twin Pioneer had no graphs. Mental arithmetic and the back of a fag packet was all there was between getting the job done and disaster. ISTM 80 gallons (2 hours fuel) was the ballpark figure to carry 2000lbs up the mountain four times regardless of temperature. Turbulence, particularly on the 600 yard Rwy 30 approach after midday, was the biggest hazard. I still remember the heat while kneeling on top of the wing to refuel at Firq from 4 gallon cans through an old chamois leather filter.

[Rosevidney1]

What, one of those snazzy fold-up jobbies? Luxury! I and my ilk had to resort to the cape leather gloves in my Middle East days. The bloody things went stiff and the smell of avgas never went away even after repeated washing. The QMs were strangely reluctant to issue new ones....

[kaikohe76]

Friendly Pelican 2 & Others,
Thanks for your posts, very happy days indeed & great chaps to work with, lots of great memories. Just think, the `reprobates from those long gone days are pushing 70 plus now, our 3.5 year old Grandson is out from the UK next week to visit. Nice to see 84 `Hoot & Roar` mentioned again. My Firq Saiq dark blue tie with the yellow Arabic motif still hangs on my rack in the wardrobe, don't wear too many ties down here in the old Commonwealth, last time I wore one was local Jury duty out here, I looked better than the Judge & I was seriously over dressed! Cheers to all, take care.